Judge of the international category in powerlifting,
coach of the highest category of Turkmenistan,
judge of the national category in bodybuilding.
8-time Champion of Turkmenistan;
83-time record holder of Turkmenistan.
Participant of 7 IPF World Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships:
1995 men, Finland (athlete),
1996 juniors, Finland (athlete, judge, coach),
1996 men, Austria (athlete, judge, coach),
1996 bench press, Denmark (athlete, judge),
1997 men, Czech Republic (judge),
1998 bench press, Germany (judge, coach),
2001 Veterans, Canada (judge).
Participant and winner of two Asian Championships: 1995, India and 1996, Kazakhstan.
2003 WPC World Bench Press Silver Medalist.
Winner of the 2001 WPC Bench Press World Cup,
Championship winner North America on bench press 2001,
holder of several Canadian bench press records;

Bench press

When I wrote this article, I was not at all trying to make the reader believe that this particular program is what he needs for many years of powerlifting. Simply, I wanted to put on paper and convey the knowledge and experience that I have acquired over 15 years of "long wanderings through the halls." Fortunately for me, I didn't have huge problems with ligaments and muscles. There were tears and stretching of the pectoral muscles, shoulder ligaments, elbows. Once, there was even a pinching of the sciatic nerve due to incorrect technique in the bench press (moved his head).

For two months then I could not do anything, and with the bench press after the 5th repetition, it began to pulsate in my head with terrible force. All these little annoyances made me think. Frequent replacement of training programs, reading various available literature, watching videos, and later the opportunity to see great champions with my own eyes - this is the path that brought me to the line of 250 kg in bench press with my own weight of 95 kg. Over the years, poking like a blind kitten from corner to corner, I've found my way to the big bench. And to be honest, I found it quite recently, which is confirmed by the progression in my results.

Year	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Weight	63	67,5	75	75	82,5	82,5	90	82,5	94	88	90	92	97	95
Bench press	65	105	120	135	160	177,5	195	200	220	190	200	210	235	250

At the heart of my training program, I put 6 exercises that best contribute to the development of muscles and ligaments - bench press, press at an angle of 45 degrees, push-up on the uneven bars, bench press narrow grip, press from behind the head while sitting, barbell row in the slope. I consider them to be the most valuable for increasing the result.

In addition to them, sometimes I use dumbbell bench press, standing dumbbells to the side, sitting dumbbell press, French bench press, lying dumbbell extension for triceps (a very cool exercise borrowed from Louis Simmons), and, of course, biceps with barbell or dumbbells.

I use these additional exercises mainly in preparatory period... In competitive games, I hardly ever use them. And if I really wanted to "indulge", then I do it in accordance with the cycle - ie. 5x6 or 3x5. I never do 3x3 in them - there is a very high probability of tearing, tk. the weight is much higher.

Bench press twice a week, I think, is normal. It should be minimum load on the chest. Like many coaches and athletes, I have tried various training programs from all kinds of famous coaches and athletes. But in most cases, my athletes and I suffered from failure - injuries to the chest, shoulders, elbows, or the program simply did not work. Especially, I want to mention the programs of Pavel Chernyshov and Boris Sheiko.

I believe that Chernyshev's program is the best for women, and especially for lightweight women. Checked - it works! In less than half a year, the result of a girl weighing 60 kg increased from 60 kg to 90 kg. But the female and male muscle structures are different. Men need more recovery time.

This means that training more than 3 times a week on the bench press is simply dangerous to perform. Even with a huge "load", it is still dangerous. Chemistry helps to a certain level, but if the program clearly introduces you into overtraining, then the load must be urgently reduced.

Often athletes face a problem when their bench press program included only one full workout, and then they suddenly switched to a training program taken from Sheiko or Chernyshov, which implies 4-5, or even 7 workouts per week. The muscles have adapted and now do not want to react to extreme loads. You need to move smoothly, do 2 workouts a week, then 3. But I think that 2 times is the minimum. I consider the maximum 5 workouts per week - twice a week, two bench presses a day, and one bench on a separate day.

How do I feel about the bench press twice a day, i.e. for example, bench press - squat - bench? Positively! Basically, the first press is performed as a warm-up, although there are weights under 90% there. The feel of the first press is not always excellent. As if, "the car, which was started and drove, after two months of inactivity, only after 20 minutes starts to go as expected."

But in the second press, all the resources of the body are included. Firstly, this is already work beyond the limit, and with such work, and even frequent, the body gets used to the development of resources that usually sleep, i.e. the result grows much faster. Secondly, repetition of training by 70-80% twice a day with a slight decrease in weight, but changing repetitions from 3 to 4-5, makes it possible to increase the volume of training, i.e. tonnage.

