Developing a big bench

Posted Jun.26, 2007 under 2.4 - Training Theories

The road to developing a big barbell Bench Press follows a chronological list of pivotal events. There is no specific time period to graduate to a greater level, only consistency and proper motivation will determine the success rate.

A man is often characterized by the size of his upper body while women fall victim to the shape of their legs. Men become so preoccupied with the bench press, they sometimes avoid the free-weight version to circumvent any obvious evidence of a weak upper body. However, free-weight movements are necessary components to building a larger upper body since the loads are moved through space, placing a natural resistance against the muscle – superior to machines which suspend loads from cables.

Steps to developing a big bench press:

Loads less than 135 pounds: Start with a gym membership and a training log.

135-225: Keep consistent; this is the biggest success factor for this group. Connective tissue and a proper mind-muscle connection will become stronger with nothing more than regular exercise resulting in muscular failure. Infrequent breaks can help deter overreaching symptoms, but try and keep them under two weeks to avoid significantly detraining. Write down your goals and re-organize your time to successfully complete them.

225-315: At this point, you have hit the proving grounds. Through consistency and proper motivation, you feel a little more confident with yourself. Diet, rest and progressive training programs become even more critical to continue evolving. Progressive training can only – reasonably and quickly – occur with the use of a training journal, to document past lifts and plan for future achievements. Your lifestyle must agree with your training goals; avoid destructive behavior.

315-405: Now, it’s time to dial everything in. This can take years, depending on how receptive you are to learning new techniques and exploring previously unused methods. Always seek advance nutrition and training knowledge – always keep an open ear. Preventative measures should be taken to avoid injury while increasing the loads. It’s imperative to apply proper application of ergogenic aids: dietary supplements, straps, wraps.

Supportive muscle groups should gain some further attention. Triceps strength can be refined using Close Grip Bench presses. The shoulder girdle can become more powerful, and subsequently less prone to damage, by building up strength on the Military Press (keep the bar just forward of your vertical lifting plane and in front of your head). Proper balance through out your body is becoming increasingly more important – this requires an irresistible appeal to the squat rack, or similar device, to build lower body musculature.

Loads over 405 pounds: This is frequently uncharted territory in most commercial fitness centers. Confidence becomes a concern once you start progressing through these numbers. It gets real psychological at this point. You can begin a really good set – then nothing. At this point, you must do whatever it takes to focus on completing a scheduled lift. Ignore destructive influences and people making comments resembling, “wow, that’s a lot of weight!”

If you are the biggest in your gym, it may be time to find something more hardcore. Lifting around numerous people pushing 225 pounds is less motivating than the atmosphere generated from a lot of people pushing over 405.

Start developing pre-lift rituals; everyone at this point has something; a tap of the bar, shaking your head, having a training partner slaps you! Regardless, you must approach a lift with the right mind-set; such as your arms being constructed from powerful two-ton hydraulic pumps.

During the big-bench journey, it’s very important to remain injury free. Have a qualified individual routinely preview your form. As loads increase, so does the potential for injury.