Hey man, how much do you bench?
If I was paid a pound every time I was asked this question, I’d be pretty rich by now. For whatever reason, how much you can lift on the traditional barbell bench press seems to be the exercise that people use to measure how strong anyone that lifts weights is. It goes without saying that the bench press is an excellent compound exercise to build a strong and thick chest as well as develop the triceps and shoulders. However, to use it as the sole bench mark for how strong you are is a bit misleading. There is no point in being able to bench press 150kg for 20 reps but not be able to squat or deadlift even half that much. To be truly strong, you need to develop a good strength foundation in all the big lifts. A strong bench press is only one part of the equation.
Yeah I agree, but I still want to bench press heavy weight!
Most guys, including me, want to be able to bench press heavy weights. I’ve always lagged behind in pressing movements such as the bench press and shoulder press despite making good gains in deadlifts and squats. So I set myself the goal of improving both my bench press and shoulder press. I’m not looking to be able to bench press 140kg for 10 reps over night, but have opted to make small increments over the next year in the hope that these small increments will accumulate into some impressive pressing this time next year. As well as making small increments to the weight, I’ve started to include some assistance exercises into my routine to help strengthen the supporting muscles such as the triceps and lats. By adding in some assistance work I’ve definitely noticed an improvement to my pressing exercises over the last four weeks, especially the standing overhead barbell press.
Blast your bench press with these assistance movements
1) Advance range of motion push ups
2) Pull ups
3) Plyometric Push ups
4) Recline Rows
5) Dips
6) Bodyweight tricep extension
7) Partner handwalking
Some of the exercises above are a bit difficult to describe and are best illustrated with a video. The link below is actually the video where I first came across the body weight tricep extensions. These are tough but really great for building tricep strength which, in turn, has helped me improved my bench press and shoulder press.
In addition to the video above, it’s also worth checking out the Diesel Strength and Conditioning website as there is comprehensive guide on bench press technique as well tips on how to improve overall strength.
http://www.dieselsc.com/how-to-bench-press/
As always, make sure you warm up properly before attempting any of these exercises and don’t attempt them if you carrying any injuries!
Strong Muscle Project 