The bench press is one of the most well known exercises to athletes and strength coaches around the world.
It doesn't always transfer to the playing field, or the court but a strong performance in the bench press can really give elite athletes an edge when it comes to scoring high in combines or other tests to determine their future as college and professional athletes.
When one puts the above scenario into perspective it is not hard to imagine that one of the most common questions that strength and conditioning coaches most often get asked is "Hey Coach, how do I improve my bench press?"
My answer may shock you, because it does not involve any additional bench pressing, however it will transfer greatly to your overall performance in this fundamental strength movement.
Without further ado, here are my five tips to make your bench press blast off:
Increase Your Grip Strength
Many athletes are unaware of this, but the harder you squeeze the bar when you bench press, the more muscles you will recruit, and the stronger you will become.
Here are a few exercises to improve your grip strength:
- Heavy farmer's walks with dumbbells or kettlebells
- Perform simple wrist curling exercises with a traditional bar.
Increase Your Tricep Strength
If you have weak triceps, you will limit the amount of weight you can lift when you bench press. With that in mind, you must maximize your tricep strength if you want to improve your performance in the bench press.
Here are a few exercises to improve your tricep strength:
- Body weight dips
- Weighted dips
Increase Your Back Strength
If you increase your back strength, you will not only blast off your bench press, but you will help to prevent injuries. If you want to have great posture, power, and a noteworthy bench press, you would be crazy not to improve your back strength.
Here are a few exercises to improve your back strength:
- Pull ups
- Rows