Spice Up Your Bench Press Strength Routine With 7 Time-Tested Exercises and Blast Your Bench Press
Tired of classic bench press routines? Don't limit yourself with just one exercise.
Spice up your bench press workouts with additional 7 proven exercises and not only you will have more fun in the gym, you will in fact increase your bench press strength too.
1.
Close Grip Bench At first look, this one is very similar to classic bench press, but you will feel the difference with the very first rep.
Hold the bar no wider than shoulder width.
Start with locked elbows, move the bar down and push the bench weight up when the bar touches the chest.
Keep the elbows as close to the body as you can.
The emphasis of this exercise is on triceps, shoulders and inner chest.
2.
Incline Bench This one you can do either using a machine or free weights.
I suggest free weights, as you will need to control the movement too (unlike using the machine, where you simply push and the rails will lead the weight up).
You can experiment with the grip width, I suggest medium one.
This exercise emphasizes upper chest muscles.
3.
Decline Bench Unlike the incline bench press, I suggest using a machine for this one.
I found it rather easy to get a bit dizzy as a lot of blood is rushing into your head.
For this exercise, you can typically use heavier weights than for classic bench.
The movement is fairly short as your chest is higher then your shoulders.
Emphasis is on lower chest muscles.
4.
Reverse Bench This one is similar to classic bench, however you hold the bar with palms facing you.
This one will tire your tricepses really fast, and failure to lift may come without a warning, so make sure you have a spot partner for this one.
The emphasis is on triceps.
5.
Floor Bench Or as I call it "poor guy's bench".
Basically, it is a bench press without the bench, while laying on the floor.
The movement is short, you push up when your elbows touch the floor.
Again, emphasis is on triceps.
6.
Dumbbell Presses You can use dumbbells for any of the exercise above to spice up your bench press routine even more.
7.
Parallel Bars Push Ups This one may be rather difficult for beginners.
Still, this is a great exercise for the whole upper body.
If you cannot push yourself up, place your feet on a chair or ask your spot partner to hold them.
On the other hand, if you are strong enough, use a belt with added weight.
No one said it is easy to increase bench press strength.
But it does not have to be boring neither.
Happy pressing!
Spice up your bench press workouts with additional 7 proven exercises and not only you will have more fun in the gym, you will in fact increase your bench press strength too.
1.
Close Grip Bench At first look, this one is very similar to classic bench press, but you will feel the difference with the very first rep.
Hold the bar no wider than shoulder width.
Start with locked elbows, move the bar down and push the bench weight up when the bar touches the chest.
Keep the elbows as close to the body as you can.
The emphasis of this exercise is on triceps, shoulders and inner chest.
2.
Incline Bench This one you can do either using a machine or free weights.
I suggest free weights, as you will need to control the movement too (unlike using the machine, where you simply push and the rails will lead the weight up).
You can experiment with the grip width, I suggest medium one.
This exercise emphasizes upper chest muscles.
3.
Decline Bench Unlike the incline bench press, I suggest using a machine for this one.
I found it rather easy to get a bit dizzy as a lot of blood is rushing into your head.
For this exercise, you can typically use heavier weights than for classic bench.
The movement is fairly short as your chest is higher then your shoulders.
Emphasis is on lower chest muscles.
4.
Reverse Bench This one is similar to classic bench, however you hold the bar with palms facing you.
This one will tire your tricepses really fast, and failure to lift may come without a warning, so make sure you have a spot partner for this one.
The emphasis is on triceps.
5.
Floor Bench Or as I call it "poor guy's bench".
Basically, it is a bench press without the bench, while laying on the floor.
The movement is short, you push up when your elbows touch the floor.
Again, emphasis is on triceps.
6.
Dumbbell Presses You can use dumbbells for any of the exercise above to spice up your bench press routine even more.
7.
Parallel Bars Push Ups This one may be rather difficult for beginners.
Still, this is a great exercise for the whole upper body.
If you cannot push yourself up, place your feet on a chair or ask your spot partner to hold them.
On the other hand, if you are strong enough, use a belt with added weight.
No one said it is easy to increase bench press strength.
But it does not have to be boring neither.
Happy pressing!
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