Aside from biceps, the most commonly asked question I get asked is “How can I increase bench press weights”?
The following bench press trick is used by power lifters. It will instantly increase bench press weights to max out your chest building efforts.
Walk into any gym and it seems that a chest workout is always first on the agenda at the start of a new week. But you only ever see lifters doing flat bench, incline bench or decline bench for a set number of reps/sets. Training chest this way result in only average gains in chest muscle growth.
If you want new pec growth you have to shake things up and move to the level of intensity.
Here’s how to increase bench press weights by 30%
Here is the warm up. Using a flat bench setup a bar loaded with a weight that you can manage 10 repetitions, but perform just 6 reps. You need to complete 3 sets in total of 6 reps with just under a 2 minutes rest between each set.
Now move a flat bench in the power rack with the safety catches position to allow the bar to clear your chest only by about 2-3 inches.
Now load up the barbell with the maximum weight that you can mange for 6 reps and then finally add 25% more weight to the bar.
This is where you are going to need a spotter. Grasp the barbell with a normal width grip and have your spotter aid in lifting the bar only till it clears the safety catches. Hold the bar in this position resisting strongly with your chest for 10 seconds before lowering it back down onto the safety catches.
Have a 2 minute rest and then remove the 25% extra weight that you initially loaded so that the remaining weight is your normal max for 6 reps
Now pump out those reps, you should be able to crank out 8 to 9 reps, instead of your usual 6 reps, now that’s an increase bench press weights!
You’re not done yet rest for a further 3 to 5minutes and repeat one more time with the same weight.
Why this bench press technique increases bench press weights.
It’s all to do with muscle fibers. Particularly your Type II muscle fibers, these are responsible for that explosive power at the bottom range of your bench press. This is the hardest part of the bench press
This bench press technique overloads those type 2 muscle fibres due to the extended time under tension. This forces the muscle fibres into a state of optimum hyperactivity.
Time under Tension is Crucial for triggering an increase in muscle growth
The way this technique works in increasing your bench press weights is that when you reduce the weight after the 25% increase sets. The chest muscles are tricked into lifting more pounds than normal under the normal lighter weight. As a result the short term intensity gain gives greater a greater bench press weight and an instantaneous gain in chest muscle growth.
Checkout our other chest building tips and tricks
