best way to add strengh to benchpress?

[Jimbo]

MY chest/strenght is far behind my deads and squats. Im thinking of doing my incline press as a power movement. WIll aslo do seated smith press and close grip bench press in the 1-2 rep range.

 

[wolverine]

Incline dumbbells. Great for strength and mass.

 

[Pusher]

Decrease the volume and frequency and watch the weights climb.

 

[stevehnsn]

Jimbo, I would love to dump a whole slew of suggestions on you, but first I must know what you're currently doing. Not just for chest either, everything... leg, tris, etc... I need to know what rep ranges you're training at, and what exercises you're doing. Are you eating to grow? Juicing?

Some quick thoughts: try a 3/3/5 rep scheme where you're doing 3 reps with a weight you can get for 4, next set 3 reps with like 5-10 pounds more, next set go back to your first weight and try to hit it for 5. (This can be done with any rep count, too. Currently I'm doing 5/5/8 on most everything.) You could also try partials in a power rack, as well as bands and chains.

 

[BIGKIWI]

I'll give you a different perspective : When I wanted to bring my bench up all those years ago I tried many things low reps, incline etc I found this brought my bench up like nothing else.

Behind neck free weight shoulder 1/2- 3/4 movement at the bottom range of movement e.g take weight right down below traps push up to top head then back down. Keep control of weight all time. make sure to warm up properly and then do 3 sets heavy uping the weight each time failure on each 8reps, 6 reps ,4-5 reps. Other points to note you should be using at least 20-30kg more than you would usually use on behind neck shoulder press. The results from doing this will start corresponding to your bench. I go up to minimum 400 pound shoulder press with my max doing 4-5 reps 440. I am not saying you should do anywhere near this but I couldn't do shit on shoulder press or bench when first started doing this. Other things to note because you are going alot heavier than usual on shoulders I would only do max 4 other sets on shoulder exercises don't want to over train them

kiwi

 

[Mr_Magoo]

i wont give a suggestion till i c ur training program

 

[Jimbo]

Let me make sure I got you right BigKiwi. My first exercise is the shoulder smith presses. I follow your rep scheme with the 6,5,4. Do I brink the weight down to my traps and just bring it up to the back of my head and then back down? So I should with max weight in the weak area?

 

[BIGKIWI]

Hi bro free weight shoulder press not smith machine, take bar down to bottom traps. making sure to have max weight and controlled reps. hopefully made bit sense LOL s

ta kiwi

 

[Geoffke]

Make sure you are training your triceps well. My bench was really bad, but my triceps to. So i trained my triceps very hard... The result on my bench was amazing, after one mounth my bench was encreased with 20 pounds! Also good shoulders are important, front raises for example..

 

[TheBeast2k]

What has always worked for me is Heavyweight low reps on the bench, and I also found out for me at least doing Dips With 3 45 lbs plates chained around the waist is great to add to the Bechpress.

 

[mrsombat]

Nothing complicated here at all.

Drop your flat benching and move to incline benching both dumbells and barbell.

Myself I have not flat barbell benched in years though i do heavy flat dumbells fairly regular.

Sombat

 

[Ivan]

inclines?

Do inclines really make that much of a difference?

 

[Stroyer]

Improving Strength

This may sound odd but, if say you do 3 lifts for a bodypart train the lift you want to gain strength in 2nd or 3rd in your workout instead of first for 4-6 weeks, then go back to training that lift 1st, I guarantee after about 2-3 weeks back training the lift 1st you will hit new PR's.

Doing that has always got me past sticking points on about any lift.

I would also suggest training tri's after pecs if you do not do so already, so that you know that your tri's recovery is not a limiting factor in your bench strength, and stick to just 1-2 multijoint lifts, like close grip presses & or dips between 2 benches..

Stroy

 

[big_byrd52]

do u have any idea how old this post is?

 

[5F00ter]

New Press Exercise

Well it may not be new, but well I just discovered it about two weeks ago by accident. I have since my conception as a body builder had the HARDEST time gaining any strength or muscle. I have power around my entire body, but my chest completely lacks it, well until lately. Well until now. Go to the magic smith machine and get a decline press. Now take some of the aroebic stairs and put for me what ended up being three levels at the end of the decline that raise up. Now your decline bench should be at a very steep decline now, nothing close to current "decline" bench. Basiclly it comes close to do reverse dips. Than u just basiclly do a bench press. Well for 3 years I had almost NO residual pain after working out my chest but every time following this i hav epain for up to 3 days. Hope it helps.

 

[DIEZEL666]

5footer

Why don't you just do dips?

 

[5F00ter]

Why not dips

That is a good question...but I feal, and this is me, that the dips work a differt area. Though the decline is indeed very steep it is not completely verticle or as close to verticle as a standard dip. I also know that you can change the way you do your dip to target differnt parts. I have just found that doing this exercise gives ME the most gain on the bottom of my chest as well as the out side and have gotten the most development out of it. I'm sure that thier are peopel going to say check your bench and all that and I have, and I often work with professional body builders and power lifters, and the bodybuilders like the exercise i developed. The powerlifter..not so much...but im not throwing wood blocks on my chest and suiting up in jackets for 700+ bench like they are.