How to Increase Your Bench Press: The Complete Guide

Introduction

Looking to take your bench press to the next level or are you stuck at a plateau? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The bench press is one of the most challenging exercises in the fitness world, and many powerlifters struggle to improve their performance. In this blog, we’ll share essential tips and techniques that will help you not only improve your form but also break through those pesky plateaus.

Summary

This guide breaks down improving your bench press into four core areas: performing the exercise with good form, identifying common mistakes, recognizing weaknesses, and specific exercises to strengthen them. Whether you struggle with the initial push or the lockout phase, we’ll provide solutions and exercises to boost your performance.

1 Performing Bench Press with Good Form

1. Positioning Your Feet: Your feet are the foundation of your power. Place your feet as close to your buttocks as possible while still allowing them to be flat on the ground. This will help you generate power from the ground throughout your entire body.
2. Positioning Yourself Under the Bar: Position yourself under the bar in a way that makes it easy to extend the bar without hitting the racks. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to stay tight and protected.
3. Arching Your Back: A slight arch in your lower back is crucial for maintaining a neutral spine and protecting your back while pressing.
4. Position Your Grip: Use a strong grip. Place the bar low in your palm to keep your wrists straight.
5. Brace and Unrack: Take a deep breath before releasing the bar. Use your back to release the bar without wasting energy.
6. Inhale and Lower the Bar: Hold your breath and use this to strengthen your abdominal wall.
7. Chest Touch: The point of contact on your chest depends on the length of your arms and your grip on the bar. Make sure your forearms are at 90 degrees to the floor in this position.
8. Leg Drive Push: Initiate the pushing motion by contracting your glutes and pushing your legs into the ground.

2 Most Common Mistakes While Performing Bench Press

• Bouncing the Bar: Bouncing the bar is not only dangerous but also ineffective. Keep your body tight and fully control the bar.
• Arching: Your glutes should remain on the bench while adding your leg drive. If your glutes come off the bench the bench press is invalid.
• Breathing and Bracing: Many athletes forget to breathe properly or engage their abdominal muscles, which is essential for strength and safety.
• Elbow Flaring: Flaring your elbows may seem effective for muscle activation, but it increases your risk of injury and reduces efficiency.
• Shoulder Position: Rolling the shoulders forward at the top of the movement can lead to inefficient and dangerous lifts. Keep your shoulders back and your body tight.

3 Identify Weakness

Identify the weak point by performing one set of bench press to failure and filming it. Analyze the video and identify where you struggle: is it at the bottom, in the middle, or at the lockout?

3.1 Weakness: From Chest to 90° Angle

If this is your weak point during the bench press, it means your pectoralis major (chest muscles) are the culprit.

The pectoral muscle can be divided into three groups: upper chest, middle chest, lower chest:

• If the bar leans more upwards (towards your head) during the exercise, this means that your upper pectoral muscle is the weak point.
• If the bar leans more downward (away from your head) during the exercise, this means that your lower pectoral muscle is the weak point.
• If neither applies and it is about difficulty during this movement in general, it probably means that your entire chest muscle is the weak point.

You can tackle this weakness by doing exercises that strengthen the pectoral muscles, which are the cause of this weakness.

3.2 Weakness: From 90° Angle to Lock-Out

If this is your weak point during the bench press, it means your anterior deltoids (front of shoulders) are the culprit.

You can address this weakness by doing exercises that strengthen the anterior deltoids.

3.3 Weakness: From the Lock-Out

If this is your weak point during the bench press, it means your triceps are the culprit.

You can tackle this weakness by doing exercises that strengthen the triceps.

3.4 Weakness: Speed ​​During Bench Press Execution (Entire Bench Press)

If this is your weak point during the bench press, it means a combination of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps are at fault.

This means that you need to do exercises that strengthen all of these muscles to address this weak point.

4 Strengthening Exercises

Here's a handy overview of exercises you can perform depending on where your weakness lies:

From Chest (Pectoralis Major)	From 90° Angle (Anterior Deltoids)	Lock-Out (Triceps)
Larsen Bench Press	90° Spoto Bench Press	Lockout Pin Bench Press
Paused Bench Press	90° Pin Bench Press	90° Spoto Bench Press
Wide-Grip Bench Press	(Barbell or Dumbbell) Shoulder Press	Floor Press
Pec Decks	Arnold Press	Close-Grip Bench Press
Incline (Barbell or Dumbbell) Bench Press	Incline (Barbell or Dumbbell) Bench Press	Triceps Dips
Incline Machine Chest Press	Incline Machine Chest Press	Skull Crushers
Decline (Barbell or Dumbbell) Bench Press
Decline Machine Chest Press
Dips

4.1 Strengthening Exercises Bench Press: From Chest

• The 'larsen' and 'paused bench press' strengthen the initial movement of the bench press.
• The wide-grip bench press and pec decks strengthen the entire chest muscle.
• The incline (barbell or dumbbell) bench press and incline machine chest press strengthen the upper pectoral muscle.
• The decline (barbell or dumbbell) bench press and decline machine chest press strengthen the lower pectoral muscle.

4.2 Strengthening Exercises Bench Press: From 90° Angle

• The '90° spoto' and '90° pin bench press' strengthen the bench press movement from 90° to the lock-out.
• The '(barbell or dumbbell) shoulder press' and 'Arnold press' strengthen the anterior deltoids.
• The incline (barbell or dumbbell) bench press and incline machine chest press strengthen the upper pectoral muscles and anterior deltoids.

4.3 Strengthening Exercises Bench Press: Lock-Out

• The 'lockout pin bench press', '90° spoto bench press' and the 'floor press' strengthen the bench press lock-out movement.
• The close-grip bench press, triceps dips and skull crushers strengthen the triceps.

5 Increase Your Bench Press

Once you’ve identified the specific weak points in your bench press and chosen the right exercises to target them, it’s time to start incorporating them into your workout routine. Strengthening specific muscle groups that contribute to the weak phases of your lift will help you break through plateaus and improve your overall performance. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Step 1: Integration of targeted exercises

Incorporate exercises that target your weak muscles into your workout routine at least twice a week. It is important to do these exercises at the beginning of your workout when your muscles are still fresh. This will ensure maximum strength and focus on the muscles you want to improve.

Step 2: Progressive Overload

Make sure to use progressive overload on your strengthening exercises. This means gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets over time to challenge your muscles and stimulate growth.

Step 3: Technique and Form

Stay focused on maintaining good technique while performing all exercises. Incorrect form can lead to injury and will reduce the effectiveness of your workout. Take your time to perform each movement correctly and listen to your body. If a particular movement causes pain, stop and reevaluate your technique or find alternative exercises.

Step 4: Rest and Recover

Muscles need time to recover and grow stronger. Make sure you get enough rest between workouts and incorporate recovery techniques such as proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep into your routine.

Step 5: Evaluation and Adjustment

Evaluate your progress regularly. If you find that you are still struggling with certain parts of the bench press, you may need to adjust your approach or pay extra attention to other supporting muscle groups.

Closure

Improving your bench press isn’t just about increasing the weight on the bar. It requires a strategic approach to identifying and strengthening weak points, and a consistent commitment to training and recovery. Follow the steps in this guide and you’ll be able to break your personal records and reach new goals in your strength training. Still have questions or need specific guidance? Don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment. We’re here to help you get stronger and healthier!

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