Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Follow Correct Bench Press Technique
• Method 2 of 3: Complementary Strategies
• Method 3 of 3: Change your diet and lifestyle
• Tips
• Warnings

So can your grandmother squeeze more out of her chest than you? Or maybe you are pressing enough and would like to win the city's powerlifting competition? Well, we have good news for you. Read our article to find out how to improve your results!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Follow Correct Bench Press Technique

1. 1 Lie with your feet on a bench and lift your pelvis up. Press your shoulders into the bench. The technique requires that most of the load falls on your shoulders first. This will make it easier for you to lift the barbell.
2. 2 Then lower your feet to the floor without lifting your shoulders off the bench. You should have an arch in your back that will help you lift more weight. Don't strain your neck.
3. 3 Hold the bar in a closed grip with your thumbs resting on your index fingers.
4. 4 Determine where you will place your hands on the fretboard. Everything will depend on your height and the length of your arms. Grab the bar so that your forearms are strictly vertical underneath it as you lower it onto your chest. Some people do this by placing their arms slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
   • The wider the grip, the more the chest muscles are connected. The narrower the grip, the more the triceps are connected.
   • Hold the barbell in a way that is comfortable for you. People with long arms are likely to find it more comfortable to keep their arms apart from each other than people with shorter arms.
5. 5 Move your shoulders from side to side for maximum contact with the bench. If they are not in the center of the bench, then you will not have a fulcrum and you will not be able to lift more weight.
6. 6 Let someone always insure you. You will then be less afraid that you will not be able to lift the maximum weight. And this is a very important psychological factor. You should always aim to lift more than usual to avoid being on a plateau. The insurer is irreplaceable in this matter.
7. 7 Practice correct breathing technique. Inhale when the bar is on outstretched arms. Hold your breath, lowering the barbell to your chest, and begin to exhale, lifting it. Having squeezed out to the end, take a new breath. Remember - proper breathing is better for oxygenating the muscles.

Method 2 of 3: Complementary Strategies

1. 1 Try decreasing your reps and increasing your barbell weight. For heavy exercises like the bench press, 5 sets of 5 reps will be enough to boost your results. Some powerlifters do sets with three, two, or even one rep.
2. 2 Do the barbell press first, followed by the medium-strength isolation exercises. Start your workout with a bench press. Do sets with low reps, but with a lot of weight. Then do chest, triceps, and shoulder exercises with less weight and more reps.
3. 3 Lower the bar to your chest just above the bottom of your chest. Do not “bounce” the barbell off your chest. While this is generally not dangerous, this method of pressing does not engage the triceps during the entire lift and reduces your strength.
   • Bouncing a barbell off your chest is like attaching training wheels to a motorcycle to drive through the most winding sections of the road. If you want to ride your motorcycle faster, then these wheels will only get in your way.
4. 4 Do push-ups and other triceps exercises. The stronger your triceps, the more weight you will squeeze from your chest. In addition to push-ups, do exercises such as close-grip bar presses, overhead barbell raises (scalpers), and more.
5. 5 Don't forget your buttocks. While your back is arched, your shoulders are pressed into the bench, and your legs are firmly on the floor, you should also be assisted by the muscles of the buttocks. Activate them when squeezing the barbell. You can then lift more.
   • Press your buttocks against the bench. Do not lift your pelvis into the air. This is very dangerous: it increases the load on the neck and the possibility of losing balance.
6. 6 Reduce the amount of cardio exercise. To build big, strong muscles, you need a lot of calories. If you still need to do cardio, then try to always replenish the lost calories.

Method 3 of 3: Change your diet and lifestyle

1. 1 Diet. Consume 500 more calories than your body normally burns during the day. But if you eat too much, then along with the muscles, you will also gain fat. And this, of course, is better not to be allowed. The ideal would be to consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day without fat.
   • To find out what your body mass is without fat, find out what your body fat percentage is. Let's say that your body fat percentage is 10%. This means that the remaining 90% is body weight without fat. If you weigh 100 kg, then your body weight without fat will be 100 x 0.90 = 90 kg. This means that you need to consume 180 grams of protein daily.
2. 2 Distinguish good from bad carbs. Carbohydrates are now scolded by everyone. But in reality, carbohydrates are the fuel for our cells. Complex carbohydrates, in particular, are healthier for us, as they are metabolized more slowly than simple carbohydrates. So try to eat legumes, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Stay away from white bread, sugar, and fried foods.
3. 3 Add fat to your diet. Like carbohydrates, fat has been criticized mercilessly in recent years. The most important thing is to distinguish between which fat is harmful and which is useful. Saturated fats, such as those found in chips and chocolate bars, and trans fats, found in instant foods, will be harmful. Whereas unsaturated fats and fatty acids are very beneficial to your health if consumed in moderation.
   • Unsaturated fats are found in nuts, vegetable oil, olive oil, and avocado oil.
   • Fatty acids are found in soybean oil, fish (mackerel, sardine, salmon), flaxseeds, and walnuts.
4. 4 Eat more often instead of once or twice a day. Try to calculate how many calories you burn during the day. Then start eating more to exceed your calorie burn and start building muscle. Try to eat five to six times a day.
5. 5 Sleep more. Sleep is necessary not only to relax after a hard day, but also so that your muscles have time to recover and start growing. Researchers have found that during REM sleep, growth hormone levels rise in the blood. So give yourself 7-8 hours of quality sleep to help your body recover.
6. 6 Don't overtrain. It is likely that you exercise too much is preventing you from building muscle. Rest your chest muscles for one to two days, depending on the intensity of your workout. During this time, you can train other muscle groups.

Tips

• If you need protein, then eat tuna, Greek yogurt, nuts, and egg whites. Protein supplements are not as good as natural sources.

Warnings

• Always use correct technique when bench pressing.
• Have an insurer by your side to avoid accident or injury.