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Learning how to improve your bench press is a tricky and often over complicated affair for most gym members. Many of them spend time focusing on endless sets of cable crossovers and other assistance exercises in a bid to pack on more poundage when they hit the bench but, as you will discover in today's article, the answers to getting bigger compound lifts are actually quite simple.
Of course, it is important to recognize the fact that owning a big, powerful deadlift or squat is not really important in the grand scheme of things. You can build a fantastic physique without having a particularly powerful personal best. However, in most gyms it remains a barometer for how well your training program is progressing, so increasing the three big lifts remains very important to most guys.
Most men are shocked to learn that they could easily be adding 10-20 kilograms to their heaviest sets by ironing out a few common errors made on the bench. These include:
1. Designate some time in your arm workouts for grip work and forearm based work.
2. Reverse warm-up sets are a fantastic technique when used correctly
3. Put more focus on the negative portion of the move.
The main problem with men who encounter issues with their big lifts is that the rest of their program is built around looking good, rather than being strong. As a result, they completely overlook the importance of training their forearms and grip strength. Your grip will always be the first thing to tire out on an exercise like Romanian deadlifts, long before your lower back and glutes, so it makes sense to incorporate grip-based work into your routine.
Despite the confusion on most guys faces when you ask them what their favorite forearm exercise is, there are a number of exercises which you can do for this relatively small muscle group. Favorites include reverse barbell curls, timed hangs and plate grips.
While it's easy to see the importance of grip strength in pulling motions such as the deadlift, you may be wondering why it is important in things like the bench press. Well, your grip can come into play here to focus on pulling the bar apart as you lift and lower to and from your chest. This is a power lifting technique which is used commonly in underground gyms.
A reverse warm-up, otherwise known as a Hulk warm-up due to the fact Lou Ferrigno used the technique frequently, is another great way to boost any big lift. This involves using your warm-up set to go heavier than you plan to go in your working sets, thus tricking the body into recruiting more muscle fibers in the build up to your proper sets. While this might sound odd, it is a time-served technique adopted by many power lifters the world over. For example, if you plan on lifting 100 kg in a squat, try performing a set consisting of fewer reps with 110 kg (with a spotter, of course). Suddenly, that 100 kg lift seems remarkably easier than it normally would. This is because the body has reacted to your reverse warm-up by recruiting many more muscle fibers in the areas you are hitting, allowing you to push past things which were previously difficult.
Providing you use it safely and sparingly, you can increase any big compound lift using this technique.
Our last technique for improving your big lifts quickly is negative reps. This means placing huge focus on the eccentric, or lowering phase, of each rep and getting a spotter to help you push through the concentric phase. Too many people neglect the eccentric phase completely and put all their effort into the concentric, but research shows that you can improve your results by as much as 50% if you work on the negative phase as well.
Focus on using a weight heavier than you would usually go and have a spotter to help you do the concentric portion of the exercise before leaving you to do the negative phase on your own. Take your time on each rep.
If you adopt the three techniques in today's article you will undoubtedly see an increase in any big lift on the gym floor. If you have been wondering how to improve your bench press and were performing endless assistance exercises such as dumbbell flyes and cable crossovers, you may be surprised to find that the techniques today involve simple things such as grip and reverse warm-up sets. However, each of the methods is proven and very, very effective.
Of course, it is important to recognize the fact that owning a big, powerful deadlift or squat is not really important in the grand scheme of things. You can build a fantastic physique without having a particularly powerful personal best. However, in most gyms it remains a barometer for how well your training program is progressing, so increasing the three big lifts remains very important to most guys.
Most men are shocked to learn that they could easily be adding 10-20 kilograms to their heaviest sets by ironing out a few common errors made on the bench. These include:
1. Designate some time in your arm workouts for grip work and forearm based work.
2. Reverse warm-up sets are a fantastic technique when used correctly
3. Put more focus on the negative portion of the move.
The main problem with men who encounter issues with their big lifts is that the rest of their program is built around looking good, rather than being strong. As a result, they completely overlook the importance of training their forearms and grip strength. Your grip will always be the first thing to tire out on an exercise like Romanian deadlifts, long before your lower back and glutes, so it makes sense to incorporate grip-based work into your routine.
Despite the confusion on most guys faces when you ask them what their favorite forearm exercise is, there are a number of exercises which you can do for this relatively small muscle group. Favorites include reverse barbell curls, timed hangs and plate grips.
While it's easy to see the importance of grip strength in pulling motions such as the deadlift, you may be wondering why it is important in things like the bench press. Well, your grip can come into play here to focus on pulling the bar apart as you lift and lower to and from your chest. This is a power lifting technique which is used commonly in underground gyms.
A reverse warm-up, otherwise known as a Hulk warm-up due to the fact Lou Ferrigno used the technique frequently, is another great way to boost any big lift. This involves using your warm-up set to go heavier than you plan to go in your working sets, thus tricking the body into recruiting more muscle fibers in the build up to your proper sets. While this might sound odd, it is a time-served technique adopted by many power lifters the world over. For example, if you plan on lifting 100 kg in a squat, try performing a set consisting of fewer reps with 110 kg (with a spotter, of course). Suddenly, that 100 kg lift seems remarkably easier than it normally would. This is because the body has reacted to your reverse warm-up by recruiting many more muscle fibers in the areas you are hitting, allowing you to push past things which were previously difficult.
Providing you use it safely and sparingly, you can increase any big compound lift using this technique.
Our last technique for improving your big lifts quickly is negative reps. This means placing huge focus on the eccentric, or lowering phase, of each rep and getting a spotter to help you push through the concentric phase. Too many people neglect the eccentric phase completely and put all their effort into the concentric, but research shows that you can improve your results by as much as 50% if you work on the negative phase as well.
Focus on using a weight heavier than you would usually go and have a spotter to help you do the concentric portion of the exercise before leaving you to do the negative phase on your own. Take your time on each rep.
If you adopt the three techniques in today's article you will undoubtedly see an increase in any big lift on the gym floor. If you have been wondering how to improve your bench press and were performing endless assistance exercises such as dumbbell flyes and cable crossovers, you may be surprised to find that the techniques today involve simple things such as grip and reverse warm-up sets. However, each of the methods is proven and very, very effective.
About the Author:
More information: Top personal trainer Russ Howe PTI reveals how to improve your bench press with these cutting edge tips. Discover how to build muscle with the great tips on his fitness and dieting website today.
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