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FUZO
03-03-2015, 01:54 AM
Free Yourself From Your Bench Plateau:


5 Steps to a Stronger Bench Press


This article was originally posted on FitnessGeared.com,


http://www.fitnessgeared.com/forum/threads/132923-Free-Yourself-From-Your-Bench-Plateau?p=1236250#post1236250


So whether you are a seasoned weightlifting vet, or a couple months into your new routine to pack on some solid lbs., you will encounter every exerciser’s favorite unit of manliness. “What’s your bench?” It’s time to kick that bench press plateau to the side by changing up your bench press habits. Try out these alterations to your routine to get that number on your bar up.


Work On Things Other Than Flat Bench

Okay, this one might be a given, but it must be said. Too often do we see weak dudes in the gym week after week doing the same old weight on that same old bench press every Monday afternoon. If you’re not striving to improve yourself month in and month out then it’s just a matter of time before your body will get used to your same old routine, and just adapt to normalcy. You must change up your workouts and keep your body guessing. It’s all about muscle confusion. What your body doesn't know will just adapt and get stronger. Then you constantly just change it up some more from there.


That being said though – yes, do your normal barbell flat bench like you do, but don't forget to incorporate exercises that are working on different parts of the chest. Keep on working on that upper chest and lower chest often. Work on the width of your chest as well with your various fly exercises.


Keep it coming by adding in cable exercises, and machines as well.


Change Up Your Tempo


If you do find yourself stuck on a particular weight this can be a very strategic move to overcome that plateau. Instead of the common 1:0:1 speed with your bench press, give it a little bit of a tweak on the tempo. Give a 21 tempo a try by going 2 seconds down, 2 seconds pause at the very bottom portion of the lift, and then your normal 1 second up. This will shock those pecs like you have never felt before. The change of speed will help you incorporate more of your slow twitch muscle fibers.


It is recommended to go a little bit lighter in the weight then you would do on your normal repetitions. You can also try a few other tempos to change it up from there. Not to mention this concept can be used for your other chest exercises, as well as all resistance training exercises for that matter.

Add In Calisthenic Exercises


Bodyweight exercises should not be reserved only for weight loss exercisers. There are quite a few exercises that are not taken the full advantage of. Not to mention, you can gain the edge needed to overcome that weight you have been stuck on. Add in some pushups to the mix to really get your chest shredded. Once those get repetitive change it up with some explosive pushups with a clap. The explosiveness will help you incorporate some of the fast twitch muscle fibers. Something your body may not be so used to.


Another key ingredient to your pec strength lies in a very important exercise – Dips. Dips are a fundamental part of overcoming that bench press plateau for a number of reasons: Since a bench press does not rely solely on the chest, dips do a great job of working on those secondary muscles in a different aspect then a normal flat bench. Doing bodyweight dips will add necessary strength in the shoulders as well as the triceps. This will make that sticking point in the middle of a bench press a breeze.


Give the Negatives Some Attention


Warning! Grab a spotter when you are going to concentrate on the negatives with your bench. The eccentric portion of a bench press is a very important part of the movement. It is literally one half of the movement, so why do most people concentrate solely on the concentric portion? After you are through with your set, finish off those last couple bits of energy with some negatives.


Say you do 12 repetitions – after number 12, lower the weight down slowly and have your spotter lift it with some good effort while you push. Give it a go. This is a great way to change things up a little more, and get those bench press lbs. up some more as well.


Stretch After Every Workout
Not only are there injury prevention benefits from a good post workout stretch, but it will also keep you from becoming limited in your range of motion. Keeping your muscles stretched will expand the fibers allowing for growth. There is plenty of information on the benefits of stretching. Take advantage of the benefits because, this also could be one of the ingredients to a better bench press overall.



No go out there and get those numbers up!