guardianactual
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
Pete Grohoski is a competitive powerlifter who specializes in the bench press, benching both raw and equipped (drug-free). He has won 7 national titles (3 Bench, 4 Master Full Nationals). Pete has made 4 World teams for the USAPL 2013-2014 (2 Master Bench and 2 Full Meet Master Worlds) and earned 2 silvers and 2 bronze. Pete’s best lifts – raw bench 440lbs (90kg) and gear 589lbs (93kg) class.
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</br> To start, let me preface this saying I guarantee you everything in this article will not work. Huh? What? Yes I am a believer that works for one, no matter how great they are, will not necessarily work for you. However somethings will work. Why? There are many variables in each’s life that differ with others. Lifestyle, rest, body type, job, nutrition, muscle fiber type, and the list goes on. Example if some routines requires to be successful by benching three times a week and Joe, who succeeds works from home while Bill lays blacktop 10 hours a day ,well chances are Bill is going to fail or over train quickly.
</br>
</br> So I will not just sit here and tell you how hard to squeeze the bar or how many days a week you should bench but other aspects that DO impact your bench to increase.
</br>
</br> 1. Rest Regardless if you a casual lifter or a veteran competitor, rest IS the MOST important aspect. Either rest the night before or in between workouts; there is no doubt that you will know when you haven’t have a sufficient amount. I don’t care what routine you do but if you neglect, your body you WILL fail.
</br>
</br> When training, factor rest the night before AND between workouts. If you bench on a Tuesday DO NOT do a heavy leg workout or some upper body part on Monday. You may say “That is the stupidest advice.” Really? I know guys in the gym who do this and then switch it up. Wala! Workouts are better within 2 weeks. If you are drug free I suggest giving no more than 72 hours rest between bench and the previous upper body workout. Night before? You know what you need so do it!
</br>
</br> 2. Supplements You need to be fuelled. The biggest thing that will hold you back from gains is overtraining. Rest and then supplements (nutrition) will combat this. You do both adequately and you will feel better mentally and physically. I’m going into a list of sups but make sure your WHOLE body is accounted for: muscles, joints and the CNS. I take supplements not just for my muscles but for my CNS as well. I believe some people overlook the CNS… I was one of them. If I am taking protein, creatine, glucosamine and vitamins then why I am not helping out my adrenal glands?
</br>
</br> 3. Shoulder Work I know it is hard to believe but I am going into the actual lifting now. I absolutely believe in this and MOST importantly behind the neck presses. The posterior delt is HUGE in stabilization for big bench. However pay attention to your total workload and volume for pressing movements. If you notice your bench is going down look at what else you are doing for shoulders and triceps. If you are benching and inclining one day then heavy shoulder presses another followed by heavy dips or close grip bench on a third day then you have a problem. If you are training once every 7 days and 3 of those days are heavy press days then you can see where your tris and tie ins are overworked. I am not saying stop doing tris or shoulders, just go with heavy laterals (shoulders) or head bangers (tris) instead. What is this doing? You now have gone from 3 workouts a week from a pressing movement to 2. I cycle my pressing movements and call it “Sponge Training” in the off-season.
</br>
</br> 4. Bench With Your Lats Use the lats as a lever. I used to bench different raw and using gear. Raw my elbows were out and shirt they were in. My offseason my shoulders were sorer then usual and finally I was resolved it by trial and error. I looked over other big benchers and talked to some. I learned to pick one way and stick to it. I decided lowering the bar with my lats (elbows tucking in on the descent) this way the weight was being supported downwards by the lats. Your back is bigger than your arm and shoulder muscles together so why not use your back to take the stress off of them? When the bar touches your chest explode up with slowly kicking your elbows out and start using the pressing muscles. Lats do the work down and the pressing muscles on the ascent. You actually save some energy and strain on the tris, shoulders, and chest this approach. The bar also will be touching lower on your chest, varying for different body types. Usually the nipples and lower are a good landing spot. For me it is my sternum.
</br>
</br> 5. Understand Your Body Mechanics Learn your body type. Use your body to your advantage. I wouldn’t follow a flat-back bencher’s bar path travel, nor should you, if you arch. I arch so my technique is different then a non archer’s. I also arch to incorporate more leg drive into the movement. The goal is to bench more within the rules and you don’t get brownie points by doing things tougher. If you can’t because of flexibility issues or just not your preference that is fine BUT regardless pinch your blades towards each other when unracking. By the way arching doesn’t mean ass off the bench a mile. I compete and my lifts all have to have my ass down otherwise they won’t pass. If you don’t compete then it coming up slightly is not a big deal HOWEVER if it does come way up and that’s your style you are opening the door up for injury.
</br>
</br> Another tip roll your shoulders in towards your butt. No I am not saying arch your back. Lie on the bench, then pull your shoulders up then push them towards your legs. I try to get as much of my upper rear delts/traps onto the bench. This has nothing to do with your lower back and arching. *
</br>
</br> If you are weak at locking out then don’t go close grip. If you are weak off the chest don’t go wide. *
</br>
</br> I know some are thinking where’s the percentages and the exact movements? That is another article, which I have already written but EVERYONE writes that stuff and neglect the other keys. You are only as strong as the weakest link” applies here too. If your sleep sucks, your nutrition is horrid, you don’t lift to help your body by going against its mechanics then guess what? The rest can’t prosper either. If you buy an apple that is 10% rotten and don’t cut that part out then the rest will rot quickly. Cut it out and the rest of the apple will be fine. Same thinking in benching if you are neglecting one badly, correct it and it will carry over to the others. Focus First.
