Explosive power for bench press

funkey_monkey

I'm trying to build up my bench press and need to improve my explosive power from the bottom of the press.

I know about clap push ups and so have been doing them. Is there anything else I can do in order to improve this weakness?


Thanks.

dor843088

funkey_monkey wrote: »

I'm trying to build up my bench press and need to improve my explosive power from the bottom of the press.

I know about clap push ups and so have been doing them. Is there anything else I can do in order to improve this weakness?


Thanks.

Pause bench if your not already doing it.

runawaybishop

High sets with low reps at like 60-70% and really focus on pushing fast. Also try mixing up your grip - close, wide etc.

Alf Veedersane

runawaybishop wrote: »

High sets with low reps at like 60-70% and really focus on pushing fast.

What also helps is doing a set like that after doing a 3-5 rep set at 85-90% of your 1RM.

funkey_monkey

We'll see where we get to. Tonight I done 4 x 10 clap presses during cool down (it was leg night) .

I'll bear in mind these other techniques. Is lack of exploseive power a massive issue when benching?

Mellor

Why do you think you have a lack of explosive power?
A lot of people swear by chains/bands for dynamic effort.

Da Za

Agreeing with Dor, pause those benches ala powerlifting but don't rest bar on body. Ensure you keep tight all the time.

Something Brandon Lilly does, and seems to work, is to pause about an inch or so from touching and hold for a 1 or 2 count and then press.

If doing a set of 5 say, really concentrate on each rep as if it's 5 individual singles.


Oh and always smash those lats and triceps.

funkey_monkey

“Oh and always smash those lats and triceps.”

How do you engage your lats when doing a bench press. It was explained to me that you try to bend the bar in your grip, but I’m still not sure that I’m doing it correctly.

Hanley

Clap push ups do nothing for explosive chest power. They're all top end.

Hanley

The other thing to consider is maybe you're just not strong enough. For most, Benches will always feel heavy off the chest.

Sangre

funkey_monkey wrote: »

“Oh and always smash those lats and triceps.”

How do you engage your lats when doing a bench press. It was explained to me that you try to bend the bar in your grip, but I’m still not sure that I’m doing it correctly.

Try and pull the bar apart rather than bend. Imagine you're trying to stretch it.

Google Dave Tate bench programme. Few good vids on youtube.

I'd echo comments just to get stronger.

Da Za

funkey_monkey wrote: »

“Oh and always smash those lats and triceps.”

How do you engage your lats when doing a bench press. It was explained to me that you try to bend the bar in your grip, but I’m still not sure that I’m doing it correctly.

The bending the bar is mainly suggested for equipped benchers.

What I do is really tense my glutes, legs and lower back working my arch more and flare/tense my lats too.

Give it time and it'll come.

It's something I can do with a bit of muscle there. I also do this when deadlifting - will help with lock out.

saucers82

Da Za wrote: »

The bending the bar is mainly suggested for equipped benchers.

What I do is really tense my glutes, legs and lower back working my arch more and flare/tense my lats too.

Give it time and it'll come.

It's something I can do with a bit of muscle there. I also do this when deadlifting - will help with lock out.

defo pushing up through the soles of your feet into the legs, glutes and back is the way. sounds corny but I visulaise the energy as a light working through those areas as I do the rep

needless to say I do slow concentrated reps

some_dose

Floor press

/thread

Mellor

some_dose wrote: »

Floor press

/thread

The OP was asking about increasing speed/power from the bottom.
Floor presses focus on the top of the lift. They are a good exercise but not for that purpose.

Pausing at the chest will load the bottom position much more. But as others have said, it might just be a strength issue. OP could just be lauding too close to his max to achieve any sort of "explosive" lift

papu

If you think you're weak in the bottom , spend some more time in the bottom of the bench as people have already said. if you don't have a spotter and you're getting tired , move onto DB press , that way if you cant preform the rep just drop the weights.

Hanley

Mellor wrote: »

The OP was asking about increasing speed/power from the bottom.
Floor presses focus on the top of the lift. They are a good exercise but not for that purpose.

