Bench Pressing

BossArky

I'm 21, about 5 foot 7 inches, 11 stone(70kg).

Recently managed to bench press 60kg for the first time, narrow grip. Did about 3 sets, 8 twice...then maybe 5.

Anyway..I can bench press 50kg pretty comfortable(3/4 sets of 10), wide and narrow grip. Someone was telling me that its better to do it wide grip...I used to always use a narrow grip and it seems to have made my arms stronger than my chest.

So..should I keep going with the wide or narrow..or what?!
I'm hoping to build up to benching my own wieght over the next month or two. Is that a pretty pathetic or what? What kind of weights can you folks lift? I've heard about fellows lifting massive amounts....

Trojan

Depends what you want... wide grip uses your chest (pecs) more, narrow gets your arms (triceps) mainly.

My own bench is somewhat pathetic at the moment, due to years of no training. Not sure what the once-off limit is, but I'm a long way from where I was 5 years ago.

Doing pyramid sets from 40 to 60ish mainly. Hopefully back up to bodyweight in the next few weeks (my bodyweight is a little more than yours... ahem)...

oh, and should you vary the grip? Not if you have another chest exercise that's as good as the bench press, that you do regularly. Otherwise yes.

Al.

Jak

Narrow grip bench is for triceps. By narrow your hands would be little more than 6 inches apart on the grip. This has no place in a chest routine really.

Wide grip bench ... depends what you mean. If by wide you mean wider than narrow - you could be refering to what most people would consider normal width benching. This is what you want to be doing, it is just a shade past shoulder width. Find what is comfortable.

You can do added width for variety - but the mainstay will be regular grip flat bench and incline bench and if available decline bench.

Your weights seem off. If you can do 50kg for 3/4 sets of 10 you should have absolutely no problem getting a one rep max in excess of 70kg. Are you using the same form on all lifts? Touching the high point of chest and pushing up to just a fraction below complete elbow lockout? Many people do partials for their reps - then on a max attempt, the bar (due to added weight) comes all the way down, and they are ****ed trying to lift it back up as they are not used to full range of motion. Get a spotter and try a one rep max - work up to it in increments with proper warm up sets at lighter weights - then say 3 reps at 55kg, 3 reps at 60kg, 2 at 65kg, 1 at 70kg, 1 at 75kg, 1 at 80kg. There is something seriously wrong with your lifting if you are doing the 3/4 sets of 10 at 50kg and can't do a single at 70kg.

As for me, my recent best was 160kg in plates plus a 45lb bar and clips, which works out at pretty much ~400lbs at a bodyweight of 231lbs on the Incline bench 2 weeks ago, and I reckon 185kg (including the bar in that) on the flat bench. The long term goal is double bodyweight or if not 500lb at a heavier weight - may never get there, but its a good long term goal as I have a long few years of training ahead yet.

JAK.

BossArky

Thanks both for the info.

Maybe I was unclear in my initial post. I bench press without the aid of a spotter...so don't want to flatten myself by attempting a weight that I won't lift up after taking them off the bar holder. It happened to me once (with one of the bars that is connected to a moving rack so you cannot throw the bar off to one side) and I don't wish to repeat the experience.

Now I can do a good few sets at 60kg..but since I just reached this limit (by limit...I mean about 8reps of 3 sets)I want to be comfortable at it before going any further. Perhaps I could manage one of two at 70 or 75...but isn't that kinda dodgy for your back and a bit of a ribcage hazard?

Is the bench a better workout that using the same weight in free weights? I would have thought that more control and varying muscles are using with free weights.

