Looking to add 25 to your bench?
Here's 7 tips to help pack the pounds on your bench press.
1. Warm up
Throw some lighter weight around, whip out some push-ups and warm your triceps. Stretch as much as you can before you pick up anything even approximating a Yugo.
2. Check your posture
Feet planted on the floor? Ass on the bench? You know the drill. You still see guys in the gym with their back arched and feet on the bench - horrible posture. Check out any reputable site or magazine and learn the basics of the bench form. Learn what's right before you learn what's wrong. 3. Rest Big
If you're lifting big, you need to rest big. Don't plan on hulking out a few massive reps and expect to be fresh enough to pump a few more out immediately. It's a good idea to rest at least 3 to 5 minutes between sets when you're lifting heavy heavy.
4. Stretch
During your rest period, take advantage of the time and stretch your pectorals, triceps, shoulders and lats. Stretching can add pounds to your bench straight away, warming up your muscles and helping prepare them for the weight they're about to push around.
5. Use the Max Out wisely
Try not to max out every time you lift - you're not going to recover as quickly and you're robbing yourself of some serious hypertrophy. Yes, maxing out does have its place, but it's not a silver bullet to a bigger bench. You need to build a foundation of strength and maxing out all the time takes more away from your bench than it gives.
6. Switch Up
If you're a bar bell aficionado, make the switch to the dumbbell. If you like it dumb, hit the bar. The idea is to switch up the muscles that are used to perform your bench press. Dumbbells recruit the most stabilizer muscles, so if you've been big on the bar, I'd spend quite a bit of time with the dumbbells to help build up those muscles that support your bench press. If you've been hitting the dumbbells for quite a while, switch back over to the bar and enjoy the results of your labor.
7. Don't over train
If you've been hitting the bench press more than once a week, more than likely you're over-training. Try and isolate your chest exercises to once a week - hit it hard, and then take it easy for the week. Rest is the key to really allowing your muscles to repair and heal themselves. Get plenty of rest and watch your bench soar through the roof.
Here's 7 tips to help pack the pounds on your bench press.
1. Warm up
Throw some lighter weight around, whip out some push-ups and warm your triceps. Stretch as much as you can before you pick up anything even approximating a Yugo.
2. Check your posture
Feet planted on the floor? Ass on the bench? You know the drill. You still see guys in the gym with their back arched and feet on the bench - horrible posture. Check out any reputable site or magazine and learn the basics of the bench form. Learn what's right before you learn what's wrong. 3. Rest Big
If you're lifting big, you need to rest big. Don't plan on hulking out a few massive reps and expect to be fresh enough to pump a few more out immediately. It's a good idea to rest at least 3 to 5 minutes between sets when you're lifting heavy heavy.
4. Stretch
During your rest period, take advantage of the time and stretch your pectorals, triceps, shoulders and lats. Stretching can add pounds to your bench straight away, warming up your muscles and helping prepare them for the weight they're about to push around.
5. Use the Max Out wisely
Try not to max out every time you lift - you're not going to recover as quickly and you're robbing yourself of some serious hypertrophy. Yes, maxing out does have its place, but it's not a silver bullet to a bigger bench. You need to build a foundation of strength and maxing out all the time takes more away from your bench than it gives.
6. Switch Up
If you're a bar bell aficionado, make the switch to the dumbbell. If you like it dumb, hit the bar. The idea is to switch up the muscles that are used to perform your bench press. Dumbbells recruit the most stabilizer muscles, so if you've been big on the bar, I'd spend quite a bit of time with the dumbbells to help build up those muscles that support your bench press. If you've been hitting the dumbbells for quite a while, switch back over to the bar and enjoy the results of your labor.
7. Don't over train
If you've been hitting the bench press more than once a week, more than likely you're over-training. Try and isolate your chest exercises to once a week - hit it hard, and then take it easy for the week. Rest is the key to really allowing your muscles to repair and heal themselves. Get plenty of rest and watch your bench soar through the roof.