</br>
</br> To start, let me preface this saying I guarantee you everything in this article will not work. Huh? What? Yes I am a believer that works for one, no matter how great they are, will not necessarily work for you. However somethings will work. Why? There are many variables in each’s life that differ with others. Lifestyle, rest, body type, job, nutrition, muscle fiber type, and the list goes on. Example if some routines requires to be successful by benching three times a week and Joe, who succeeds works from home while Bill lays blacktop 10 hours a day ,well chances are Bill is going to fail or over train quickly.
</br>
</br> So I will not just sit here and tell you how hard to squeeze the bar or how many days a week you should bench but other aspects that DO impact your bench to increase.
</br>
</br> 1. Rest Regardless if you a casual lifter or a veteran competitor, rest IS the MOST important aspect. Either rest the night before or in between workouts; there is no doubt that you will know when you haven’t have a sufficient amount. I don’t care what routine you do but if you neglect, your body you WILL fail.
</br>
</br> When training, factor rest the night before AND between workouts. If you bench on a Tuesday DO NOT do a heavy leg workout or some upper body part on Monday. You may say “That is the stupidest advice.” Really? I know guys in the gym who do this and then switch it up. Wala! Workouts are better within 2 weeks. If you are drug free I suggest giving no more than 72 hours rest between bench and the previous upper body workout. Night before? You know what you need so do it!
</br>
</br> 2. Supplements You need to be fuelled. The biggest thing that will hold you back from gains is overtraining. Rest and then supplements (nutrition) will combat this. You do both adequately and you will feel better mentally and physically. I’m going into a list of sups but make sure your WHOLE body is accounted for: muscles, joints and the CNS. I take supplements not just for my muscles but for my CNS as well. I believe some people overlook the CNS… I was one of them. If I am taking protein, creatine, glucosamine and vitamins then why I am not helping out my adrenal glands?
</br>
</br> 3. Shoulder Work I know it is hard to believe but I am going into the actual lifting now. I absolutely believe in this and MOST importantly behind the neck presses. The posterior delt is HUGE in stabilization for big bench. However pay attention to your total workload and volume for pressing movements. If you notice your bench is going down look at what else you are doing for shoulders and triceps. If you are benching and inclining one day then heavy shoulder presses another followed by heavy dips or close grip bench on a third day then you have a problem. If you are training once every 7 days and 3 of those days are heavy press days then you can see where your tris and tie ins are overworked. I am not saying stop doing tris or shoulders, just go with heavy laterals (shoulders) or head bangers (tris) instead. What is this doing? You now have gone from 3 workouts a week from a pressing movement to 2. I cycle my pressing movements and call it “Sponge Training” in the off-season.
</br>
</br> 4. Bench With Your Lats Use the lats as a lever. I used to bench different raw and using gear. Raw my elbows were out and shirt they were in. My offseason my shoulders were sorer then usual and finally I was resolved it by trial and error. I looked over other big benchers and talked to some. I learned to pick one way and stick to it. I decided lowering the bar with my lats (elbows tucking in on the descent) this way the weight was being supported downwards by the lats. Your back is bigger than your arm and shoulder muscles together so why not use your back to take the stress off of them? When the bar touches your chest explode up with slowly kicking your elbows out and start using the pressing muscles. Lats do the work down and the pressing muscles on the ascent. You actually save some energy and strain on the tris, shoulders, and chest this approach. The bar also will be touching lower on your chest, varying for different body types. Usually the nipples and lower are a good landing spot. For me it is my sternum.
</br>
</br> 5. Understand Your Body Mechanics Learn your body type. Use your body to your advantage. I wouldn’t follow a flat-back bencher’s bar path travel, nor should you, if you arch. I arch so my technique is different then a non archer’s. I also arch to incorporate more leg drive into the movement. The goal is to bench more within the rules and you don’t get brownie points by doing things tougher. If you can’t because of flexibility issues or just not your preference that is fine BUT regardless pinch your blades towards each other when unracking. By the way arching doesn’t mean ass off the bench a mile. I compete and my lifts all have to have my ass down otherwise they won’t pass. If you don’t compete then it coming up slightly is not a big deal HOWEVER if it does come way up and that’s your style you are opening the door up for injury.
</br>
</br> Another tip roll your shoulders in towards your butt. No I am not saying arch your back. Lie on the bench, then pull your shoulders up then push them towards your legs. I try to get as much of my upper rear delts/traps onto the bench. This has nothing to do with your lower back and arching. *
</br>
</br> If you are weak at locking out then don’t go close grip. If you are weak off the chest don’t go wide. *
</br>
</br> I know some are thinking where’s the percentages and the exact movements? That is another article, which I have already written but EVERYONE writes that stuff and neglect the other keys. You are only as strong as the weakest link” applies here too. If your sleep sucks, your nutrition is horrid, you don’t lift to help your body by going against its mechanics then guess what? The rest can’t prosper either. If you buy an apple that is 10% rotten and don’t cut that part out then the rest will rot quickly. Cut it out and the rest of the apple will be fine. Same thinking in benching if you are neglecting one badly, correct it and it will carry over to the others. Focus First.
