Increasing you bench press
Courtesy of PowerLifting.net
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When people ask you about working out the first question they ask you is typically "how much can you bench?" Having a big bench press means big respect to a lot of people and in this article we will give you some tips on how to make massive gains in your bench press strength.

Tip 1: When training for strength keep the reps low and the weight heavy.

When training for strength you want to keep your reps in the 1-5 range. One of the most common strategies is to use five sets of five reps. You need to challenge your muscles by lifting heavier weights each time you get in the gym. You can add more sets if you need to but make sure to keep the reps low and include doubles and triples for maximum strength gains.

Tip 2: Feet placement

Keep your feet solidly placed on the floor. Try and keep your heels in line with your hips. Many people have a tendency to lift up onto their toes but try and keep your heels flat on the floor at all times to give yourself more power.

Tip 3: Grip

Use an overhand grip that is shoulder width or wider. If you're hands get too close together you will be relying more on your triceps and less on your chest muscles.

Tip 4: Push slightly backwards

When lifting the bar up off your chest try and push slightly backwards instead of just straight up. This will help you move heavier weight and activates the muscles in your chest more effectively. When you reach the top of the movement, try and keep the bar in line with your upper chest and in line with your lower chest when you are at the bottom of the movement.

Tip 5: Practice the floor press

The floor press is a really old movement which can help you improve the hardest part of the bench press movement. This is a great exercise for working on the part of the bench press where most people need more strength.

Position yourself on the floor in front of the bench. You will need a spotter for this exercise to help you lift the bar off the bench and into your hands. When you lower the bar your elbows will touch the floor. Hold for a few seconds at this point and concentrate on exploding up to the starting position.

Tip 6: Nutrition

In order to get stronger you must focus carefully on your diet, making sure you get enough quality calories. The more food you eat the stronger you will get. Try taking a pre-workout dose of caffeine to give you that extra kick.

Post workout, make sure you take in some fast acting carbohydrates such as dextrose along with a large dose of whey protein. Nutrition is one of the most important elements of getting stronger. Remember that in order to get big you are going to need to eat big.

Tip 7: Don't overtrain

Make sure you are benching only once a week. You need a much longer rest period if pure strength is your goal. Keep your workouts less frequent and get more rest.

Tip 8: Use a spotter

Having a partner to help you out with your bench press becomes more and more important as the weights you are lifting get stronger. Having a spotter is essential when training for maximum strength.

I hope you enjoyed reading through these tips on how to increase your bench press. Remember that progress should come slowly but steadily. Keep track of your progress and keep lifting heavy.