At the same time, no negative effects on the chest and ligaments occur - the muscles are warmed up, while they managed to recover from the first bench press during a squat or other exercise. In general, it is sometimes helpful to include a "double press" in your workout.

I use the following program mainly to restore the result and prepare the ligaments and muscles for the upcoming loads. This program can also be used both in the preparatory and in the competitive period. That is, the program begins in the preparatory period (the first two phases), and ends (phases 3 and 4) in the competitive period.

Moreover, you can use it for an unlimited time. From 8 weeks for all cycles (2 weeks per phase), up to 16 weeks (4 weeks per phase), followed by repeating the entire program from scratch. In special cases, it can be done a week per phase, but the progress in the result will not be so obvious. Simply, you will go through a competent cycle of preparation for the competition in 4 weeks. Try this program. I always use it and go even to the maximum level without formacological loading.

Phase 1 - 4 weeks - 60% x10 x 4 sets - (two workouts per week)
Phase 2 - 4 weeks - 70% x 6 x 5 sets - (two workouts per week)
Phase 3 - 4 weeks - 80% x 5 x 6 sets - (two workouts per week)
Phase 4 - 4 weeks - 90% x 3 x 3 sets - (two workouts per week)

Several auxiliary exercises are performed along the way. I divide auxiliary exercises into two categories - auxiliary and additional. The auxiliary ones are those that develop muscle groups directly involved in the movement, and the additional ones are exercises that strengthen the ligaments and muscles interconnected with the main motive muscles. In the first case, these are exercises that directly increase the result, in the second - strengthening the ligaments and muscles, preventing injuries, strengthening the grip, and stabilization.

Auxiliary:
1. Bench press
2. Press at an angle
3. Push-up on the uneven bars
4. Press with a narrow grip
5. Press from behind the head while sitting
6. Bent-over barbell row

Additional:
1. French bench press
2. Biceps with a barbell and dumbbells
3. Pull blocks
4. Laying lying
5. Wiring while standing
6. Seated Dumbbell Press
7. Dumbbell bench press
8. Flexion and extension of the forearms

On deadlift or squat days (better deadlifts), you can do the following complex:
1) seated overhead press
2.Wiring while standing
3 bent over row
the first two are best done in a super series.

At complex training with a squat or deadlift, better exercise bench press alternate with the rest of the exercises to allow the muscles to recover and then work with fresh strength and full dedication.

In additional exercises, the same number of approaches and repetitions is done, relative to the phase. Additional exercises are excluded from the program in the third phase, except French press lying down (or replacing it with lying extension with dumbbells) and biceps exercise. In the last 4 phase, two weeks before the end of the phase, you can throw out some of the auxiliary ones, for example, push-ups on the uneven bars, and also completely stop performing additional ones - fr. Lying, extension with dumbbells, biceps. In some cases, the angle press can also be thrown out (if an overload of the chest is felt).

When performing this course, you can not even use "heavy" pharmacology, but only on condition that the maximum is chosen reasonable. The percentage should be taken from the maximum WITHOUT a T-shirt, it is possible even in the gym.

Believe me, no chemistry is needed. The chest will be very strong and firm. And it will not "break". Chemistry, of course, is needed within reasonable limits, but creatine and protein can also be dispensed with. Ekdisten with RusOlimpik. That's all!

To get the most out of the program, you must complete it completely. It is advisable to go through 4 phases of 4 weeks. From the first 4 weeks, where the workout includes 4x10 presses, you will not be thrilled, but keep one thing in mind, this phase is the key to great result no injury. In this phase, the ligaments are strengthened, the technique is formed, the injuries are healed. I believe in this program! After all, she worked for many and gave results, so why doesn't it work for you? The main thing is to endure the desire to go for a record, do not go at all in the first 8 weeks, but preferably 12 weeks, at least. And then be surprised yourself!

