How To Up Your Bench

Step 1

Whether you're barely hitting the gym for recreation, or you're finding yourself there every day of every week for the past forever, you'll always get the same question from those who don't lift: "so how much can you bench?" I know it can seem a bit offensive- all that work you put in, and the only thing that matters is how much you can bench? But to some people that really is all that matters; and for those people, you have to have a high enough number to impress. That's where I come in. Read on as I give you the knowledge necessary to raise your bench game so that you can answer that infamous question with a look of pride in your gleaming eyes.

Step 2

There are a few different methods, all of which fall under the Muscle Shock training concept (which I have an in depth tip for somewhere on this website). These methods will take you out of your comfort zone, but they will bring you bountiful results. The first one is the Drop Set method. Drop sets are great because they push your chest to the utmost limit of both strength and endurance, which is guaranteed to raise your bench game. Another method is the Forced Rep. The art of the Forced Rep is one that is easy to learn and, frankly, not too difficult to master. Having a partner help you push out a couple of normally impossible extra reps is a surefire way to get stronger on the bench press. Finally, you can try negative reps. While negative reps don't require a lot of weight, they do require a lot of effort for slow twitch muscles in the pecs that often get overlooked and underworked. By cycling the above Shock Training methods, you can definitely increase your bench- or your money back.

Step 3

Another great way to get your bench game up is to do pushups. That's right, pushups. Classic, traditional, and usually forgotten about, pushups can be a simple way to work your chest throughout the day. Do 40 when you wake up, 100 before bed. After a few weeks of that you'll find that your bench has no choice but to get stronger. Besides, pushups are quick and easy, and they require zero extra equipment. So, what's stopping you?

Step 4

The third way you can up your bench is to make sure you're doing exercises that strengthen your triceps. While the bench press mostly utilizes your pecs, your triceps are actually a huge part of the pushing process. Be sure to do close-grip benching, dips, and skullcrushers for your triceps whenever possible. These three exercises will help your bench game more than you could ever imagine.