Whether you are thinking about pursuing a lifting competition or are ready to take your routine to the next level and challenge yourself further, from time to time there is value in upping your weights There is much more of a scientific formula that goes into being able to bench press more weight than you may think. Continue on below to see our simple tips for a bigger bench press.
GOOD FORM
Many gym goers are self-taught or gained experience by working out with friends at the gym. Studies show that people who work out and stick to a routine with friends are more likely to see better results and also keep them down the line. The only downside to this is that these people (or yourself) are not professional trainers. Evaluating your form is an excellent way to increase the weight that you are able to bench press. Improve your grip tenfold by focusing on the intricate muscles within your fingers. Finger curls are a great way to strengthen your grips. Do them a few times a week until you absolutely cannot continue and you will see improvements in your strength.
FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE
Bench pressing is all about how much weight you can lift and keep up without having it come crashing down…right? Wrong! The best of the best lifters will let you in on a little secret – that the hidden gold within a bench pressing routine is incorporating negatives into your routine over a few weeks. Negatives focus on your strength and ability to control the weight as it is coming back down to the beginning press position. Your body can start with up to 35% more weight in a negative oriented exercise than your traditional bench press. Use this to your advantage and really work those muscles. You will need a friend for this to bring the bar back up into the starting position, it is not recommended to try this one alone.
TRAIN OTHER MUSCLE GROUPS
No one wants to be “that guy” who clearly looks like he only works out one part of his body, being his biceps and has not thought about working his legs, back or even ab muscles. A well rounded and experienced weight lifter will tell you that there is immense value in developing all muscle groups. For benching more, you will want to also place a focus on your back muscles. Your rear delts and lats can provide complementing strength aspects that will ultimately contribute to you benching more in the near future.
USE THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS
Doing more squats and deadlifts might just be the best thing you could do in order to bench bigger. Performing the big exercises on a regular basis will release more growth hormone naturally from your body and raise your testosterone level. Which basically means more gains because we all know that testosterone is the king when it comes to muscle building, right? Doing everything you can to keep your natural t-levels high is one of the most important things when trying to build muscle fast. Red meat, egg yolks & green vegetables (broccoli, asparagus & Kale) are great foods to boost your T levels.
So that’s it. These are the best tips for a bigger bench press. Don’t work harder, but rather work a little smarter and vary up your routine to include negatives, focus on the little things like your form and to spend time working every muscle group you have. Not only will you be able to bench press more because of these strategies, you will enjoy your time at the gym more from the varied routines.
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H/T Bro Science