Where are the double presses, you ask? With a tense competitive cycle, I do not recommend going back to the bench press 6-10 times, i.e. the above training program cannot be used in full. Then where is the exit? There is only one way out - you can still start training with that 16-week program, and then connect a program that will maintain the level of the result at high level... Those. if you have reached the optimal level of training for a given year and want to keep the result for 3-5 months, or even a year, without "rolling off the mountain" physical form, then you should find a way to a rational solution. The following program might be a solution like this:

1 Week	1 day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x3, 70x3, 80x3x5
		2 bench press	55x5, 65x5, 70x5x5
	2nd day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x4, 70x4, 75x4x4
2 week	1 day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x5, 70x4, 80x3x2, 85x2x3
		2 bench press	50x5, 60x5, 70x5x4
	2nd day	1 bench press	50x4, 60x4, 70x4, 80x4x3
	Day 3	1 bench press	50x8, 60x3, 70x3, 80x3, 90x1x2, 80x2x3
		2 bench press	55x5, 65x5, 70x4x4
3 week	1 day	1 bench press	50x8, 55x6, 60x5, 65x4, 70x3, 75x3x2, 80x3x3
		2 bench press	55x4, 65x4, 75x4x4
	2nd day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x4, 70x4, 80x4x5
		2 bench press	50x5, 60x5, 70x5x4
4 week	1 day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x3, 70x3, 80x3x3, 85x2x2
	2nd day	1 bench press	50x8, 60x3, 70x3, 80x3x2, 80x4x2, 90x2x2
		2 bench press	55x4, 65x4, 75x4x4
	Day 3	1 bench press	50x8, 60x5, 70x4, 80x3x2, 85x2x5

Moreover, auxiliary and additional exercises should also be used in accordance with the number of approaches and repetitions in this phase of preparation. For instance:

The main emphasis in the implementation of auxiliary and additional exercises you need to do on strengthening the main muscle groups and ligaments involved in the movement during the bench press - shoulders, arms, chest, lats - these are the main movers in the bench press. Concentrate on them.

After completing this 4-week program, it can be repeated, counting the result with a new maximum.

Do not forget one thing - you need to press with a pause, even in warm-up sets. A 2-3 second pause will give you a powerful breakdown over time, and explosive power will appear such that even great champions will envy you.

Nikolay Vitkevich

Master of Sports in WPC Powerlifting

Bench press is something that I didn’t have when I was born. I did the squat, deadlift, whatever, but you must admit that the bench press at 180-190 kg for a competing lifter in the up to 125 kg category (albeit without "chemistry") is not just a little, it is nothing. The pearls of pitching wisdom like: "Bench or there, or not!" Did not comfort me either. In all the rocking chairs where I trained in the basement days, I did pretty well anything, but not the bench press. I tried different programs, read literature, scoured the Internet, all to no avail, until the following factors coincided:

I mustered an unwavering resolve to hit the roll-on-bench press, but shake!
Our coach S. Trusov introduced me to A. Butenko's article in the "World of Power" which was actively discussed in our "Olympus".
Due to frequent business trips to Moscow for work, I began to visit the legendary "Muskul-Sport" quite often, where A. Dunaev, E. Grachev, A. Sharovatov, A. Malanichev and other famous powerlifters were training at that moment. Thus, I was simply doomed to success, any other being in my place would not have gone anywhere, would have progressed.

Then I had to plan training cycle... Here, along the way, I made two more "discoveries": being unable to fully recover from heavy bench presses once a week, I suddenly felt much better by switching to two bench presses a week and realized the fallacy of constant training with near-limit weights that clearly slow down the possible gain in strength.

Now about why I changed A. Butenko's 16-week program into an 8-week one. This is due to:

Individual physiological characteristics, primarily metabolic rate (in general, I am a firm supporter of an individual approach to training).
The eight week program fits very well with the 10-12 week competition preparation cycle. I leave one more week to rest before the start, another week to fit and sew the shirts, etc. and two weeks "to work on bugs." If, for some reason, I cannot “cleanly reach” the planned weight, I can add another week of work with the previous weight for “grinding”. I wrote about such a transformation to Andrey, he generally approved this version.

I also noted for myself very important features of Butenko's program, namely the extremely careful attitude to the ligaments and joints and their very solid preparation for heavy loads. This is especially important for athletes who:

They recover from injuries.
Are situated in mature age and recover more slowly because of this.
They are engaged with serious pharmaceutical support and without it. In the second case, the "plus" at the output is less.

And everything else is very simple: we determine our maximum clean bench press with a pause without a shirt and start counting from it.

For the first two weeks, press 60% of a certain maximum for 10 times with a pause in 4 approaches.

I pressed medium grip on Tuesday, competition grip on Saturday. The width of the middle grip is determined in such a way that the arms extended with the bar are parallel to each other. The width of the competition is limited by the rules (81 cm between the index fingers). In most cases, you can start from the width of the grip when the elbows are bent to an angle of 90 degrees and set aside.

