How can I get my bench press up?

Question

I am an incoming freshman in high school and am a lineman and I can bench practically nothing. How can I improve my bench press and just get more strength in general?

Answer 1

Bench Press

A million ways to improve, but all take work.

DO curls, with a curl bar with your hands facing in sets of 12 increasing by 10 lbs (2 fivers on each side) until you cannont get 12 reps then back down

ALTERNATE WITH
Triceps curls using the same bar straight over your head then lower to the back of your neck and lift up straight with your elbows pointed up with the same weight as the biceps curls.

Stop after each set and stretch your arms. I went on the machine and did 10 pullups, then rotated my body around its axis and back 10 times like winding up head over heels. You may need to work on this, tho, if you are heavy. I weighed 180-250 when I did this, but was lighter at the beginning, and heaviest after 3 years of college ball.

Then I did 10-15 dips on the dip machine and back to the next weight.

Even when I was benching over 465 I still started my curls at 25 lbs and worked up to 185 so my off bench days were pretty full. It took me about 3 hours to finish my routine, but my neck, shoulders, lats, deltoids and arms were massive and I never took roids or protein shakes or anything.

Finally, Only bench 2-3 times a week. The other exercises are for the off days. Do legs on your bench days and work your upper body on the other days. Oh, when the bench moves up in weight, you might want to do wrist curls and hand drills because losing your grip at 400 lbs can kill you. ALWAYS USE A SPOTTER!

Answer 2

The best way to get your bench press up is by using heavy weights that you can't handle by yourself with a spotter. During one year I was able to get mine up by lifting with stronger guys. They were doing 425 (Four 45 plates each side) in sets and instead of taking all these weights off for me, they just took off a 45 lb plate from each side and spotted me doing 315 (Three 45 plates each side). The negative (lowering) part is what I did on my own, the positive (raising part) was where my huge friend would assist me. The lowering part is key for strength gaining.

Also, gradually increase weight for shoulder presses and tricep excercises since shoulders and triceps assist in bench presses. This will also increase your strength in the bench press. Meanwhile, increased bench presses will make your shoulders and triceps stronger, too. Start out with the larger muscles first, which would be chest, then go to shoulders and then triceps for your workout. I will suggest 1 hour 30 minutes.

Recommended reps with heavy weights: 6-8
You may only be able to do less reps with heavier weights and a spotter but the body will still have to grow to adapt when doing it regularly. Skip a day or 2 in between chest excercises to rest the muscle. Sometimes as much as with 3 or 4 days rest you may find yourself stronger during the next workout.

I have been lifting weights for many years, used to work in a gym, and have had friends and co-workers ask me to design special routines for them.

Answer 3

You can't put balance aside, because that's the very thing that separates the two. And your muscles definitely know the difference. The bench press is a free weight exercise, and any free weight exercise is more effective in building muscle for two reasons. One, because it incorporates stabilizer muscles to assist in the movement, meaning more muscles being worked. Two, because the human body responds better to movements it would do naturally. That last part basically means your body grows better when subjected to something heavy, rather than machines, which are merely hard. This isn't to say that you should give up the machine, and it certainly isn't for wusses. Machines force proper form, and isolate the muscle you are trying to work. Do the bench press first in your workout, and the machine press toward the end, when you're tired.

Answer 4

Since you are still young, work your chest with routinely.
If you want to build strength, then work out slowly, with more weight. If you want to build endurance and then strength, modify your workouts...circuit train one day and work out slow with lots of weight the next time around.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Try this:
- warm up with decline bench press
- incline bench press
- chest dips

Try the decline bench with a bar and gradually add weight
Try to get 4 sets of 8-10 reps each exercise.
When it seems too easy, add more weight.

Try incline with barbells. Work your way up as it gets easier.
You will get stronger with the more time you put into the weight room.

Since you are a lineman, I would work for speed in the weight room, and lift heavy with a spotter once a week on the chest.

I remember when I was younger me and my best friend would do a shot and then do as many push ups as we could do.

AND DON'T FORGET TO WORK OUT YOUR OPPOSITE MUSCLE GROUPS....in other words, when you do chest, do back the same day.

When you do biceps, do triceps on alternate sets.

Squats are the best thing to strengthen your legs, not the leg press......so as you see your teammates leg press, go do squats.

Other than that, good luck.

Answer 5

Hey Josh,
If your bench press has flat lined...
don't forget the muscles that support your pecs. (pectoralis major = Chest muscles) when they lift:
Deltoid (Shoulders), (Latissimus dorsi)upper back, and the back sides of your upper arm (triceps).

On your light days pump out push ups from three angles...also do dips.
On your heavy days make sure you complete at least 3 reps per set and make sure you comlete 5 sets.

Answer 6

Of course, always have a spotter.

Do a couple of reps with no weight.

Then press more than you can by about 10 lbs.

Repeat.

Skip the Jesus stuff with repect to sports. It is simply not applicable.

Answer 7

do it constantly, and while you are in the weight room do other lifts so you arnt lopsided in your arms. that isnt good, so do some lat pulls, some curls, and maybe some chinups, and then do sqwats and some leg press and curl, those are some of the most important lifts for football.

Answer 8

do it every other day-and be carefull-eat protien and no steroids
and for your heart -let Jesus in to forgive sins and be your friend-amen-he will keep you doing right off the field so u can be your best on the football squad pressin-too peace david

Answer 9

Steroids, ask Barry 'Balco" Bonds, it worked for him

Answer 10

viagara or cialis...