5 Ways to Increase Your Bench Press Naturally

Want to increase your bench press? Want to do it naturally? Well then I’m going to share with you my secrets of how I maxed 405, that’s 4 plates. No matter if you’re just starting out or want to increase your bench press in your workout routine, then these simple techniques can help you to structure your approach to making gains in this gold standard of weight training.

Having said that, I’m not promising you’ll be benching 405 or will make large gains over the weekend! There are things to consider here like age, genetics, your overall workout routine, etc. I have always been a 100% natural weightlifter, I just love to brag about that!

What you want to do is set a goal for yourself, a hallmark that you will achieve. If you are struggling with 225 (2 plates) and can rep 185 fairly easily, then your goal should be to eventually rep 225 as your starting set. If you’re doing 225 pretty easily, then 315 (3 plates) should be your goal. You should also think about a target goal of your 1RM (1 Rep Max). The following techniques I’ve used will help you achieve your targeted bench press goals, in both rep strength and 1RM.

1. Start With Incline Bench
That’s right! It’s traditional to start with the flat bench and then do flat dumbbell presses afterward, but start your routine with the incline barbell bench. The reason why is that this is a compound lift and much better for your overall physique and strength. Compound lifts hit more than one muscle group in a single movement. Start your chest days with the incline bench, then do incline dumbbell press and then bench press, in that order. Make that your normal routine. After about a month or two, start your chest day with the bench press to check your progress and believe me what felt heavy before will seem easily controllable now. I do this about every 5-6 weeks to check my 1RM.

2. Use Your Power Plant
The bench press is really all about technique and form! I see so many people arching their backs and not driving with their legs, shoring up your bench press technique will definitely add to your strength. Not to mention, it will save you from imminent injury. Your LEGS are your power plant! Firmly plant your legs, kind of arched back and open, drive from your hips and core, this firmly locks you into the bench and gives you a huge boost in power. It might take time to get used to doing this, especially if your form is bad and you have a hard time letting go of your ego; you may even have to temporarily drop rep weight to get your form corrected before you can make proper gains. I was humbled before in my technique by a lifting buddy of mine who was in med school and also a body builder. After about a month of readjusting my technique (my ego), I actually saw a huge boost in my bench press thanks to him!

To increase your bench press, concentrate on the following muscle groups on your other workout days: legs, core, back, shoulders. Mainly, legs and core! I cannot wrap my head around why so many “weigh lifters” hate doing legs! It’s my favorite day! Do it! The squat is the best compound lift ever 🙂

3. Adjust Grip and Form For You
I’m surprised at the amount of advice I’ve read on the net about how your bench press grip “should be” and what is “proper.” Your grip “should be at shoulder width,” or elbows “should be” tucked in, or the bar “should come down right below your chest.” Use those as guidelines, but not the law! With all things weight lifting, KNOW YOUR BODY! If I bring my elbows in when I bench I notice pains; therefore, I flare my elbows out wider. I have long arms (I’m a tall guy) so I grip out wider. I’ve talked to people who are exactly the reverse, they encounter shoulder pains when they bench with their elbows out, so they tuck theirs in. It’s a dose of common sense; again, know your body.

Whatever your grip is going to be, do not arch your back off the bench when benching and make sure you drive with your legs and core! Control the weight, never let it control you. Also, head back, shoulders as your platform, and explode off the down stroke!

4. Go Heavy
Simple weight training science dictates that if you want to get stronger you have to go heavy. If you want to increase your bench press, then you have to start lifting heavy to accomplish this. Doing a bunch of 8-10 rep sets will not get you there! You don’t need to do a bunch of fancy drop sets and other showboat-type routines either. What you need to do is do reps where you can barely struggle through your last rep of a 6, 5, 4 set or a 5, 3, 1 set. I don’t have time to fully explain rep routines but you have to go heavy with a spotter. You don’t need to do a lot of negatives either, but having that spotter while you grind through that last set does help.

Remember, only really go heavy if you know what you are doing! From the very first time I lifted in high school playing sports to lifting in college, I was thoroughly trained. Always keep good form; if you have to break form while trying to increase your bench press (or in any exercise) then you are cheating. Do it naturally, do it properly, your body will thank you later.

5. Visualize
See yourself doing your target weight. If your goal is to bench 315 (3 plates) 1x, then visualize yourself repping it while you are doing one of your lighter sets at 225. It sounds simple, but for me it has always worked. While you actually have  2 plates on there, just imagine there are 3 plates on there and you are super strong and confident as you go under the bar. Feel how light those 3 plates are and how easily you can control it! Feels good! Visualizing your goals, even weight lifting ones, taps into the power of our mind to supercharge the power of our bodies.

In summary, to increase your bench press, utilize the techniques above. They are my own weight lifting strategies that have been highly successful for me. I have been extremely blessed, when I was at my peak lifting power in college my two workout buddies were (1) a guy who was equally strong and just as workout crazy as I was; and (2) a friend who was a competitive body builder and a med school student focusing on physiology. From my first friend I got the drive and push I needed; he was my motivational friend who always got me psyched up. He was just as strong as I was, stronger in certain areas so when he benched more than I did, I HAD TO bench more than he did! We fed off of each other that way and both made huge strength gains. My other friend always stressed FORM. He would guide us and even scold us when needed to correct our form, explaining it from a physiological, kinesthetic standpoint. He added that dose of science to our workouts along with an understanding of how to target muscle groups for strength and size.

My bench press 1RM was 405 (4 plates) and my squat 1RM was just above 585 (6 plates). All natural!

There are more techniques than the 5 I listed and while I could devote more time and space to explaining more of them or each one in more detail, that should suffice to get you going. My techniques work for me and are based on my learning curve, genetics, and dedication to weight lifting from my sources of learning. They also are the result of 100% natural weight lifting. Using these techniques will increase your bench press; however, if you would like to learn more about the underlying science of weight lifting including the physiology of how the human body builds muscle, then a trip to the following website would be recommended: Michael Matthews.

I hope this article has benefited you! Thank you for reading this article and being a part of NOW-Power!

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