The bench press is performed with a slow lowering to the chest (elbows to the body), then a pause and a fast press using latissimus, triceps, chest and deltas. At the starting position, the blades must be reduced, the bridge must be held as much as possible and firmly !!! Stand on feet. You just need to touch the bench with your pelvis. Sometimes in the process of training, you can use controlled "cheating" with the pelvis, but only so that at competitions you do not "read" out of place to the delight of the judges.

We work with each weight 4 workouts, respectively - 2 weeks.

So, in the first week, with a plan of 60% for 10 times in four approaches (one first one is always 10 kg less), on Tuesday I can only cleanly with 8 repetitions, and on Saturday with 10 in the first two approaches, since it is easier to press with a wide grip.

In the second week, I already press 10 times for the first 3 sets on Tuesday, and on Saturday I finally do 10 times in all sets.

Moving on to the next weight. 70% for 6 times in 5 sets. Naturally, in the third week I am just getting closer to the designated plan, and at the end of the 4th week I am fully coping with the interest rate.

The fifth and sixth weeks we work 80% 5 times in 6 approaches.

And finally, the seventh and eighth weeks - 90% 3 times in 4 sets.

Then it remains only to fix the increase and, having rested, start the next cycle. After me, several athletes tried to train in our "Olympus" - they all added. Try it - and you will also add, you simply cannot but add. It works great! In my case, the bench press grew to 240 kg in a year at the WPC Russian Cup.

Now about the back room. Andrey has described the main auxiliary exercises, I have reduced their number. On Tuesday, I always pressed after squatting, so when I was barely alive, I could only do three sets of push-ups on the brutes. If you do not squat, you can do a little more auxiliary exercises. On Saturday, when I only had a bench press, I did three sets of bench press after the bench press, each time choosing the weights and the number of lifts according to my well-being.

As for the lats: on Thursday - they were loaded from the rods and I also did ordinary pull-ups. Squats and deadlifts are good at stimulating general gains in mass and strength, but with a specialization in the bench press, you can work it out deeper. Thus, you can combine both approaches, sometimes stimulating the bench press with other heavy exercises, sometimes resting only on it. I noticed that even if you only do bench press with working weights in the region of 200 kg, the load is distributed over the whole body, including the legs. Therefore, many modern bench presses have very powerful muscles of the whole body only due to the bench press.

Learn how to improve your bench press, lift new weights, get stronger, and do pectoral muscles gladiator. Read 50 Important Tips!

2) Soreness in the muscles after exercise is good, but if pain occurs during the exercise, stop immediately. Do not risk your health, otherwise the injury can throw you many steps back.

3) For the growth of strength indicators, it is necessary to reduce it, 3 times for 10 minutes a week and no more, otherwise it will negatively affect the increase in the bench press.

4) Do not use old school, in which the barbell falls just below the solar plexus, it is dangerous for, at the bottom point, the barbell should touch the bottom of the chest in the nipple area. At the same time, the elbows are not spread apart, but lowered closer to the body.

5) Do not use the Smith machine often, it turns off stabilizers from the work of muscles, which are very useful for a regular bench press.

6) Tormented by the question of how to improve the bench press, from time to time use the bench press with dumbbells, in this case, each hand is responsible for itself and the possibility of more strong hand steal part of the load from the weaker one, as when using a barbell.

7) Do not rush headlong into the use of complex programs, change them when progress has stopped and a period of stagnation begins.

8) Do not be afraid to increase, many in their heads dissuade themselves to lie under heavy weights, like this is too much, I can not master. Believe in yourself, motivate, because there are very big obstacles in the psychological mood.

9) In heavy use wrist straps, to insure against sprains in the wrists, especially at an older age, this will insure against pain in the wrists from constant stress.

10) Train your legs, because remember, when you lift the bar up, you put a lot of emphasis on the muscles of the legs, the stronger they are, the easier it will be to perform.

11) After squeezing the bar up for a second, hold it at the top, this will give the body the opportunity to prepare for the next set and strengthen the muscles.

18) You must set small goals for yourself, be realistic, after reaching which, set a new goal, do not think that
immediately master 100, 120 or 150 kg.

19) Start to clearly see your progress, do not remember everything in your head.

20) Train in gyms, not at home. Seeing how others lift more weight will automatically turn on the spirit of rivalry and competition in you.

21) Don't be lazy to watch educational videos and read interesting articles about fitness and bodybuilding.

22) Every time, improve your technique of movement, learn to feel the muscle under load, there is no limit to perfection.

23) When you come to workout, you already feel lethargic and tired ?! So it's time to take pre-workout complexes-, amino acids,,,.

