How to Increase Bench Press Power

The bench press is often seen as the most important indicator for how strong you are and how hard you work in the gym. The more weight you put up, the better you must be. The only problem is that most people encounter a serious problem when it comes to this exercise: a plateau. You work and work and eventually you get to a point where it seems like you've hit a wall and simply can't get any stronger. Don't worry, because you can and after a few short weeks you'll be stronger than ever.

Instructions

1. Practice proper bench press technique. Lie on your back on a bench and grab the barbell with a grip approximately shoulder-width apart. Always keep your feet flat on the floor, a couple of feet apart. While keeping the small of your back flat against the bench, bring the barbell down until it is about an inch away from your chest, just above your nipples. Then, while concentrating on contracting your chest muscles, push the bar back up until your elbows are almost locked out.

2. Workout your chest 3 times every week. Perform 4 sets of every exercise with a repetition range around 4. This number helps recruit muscle fibers best suited for pure strength and will more readily benefit you when trying to put up more weight on the bench press. Going much higher in reps can help increase your muscular endurance but little for strength. Make sure that you've picked a sufficiently high weight so that you're always struggling on the last couple of reps.

3. Increase the weight you're trying to lift every workout session, no matter what. It doesn't matter if you're only increasing the weight in the various exercises by 5 pounds or if you are only able to do one rep at the higher weight; you still should try it. By constantly challenging your chest muscles like this you increase both the likelihood and the speed with which your strength will increase.

4. Incorporate bench press, dumbbell press and incline press in your routine. These specific exercises will greatly benefit your overall chest devlopment. Try to do all three on the same day and repeat over the course of the week.

5. Work your triceps. It's often forgotten that how much you can bench depends not only on your chest but on how strong your triceps are. These muscles are crucial to your bench, so don't neglect them. Perform them on the days you're not working your chest muscles. Keep the reps low and the weight high.

6. Eat above maintance. You're essentially shooting yourself in the foot if you're not getting enough calories. Not only do your muscles need food in order to repair themselves and to grow stronger, but your body needs the energy from every calorie possible in order to perform explosive exercises like the bench press. Start by raising your daily calorie intake by 100 and keep it there for a week. If you haven't seen results, raise it by another 100 and wait a week.

Tips & Warnings

• Always consult a physician before starting any new exercise program.