By Mike Westerdal
Author
of Critical Bench
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Did you know the average weight
training enthusiast can barely bench press their own bodyweight?
That statistic doesn't even account for the people that
don't work out. Give yourself a pat on the back if you've
conquered the feat of benching your own bodyweight. Don't
worry if you're not there yet, you're about to learn eight
sure-fire methods that will help you earn bragging rights
in and out of the gym.
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So what's the big deal about the
bench press anyway? You're not playing sports or trying to compete,
why is this legendary exercise so vital to an attention grabbing
physique? In fact for those of you who think the bench press is
simply for the ego, you're wrong. It's true no other exercise
is more frequently talked about.
However it's not so strange when
you think about it. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise
for developing upper body strength. You're not only working your
pectorals (chest), you are also working your anterior deltoids
(front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back).
If you could pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest
with some functional power to go with it, you would be wise to
go with the bench. You just can't develop the same upper body
with any other exercise.
As a personal trainer I have seen
hundreds of people strive for a 300-pound bench. The truth is
most people make the same mistakes, but they can easily be changed
to help you start an explosive growth spurt of your own.
Mistake #1: Less is more.
By far the biggest mistake people
make is "wanting it" so bad that they overtrain. It's
human nature, if we don't see the gains we're looking for the
common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell
you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in
my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger
than the last time worked out. Be on the look out for warning
signs of overtraining such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping,
poor nutrition, and of course lack of progress.
Mistake #2: Full body workouts.
Let's get you set up on a new split
where you can give each muscle involved in the bench press the
attention it needs. Remember, there's more to the bench press
than just your chest. For maximum recovery you should only train
each body part once per week with an optimal workout split. If
you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see
mistake #1. You have time to workout 45-minutes a day, 4-days
a week don't you?
Mistake #3: Self-doubt.
Hopefully you don't need a pep talk,
but here it goes anyway. Excuse me as I impersonate motivational
speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mind believes
whatever you tell it, so do yourself a favor and program it with
positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot
and they bash themselves before they even start the lift. Comments
like, "I don't think I'll get very many reps," or "I
can't do this much, but I'll try." If you're not confident,
fake it, and tell yourself you're going to succeed. Trying is
a part of failing. If you're afraid to fail, you're afraid to
try.
Mistake #4: Bad form.
Let's work on some mechanics. After
practicing a few of these techniques you should be able to boost
your bench press by a minimum of 25 pounds.
Widen your grip a little bit. The
wider your grip, the less distance the bar has to travel. Therefore
it makes sense that you'd want to grip the bar as wide as possible.
If you have been benching with a closer grip this will take some
getting used to, but will make a big difference in a few weeks.
To determine your grip, assume a natural push-up position and
then bump it out approximately 3-inches.
Another way to decrease the distance
the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try
to squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire movement.
This will give you a more stable surface to bench from.
Keep your feet on the floor and
drive with your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping
their legs in the air, as they turn blue trying to push the weight
you'll know that they are off centered and it's costing them some
serious poundage. Keep your heels on the floor to help you generate
power.
Arch your back. Your butt, shoulder
blades, and head should always be in contact with the bench, but
it's okay to arch your lower back. If this isn't natural for you,
you can place a foam roller under your lower pack for practice.
Many people have asked what the point of this technique is. Again,
it shortens the distance the bar needs to travels.
Is this cheating? Not at all, this
is a regulation lift. If you want to completely isolate your chest
head over to the pec deck machine to finish up. It's good that
you're learning to use more than just your chest when you bench
press. Don't be surprised if two days later you feel sore in your
back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.
Don't get me wrong you certainly
need to properly warm-up. However you should do so with some very
light weighst, push-ups, and stretching. You don't want to exhaust
your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people
pyramid up and then wonder whey they can't get the weight on their
last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets you will save your energy
for the heavier weights and a big finish.
Mistake #6: Neglecting your back.
Strong lats or "wings"
are very important to the negative phase of the bench press. Your
back is the center of support for the weight as you lower it to
your chest. That's why blasting your back is so important and
must not be skipped. Try some T-bar rows, or bent over barbell
rows to strengthen your back. You'll notice that it's almost the
exact opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.
Mistake #7: Lack of goals.
So you want to increase your bench
press. That makes the two of us. The problem with this statement
is it's much too vague. I want you to pull out your pen and paper.
Write your goal down on four separate sheets of paper in bold
letters. "ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS BY ______."
The simple task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer
to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing
the likelihood of achieving it. Now post these pieces of paper
on your fridge, dashboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly
remind you of your goal.
Mistake #8: Lack of variety.
The human body is an amazing system.
Whatever you throw at it, it can adjust and learn to handle. Keeping
it off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts
will ensure your body responds positively. Always stay one step
ahead by changing your workouts when you feel you're not making
the gains you expect. If you're like me and want to look good
while, while having some strength to back it up you've probably
been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try lowering
the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight repetition
range for a few weeks. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see how
your body reacts if you haven't tried this before.
If you can avoid these common pitfalls
and you're open-minded enough to try something new you'll soon
be bench pressing more than you dreamed possible. Take it from
me, the man who was stalemated at a 275-pound bench press for
more than three years! Learn from others mistakes and watch your
bench press sore. Your wife or girlfriend will be admiring your
muscular upper body while your friend's are dying to learn your
secrets.
The Split
Monday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest
The Bench Blastoff Routine
Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Flat Bench Press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Seated Preacher Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Legs
Squat 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders/Traps
Front Military Press 3 6-8 reps
Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Lateral Riases 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 5: Back/Triceps
Pullups 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Close Grip Bench Press 3 6-8 reps
Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
Points To Remember:
- Make sure you're not overtraining.
- Work your bench press only once
per week.
- Ditch the self-destructing negative
thoughts.
- Don't waste your energy with
surplus warm-up sets.
- Train your back just as hard
as your chest.
- Set a specific goal.
- Try performing less repetitions
when benching.
- Drive with your heels, widen
your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!
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CLICK
HERE to learn more about Mike's powerful
bench press program "Critical Bench"
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About
The Author
| Mike Westerdal
is the President of Critical Bench, Inc. He earned his BS
from Central CT State University and holds certification
as a personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise.
Westerdal also has experience coaching and playing professional
football. His articles are published throughout the Web
and in numerous weight lifting magazines including Monster
Muscle. His best RAW bench press is currently 452 lbs. He
is the author of the Critical
Bench Program. |
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