One of the most commonly asked questions between men at the gym is, "How much can you bench?" Yet, for the most part, many guys are losing vital poundage from their big lifts by neglecting areas of their fitness which can be worked on very easily. Today's post will teach you how to improve your bench press in three quick moves.
It is important to understand that while you may consider the figure you can bench or squat to be of huge importance, you can still build a great physique without ever notching up a world record of Olympic standards.
Believe it or not, you can easily increase your compound lifts by as much as 40 pounds if you apply a few simple strategies to your training program, including:
1. Focus on bettering your grip strength.
2. Reverse warm-up sets are a fantastic technique when used correctly
3. Perform negative reps with a spotter on any lift you wish to increase.
Not many people understand the true importance of grip strength when it comes to your big lifts. But make no mistake about it, a good grip makes for a more impressive move. In fact, you are generally doing something wrong if you don't feel your forearms giving way before you legs and back on an exercise such as the deadlift. Given that it is a significantly smaller and less powerful muscle than the others which are involved in the exercise, it is easy to understand why it is usually the first one to go.
Despite the confusion on most guys faces when you ask them what their favorite forearm exercise is, there are a number of exercises which you can do for this relatively small muscle group. Favorites include reverse barbell curls, timed hangs and plate grips.
While it's easy to see the importance of grip strength in pulling motions such as the deadlift, you may be wondering why it is important in things like the bench press. Well, your grip can come into play here to focus on pulling the bar apart as you lift and lower to and from your chest. This is a power lifting technique which is used commonly in underground gyms.
A reverse warm-up, otherwise known as a Hulk warm-up due to the fact Lou Ferrigno used the technique frequently, is another great way to boost any big lift. This involves using your warm-up set to go heavier than you plan to go in your working sets, thus tricking the body into recruiting more muscle fibers in the build up to your proper sets. While this might sound odd, it is a time-served technique adopted by many power lifters the world over. For example, if you plan on lifting 100 kg in a squat, try performing a set consisting of fewer reps with 110 kg (with a spotter, of course). Suddenly, that 100 kg lift seems remarkably easier than it normally would. This is because the body has reacted to your reverse warm-up by recruiting many more muscle fibers in the areas you are hitting, allowing you to push past things which were previously difficult.
Naturally, this technique works best when you use it as an occasional tool rather than using it all the time.
Our last technique for improving your big lifts quickly is negative reps. This means placing huge focus on the eccentric, or lowering phase, of each rep and getting a spotter to help you push through the concentric phase. Too many people neglect the eccentric phase completely and put all their effort into the concentric, but research shows that you can improve your results by as much as 50% if you work on the negative phase as well.
Focus on using a weight heavier than you would usually go and have a spotter to help you do the concentric portion of the exercise before leaving you to do the negative phase on your own. Take your time on each rep.
Many people falsely believe endless chest exercises are the best way to learn how to improve your bench press but the truth is you need to focus on the often overlooked aspects. Grip strength and your ability to handle the eccentric phase of a lift play a massive role in determining how much weight you will ultimately be able to squat, deadlift or chest press. =
It is important to understand that while you may consider the figure you can bench or squat to be of huge importance, you can still build a great physique without ever notching up a world record of Olympic standards.
Believe it or not, you can easily increase your compound lifts by as much as 40 pounds if you apply a few simple strategies to your training program, including:
1. Focus on bettering your grip strength.
2. Reverse warm-up sets are a fantastic technique when used correctly
3. Perform negative reps with a spotter on any lift you wish to increase.
Not many people understand the true importance of grip strength when it comes to your big lifts. But make no mistake about it, a good grip makes for a more impressive move. In fact, you are generally doing something wrong if you don't feel your forearms giving way before you legs and back on an exercise such as the deadlift. Given that it is a significantly smaller and less powerful muscle than the others which are involved in the exercise, it is easy to understand why it is usually the first one to go.
Despite the confusion on most guys faces when you ask them what their favorite forearm exercise is, there are a number of exercises which you can do for this relatively small muscle group. Favorites include reverse barbell curls, timed hangs and plate grips.
While it's easy to see the importance of grip strength in pulling motions such as the deadlift, you may be wondering why it is important in things like the bench press. Well, your grip can come into play here to focus on pulling the bar apart as you lift and lower to and from your chest. This is a power lifting technique which is used commonly in underground gyms.
A reverse warm-up, otherwise known as a Hulk warm-up due to the fact Lou Ferrigno used the technique frequently, is another great way to boost any big lift. This involves using your warm-up set to go heavier than you plan to go in your working sets, thus tricking the body into recruiting more muscle fibers in the build up to your proper sets. While this might sound odd, it is a time-served technique adopted by many power lifters the world over. For example, if you plan on lifting 100 kg in a squat, try performing a set consisting of fewer reps with 110 kg (with a spotter, of course). Suddenly, that 100 kg lift seems remarkably easier than it normally would. This is because the body has reacted to your reverse warm-up by recruiting many more muscle fibers in the areas you are hitting, allowing you to push past things which were previously difficult.
Naturally, this technique works best when you use it as an occasional tool rather than using it all the time.
Our last technique for improving your big lifts quickly is negative reps. This means placing huge focus on the eccentric, or lowering phase, of each rep and getting a spotter to help you push through the concentric phase. Too many people neglect the eccentric phase completely and put all their effort into the concentric, but research shows that you can improve your results by as much as 50% if you work on the negative phase as well.
Focus on using a weight heavier than you would usually go and have a spotter to help you do the concentric portion of the exercise before leaving you to do the negative phase on your own. Take your time on each rep.
Many people falsely believe endless chest exercises are the best way to learn how to improve your bench press but the truth is you need to focus on the often overlooked aspects. Grip strength and your ability to handle the eccentric phase of a lift play a massive role in determining how much weight you will ultimately be able to squat, deadlift or chest press. =
About the Author:
Today's writer: Successful physique coach Russ Howe PTI reveals how to improve your bench press with these cutting edge tips. Discover how to build muscle with the great tips on his fitness and dieting website today.
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