Errors in the bench press
“Don’t let these 8 mistakes sabotage your bankroll”
Did you know that the average weight training enthusiast can barely bench press their own body weight? That statistic doesn’t even take into account people who don’t exercise. Give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve mastered the feat of benching with your own body weight. Don’t worry if you haven’t already, you’re about to learn eight surefire methods that will help you earn bragging rights in and out of the gym.
So what’s the deal with the bench press anyway? You’re not playing sports or trying to compete, so why is this legendary workout so vital to a head-turning physique? In fact, for those of you who think that the bench press is simply for the ego, you are wrong. True, no other exercise is talked about more often. It’s not that weird when you think about it though. The bench press is a fundamental core exercise for developing upper body strength. Not only are you working your pectorals (chest), you’re also working your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back). If you could pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest with some functional power to go along with it, you’d be wise to choose the bench. You just can’t build the same upper body with any other exercise.
As a personal trainer, I have seen hundreds of people fight for a 300 pound bench. The truth is, most people make the same mistakes, but they can be easily changed to help jumpstart your own explosive growth.
Mistake #1: Less is more.
By far the biggest mistake people make is to “want” it so much that they overtrain. It’s human nature, if we don’t see the gains we’re looking for, the common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell you from personal experience that the last time I hit a dead end in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time I trained. Watch for warning signs of overtraining, such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, poor nutrition, and of course, lack of progress.
Mistake #2: Full-body workouts.
Let’s get you ready for a new split where you can give every muscle involved in the bench press the attention it needs. Remember, there is more to the bench press than just your chest. For maximum recovery, you should only train each body part once a week with an optimal training split. If you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see Mistake #1. You have time to train 45 minutes a day, 4 days a week, right?
Mistake #3: Self doubt.
Hopefully you don’t need a pep talk, but here goes anyway. Excuse me while I impersonate motivational speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mind believes everything you tell it, so do yourself a favor and program it with positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot and they punch themselves before starting the elevator. Comments like “I don’t think I’ll do many reps” or “I can’t do that much, but I’ll try.” If you are not confident, pretend and tell yourself that you are going to succeed. Trying is part of failing. If you’re afraid of failing, you’re afraid to try.
Mistake #4: Bad form.
Let’s work on some mechanics. After practicing a few of these techniques, you should be able to increase your bench press by a minimum of 25 pounds.
Widen your grip a bit. The wider the grip, the less distance the bar will have to travel. So it makes sense that you want to grip the bar as wide as possible. If you’ve been benching with a closer grip, it will take some getting used to, but it will make a world of difference in a few weeks. To determine your grip, assume a natural pushup position, then lift about 3 inches.
Another way to decrease the distance the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try to bring your shoulder blades together throughout the movement. This will give you a more stable surface to bench on.
Keep your feet on the ground and drive on your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping their legs in the air, when they turn blue trying to push the weight, you know they’re off center and struggling with a lot of weight. Keep your heels on the ground to help you generate power.
Arch your back. Your butt, shoulder blades, and head should always be in contact with the bench, but it’s okay to arch your lower back. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, you can place a foam roller under the bottom pack to practice. Many people have asked what is the point of this technique. Again, it shortens the distance the bar must travel.
Is this cheating? Not at all, this is a regulation lift. If you want to fully isolate your chest, head over to the pec deck machine to finish. It’s good that you’re learning to use more than just your chest when you bench press. Don’t be surprised if two days later you experience pain in your back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.
Don’t get me wrong, you certainly need to warm up properly. However, you need to do it with very light weights, push-ups and stretches. You don’t want to exhaust your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people pyramid and then wonder why they can’t hit the weight on their last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets, you’ll save energy for the heavier weights and a big finish.
Mistake #6: Neglecting your back.
Strong lats or “wings” are very important to the negative phase of the bench press. Your back is the center of support for the weight as you lower it toward your chest. That is why blasting the back is so important and should not be skipped. Try some T-bar rows or bent over barbell rows to strengthen your back. You’ll notice that it’s almost the exact opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.
Mistake #7: Lack of goals.
So you want to increase your bench press. That makes us both. The problem with this statement is that it is too vague. I want you to get out your pen and paper. Write your goal on four separate sheets of paper in bold type. “ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS FOR ______”. The simple task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing the probability of achieving it. Now put these pieces of paper on your refrigerator, whiteboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly remind you of your goal.
Mistake #8: Lack of variety.
The human body is an amazing system. Whatever you throw at it, it can be adjusted and learned to handle. Keeping him off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts will ensure that your body responds positively. Always stay one step ahead by changing your workouts when you feel like you’re not getting the benefits you expect. If you’re like me and want to look good while having some strength to back it up, you’ve probably been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try to reduce the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight rep range for a few weeks. You will be pleasantly surprised to see how your body reacts if you have not tried it before.
If you can avoid these common pitfalls and are open-minded enough to try something new, you’ll soon be pushing the bank more than you ever dreamed possible. Trust me, the man who was stuck at a 275-pound bench press for over three years! Learn from the mistakes of others and see how the bench press hurts. Your wife or girlfriend will admire your muscular upper body while your friends are dying to know your secrets.
cleavage
Monday: Chest/Biceps
tuesday: legacy
Wednesday: free
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest
The bank takeoff routine
Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Flat bench press 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Alternating dumbbell curl 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Seated Preacher Curl 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Legacy
Squat 3 series of 8-10 repetitions
Leg press 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Leg extensions 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Leg curl 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Shoulders/Traps
Military type press 3 6-8 repetitions
Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Side laughs 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Dumbbell Shrug 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 5: Back/Triceps
Pulled up 3 series of 10-12 repetitions
Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Close grip bench press 3 6-8 reps
Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest
Points to remember:
Ø Make sure you are not overtraining.
Ø Work your bench press only once a week.
Ø Get rid of negative self-destructive thoughts.
Ø Don’t waste your energy with leftover warm-up sets.
Ø Train your back as hard as your chest.
Ø Establish a specific goal.
Ø Try to perform fewer repetitions when benching.
Ø Drive into your heels, widen your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!