If you want to increase your bench press numbers, you can do so with the help of the following tips. Let’s find out what you can do to increase how much you bench press at the gym.

Pump yourself up

Before you go for a bench press, it is very important to be mentally prepared for heavy lifts. It is necessary to psych yourself up before you actually start doing bench press. Some people may even go through a ritual before they start lifting. This is nothing but a process of pumping yourself up which can work significantly well and it is scientifically proven to work. If you can pump yourself up before a bench press set, force production can increase and thereby you can lift more weight. So, next time you are going to bench press, first pump yourself up to lift heavy and then concentrate on each rep as you perform it. Do not talk to anyone or being talk to do not let your mind wander of. Focus on the task that you have. If necessary, you can use workout songs if they will pump you up.

Mix-up your rep range

If you are an experienced weightlifter, working in different rep ranges will definitely help you. You can always change the number of reps you perform from different types of bench presses. For example, if you are performing incline bench press you can do 2 sets of 2 to 3 reps at 90% of 1RM, and then you can go for incline bench press of 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps at 80% of 1 RM and then go for flat dumbbell press of 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps. This way the number of reps will be different for different exercises and you’ll be able to get the maximum benefit. It is important to have 2 to 3 rep work because it will provide you with the maximal overload and that is crucial to building muscle and strength.

Lift explosively

If you want to bench press more, you will need to lift explosively while performing bench press. Many people believe that slowing the weight down improves your performance but it may not be true. It may be better to lower the bar quickly and without pause exploding it upwards to get more results. It can give you more power gains. However that does not mean that you need to bounce the bar off your chest at the bottom of the rep. It can hurt you and cause injury.

Give bench press more priority

When you are working out, it is important to give bench press priority over other exercises if you want to increase your bench press number. If you are performing bench press as your last exercise in the workout, it is not surprising that you not able to lift heavy. The order in which you are form your exercises has a significant impact on your strength and overall performance capacity and this was found by different surveys. You should always start your workout with big, compound lifts like the bench press. And then you can move onto different isolation type exercises that you are interested in.

References 1. Critical Bench
2. The Effects of Bench Press Variations in Competitive Athletes on Muscle Activity and Performance
3. Effect of Barbell Weight on the Structure of the Flat Bench Press