Is there a good programme for improving the chest/bench press?
I’ve been trying to lose some body fat and as a result my chest press is suffering. Are there any recommended programmes to help? Did a search on T-Nation but I didn’t find any suitable programmes (under bench or chest press).
I’m currently 68kg and my programme consists of:
1st set 35kg at 16 reps, 2nd set 50kg at 12 reps, 3rd set 55kg at 10 reps, 4th set 57.5kg at 8 reps.
I used to find these weight relatively easy but recently it has become very difficult. Any suggests for building back up and maybe even going beyond?
What are the primary and secondary muscles used in the chest/bench press? I’ll try and find exercises to improve on these also. Hopefully that will help.
Personally, all my lifts took a dive in my quest to loose my 70 pounds of flab. Looking back, I would have invested in BCAA’s during the time, don’t know if that would have helped though.
I say, dont worry when you are done cutting and try and gain your weight back your lifts will blow past what was your max before quickly and easily. At least mine did.
Thanks. Probably the best advice. I’ve just started taking BCAA and whey protein after I noticed a decline in some of my training. Just a little frustrating. However if anybody has tips when I start building it back up I’ll appreciate them.
[quote]pheneghan wrote:
Thanks. Probably the best advice. I’ve just started taking BCAA and whey protein after I noticed a decline in some of my training. Just a little frustrating. However if anybody has tips when I start building it back up I’ll appreciate them.[/quote]
dont warm up. yes, i said it. warmups are pointless unless youre lifting over 400lbs.
arch your back, drive from the legs, and your scapula retracted, keep your elbows in so that you arms are coming down diagonally from the bar with your triceps facing forwards instead of to the side like this \ / instead of |_ _|
lift the bar absolutely as fast as you can. it doesnt matter how fast it moves just move it as fast as you can. learn to fight to failure.
drop your reps too. why are you lifting for 14 reps?? try lifting in the 6-8 range. maybe 8-12. personally i like 6-8 though
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
dont warm up. yes, i said it. warmups are pointless unless youre lifting over 400lbs.
arch your back, drive from the legs, and your scapula retracted, keep your elbows in so that you arms are coming down diagonally from the bar with your triceps facing forwards instead of to the side like this \ / instead of |_ _|
lift the bar absolutely as fast as you can. it doesnt matter how fast it moves just move it as fast as you can. learn to fight to failure.
drop your reps too. why are you lifting for 14 reps?? try lifting in the 6-8 range. maybe 8-12. personally i like 6-8 though[/quote]
You should not be loosing strength when you are dieting, you can’t flex fat and unless you have a huge gut and are wearing a bench shirt the leverage advantage to being fat would be miniscule. Make sure you are getting enough protein when you diet. I agree that BCAA’s are a good addition. Most important look at your benching mechanics (the post link I provided should shed some light on this). Hope this helps.
[quote]Rattler wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
dont warm up. yes, i said it. warmups are pointless unless youre lifting over 400lbs.
arch your back, drive from the legs, and your scapula retracted, keep your elbows in so that you arms are coming down diagonally from the bar with your triceps facing forwards instead of to the side like this \ / instead of |_ _|
lift the bar absolutely as fast as you can. it doesnt matter how fast it moves just move it as fast as you can. learn to fight to failure.
drop your reps too. why are you lifting for 14 reps?? try lifting in the 6-8 range. maybe 8-12. personally i like 6-8 though
Don’t warm up?
Are you serious?[/quote]
dead serious. im sorry but no one in the begginers section is using anywhere near enough wait to actually need a warmup set. if you have a joint problem or a bad back maybe warm up with a lighter weight just to see how you respond but honestly i dont see the point. i do a light warmup with 2 plates before i move to 4 on rack pulls and thats it. DB bench with 100lbs no warm up, Closegrip with 225, no warmup. RDL with 315, no warmup.
i really dont think unless youre going over 400 pounds you really dont need a warmup and should conserve that energy for your work set.
please explain to me why someone who cant even bench 200lbs needs to warm up. i seriously want to know what reason you need. im betting most people only warmup cause its the norm. and people THINK it makes a positive difference when it doesnt. keep in mind im talking UNDER 400lbs.
I don’t bench 400 lbs. and there is no way in hell that I’d go straight to my heaviest sets w/o a warmup. Why, you ask? Because I’ve injured myself doing that very thing. LiveFromThe781 gave some good advice but he dropped the ball on this one.
To the OP, do like has been suggested and go easier on your warmups. They are just that - warmups.
[quote]TornadoTommy wrote:
I don’t bench 400 lbs. and there is no way in hell that I’d go straight to my heaviest sets w/o a warmup. Why, you ask? Because I’ve injured myself doing that very thing.
LiveFromThe781 gave some good advice but he dropped the ball on this one. To the OP, do like has been suggested and go easier on your warmups. They are just that - warmups.[/quote]
–Off topic–
Hey, is that you in your avatar? If so, could you send me a pm with the name of a company/thread/article for those sled-like things? I have no real idea what they are called, and they seem like they are great for working the legs.
If anyone could actually send me some info regarding this, I would be appreciative.
Sorry for the off topic, but that avatar just sparked my memory.
