Advanced Bench Press Tip for a Bigger Chest!
Want a bigger chest?
I know…stupid question, right?
I mean, there’s a reason why the most frequently used piece of equipment is the bench press station.
But there’s a VERY common mistake I see most people make when training their chest and it’s costing you some serious muscle!
So ignore this info at your own peril! The difference in muscle fiber stimulation is IMMENSE!
Here’s what I’m talking about…
When you perform “pushing” exercises like the Bench Press, most people don’t know where to place their “focus” and ultimately just end up instincively pushing the weight up in any form that feels “natural”.
However, what happens to 95% of you is you end up using too much “front shoulder” and take a large part of the focus off of your chest muscles, leaving them short-changed on fiber stimulation for maximum growth.
Here’s how to overcome this common blunder with what I call the “Shoulder-Rib Lock”:
1. When lying on the bench (for a Bench Press), begin by dropping your shoulders BACK (toward the bench) as far as comfortably possible.
2. Next, roll your shoulders DOWN (in the direction of your feet).
3. And lastly, “puff” out your ribcage to keep it held high.
Consider this your “locked” position for the entire movement and keep your pectorals “aimed” high toward the ceiling!
You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference you’ll see in your chest workouts!
Now I’m a BIG fan of bodyweight exercises and incorporate several top-notch picks in my downloadable bodybuilding programs because of the enhanced muscle fiber stimulation they provide.
Well, these very same principles apply to the PUSHUP as well!
Just go through the same little “checklist” and keep your shoulders locked back and down while keeping your ribcage “puffed out” and you’ll see the same difference in your training (AND your RESULTS!)
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More from: Jeff Anderson
Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.
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What exercise would you recommend to do afterwards for the upper back to have muscular balance?
Do pull ups with palms facing away from you if you did push ups. If you bench pressed, do lat pull downs; the same amount of reps you benched. Make sure your hands are shoulder-width apart + about 10″.
Thank you, sir.
I am a junior in High School and I can only bench 275 lbs. Will this make my max go up?
Sorry,my english is bad,but I’ll try to understand. My shoulders must be against the bench and shoulders must be towards the legs as far as they go? How about the breathing, “ribs puffed out”, it means that I have to breath in? Thank You and Greetings from Estonia!
Prior service 57-yr-old Army here (still a pup with a lot of PnV, tho!)… Had recon surgery 12 mos ago and need to rebuild muscle mass post-op and post weight loss. Any general tips? I’m now 6’3″ 182 lbs and would like to put on about 20 lbs of muscle I feel I lost. Other med issues are non-existent. Uber healthy and ready to come back.
THIS IS SOME REAL COOL INFORMATION. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS. THIS STUFF IS GOOD MOTIVATION AND OUTSTANDING FOR ANYONE. YOU GUYS ROCK,
V/R TONYENRIQUEZ
Daniel,
Until MuscleNerd gets back, I’ll try to help you out in the most nontechnical of all ways possible. :D
Please correct me if I’m wrong on the following, gentlemen–
The first two points it sounds like you have right.
However, by ““puff” out your ribcage to keep it held high”, Jeff might be referring to pushing or sticking your chest OUT, not breathing in.
I can see how you could comprehend “puff” as to breathe out. ;)
Jack Reape is awesome! That’s pure muscle mass.
http://www.criticalbench.com/Jack-Reape.htm
I don’t know anything about this site but: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-bench-press-with-proper-technique-avoid-shoulder-injuries/
Thank You David,I Saw the video and now I understand all of this :D And Jack looks cool.
Daniel, here
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/weight-training/breathing-can-create-20-percent-more-power
it was in the Fitness Center http://www.military.com/military-fitness/ on the left under Weight Training
Thank You again!
is it adviceable to push heavier wieght in body building
Hey Y’all!
Sorry I’ve been AWOL for so long over the holidays! But I’m back and have a ton of cool stuff lined up for you!
Anyway…thanks David for stepping in in my place! ;-) You were absolutely right with your advice.
As for a few of the other questions:
» To 57 y.o. Paul looking to start packing on some muscle after surgery and a layoff from the iron…start slow my friend. Too many guys (and gals) try to go too quick and especially after your surgery, your tendons and ligaments need time to strengthen to take on heavier loads. This is also why I love bodyweight training because it automatically helps develop this area through the advanced stabilizer muscle activation. Pushups — pullups (Stew has some great tips for how to do assisted pullups) — situps — you know the deal!
Of course for the whole package, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my Combat The Fat program (http://www.combatthefat.com) because there’s only so much I can do with a simple blog post, you know?
» For Marvin on “pushing heavier weight”…I get in a lot of trouble here Marvin!
If you’re talking “bodybuilding”, then no…“heavier weight” isn’t necessary. Heavy weights with low reps will bring you some size, but mostly strength. For increased muscle size, you’re best bet is to go for higher volume (rep ranges between 8–15) with a lighter weight. That’s a fact brotha!
It’s all a matter of determining what your MAIN goal is…and training appropriately.
Good to be back y’all!
@Jeff
how do i start packing in the mass and stay healthy, i’ve been training with some of the guys from the unite and 90% of them are just meat heads lefting and putting things down not really changing anything