Trying to find ways to improve your bench press can be challenging. There is just as much misinformation and faulty data in the diet and exercise field as there is on used car lots.
Everybody seems to have some trick or short cut to improving your physique, and those who want a quick solution to a complicated problem can get sucked in by hucksters and get-rich-quick schemers. But there are some simple methods you can use every time you hit the gym that will generate the results you seek.
Sometimes, Less Is More
When I first started training, my friends and I tried to kill ourselves. It only stood to reason that if we worked out for an hour and saw results that we would see even MORE results by working out for 3 hours, six days a week.
Nope.
In fact, we were over trained and we quickly plateaued, thus negating all our hard work and returning us to square one rapidly. For natural bodybuilders, 25 sets per body part twice a week is just too much. Not only will you get there slower because of stagnation, but you will also start to hate your training if it's wearing you out.
Studies have shown that steadier workouts with modest daily demands are more effective and long-lasting and better tuned to the modern gym rat than the pure punishment methods of the past. You should actually cut back on your training frequency and volume if you want to see results. Allowing muscles to repair themselves, after all, is the way to build them, because the repair process is what creates mass and strength.
I cut back my bench press training to once a week and cut my sets in half on the advice of a friend. I was skeptical at first, but in a couple of months the results I saw were undeniable. Plus, I felt better and put on size that made me happy.
Nutrition and Rest Are Key
Beginners usually start out thinking that training hard - fast - is what is going to get them to the promised land in short order. However, if you're not as focused on diet as well as exercise, you will just be spinning your wheels. Muscles cannot grow without fuel, and a solid nutritional and supplemental program is absolutely necessary.
You do not necessarily need supplements - in the event you cannot afford them - but your diet program must be clean and devoid of garbage eating. You have to be consistent.
Also, 7-8 hours of sleep a night is necessary. Sleep is the body's way of recovering from the day's labors, and weight training is no different. Your body will build while it's repairing itself, and you will see results faster and you will be fresher to get back in the gym the next day if you are well rested from the day before.
Three Easy Steps
Weight training can be boiled down to 3 steps. 1. Training - where we stimulate the muscle and break it down; 2. Nutrition - where we give our bodies the fuel they need to repair and become bigger and stronger; and 3. Rest - where your muscles repair and grow. Doesn't seem like much, but that basic plan works every time it's tried.
Switch Things Up
One final note: You might love a particular style of workout for your bench press routine. But even if that's true, you need to get out of your comfort zone. Change things up from time to time. The human body is an amazing machine and adapts to the stress we put it under in remarkable ways. Conversely, if you do the same things over and over, you will continue to see similar results.
While some trainers advocate changing your routine every 4 weeks, I think 6 is more effective and gives you more time on the muscle groups you're working out. But do not go 6 months to a year doing the same old thing. Muscle has memory, and some of the memories can be bad ones. Nothing gets you stronger... faster... than the stimulation of new growth in all your targeted areas.
So taking your strength training to the next level isn't as challenging as you might think. It takes 3 uncomplicated steps to build yourself into an eye-popping machine. Follow these steps with a sense of discipline and determination and you will see results. Guaranteed.
If you want to know how to increase your bench press, check out my site where you'll find a great bench press workout, along with other information to get you moving in the right direction.
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