–Off topic–
[quote]RebornTN wrote:
TornadoTommy wrote:
I don’t bench 400 lbs. and there is no way in hell that I’d go straight to my heaviest sets w/o a warmup. Why, you ask? Because I’ve injured myself doing that very thing.
LiveFromThe781 gave some good advice but he dropped the ball on this one. To the OP, do like has been suggested and go easier on your warmups. They are just that - warmups.
–Off topic–
Hey, is that you in your avatar? If so, could you send me a pm with the name of a company/thread/article for those sled-like things? I have no real idea what they are called, and they seem like they are great for working the legs.
If anyone could actually send me some info regarding this, I would be appreciative.
Sorry for the off topic, but that avatar just sparked my memory.
–Off topic–[/quote]
Those are simply called sleds and you can get one through www.elitefts.com Dave Tate’s company.
[quote]TornadoTommy wrote:
I don’t bench 400 lbs. and there is no way in hell that I’d go straight to my heaviest sets w/o a warmup. Why, you ask? Because I’ve injured myself doing that very thing. LiveFromThe781 gave some good advice but he dropped the ball on this one.
To the OP, do like has been suggested and go easier on your warmups. They are just that - warmups.[/quote]
incase you missed it, i said if youre prone to injury or have an injury then use a lighter weight to see whats going on.
i really dont see the point in using a warmup to bench 180 pounds or deadlift 315.
ill say it again, IF YOU ARE INJURY PRONE, INCURRING AN INJURY, OR HAVE BAD JOINTS USE A WARMUP TO GAUGE.
ugh, i hate how people use semantics on this site to try and make themselves seem right when in fact theres really no evidence supporting you need a warmup to be effective, if there is please show it to me because ive found from experience i do BETTER WITHOUT a warmup.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Rattler wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
dont warm up. yes, i said it. warmups are pointless unless youre lifting over 400lbs.
arch your back, drive from the legs, and your scapula retracted, keep your elbows in so that you arms are coming down diagonally from the bar with your triceps facing forwards instead of to the side like this \ / instead of |_ _|
lift the bar absolutely as fast as you can. it doesnt matter how fast it moves just move it as fast as you can. learn to fight to failure.
drop your reps too. why are you lifting for 14 reps?? try lifting in the 6-8 range. maybe 8-12. personally i like 6-8 though
Don’t warm up?
Are you serious?
dead serious. im sorry but no one in the begginers section is using anywhere near enough wait to actually need a warmup set. if you have a joint problem or a bad back maybe warm up with a lighter weight just to see how you respond but honestly i dont see the point. i do a light warmup with 2 plates before i move to 4 on rack pulls and thats it. DB bench with 100lbs no warm up, Closegrip with 225, no warmup. RDL with 315, no warmup.
i really dont think unless youre going over 400 pounds you really dont need a warmup and should conserve that energy for your work set.
please explain to me why someone who cant even bench 200lbs needs to warm up. i seriously want to know what reason you need. im betting most people only warmup cause its the norm. and people THINK it makes a positive difference when it doesnt. keep in mind im talking UNDER 400lbs.
[/quote]
Straight dumb.
You are doing a disservice to the beginners (or anyone else) who decide to follow this garbage advice.
Warm-ups are important no matter how weak or strong someone is.
ill believe it when someone offers up something to counter argue. until then dont look at me like im an idiot when i noticed it helps me do better because i dont use any energy from my warmup lifts.
a 225 bench doesnt need a warmup, if want to play with form or something first thats different. you can do that with the bar, but warming up just to warm up makes no sense to me.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Rattler wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
dont warm up. yes, i said it. warmups are pointless unless youre lifting over 400lbs.
arch your back, drive from the legs, and your scapula retracted, keep your elbows in so that you arms are coming down diagonally from the bar with your triceps facing forwards instead of to the side like this \ / instead of |_ _|
lift the bar absolutely as fast as you can. it doesnt matter how fast it moves just move it as fast as you can. learn to fight to failure.
drop your reps too. why are you lifting for 14 reps?? try lifting in the 6-8 range. maybe 8-12. personally i like 6-8 though
Don’t warm up?
Are you serious?
dead serious. im sorry but no one in the begginers section is using anywhere near enough wait to actually need a warmup set. if you have a joint problem or a bad back maybe warm up with a lighter weight just to see how you respond but honestly i dont see the point. i do a light warmup with 2 plates before i move to 4 on rack pulls and thats it. DB bench with 100lbs no warm up, Closegrip with 225, no warmup. RDL with 315, no warmup.
i really dont think unless youre going over 400 pounds you really dont need a warmup and should conserve that energy for your work set.
please explain to me why someone who cant even bench 200lbs needs to warm up. i seriously want to know what reason you need. im betting most people only warmup cause its the norm. and people THINK it makes a positive difference when it doesnt. keep in mind im talking UNDER 400lbs.
[/quote]
so, 395 doesnt need a warmup? just wondering how you arrived at the number 400 for being the cutoff whereby warmups become necessary.
400 is an approximation smarty guy. sorry i dont have some cool scientfic method involing your 1RM/bodyweight{[bodyfat+allignment of O’Ryans belt]-circumference of the sun} cause that method still has a 3% margain of error.