17 Best Tips To Increase Your Bench Press And Break Your Personal Record
How much do you bench? Is one of the most common questions people ask and sometimes the only lift they want to know your numbers on. The reason for this is probably because it is often regarded as one of the best chest exercises to build body mass and strength. It can be very frustrating to not see results even if you work out regularly. That’s why we’re going to give you the best tips on how to improve your bench press and if you’re fully committed: even break your personal record.
1. Start with light weight
One other important thing to remember while performing a bench press workout is to always start with lighter weights than you think you can handle. When you first try lifting something heavy, it may hurt more than expected. However, once you’ve warmed up completely and loosened the tissues in your shoulders and back, then you can begin adding weight to your lifts. Just be careful not to add too much weight too quickly. It’s easy to injure yourself this way. Instead, slowly increase the amount of weight you’re using until you hit your target number. Once you achieve your goal, then you can stop increasing the weight and just focus on getting stronger.
2. Use a wide grip
One other important thing to remember while performing a bench press workout is to always start with lighter weights than you think you can handle. When you fiWhen performing the bench press, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. This will provide greater stability and reduce risk of injury. However, never place the palms facing each other. Instead, position your hands about 2 inches apart.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides
Keeping your elbows close to your sides helps prevent hyperextension of the shoulders. This reduces the chances of injuring your upper-back region.
4. Focus on form
To avoid pain and strain in your lower back while performing the bench press, focus on form rather than trying to lift the heaviest amount possible. Many people simply attempt to lift as much weight as they possibly can without worrying about their technique. But the real key to success is learning how to control the motion of your body and stop when you begin to experience discomfort.
5. Stretch your muscles
Stretch your muscles before every workout session. You’ll want to make sure that your muscles are loose and flexible before you start training. This will help prevent you from straining your muscles and joints. You can accomplish this by stretching them before every workout.
6. Do multiple sets
Do multiple sets. As well as working towards a higher total weight lifted, you should also perform multiple sets of each repetition. Doing a few sets of 5 rep maxes (or whatever you decide to aim for) will increase your overall endurance and stamina, allowing you to complete more reps without getting tired. In addition, once you reach the end of your initial set, take a short rest before moving on to another set. Again, this will enable you to put more effort into each repetition without having to stop halfway through.
7. Breathe through your nose
Taking deep breaths through your nose will help push oxygen into your lungs and allow you to perform better during your workouts. Avoid taking shallow breaths through your mouth; it won’t help you achieve optimum performance.
8. Don’t forget about chest pumps
Performing chest presses after every set are essential for increasing muscular endurance. The goal here is to work out more reps and build more muscle tissue. Doing short bursts of high-intensity work like this will increase your overall fitness level.
9. Make sure you’re eating right
Eating healthy foods can have an impact on your body’s ability to recover from your exercise routine. Try to eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates to aid your recovery. You can also add some extra vegetables to your diet to give your skin and hair more luster.
10. Listen to your body
Your body knows what it needs to stay strong and fit, so listen to your instincts and take care of yourself. If you feel sore or tired, rest until your condition improves. Find an appropriate time to exercise that works best for you.
11. Keep your arms straight
Keep your arms straight throughout the entire movement. If you bend your arm at an angle, you could end up injuring your shoulder.
12. Focus on your core
You can strengthen your core by doing exercises like planks and crunches. These movements will help you build lean muscle and burn fat.
If you’ve made it this far, you must have read all 20 tips on how to improve your bench press and break your personal record. But if you’re still having trouble, you can always ask for help. Check out our website for more information on this topic.
13. Do it the right way
The proper way to perform a bench press workout should include at least three sets, but four or five are better. You’ll need plenty of rest in between each set so that your muscles have time to recover from the previous exercise. This will allow them to grow stronger and bigger. If you don’t rest properly after every rep, then your muscles won’t get enough time to repair themselves. Your resting period should last around 10-20 seconds before you move on to the next exercise. Don’t forget about warm-up routines either! You can perform some light cardio activity like jogging or running fast. This will help you prepare your heart, lungs, and blood vessels for intense muscle contractions during training. However, you shouldn’t run too far since you need to keep your body rested until the next workout.
14. Track your progress
Track your progress by recording all of your workouts. This allows you to measure your own improvement over time. We recommend keeping an Excel spreadsheet where you write down what day it was when you started working out, and how many reps were done. Doing this will help you understand exactly what changes took place within your body and which ones you need to continue improving upon.
15. Have a spotter
Having a spotter while bench pressing will greatly increase your bench press. You won’t overdo it and risk injury, because you know that someone is there with you in case anything goes wrong. This way you can push yourself safely without hurting yourself or anyone else around you. Your confidence level increases as well since you’re not alone during the exercise. Having another person behind you gives you more motivation to keep going until you’ve finished all reps. It also helps if you need help getting up from the floor after completing each set.
16. Follow a program
There are numerous programs available online that provide step-by-step instructions on how to follow the various exercises so that you can quickly get started. These programs are usually very easy to understand and they will tell you exactly when to change weights and rest periods. They can also help you avoid injuries by giving you advice on how far apart your workouts need to be and if you should be resting between sessions. However, make sure you stick to the plan you choose whether you are following someone else’s or writing one yourself because you don’t know how you’ll react to a particular exercise unless you’ve tried it yourself.
17. Have fun!
Lifting weights can be an incredibly enjoyable activity if you approach it in the right manner. Make sure you enjoy the experience and never feel like you’re pushing yourself too hard. If you do feel sore or fatigued afterward then stop immediately and wait until tomorrow to resume. Never carry on even though you’re feeling exhausted because you might injure yourself further.
