Increase Max Bench Press

try this, it helped me

I started working out about 4 years ago.  At that time my bench was pathetic.  I remember having a hard time with 150lbs.  I am only 5'8".  But, I have put in a hard road and currently have a pretty good home gym and have gotten some good results.  I've tried a lot of methods/techinques but the one that I have found that works for me is pretty simple. 

I currently BP work out w/285lbs 10reps and can one rep max 335.  I weigh 188lbs. 

Try going one week on the bench press w/about 65% of your max for 10-12 reps.  The next week go w/about 85-90% of your one rep max for 6-8 reps.  Work your chest only once per week.  Try 3 press excercises each time.  Ex. (bench press, incline bench press, chest press machine, dumbell presses incline/decline/flat) and throw in a fly or cable crossover for a total of 4 sets per work out. 

Every week try to increase the amount you pressed by at least 5lbs.  Don't ever stop pushing the amount up or your muscles will get use to the stress and stop growing.  Always try to get at least 6 reps on an excercise.  If you can't, go down 5lbs until you are able to do so easily.  You may be stuck at a weight for a couple of weeks ("the wall") but don't get discouraged; just know it happens to everyone.  When you hit the "wall" just make sure you get some rest the night before, eat a lot of protein and carbs so that you psychologically believe you are ready, and break through, i.e. increase the weight.  Don't give yourself excuses.

Also, vary the routine.  I Always include flat bench press and incline press as staples, but one week maybe do decline press, the next week maybe do dumbell flyes instead.  I'm a big fan of dumbells so try adding them as one of your press excercises.

Eating is as important as anything so make sure you eat before you workout; get plenty of complex carbs and a minimum 100 grams of protein per day the more the merrier (but no more than 35 grams at any one time).  Get plenty of rest.

You will get to know what your body responds to and what it doesn't in time.  Keep a chart of your progress, obviously this site is a good idea.  Get plenty of rest and don't get discouraged.  Remember that the hard work you put in, is in direct relation to what you get out.  Good luck, hope it helps.

Posted by TLNinja on Nov. 30, 2007 at 02:39AM

reply

Sorry it was unclear.  I mean to alternate every week.  If you only train heavy then your muscles get use to it and begin to slow their growth.  Alternate a lighter work out in so that you can get higher reps and gain endurance.  This will sufficiently confuse your muscles and ensure stimulated growth across the growth/endurance spectrum. 

Posted by TLNinja on Nov. 30, 2007 at 11:48PM

MM2K Bench program

If you want to increase your becnh you should really try the MM2K bench program.  You can go here to see how to do it.  It has printouts for tracking also.  http://www.geocities.com/~slopitch/mm2k/

I did this almost almost a year ago.  When I started my 1 rep max was 185.  By the end of the program my 1 rep max was 225.  I only weigh 140 lbs.  I just did this program once a week on my chest day.  There is a new version on the website, but I just used the original one.  I think I am going to try it again in a couple of weeks.  Hopefully I can add another 40 lbs to my max.

Posted by leegundus on Jun. 12, 2008 at 08:06PM

Add one pound each time.

A good way to increase your bench in my opinion is to increase the weight by one pound each time you workout. If you workout once a week, in a year you've increased by 52 lbs. If you bench twice a week, 104 lbs. in one year. Just a suggestion.

Posted by StonedLogic on Aug. 08, 2008 at 04:25AM