Stop Half Rep Bench Pressing: Exercises For a Bigger FULL Bench.
Don’t be this guy.
We all have a few of those guys at our gym. They load two or three plates on the bar, half rep it, then brag about their “huge” bench. Don’t be that guy, stop half rep bench pressing! Here’s a few exercises to help you get stronger throughout the ENTIRE range of motion.
Dips:
This is one of the best exercises to overload the triceps and also work the pecs and front delts at the same time. They’re normally used as an assistance exercise to help with the lockout portion of the bench press, but I’ve actually found them to be pretty useful in getting stronger through the entire range of motion.
If you’re able to do a few sets of 10 with your bodyweight then it’s time to do them weighted. Hang some plates off a belt with a chain. If your gym doesn’t have one of these belts, you can hold a dumbbell between your legs. These should be heavy in the 6-10 rep range.
Key points:
- Keep your shoulders down and back
- Shoulder blades tight together
- Keep your elbows tucked in
- Lower yourself till you feel a light stretch in your front delts. Do NOT go any lower.
- Not everyone can achieve the same depth with dips. They are a safe exercise if you listen to your body and limit yourself to a comfortable range of motion.
- Lift yourself up finishing the lift with your triceps
Flat bench dumbbell Flyes:
They’re usually thought of as an exercise for bodybuilders but they’re great for powerlifters too. If you’re weak off the chest and at the bottom portion of the bench press, incorporate flyes in your routine. Don’t be afraid to go heavy, in the 6-10 rep range.
Key points:
- Squeeze your shoulder blades tight together like you would when you’re bench pressing
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows
- Pretend you’re bear hugging a large tree when performing flyes
- Lower the dumbbells till you feel a light stretch in your pecs. Do NOT go any lower!
- Bring the dumbbells together at the top.
- Make sure to keep a slight bend in your elbows and shoulder blade tight together the ENTIRE time.
Pause bench press:
These are not only great to gain strength at the bottom of the bench press, they’ll also help you gain confidence with a heavy bar on your chest.
Perform 3 sets of 3 reps with a minimum 3 second pause on your chest. You can either do these after your regular sets of bench press as an assistance exercise or just do them on their own as your main lift on bench day.
Key points:
- The bar should not only touch your chest but also sink into it a bit
- When the bar is resting on your chest, make sure to keep your shoulder blades tight together the entire time
- Count a FULL 3 seconds minimum
- Explode off your chest; pushing as hard and as fast as you can
Sample workout:
-Pause bench press: 3 X 3 reps with 3 second pause
-Weighted dips: 4 X 6-10 reps
-Flat DB flyes: 4 X 6-10 reps
-DB rows: 4 X 10 (it’s always good to include at least one pulling exercise on bench day)
Those are the exercises that have helped me the most.
Give them a try for a 4-6 week cycle and watch your FULL bench press numbers go up!
If you're interested, here's a related article on a different style of pause bench press by Brandon Lilly.
https://www.jtsstrength.com/a-new-approach-to-speed-benching/