I'll try and convince my girlfriend to spot for me(she think I'm the man for benching 50kg - her bodyweight )

vasch_ro

The best way to increase your bench press is little by little, small tiny increments increments, it takes longer but over time your bench press will build up, also using small weights helps you maintain your form and prevent bad practise ,
wide grip tends to hit the pecs more narrow grip tend to hit the triceps more,
When i say little by little I mean increases of 1kg or less over a period of weeks using the mini plates
it also may be an idea to vary your routine ie use incline press, decline press, or even a chest press machine for variety and to hit different parts of the chest. A good book to look at is Brawn or beyond brawn by Mc Robert it dicusses these things in detail .
Also a gym professional may give you guidance but be wary of them a lot of them are no good on weights per say.

vasch_ro

as a general rule of thumb a free weight will provide for most people a better result as you are bringing stabilising muscles into play, but the bench press is a hard excercise to duplicate with dumbells and I prefer to use the bench, but there are plenty of other excercises that you could use in your routine that hit different parts of your chest for example dumbell flys etc , so like a lot of these things it is down to personal preference go with what works for you. It also may be worth considering asking yourself why do you want a stronger chest purely for appearance or for some sport related or work related reason. Any way thats my two euro cent worth!!!

logic1

Originally posted by vasch_ro
as a general rule of thumb a free weight will provide for most people a better result as you are bringing stabilising muscles into play, but the bench press is a hard excercise to duplicate with dumbells and I prefer to use the bench

Bench pressing an olympic bar on a bench is a freeweight exercise.

Also bench pressing isn't hard to duplicate with dumbells at all. I do most of my benching using dumbells.

I feel it gives much more even development through the chest and for me grows me alot more than heavier barbell pressing.

.logic.

Chucky

What muscles does the bench press actually develop? i used to to do them all the time, increasing weight all the time but never really felt any strain on any muscle.

kev

logic1

Originally posted by Chucky
What muscles does the bench press actually develop? i used to to do them all the time, increasing weight all the time but never really felt any strain on any muscle.

kev

Classic bench press hits primary pectorals and secondary triceps.

.logic.

Chucky

Perhaps im doing it wrong so. I do a lot of pullovers to get the pectorals nice and....errrmmm...big . But My triceps are fairly weak.

Does the bar have to come all the way down to your chest then up again? and how slow shud it be done?

vasch_ro

sorry of course you are right it is a free weight excercise unless done in a smith machine, and I should have said personally I find it hard to duplicate the benchpress with dumbells I guess I just prefer the bench press, I stand corrected,
I am surprised no one has mentioned dip between parallel bars I know a lot of guys use it for triceps but personally I always find it hits the chest well , it was also popular for chest developement before the bench press came into vogue

MrNuked

Bench press good for developing overall strength in upper body rather than specific muscles. I'm 12 stone and can bench press 103kg 7 times. That's from a normal diet without protein supplements and certainly without steroids or anything. I'm biggish looking but not muscle bound at all. Got a hard chest and big shoulders. If you want to look like a bodybuilder do isolation exercises. If you want to build strength do bench press. And squats. Squats increase testosterone levels apparently because of the mental focus required to do them right. They're the best exercises for gaining strength fast.

logic1

Originally posted by MrNuked
Bench press good for developing overall strength in upper body rather than specific muscles. I'm 12 stone and can bench press 103kg 7 times. That's from a normal diet without protein supplements and certainly without steroids or anything. I'm biggish looking but not muscle bound at all. Got a hard chest and big shoulders. If you want to look like a bodybuilder do isolation exercises. If you want to build strength do bench press. And squats. Squats increase testosterone levels apparently because of the mental focus required to do them right. They're the best exercises for gaining strength fast.

The bench press is a compound movement so it works pecs, tris and shoulders. Squats are also a compound exercise. The other two that should be included in everyones routine are deadlifts and military presses.

These four exercises are all essential mass builders and to say that if you want to look like a bodybuilder you should stick to isolation exercises is ridiculous. Every bodybuilder will use these 4 compound exercises as the mainstay of their training regime.

Isolation exercises are then used to focus on particular muscle bodies.

Also I'm not sure why you state your 103kg bench was achieved without supplements or steroids, it's not exactly a huge bench. Anyone dedicated to their training will achieve this level over time.

