What do you do to strengthen your bench press (at the bottom of the motion)

[vin01]

Today I tried some heavy weights, like 115% and 125% of my max, after doing 5 sets of 3 reps up to my previous PR. I got stuck real bad AT THE BOTTOM, where the bar touches my chest. Once my spotter gave me a tiny push, I had no problem locking it out.

That makes me think my chest or shoulders are the weak link.

What exercises or remedies are there to help me down at that specific spot?

K for help. Thanks in Advance!

 

[redguru]

What about leg drive?

 

[Devastation]

you can do lots of things. low board presses, floor presses, pause reps, more shoulder work, barbell presses, front and side laterals, rear laterals, and most importantly strengthen your lats. are you staying tight at the bottom of the lift? i used to have a problem with that. you'll know if you try doing floor presses. they're a great teacher for learning to stay tight in the bottom of the bench press

 

[vin01]

I like to think I have incorporated a decent leg drive into my press. My feet are generally directly under my butt. This forces my to be on my toes with my butt and shoulder blades on the bench with an extreme arch in my back. I feel this is it the best position to powerfully "spring" the weight back up. I do not bounce off my chest though.

I will start to incorporate floor presses, pause reps, and more shoulder work. I have upped the amount of shoulder and back work in the past few months and have recently started to focus strictly on heavy weights, low reps.
I think pause reps could help me alot.

As far as staying tight- I feel like how I explained my form above ^^- it keeps me tight. I will work harder though on getting my form perfect!

Anybody know a good routine to use to peak in preparation for a max attempt/ meet?

Thansk guys for your help.

 

[BiggT]

Everything Devastation said, and also try some ultra-wide grip bench presses, and inclines...just trying to think of anything left out that would help...strengthen the shoulders and the upper back.....row and shrug. If your overhead press is pathetic, make it strong.

 

[Quadsweeps Sister]

Am I incorrect in my thinking, but doesn't your speed work have a bit to do with the weight coming off your chest?

I understood the focus of speed work was to develop explosive strength and the reflexive motion which would assist one in driving the weight back up. Practicing with the weight coming down quickly to the chest while keeping tight will develop the mind and body to drive up out of the hole.

Just something else a bit (non-weight) related to think about as well as the other good advice here.
__________________
Mythicwrld

"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more."

 

[Devastation]

use westside for your next 8 week training cycle. start the deload cycle 3 weeks before the meet/pr attempt

 

[LiftingDukkha]

If you have access to a Camber barbell, this is a great bar to use for flat bench press. Because it has a bend (camber) in the middle, you can lower the bar lower than a normal bar, a few inches below the top of the chest/sternum. Mike McDonald a bench specialist about 30 years ago, according to what I read in Powerlifting USA magazine, really liked doing Cambered Bench Presses. Because you're going lower than normal, it hits the "starting" muscles recruited at the bottom of the BP. It's like a rack/board BP, only instead of starting higher than normal, it's starting lower than normal.

 

[BiggT]

I also want to add that if you do use a Westside-style program you need to make sure you work YOUR weaknesses. So many people try WSB and are disappointed with the results, but it isn't the routine, it is the fact that they copied an exact program and worked somebody else's weaknesses.

If you're weak at the start, rotate movements that work the start, don't focus on lockouts, board work, etc, they don't build starting strength. Also, you need to realize most programs a powerlifter will use focus on lockout strength because they compete in a shirt, which takes the start out of things by blowing the weight off your chest (before anybody gets offended and starts to argue with me, Louie Simmons says it himself on his training tapes)...WSB was spawned from Louie Simmons' observation of Eastern European Olympic lifters, it is not so much about doing this exercise and that exercise, you need to understand why you are doing it......you need to understand conjugate periodization......so, if you go with a WSB approach, make sure you know what Westside truly is and know where it came from and know the theory inside and out because if you don't work YOUR OWN weaknesses, the program is useless. If you turn the dynamic effort days into a 'light' day by using too much weight you will miss out too. Personally, I think if you don't use bands and use them right you will not get the full benefit either.

 

[bignate73]

I'd say hit some floor presses, pin presses, speed work, things that will help your starting strength. train the heck out of your lats, do some extra rotator work just to stabilize your shoulders.

 

[vin01]

Thanks guys- this is all great advice. I can't wait till I demolish my goal of 315! (weak, I know..)

 

[b fold the truth]

Am I incorrect in my thinking, but doesn't your speed work have a bit to do with the weight coming off your chest?

I understood the focus of speed work was to develop explosive strength and the reflexive motion which would assist one in driving the weight back up. Practicing with the weight coming down quickly to the chest while keeping tight will develop the mind and body to drive up out of the hole.

Just something else a bit (non-weight) related to think about as well as the other good advice here.
__________________
Mythicwrld

"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more."

That is what I was going to suggest...make sure that you add bands!!!!

How wide is your grip? I spend A LOT (well...all) of my time doing overheads, inclines, and close grips...but when I do flat bench...it is with a mid grip at the widest. I feel much stronger that way. You could be over extending the angles there...just a thought though.

B True

 

[zero3si]

I hate to be negative, but in my opinion if you have an arched back and your feet aren't flat on the floor, it isn't a clean bench to me by any means.

On a positive note, I'd probably go back to old fashion pushups. Try incorporating this routine.

