There may be many reasons why you are not able to bench press more. Probably, you are making a few mistakes while performing at and as a result of that you are not able to lift more and so you are not seeing the results you could have seen. Let’s find out why your bench press is weak.

You bench like a bodybuilder

Even though there is no right or wrong way to perform bench press, there is always an optimal way of doing it. If you benching like a bodybuilder, you will not be able to build muscle mass or move more weight.

A powerlifting technique can immediately help you to add pounds to your bench press because it will provide the necessary stability and put the right muscles in position for the lift. It will also decrease the distance the bar has to travel. Let’s correct your technique.

First, you lie on the bench and the bar should be directly in line with your eyes. Grab the bar tightly and your hands should not be wider than index fingers on the rings. Arch your back slightly and drives the shoulder blades together. Scoot your feet underneath the heaps and dig the balls of your feet into the floor. Now squeeze your glutes. Fill your belly with air and unrack the bar and pull it down just below your nipple line. The elbows should be tucked at about 45° to your torso. Pause briefly and then drive your heels into the ground and press back the bar up.

You have weak triceps

If you have weak triceps, you will not be able to bench more. Even though your chest and shoulder stripe the bar from your chest, the triceps finished the lift. If you have weak triceps, you will need to perform push downs and kickbacks to increase the strength of your triceps. Push-ups, skull crushers, dips and dumbbell extensions will help you to increase the strength of your triceps.

Your upper back is weak

If you have a weak upper back, you may not be able to bench more. Your upper back is the foundation for a strong press. You need a thick upper back to support your bench press. You may need to work on building your upper body strength. To do that, you will get help from exercises like pull-ups, rows and face pulls. You will need to perform that twice every week. Performing deadlifts and snatches will also help you to stand in your upper back.

You don’t bench often enough

You are not able to bench more probably because you don’t bench often enough. If you are doing the bench press just once in a week, that is not good enough for you. If you want to become better at bench press, you will need to practice it. Benchpress needs lots of practice and without practice or practicing for just one day will not help you to do wonders here. You may start slow but once you hone your technique and form, you will have to improve and increase the practice.

You will need to bench twice in a week if you want to improve your bench press. You can try heavier weights one day and then tried to increase the speed or number of reps during the second bench press day. If it is necessary, you may have to practice thrice a week until you become good at it. More and more practice will help you to become better and that is what you need to do.

References

1. Bench Like A Beast
2. Effect of Barbell Weight on the Structure of the Flat Bench Press
3. Acute chest pain after bench press exercise in a healthy young adult