Here are three movements that will help improve your strength while benching. These movements are simple and can be done anywhere there is a bench, dumbbells and a pull-up bar, making them great for “on-the-go” training when other specialty equipment may not be available.

If you need help dialing in your bench press attend one of the Training Days held here at TPS!

Watch the video of these movements here.

  1. Close-Grip Bench Press. In my opinion this exercise is best done at the 70%-80% range with reps of 3-5 and 3-5 sets. Many set and rep variations will work, so experiment and find what works best for you. Put your pointer finger where the smooth portion of the bar begins ( bigger guys may have to bring their grip out slightly). Keep your elbows in and directly under the bar. Lower the bar to your sternum and press it to lock out under control. With all exercises start light get your form right, then add more weight. As your skill increases, add in some bands or chains to keep your body guessing.
  2. Tate Press. Here we are really focusing on the triceps and lockout strength. This exercise is done with dumbbells and should be performed under control with the dumbbells touching at all times.  Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing your hips. Roll the dumbbells towards your sternum under control. Keep your elbows and shoulders aligned as you store tension in your triceps. Try to keep the weight from bouncing off your chest. Once the dumbbells touch your chest reverse their direction while keeping the dumbbells in contact with one another and lock them out. Perform as many reps as desired with good form.
  3.  Band Push-Downs. This is great for building strength near and around the elbow. These should be done for high reps. Start with 3-4 sets of as many as you can do with good form. You can also try to hit a total # of reps regardless of sets. 100 reps total seems to work good for me. I used to have pain in my elbows, which was caused by benching. After adding this movement in for high reps 2x per week my elbows have never felt better.  You can get the bands here.

Try adding one or more of these movements into your bench press training and have fun!

Wishing you the best in your training,

Russ Smith C.F.T.

WSBB Certified