Do a total of 50 pushups, but on every 10th pushup hold halfway in the middle for 10 seconds. Immediately after you get done, go into a handstand against a wall (to keep your balance) and do handstand pushups.

I stopped benching for about 4-5 weeks and did this routine every morning when I woke up and before I went to bed.

My max bench went up by about 45lbs. It worked for me, hopefully you'll find it helpful as well.

 

[bignate73]

I hate to be negative, but in my opinion if you have an arched back and your feet aren't flat on the floor, it isn't a clean bench to me by any means.

On a positive note, I'd probably go back to old fashion pushups. Try incorporating this routine.

Do a total of 50 pushups, but on every 10th pushup hold halfway in the middle for 10 seconds. Immediately after you get done, go into a handstand against a wall (to keep your balance) and do handstand pushups.

I stopped benching for about 4-5 weeks and did this routine every morning when I woke up and before I went to bed.

My max bench went up by about 45lbs. It worked for me, hopefully you'll find it helpful as well.

something tells me if you invalidate how some of the strongest benchers set up to bench...and then talk about going into handstand pushups and your max bench went up 45 lbs.....well....

 

[rbtrout]

Try doing some of the compound/strength lifts - like the 5X5 suggests. My bench went up about 50 pounds just by doing the 5X5 routine. If you get your whole body stronger on all compound lifts, your bench will go up.

 

[tanka]

you need to focus your mind so that you are thinking of exploding the weight to lockout as soon as you feel the bars lightest touch across your chest.also when working with a partner when you reach muscular failure or fail a rep instead of having him help you to lockout immediately have him hold the weight on your chest whilst you try to push against its resistance,once you have tryed this then both lift to lockout.make sure you know your weight limitations here.another way to over come this week spot is to hold or start lifts from the chest only.

 

[steig]

You can also try some presses starting at your chest but use a wide diameter bar, 2.5" or 3" diameter. Some isometric holds just off the chest can help also.

 

[Q54321]

I've always done bench with my feet flat and in front my my knees. I use the legs to press my body horizontally matting my shoulder blades to the bench. While in this position, my buttocks remain on the bench.

This isn't correct form according to metalmilitia. It works for me, but bench strength ins't my primary goal. Check out the following article.
http://www.metalmilitia.net/articles/burns/CompetitionBenching.htm

Another question, have you been pushing hard to increase your bench for a while? Maybe a routine change and some patience are in order.

 

[tay1506]

I usually work out about 2 hours in the morning cardio for 1 hour and abs for 1 hour and then go back during the evening and do weight lifting for 2 hours and during lifting i rest about 3 min inbetween workouts

 

[bignate73]

and you do abs for an hour...why?

 

[BiggT]

and you do abs for an hour...why?

I was going to ask the same thing.

 

[vin01]

I usually work out about 2 hours in the morning cardio for 1 hour and abs for 1 hour and then go back during the evening and do weight lifting for 2 hours and during lifting i rest about 3 min inbetween workouts

And how does this help benching power? ha ha..

Wyatt- I have been doing my core lifts on a 5x5 routine for the past 2 months, and have just switched it to 3x3 recently. It was during my most recent 3x3 workout, where I repped my old max and then attempted 300lbs, when I realized I was having trouble at the bottom.

I always do my warm up sets exploding through the lockout, when I do the bar and 135 as warmups. I can tell because at lockout, the bar will leave my hands at the top of the rep (like when you peak on a rollercoaster- that inertial feeling).

Yesterday, bad news, I went to go do chest, was gonna do some cambered presses and floor presses. Warming up with 185 and my left pec just like gave out. So sore, feels like I ripped it. (didn't really rip it though). Just didn't take enough time off. usually 2 days is enough for my body to be read again. Will try benching again on Sunday, and update on any of the advised exercises you guys gave me..

 

[hangclean]

Bench of the pins in a power rack. Set the pins at the closest setting to where you lift off your chest. It is very difficult at first but it will def. help this problem.

 

[Singleton]

That is what I was going to suggest...make sure that you add bands!!!!

How wide is your grip? I spend A LOT (well...all) of my time doing overheads, inclines, and close grips...but when I do flat bench...it is with a mid grip at the widest. I feel much stronger that way. You could be over extending the angles there...just a thought though.

B True

Speed bench worked for me, but when I added bands it was much better.

W/o bands the bar will just keep going up -- like your throwing it in the air and have to hang on to it. This messes things up but bands fix that.

I like going really wide cause it works best for me. I think it has to do with my build.

 

[danbo]

Today I tried some heavy weights, like 115% and 125% of my max, after doing 5 sets of 3 reps up to my previous PR.

A little off the topic. What does PR mean?

Actually nevermind. I just found out it means Personal Record.

 

[Q54321]

And how does this help benching power? ha ha..

Wyatt- I have been doing my core lifts on a 5x5 routine for the past 2 months, and have just switched it to 3x3 recently.

Yesterday, bad news, I went to go do chest, was gonna do some cambered presses and floor presses.

Warming up with 185 and my left pec just like gave out. usually 2 days is enough for my body to be read again.

Tough news about the pec. Hopefully, it will be fine. If you've spent the past few months hitting the low reps hard with a high freq as it sounds that you might have, you may want to back off a bit, do some higher volume, lower freq work for a little while then go back to the 5x5 or 3x3 and hit it with a vengence.