24) To prevent the bar from slipping in your hands, use chalk or talcum powder, it eliminates the possibility of your hands sweating during work, which improves the grip and makes it possible to finish the exercise with quality.

25) If you feel unprepared for a workout, postpone it for 1-2 days, when you are ready to give your best and catch up.

26) To improve the bench press, include in the workout heavy -,,,. They increase strength and mass and of course make it possible to lift more weight under the bar.

27) Take enough time to rest and sleep, tired and not getting enough sleep, forget about the growth of the pectoral muscles. For some I will say that it is more important for you to race in a computer until 2 am or to create an athletic figure.

28) You shouldn't always work on strength in the 1-4 reps area, use a variety of schemes for 1-4 reps, 5-10 and 12-15.

29) To accustom the body to heavy weights, periodically remove the barbell and hold it above you without bending it at the elbows, without lowering it on your chest. The weight is 110-120% of the one-repetition maximum, you need to hold it for 10-15 seconds.

30) Lift the bar up quickly, even when the weight is large and the bar is moving very slowly, an impulse should burn in your head, raise the bar as quickly as possible.

31) Press with the help, eradicate the open grip, this can simply lead to the barbell falling to the chest.

32) When lifting the bar up, keep the buttocks tightly pressed against the gymnastic bench, tearing them off means disrupting the execution technique.

33) Also, when lifting, try not to bend the lower back with a bridge, this of course reduces the distance from the chest to the barbell, but also leads to microtrauma in the lower back. Then, having received a sharp pain during the execution of the deadlift, you will blame everything on it, not realizing that the primary source of origin is the wrong technique on the bench press.

34) After completing the approach, give the body a good rest, if you need to rest for up to 5-7 minutes, you, after all, are working with a basic exercise for strength.

35) All the time in the process of pressing, focus on a certain point on the ceiling and strive to press the bar there, this will help maintain more or less the same trajectory of the bar, targeting a specific area of the chest.

36) Do not jump sharply over the weights, gradually add weights preparing the muscles for the maximum weight, it is necessary for the body to warm up the muscles and adjust all its functions for the final hard work.

37) Before working out your chest, make sure your triceps are well rested. For those who train every day, exclude the load on the triceps 1-2 days before the bench press, otherwise you will not master the serious weights on the pectoral muscles.

38) The bench press should always be the first exercise in a workout, until you are tired, fresh and full of energy, and the nervous system is not depleted.

39) For a good workout of the chest, do not forget from the method and training "".

40) Having removed the barbell from the racks, first allow it to fully stabilize, exclude swaying and movement, and only then lower it onto your chest.

41) Once under the barbell, concentrate on the exercise, your goal is to squeeze the barbell, close yourself from all external factors, nothing and
no one should distract you.

42) Do not allow the barbell bar to go down to the very top of the chest during the classic bench press, in this case, the front bundle of deltas experiences a tremendous load, the result will be sprains and tears of the ligaments, which will lead to sharp pains in the shoulders when lowering the barbell.

43) Strong and powerful back muscles, help power press, add stability and confidence to perform.

44) Before lowering the barbell to your chest, bend it slightly forward, make sure that the shoulder blades are brought together and lie firmly on the gymnastic bench.

45) Eat enough protein, at least 2 grams. for 1 kg. weight, for fuller and faster muscle fibers, after exercise.

46) If you want to really develop big muscles chest, stop hitting the bar from the chest, lift the bar up, not due to the rebound, but by the strength of the muscles, this will allow more muscles to be involved in the work and better load them.

47) Go to workouts regularly, the result loves stability and fun physical activity from time to time and at random will not lead to positive results.

48) Do not lift weights at any cost, do not look at those who are doing more, the main thing is to train your muscles well, and not show off in front of others.

49) Periodically start your chest workout with, this will tire your chest muscles while keeping your triceps fresh and not fatigued. Next, switching to the bench press, you will complete the chest 100%.

50) If you are doing 8 reps and are stagnant, you can no longer increase the weight of the bar, go to strength program 2-6 reps for about 4 weeks. After that, the muscles will increase the strength potential, which will help develop success and take more weight for the same 8 reps. And the more weight, the more muscle fibers are loaded, which means that their volume grows.

I hope these tips will help reduce the relevance of the question of how to increase the bench press. Train and develop, become tough guys and charming girls.

The bench press is not only one of the triathlon disciplines, but simply an indicator of a person's strength. Therefore, the question of how to increase the bench press is one of the most relevant for gym visitors.

Bench press for different purposes

Each person, coming to the gym, sets for himself different goals... They change over time. But, in most cases, one thing remains the same - the weight in the bench press and other exercises grows up to a certain point.