Also squats not only increase testosterone serum levels they also increase natural HGH levels in the body. All exercise does but compound movements increase it to a greater degree.

.logic.

tomED

ON a slightly different note...

I was the kinda of guy that if I was female I would have been called "no tits" or flat chest......

But I found this great excerise that changed that for me....

Do an inclined (45 degree) bench press with a weight that you can only do 8 reps with. Lower the bench (flat), rest for 10 seconds and try to do a set with 3 or more reps (aim for at least 12). Rest for two minutes and repeat the exercise.

Worked wonders for me! They call me thunder tits now! LOL

logic1

Originally posted by tomED

Worked wonders for me! They call me thunder tits now! LOL

Why? Do you have a bad case of Gyno or something?

.logic.

tomED

LOL

I guess you don't like me logic do you.....

Im only passin on some tips thats all!

logic1

Originally posted by tomED
LOL

I guess you don't like me logic do you.....

Im only passin on some tips thats all!

Only joking with you mate.

.logic.

MrNuked

"The other two that should be included in everyones routine are deadlifts and military presses"

--I've heard that deadlifts and military presses are rather dodgy, on account of it being easy to injure yourself with imperfect technique.

"These four exercises are all essential mass builders and to say that if you want to look like a bodybuilder you should stick to isolation exercises is ridiculous. "

--I didn't say that at all. To clarify what I did say, I meant that you only need to to isolation exercises at all if you want to look like a bodybuilder, with the sculpted effect or whatever you should call it. If you just want to build muscle then it's more efficient to stick to the compound exercises.

"Also I'm not sure why you state your 103kg bench was achieved without supplements or steroids, it's not exactly a huge bench. Anyone dedicated to their training will achieve this level over time."

--Let me have my moment would you. Anyway I think that's pretty good considering my light bodyweight. Can you lift 1.5 times your body weight 7 times?

logic1

Originally posted by MrNuked

--I've heard that deadlifts and military presses are rather dodgy, on account of it being easy to injure yourself with imperfect technique.

Isn't this true of all compound and most isolation exercises. If you're afraid of injuring yourself through improper technique, use strict form or stay at home.

--I didn't say that at all. To clarify what I did say, I meant that you only need to to isolation exercises at all if you want to look like a bodybuilder, with the sculpted effect or whatever you should call it. If you just want to build muscle then it's more efficient to stick to the compound exercises.

I wouldn't agree. What's the point of "just building muscle" if you have poor definition. Why do people go to the gym? Most go because they want to look better, big roundy balls of muscle without any shape or form don't look all that hot.

--Let me have my moment would you. Anyway I think that's pretty good considering my light bodyweight. Can you lift 1.5 times your body weight 7 times?

I think you better do your maths again. 1.5 times 12 stone is 114KG. You bench 103kg. That's 11kg off 1.5 times your bodyweight. Quite alot in bench terms.

And to answer your question, yes I can.

.logic.

BossArky

so anyways, how am I supposed to get from bench pressing 55kg * 10reps , 3 sets ...to benching 1.5 times my body weight?

Without taking protein stuff, etc...should I just not bother wasting energy doing other excercies and just concentrate on the bench or what?

Benbaz

Originally posted by logic1
Why? Do you have a bad case of Gyno or something?

.logic.

In my complete and utter total naivety I decided to Google “Gyno” to see what you were talking about!!! And Mother of Sweet Devine Jaysus……the stuff it came up with!!!!!

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Oh and pop-up hell too......not a good idea when your desk facing out to the rest of the office!!!!!!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Musashi

During Martial Arts Training I could Bench 90 odd kilos weighing in at 68.Now bench up to 100 on a fixed bar thanks to more bodyweight.But barbells will put the hurt on all those stabilising muscles and open your eyes to what weights can do for your body!More muscle working =more muscle gained,even the ones you can't normally hit!Mix it up every six weeks to prevent staleness??It's all sore so all good!!