Pausing at the chest will load the bottom position much more. But as others have said, it might just be a strength issue. OP could just be lauding too close to his max to achieve any sort of "explosive" lift

Not necessarily. It depends on limb length and torso thickness.

saucers82

I became interested in this thread just passing through, and paranoid now about my technique
i used to look down my nose at lads who had their lower backs way off the bench when lifting but this morning I said i'd try lifting my glutes and squeezing and woooah boom up went the bar!

it still looks all wrong though. can't be good for your back

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

I became interested in this thread just passing through, and paranoid now about my technique
i used to look down my nose at lads who had their lower backs way off the bench when lifting but this morning I said i'd try lifting my glutes and squeezing and woooah boom up went the bar!

it still looks all wrong though. can't be good for your back

Depends how much you arch.

Your spine is curved so you should be keeping the curve but overdoing the arch isn't the best thing in the world for your back.

saucers82

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Depends how much you arch.

Your spine is curved so you should be keeping the curve but overdoing the arch isn't the best thing in the world for your back.

but the reason is for explosive power right? it is better than remaining flat, stomach in?

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

but the reason is for explosive power right? it is better than remaining flat, stomach in?

It's correct form.It keeps your spine in the curve it's supposed to be in.

A consequence of it is that it brings more of the lower portion of the pecs into play.

Sangre

saucers82 wrote: »

I became interested in this thread just passing through, and paranoid now about my technique
i used to look down my nose at lads who had their lower backs way off the bench when lifting but this morning I said i'd try lifting my glutes and squeezing and woooah boom up went the bar!

it still looks all wrong though. can't be good for your back

Your glutes should still stay on the bench at all times.

kevpants

There is no explosive power involved here. Everyone is weak at the bottom. The muscles involved are at full stretch, their weakest state. You need to be stronger that's all.

funkey_monkey

Well after a lot of false starts I've finally got my bench press up to 80kg (65.5kg BW). Not sure how good this is. My long term aim is 90kg, but short term is to get repping at 80kg.

Presently, I'm doing singles at 80kg and then going into a reverse pyramid.

Slow process

dor843088

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Well after a lot of false starts I've finally got my bench press up to 80kg (65.5kg BW). Not sure how good this is. My long term aim is 90kg, but short term is to get repping at 80kg.

Presently, I'm doing singles at 80kg and then going into a reverse pyramid.

Slow process

If I were you I would forget about doing singles all together and concentrate on building your bench not testing it with singles constantly. Put some kilos on your 5rm and then test after a good few weeks if you want.

funkey_monkey

The joys of weight training... I was told to try singles by a PT.

Mellor

funkey_monkey wrote: »

The joys of weight training... I was told to try singles by a PT.

Almost everything in fitness is list in the context.
If he said to try max effort (singles @95%) days alternating with repetition days. Aka WS4SB. That's reasonable.
If he said "try singles then repetitions", that's pretty poor advice.

I'd echo the above advice. Target your 5RM for a few weeks. Wind back to 65kg, add as little as possible per week and try to keep hitting the 5. Ideally you glide past your current 5RM (70kg?)

long range shooter

push ups variations helps also one arm floor presses

BossArky

Here are the things which have changed in my bench training, causing my competition bench to go from 97.5kg last Oct to 107.5kg in July.

• pause the vast majority of reps
• bench heavy twice a week following smolov jr rep format (6x6, 7x5, 8x4, 10x3)
• overload with slingshot (3 slingshot sets after paused worksets above: triple, triple, single... at increasing weights up to ~120% of 1RM)
• lots of backwork supersetted with the high volume pressing (pull ups, lat pull down, one arm DB rows, barbell rows for high rep sets e.g. 3x10)
• gained a couple of kg bodyweight
• train with a spotter, so you can train heavier without fear of death
• do the majority of lift offs without spotter assistance. Save the lift offs for when you really need it

I cannot really pinpoint one of them as the golden key to increasing bench. May give you some ideas though.

RidleyRider

This is just a case of as Hanley would put it 'If you want to bench more(weight) you have to bench more(often).

:P

It's true though. Frequency plus + volume.