Then a plateau sets in and progress stops, as if the body ran out of resources. Stagnation in the bench press, squat, etc., is perceived differently by each athlete.

Some of the athletes give up and return to their usual way of life. They quit training, convinced that sport is for someone else. Usually such people visit the gym for no more than six months or even a year.

Others increase the load vigorously until the first injury, and then also go away. But already because of the physical inability to continue training.

As a result, few calmly remain to train and continue to achieve their goal.

The goals of attending the gym are different for everyone, from gaining muscle to gaining in specific exercises. Someone is only interested in the volume of muscles, someone is constantly pressing, someone is pulling, and someone is preparing to participate in triathlon. Whatever the goal of the athlete, good performance is achieved only through patience, discipline and hard work.

Different pressing techniques also serve different purposes. Let's break them down. To make it clearer, in our case we will talk about a wide grip bench press on horizontal bench... And let's consider the main thing that interests absolutely everyone involved: how to improve the bench press.

For muscle growth

For a detailed study of the pectoral muscles, you need to press the bar so that it drops to upper part breasts. With this technique, the muscles are stretched as much as possible and, with contraction, they receive the required amount of load.

The technique of performing the exercise is described in detail in the article "bench press", so we will not dwell on it here.

When working on a weight, the exercise should be performed in 3-4 sets of 6-8 times. Choose the weight so that the last repetition is given with great difficulty. If you feel that you are past the eighth, you are able to perform another repetition, increase the load so that again to return to six repetitions.

There is no point in pressing this way - this is not a lift technique.

Work on the sensations - you can do more - hang a couple more kg, but do not increase the weight by breaking the technique!

For lifting maximum weight

This is the second goal for which you can press the bar. Someone needs to show results in competitions, someone works for themselves. Naturally, the strength training program will be different in each case.

The bench press technique in powerlifting is very different from the bodybuilding options that most people do in gym... We will analyze this a little later. Now let's discuss weight-building strategies and precautions.

We go to the maximum: bench press

How to maximize your bench press: The first step is to exercise regularly, experiment and be prepared for failure. You will also need a competent program to increase strength. By defeat, I mean "didn't shake" or "pulled a muscle." These moments shouldn't unsettle you.

When athletes prepare for a strength competition, they don't focus on muscle training. They work for strength - and this main principle... It is important - how many kg you squeezed, and not what your biceps are. Body weight will follow strength. You may not have the same definition and definition of muscles as bodybuilders, but you will still stand out from the crowd.

Bench press technique

To ultimately raise Weight Limit you need to do bench press regularly, at least twice a week.

In powerlifting, the bench press is done from a position called a bridge. This position must be clearly worked out in order to feel stable and confident in it.

How to get up in initial position for bench press:

We lay down on the bench. But! Don't put your feet on the floor, place them together on the other end of the bench.
Bend your stomach up for a stretch before the press, holding a bar or bar, fulcrum at your heels and your shoulder blades. By the way, the shoulder blades need to be brought together as much as possible.
Now we lower the pelvis onto the bench, after that we put our feet on the floor and rest our heels.
This is the starting position.

You can, of course, do everything easier and immediately bend from a prone position, but then the bridge will not be so round.

The essence of the bridge is that the distance traveled by the rod is less than when the body is in a straight position. And the barbell touches the body faster, which greatly facilitates the bench press procedure. No bridge heavy weight it will be more difficult to take. Sometimes a pause press is performed.

The exercise can be performed with or without equipment. At the moment, the largest bench press in equipment, which is entered in the book of records, is 486 kg, and without it - 335 (by the way, it belongs to a Russian athlete and was made in 2015). To this day, these are the most significant weights ever lifted on this planet (officially, at least).

At first it will be strange to become in the "bridge", but over time you will get used to it. If you are just doing for yourself, you don't need a bridge, calmly lie down on the bench with your back, bring your shoulder blades, keep a slight deflection in the lower back and put your feet on the floor.

Note that if the bench surface is slippery, the shoulder blades will part. The same will happen if you train in poor quality clothing.

When you are not preparing for a competition, but simply working on strength, you also need to consistently train at least 2 times a week to increase the bench press.

You need to bend until you feel comfortable. Your task is not to stand in the bridge, but only to make the pectoral muscles work, and not the shoulders and triceps. Then you can reap more.

What will help you gain weight?

First of all, you should understand that when you train for strength - your task is to force maximum amount muscle groups work for the result. When working on mass, you purposefully load a particular muscle group so that it grows as much as possible.

