8 Deadly Bench Press Mistakes You Might Be Making
The following paragraphs summarize the work of bench press experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of bench press. Heed their advice to avoid any bench press surprises.
If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole bench press story from informed sources.
“Don’t Let These 8 Deadly Mistakes Sabotage Your Bench Press”
Did you experience the average weight training enthusiast can barely bench press their own bodyweight? That statistic doesn’t yet account for the people that don’t work out. Supply you a pat on the back if you’ve conquered the feat of benching your own bodyweight. Don’t worry if you’re not there yet, you’re about to learn eight sure-fire methods that will assist you earn bragging rights in and out of the gym.
So what’s the big deal about the bench press anyway? You’re not playing sports or trying to compete, why is this legendary exercise so vital to an attention grabbing physique? In fact for the of you who think the bench press is simply for the ego, you’re wrong. It’s true no other exercise is more frequently talked about. However it’s not so strange when you think about it. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise for developing upper body strength. You’re not only working your pectorals (chest), you are also working your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back). If you might pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest with a few functional power to go with it, you would be wise to go with the bench. You just can’t develop the same upper body with any other exercise.
As a personal trainer I have seen hundreds of people strive for a 300-pound bench. The truth is most people make the same mistakes, but they can easily be changed to assist you start an explosive growing spurt of your own.
Mistake #1: Less is more.
By far the biggest mistake people make is “wanting it” so bad that they overtrain. It’s human nature, if we don’t find the gains we’re search for the common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time worked out. Be on the look out for warning signs of overtraining such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, poor nutrition, and of course miss of progress.
Mistake #2: Full body workouts.
Let’s get you set up on a new split where you can Supply each muscle involved in the bench press the attention it needs. Remember, there’s more to the bench press than just your chest. For maximum recovery you should only train each body part once per week with an optimal workout split. If you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see mistake #1. You have time to exercises 45-minutes a day, 4-days a week don’t you?
Mistake #3: Self-doubt.
Hopefully you don’t need a pep talk, but here it goes anyway. Excuse me as I impersonate motivational speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mental believes whatever you tell it, so do you a favor and program it with positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot and they bash themselves before they even out start the lift. Comments like, “I don’t think I’ll get very many reps,” or “I can’t do this much, but I’ll try.” If you’re not confident, fake it, and tell yourself you’re going to succeed. attempting is a part of failing. If you’re afraid to fail, 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 boost your bench press by a minimal of 25 pounds.
Widen your grip a quick bit. The wider your grip, the less distance the bar has to travel. Therefore it draws sense that you’d want to grip the bar as wide as possibility. If you have been benching with a closer grip this will take a few getting used to, but will make a big difference in a few weeks. To determine your grip, assume a natural push-up position and then bump it out approximately 3-inches.
Other means to decrease the distance the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire movement. This will Throw you a more stable surface to bench from.
Keep your feet on the floor and drive with your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping their legs in the air, as they turn blue attempting to push the weight you’ll know that they are off centered and it’s costing them a few earnest poundage. Keep your heels on the floor to assist you generate power.
Arch your back. Your keister, shoulder blades, and head should forever be in contact with the bench, but it’s okay to arch your lower back. If this isn’t natural for you, you can place a foam roller under your lower pack for practice. Many people have asked what the point of this technique is. Again, it shortens the distance the bar needs to travels.
Is this cheating? Not at all, this is a regulation lift. If you want to completely isolate your chest head over to the pec deck machine to finish up. It’s superb that you’re learning to use more than just your chest when you bench press. Don’t be astonished if two days later you feel sore in your back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.
Don’t get me wrong you certainly need to properly warm-up. However you should do so with some very light weighst, push-ups, and stretching. You don’t want to exhaust your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people pyramid up and then wonder whey they can’t get the weight on their last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets you will save your 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 to your chest. That’s why blasting your back is so fundamental and must 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 precise opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.
Mistake #7: lack of goals.
So you want to step-up your bench press. That makes the two of us. The problem with this statement is it’s much too vague. I want you to pull out your pen and paper. Write your goal down on four separate sheets of paper in bold letters. “ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS BY ______.” The easy task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing the likelihood of achieving it. Now post these pieces of paper on your fridge, dashboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly remind you of your goal.
Mistake #8: lack of variety.
The human body is an awesome system. whatsoever you throw at it, it can adjust and learn to handle. Keeping it off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts will ensure your body responds positively. forever stay one step ahead by changing your workouts when you feel you’re not making the gains you expect. If you’re like me and want to look solid while, while having a few strength to back it up you’ve probably been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try lowering the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight repetition range for a few weeks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn how your body reacts if you haven’t tried this before.
If you can avoid these common pitfalls and you’re open-minded enough to try something new you’ll soon be bench pressing more than you dreamed possible. get it from me, the man who was stalemated at a 275-pound bench press for more than three years! Learn from others mistakes and watch your bench press sore. Your wife or girlfriend will be admiring your muscular upper body while your friend’s are dying to learn your secrets.
The Split
Monday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest
The Bench Blastoff Routine
Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Flat Bench Press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Seated Preacher Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Legs
Squat 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders/Traps
Font Military Press 3 6-8 reps
Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Lateral Riases 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 5: Back/Triceps
Pullups 3 sets of 10-12 reps
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
Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
Points To Remember:
Ø Make sure you’re not overtraining.
Ø Work your bench press only once per week.
Ø Ditch the self-destructing negative thoughts.
Ø Don’t waste your energy with surplus warm-up sets.
Ø Train your back just as tough as your chest.
Ø Set a particular goal.
Ø Try performing less repetitions when benching.
Ø Drive with your heels, widen your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!
Now you can be a confident expert on bench press. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on bench press.
