How To Increase Bench Press

[grayq1]

Ive been working out heavy again for a few months now. I am finishing my bench workout with 350 to 360 x2 usually. What can i do to get my bench over 400 and get over the hump that you always get

[Boilerdank]

What does the rest of your routine look like? In order to improve in one specific area you need to have a quality routine that utilizes all muscle groups (including legs).

[grayq1]

i do chest tri and shoulder one day and bi's back and legs on another day. I put a lot of emphasis on the chest and tricep work and always switch up exercises to avoid getting in a constant repetition with my muscles. workout 4 days a week usually also

[tescott]

You could try something like the Texas Method:

Mon
Volume day: 5x5

Wed
Back off day: 2x5 @ a lighter weight, even do a regular press instead.

Fri
Intensity day: 1RM, 3RM or 5RM

Increase the weight for each day every week.

so you might do:

Mon
5x5x315 Bench

Wed
2x5x275 Bench; or 2x5x200 Press

Fri
go for a new 5RM Bench

Then, the next week, go up a few pounds on each day. i.e. 5x5x320; 2x5x280; 5RM+5lb. You might find you need to go up by only a couple of pounds in order to make steady progress.

[LionsDenU]

I've found what has worked for me in trying to reach max numbers is training very intense but only once per week on that specific muscle group.Lots of rest allows the body to recover fully and each week you can attempt to up the weight.

Also, good point with incorporating the legs. Many lifters neglect the importance of legs (squat, dead, press, etc.). The hormone release from these lifts will improve strength over the entire body.

[Saurus]

Most people think that overtraining is the way to overcome a plateau, and start doing more and more sets for chest, and then never reach their goal. I don't get it - everyone knows that overtraining is bad, but do it anyway. So many "Methods" preach this, but they won't work for natural bodybuilders.

If you're serious about reaching that goal, this is the way to do it...

The best way to improve your barbell bench press is to do dumbell bench presses.

Doing dumbbell work will force the support muscles to develop and overcome any weaknesses. It's usually the support muscles and the triceps that limit the bench press max, so working these properly will help you reach your goal. This is the part that most people miss.

Work the chest twice a week (Monday, Thursday, perhaps), doing dumbells one day, barbells the other day.

Dumbells: Make sure you use the biggest range of motion possible. This is important.

Since you want to be able to lift more weight (rather than bulking the muscles), you need to lift very, very heavy, low reps.

Do your exercises as follows:

4 sets:
2 warmup sets, then

1st set: 8 reps
2nd set: 6 reps
3rd set: 4 reps
4th set: 2 reps

You should be close to failure on the last rep of each set.

NB: Do no other exercises for chest while you're doing this routine!This is very important!


Notes:

Also concentrate on triceps!
(Normally the weak point in bench presses)
(At least twice a week, sets similar to the above (same days as chest.) Skullcrushers, pushdowns, heavy weights)

If you choose mondays and thursdays, do only chest and triceps on these days. Don't use up valuable energy on other exercises on these days, when you should be using them for chest/tris.

Similarly, don't do any cardio (except warmup), since this will also waste energy.

Work the legs at least once a week. You need the big muscles to work, since this stimulates the release of growth hormone, and the increased levels of growth hormone will ensure faster growth of your chest and triceps.

NB. (Extremely important) Eat simple carbs immediately after your workout, and around 40g of protein within an hour of the workout. (The sooner, the better - a shake is useful for this, or around 150g chicken or a can of tuna or a 150g steak etc). Make sure you're eating enough, frequently enough, and enough protein. If you don't eat more than you burn, your muscles cant grow. Remember that diet is as important as the workout. If you get this wrong, you've already prevented yourself from reaching your goal. Period.

Stretch after the workout.

P.S. Aim for 5% per week increase in weights. If you're not achieving this, review your diet and program.