Golden Rule Number 1 - Pump Your Whole Body

In addition to the bench press, do others. basic exercises... That is, be sure to pump the rest of the body, not just the pectorals. The coordinated work of a large array of muscles will help you lift more weight than one swung muscle group.

It so happens that squats cause discomfort in the lower back, but deadlift goes fine. Then you can replace the squat with a leg press. This is also a good option that makes you grow muscle mass.

Practice shows that by doing only one bench press from workout to workout, it is impossible to achieve significant progress. Muscles get tired and stop responding to stress.

So when the bench press program isn't just about the bench press, your chest, triceps, and shoulders are resting while you train other muscles. And this is very important.

A plus, hard exercise(the same squat or leg press) will spur testosterone production, which will directly affect your strength.

Rule 2 - give your muscles some rest

Overworking negatively affects training results. If you feel that you have not fully recovered from a previous activity, it is better to reduce the intensity of your workout and give yourself time to rest.

Overworked muscles lose 10-15% of their strength. For example, if you bench 100 kg for 3 times, in a state of overtraining you will bench 85-90 for the same 3.

It is believed that the power press should be done once a week. But you have to focus on your body. Someone presses not 2 times a week, but 3. Someone - only 1 time. Each person has their own training regimen.

Rule 3 - Convenient Schedule and Good Program

Find the best training regimen for you. It should be in harmony with your lifestyle and daily routine. Competent trainers based on the characteristics of the life rhythm of the clients.

Your bench press program should include a basic power complex and actually, preparatory exercises for bench press. To increase your strength indicators, so that there really is an improvement, and not regression of your muscles, you need to competently train both the whole body and specifically the working muscles (chest, triceps and shoulder).

Sometimes in programs, the bench press is done either 8-10 times, or three to five times. Once a week like this, the second like this.

Exercises for chest muscles include dumbbell raises, dips, pullover, and more.

Once a month and a half, it is advisable to make changes to the program.

Rule 4 - do not try to raise the maximum at a time

As usual, do 5 reps, or at least 3. Maximum weight at one time is a competitive moment, and for strength training it is better and safer to do several repetitions.

By lifting the maximum weight, you run the risk of pulling something or otherwise injuring yourself. After all, when you bench press 5 times or even 3 times is one thing. And here is your one-time maximum you do not know, you can easily miss your guess and get serious damage to muscles or joints.

Indeed, in your case, it is more important to understand how to increase weight, albeit gradually, but reliably. And not to squeeze, no matter how much at a time, risking your health. You are not in a competition.

If you really want to, once a month you can arrange test drives for yourself in increments of 5–2.5 kg and with insurance. But before that, warm up very well.

Rule 5 - eat well and sleep

Comments are unnecessary here. Enough has been said about food and sleep. Let's better talk about a plateau or a state where weight is not growing.

Overcoming the plateau

What to do when the bench press doesn't work? It may not go long. As a result, either you will give up, or the muscle will ache from overload.

Alternatively, you can forget about the bench press for a couple of weeks and do other exercises, for example, do training complex on the chest on incline bench and uneven bars. And then, return to the bench press.
You can also increase the weight with other exercises that improve your bench press. As mentioned above, the maximum result is obtained by the complex work of the muscles of the whole body.
Change your bench press training program periodically. Then the muscles will not have time to get used to or overwork, and one day you will lift the largest weight for yourself.

That is, for a while, in general, stop wondering how to increase the bench press. Just exercise, pay attention to other exercises, and don't quit the gym.

Another approach is to keep pressing. You can temporarily reduce your working weight. This will give some pullback, but in the end, after returning to your chart and old weights, you will be able to surpass the previously obtained result.
Try switching to 10 repetitions with less weight. It is necessary that you can do these 10 times not with ease, but through labor. Gradually increase the weight in this mode. And then go back to low-repetition training.

The essence of the above is that the bench press program should be varied. When the results stop, you need to temporarily change the training vector. To finally break through the bench, overcome your barriers, you need to work hard and patiently. Try different variants... Some will be effective just for you.

By the way, the option of reaching a certain natural physiological maximum is not excluded. This can be said if you have been doing it for a long time and have already achieved significant results. Think about whether you need to gain weight at all? How often do you get injured in Lately? Maybe this is the same physiological barrier, after which your body will begin to "break down"? If you do not compete, you have absolutely no need to go for records at any cost.

After all, an increase in weight always has two sides, one of which is pride in the result obtained, and the other is stress for the body. Balance is important here.

So, be careful: warm up well and train smart!

