Tips for Increasing Your Bench Press
Many serious strength trainers and body builders spend a lot of time trying to increase their bench press. While the bench press is a relatively basic core exercise, it is difficult to perfect and requires the use of many different factors in order to create significant increases.
A great place to begin increasing your bench press is actually away from the bench itself. Nutrition is an extremely important factor that will see considerable increases in bench press if manipulated properly. This means utilizing a high protein diet in order to provide the body with plenty of protein for muscle rebuilding and strengthening. It also extends to using supplements such as creatine, amino acids and multivitamins that will allow you to train with greater intensity for longer durations of time. These nutritional factors translate into results on the bench press.
The rotator cuff is often an undervalued muscle group when it comes to improving your bench press. The motion of the bench press requires the shoulders to internally and externally rotate. Therefore, strong rotator cuff muscles will go a long way towards increasing your bench press. Supplement the bench press workout with lying dumbbell exercises for internal and external rotation.
Use a spotter to maximize the effectiveness of your bench press. This starts when moving the barbell from the out of lock position. Serious trainers and body builders will use a spotter to remove the barbell from lock and gently transfer the weight to the user. This eliminates wasting vital energy in the beginning. Additionally, implement negative bench press repetitions by using a high weight and lowering to your chest. Have the spotter raise it back and up repeat in order to really tax your muscle groups and experience an increase in your bench press.
Another key component in increased bench press is getting proper rest. Overtraining is detrimental to the body and to any increases in your bench press. Proper sleep and time away from the bench press is necessary to allow the muscles to rebuild. Ultimately, excess fatigue will stunt muscle growth.
Disclaimer: Before attempting any exercises, programs, routines, or modifying your current diet/supplement program you must get approval from a licensed medical practitioner. Any methods or advice given in this web site must be reviewed with your physician. Before attempting any new exercises or routines a full physical examination is highly recommended.
