Top 10 World Record Bench Tips

[FUZO]

TweetTop 10 World Record Bench Tips


My enjoyment of the bench press began in 1988 when I was 14 years old and a freshman in high
school. The low ceilings, dampness, stench of body odor, and void of windows were intimidating
to most, but I felt at home in the school gym. Upon my first visit to the cramped musty space I
was able to bench 135. You may laugh and think that is nothing but when you are only 5 foot 3
and 98 lbs it was everything. From my strength I gained respect and knew that I had found my
place.

The next few years I focused on wrestling, lifting only in the off season while the football
team was on the field. I competed on the high school weightlifting team, but lacked the strength
I needed to be successful after dropping significant bodyweight for wrestling; dropping from 120
all the way to 103, even into my senior year. I never stopped lifting but it wasn't until years
later that I returned to my love for competition with the iron. While attending the University
of Florida I began competing in local bench press, and eventually full meets, which led me to
the AAU. In June of 1998 I competed at the Disney Wide World of Sports in my hometown of Orlando
Florida and was successful in breaking the AAU Junior American record with a bench of 362 @ 165.

Soon after I heard of Kieran Kidder's plans to create a Professional Powerlifting Organization
beginning with the first meet in nearby Daytona Beach. I happened to be in the right place at
the right time. The first WPO meet only had the super open classes but the following year had it
broken down into 10, including 148. After my wrestling days I vowed to never cut weight again
but realized that since my normal weight stayed around 160, it would be difficult for me to
excel in the 165 lb. class, but dropping to 148 would be a different story.

A few of my bench press records are as follows:

* 1st Bench America 148 lb. Champion 445 @ 148 on 7/3/03

* 3 Consecutive 148 lb. WPO Bench World Records:

• 501.5 on 3/5/04

• 503.8 on 10/8/04

• 507 on 10/29/05

* APA Florida State Record of 475 @ 165 on 5/28/05

* APF Florida State Record of 473.7 @ 165 on 6/18/05

* APF American Record of 512.5 @ 165 on 8/5/05

Here are my top 10 bench tips to help you set a new P.R.

1. Perform a gradual cardio, shoulder and triceps warm up

It seems that as I age my body takes longer and longer to warm up. By increasing body
temperature with a minimum of a 5 to 10 minute cardio warm up, the nervous system becomes more
prepared for the task ahead. By performing more isolated warm-ups with shoulder rotation, which
I will detail next, as well as mini-band pushdowns the joints are more prepared to help prevent
injury during bench training.

2. Strengthen your rotator cuffs to prevent injury

Like most powerlifters, I often have at least one nagging pain somewhere. My right shoulder has
bothered me for years. I know that the pain is coming from my rotator cuff, specifically my
infraspinatus. In order to prevent further damage I perform internal and external shoulder
rotation either with elastic tubing or dumbbells for 2 sets of 12-15 reps during every bench
workout. I usually do these between my bench warm up sets.

3. Work on proper technique every time you bench

The process I follow every time I lie on the bench is to:

* Grab the bar with an underhand grip.
* Pull your eyes to the bar and force your shoulders back towards your feet as you lie down. I
stay on my toes.
* Squeeze your shoulder blades together and grab the bar to legal competition width.
* I choose to take a breath when the bar is lifted off and again before I lower it.
* Fill your belly with air and tuck your elbows all the way into your sides.
* Lift your head and watch the bar as you take it to the natural angle that your arms follow
with your elbows tucked.
* After touching, focus on pressing the bar straight up.
* Flare your elbows about halfway up and push at a slight angle towards your head.

4. Focus on speed and lockout strength on DE day

I follow the basic Westside template on speed day but opt to only perform 6 sets and only add
accommodating resistance on the last 3. I have also chosen to only use chains, since the bands
seemed to place too much stress on my shoulder joint.

5. Never perform a un-shirted bench max through a full range of motion

In 1996, when I first began powerlifting, I was performing a heavy full ROM set with around 300
lbs. On the eccentric portion of my third rep I heard and felt an indescribable sensation of
ripping and discomfort on my left side. It was my pec tearing. Luckily it was only a partial
tear which took about 6 months to recover from. I still have a chunk of scar tissue there. I
have no desire to put myself in the position for this to happen again. So, who are you kidding?
If you compete with a shirt, then you need to train with it. Prove yourself in a meet, not to
your buddies in the gym. I don't know how much I max raw and I don't care. Those aren't the
conditions under which I compete.

6. Train through the entire bench range of motion on ME day

I realize this doesn’t follow the traditional Westside template and I’m not recommending for you
to bench heavy all the way to your chest in any workout. That would go against my last tip. What
I recommend is performing an exercise for the mid-range, lock-out, and lower portion of the
bench during every max workout. I opt for board presses as the primary, followed by
lock-outs/pin-presses, and either decline or floor presses last, in that order. I alternate
between dumbbells and the bar on floor press to maintain balance between each side.

7. Perform at least 1 raw set on your primary exercise on ME day

Although I perform 1 to 2 sets of shirted board work each week the vast majority of bench
training is done without the use of one. In order to bench more, you need to become stronger,
not just rely on your shirt. The first max effort board set is without a shirt, followed by 2
shirted, the rest of the work is done raw.

8. Only perform 1 board and full reps right before a meet

The only time I go through a full ROM in my bench shirt is 3 weeks before a meet. I know how
much it takes to touch in each shirt depending on how much I weigh and the position of the
collar. After this is realized it is unnecessary to touch in your shirt on a regular basis.
Three weeks before a meet I perform singles through a full ROM, followed by 1 board, then 2. Two
weeks out I perform singles onto 1, 2, and then 3 boards. This way I can work with my 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd attempts and feel more confident with the weight.

9. Strengthen your upper posterior chain

Having a strong upper back and triceps is essential for stronger benching. Your back and triceps
are the muscles involved in supporting the weight throughout the entire motion. Although the
function of the latissimus dorsi is primarily to adduct (bring in) the arms at the shoulder
joint, they are also necessary for supporting the triceps. I recommend at least 2 exercises for
2 to 3 heavy sets of 5-8 reps per week to strengthen your lats. I prefer a variation of a
pulldown or pull-up and a rowing motion performed on DE squat day. The lock-out strength of the
triceps is trained on DE bench day through 4 board presses, reverse band presses, DB and cable
extensions as well as on ME day through board presses and lock-outs.

10. Train with your shirt weekly

It literally took me an entire year to get used to the groove of a denim shirt. Each shirt you
use will have a different groove which will vary depending on how low you adjust the collar.
Myself and the Orlando Barbell team train with our shirts for at least 2 sets onto boards each
week. We start with 4 board and reduce by one board each week down to 2 until 3 weeks out from
the meet, as previously mentioned. By training with the shirt each week you will not only be
able to handle heavier weights, you will also learn the groove of your shirt.

I hope my tips will help to take your bench to new levels. Check my training logs for more
insight on my training methods. Good luck and never give up!
_______________________________

[kite]

TweetAll very good points, good post Fuzo!

[badasz32]

Tweetgood post