Quote:
Originally Posted by Lasereth
I have some major trouble at the beginning of the benchpress. Getting it off of my chest is usually fine, but about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the way up I just lose power. If I can get it to the halfway point, my triceps kick in and it rockets to the top. Getting to the halfway point is just so hard. Anyone have a tip for increasing power at the beginning of the push?
|
You mentioned working on your triceps, which is good, as they are responsible for the flexion of your forearms at the elbow, which is a secondary focus as a muscle in the bench press.
Do you also focus on your anterior deltoids? (ie. the deltoids in general)
Your anterior delts (front shoulder) aid in drawing your upper arms toward your body (much like in dumbbell flys). This action is partially conducted during the bench press as well. If you were to focus on building your military press/shoulder press/front raise max, you should find more power at the start of your bench lift, and maybe overall.
Remember, during the bench press, both your triceps and delts are important stabilizers. You should blast these independently if you wish to continue to see bench gains.
Otherwise, congrats on all your gains. Keep up the good work; you are an inspiration to us other lifters.
EDIT: fyi, I don't know my max bench press. I workout at home with dumbbells (with the exception of barbell deadlifts). I am currently trying to regain my physique from a few years ago, and I'm noticing I need to rebuild my triceps and deltoids more than anything at the moment. They're the weakest links in my press right now.
I also support the idea of making sure you do lower body exercises. This is overlooked far too often! Do you realize how much muscle mass is in your legs?! Working these muscles does indeed release growth hormones which can in turn be used to repair upper body tissue. Getting an overall balance between upper body and lower body tends to give people the most gains. Plus there is no better feeling than increasing your lifting strength in your legs. I will never forget the day I lifted the entire rack on the leg press universal machine for my 12 rep sets. It's far better to use free weights for leg exercises, of course. I highly recommend squats and deadlifts. Just be sure to keep good form above all else.