In the section on the question Can you please tell me how many times a week to do the bench press? given by the author Qqq qqq the best answer is 3 times a week

Answer from Toss[guru]
3 times need to be done.

Answer from Neurosis[guru]
1, 2 times))

Answer from YOK AND F[master]
Once a week. Since the best scheme is to spread the three basic exercises over three days. Let's say Monday squats, Wednesday bench press, Friday deadlift. And to them already add more exercises, depending on which muscle group is more involved in the base.

Answer from Fitter[guru]
One time is enough.

Answer from GZ[guru]
If your level is BEGINNING, then you can 3 times a week, only you need to distribute the load correctly, the 1st day is hard, the 2nd day is easy and the 3rd day is medium ... Although I have always trained hard and did not pay attention to these postulates ...
The more mass, the more time it takes to recover, after half a year you need to revise your training and adjust some points for yourself and your lifestyle ...

Answer from Yoashka Boyarov[guru]
I do it three times a day, thirty times. It turns out 630 times a week.

Answer from Silovik[guru]
three times every 2 weeks, for example: Monday is easy, Friday is hard, the second week is Wednesday - medium load.

Answer from Yergei[expert]
At least every day! You just don't have to make it hard every workout! There are many varieties of bench presses! Besides easy, hard to eat pressures, speed press, press with a pause, negative, dead center ... you can go on and on ...

Answer from Yotanislav[guru]
breast pump enough 1 time per week! you just need to swing it not only with the bench press, but with a set of exercises!

Answer from Vladimir Sakhnenko[guru]
Must be done once a week. In general, all muscles are pumped once per week. The exception is the press, well, you can triceps. And then there will be overtraining. You have to leave the hall a little tired, not exhausted in the ass

jtsstrength.com

If you really want to bench press a lot, it's best to choose a powerlifting technique that involves maximizing amplitude contraction and choosing the advantageous position body.

Get in the right body position

The shoulders lie on the bench, the back is arched, the feet rest firmly on the floor, stabilizing the position of the body. An arched back helps to reduce the range of motion, so the bar will travel less distance, which means it will be easier for you to squeeze out a lot of weight. In addition, the arched back helps to engage the muscles of the back and transfer the main load to the lower bundle of the pectoral muscles.

Use a wide grip

The wider you grip the bar, the less the range of motion and the greater the load on the strong.

Squeeze the bar firmly throughout the exercise.

Strong grip allows the sensory and motor parts to work in sync nervous system, tap into the full potential of the muscles and make the movement more powerful.

Keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle from your body

This position of the elbows allows you to evenly distribute the load between the triceps and pectoral muscles, and while lowering the bar, you use the back muscles.

2. Increase the load, not the weight on the bar

Even powerlifters rarely use 1RM in training, and all other athletes don't need it. To develop strength and muscle hypertrophy, you need more workload than a 1RM training can provide.

Let's count. Let's say you're doing a bench press with a 1RM of 135 kilograms. Even with a good warm-up, you can only do about 6-8 reps, rest for long periods in between, and eventually build up such muscle fatigue that you can barely raise your arms. This is an insanely hard workout, but in total you only lift 1,080 kilograms.

Now, let's say you are doing bench press with 85% of your 1RM - 115 kilograms. You only lifted a dozen on each side, but you can already do 4 heavy sets of 3-5 reps. Even if you bench press 3 times per set, the total amount of weight lifted will be 1,380 kilograms - a whopping 300 kilograms more!

If you want to increase the load even more, end the exercise with a regular drop set or a variation with a slight pause. In a regular drop set, immediately after a set, you shed 25% of the weight as quickly as possible and do another set. In a drop set with a pause, you can take your time and after you have thrown off the weight, rest for 10-15 seconds.

3. Change your splits

Your pecs and triceps work when you push, your back and biceps when you pull. Therefore, it is logical to train these muscle groups together: arrange separate "chest-triceps" and "back-biceps" days, and then give the muscles a long rest.

But if you have been using this split for a very long time, changing it, you can achieve better results.

Splits for antagonistic muscles allow you to increase the load on certain muscle groups. For example, if you are doing chest and biceps exercises on Monday, you will be working on triceps later in the week. At the same time, during pushing exercises for the triceps, the pectoral muscles are also involved - you do not have to wait a week to load them again.

In addition, during the development of the biceps, the pectoral muscles are practically not used. As a result, fatigue does not build up, so you can do more.

Experiment with bench position, avoid 1RMs and try antagonizing muscles in a single workout and you'll be able to add a couple more pancakes to your bar very soon.