Planning training periods to improve speed. Bench Press: Tips from a Champion
In the off-season, it's time to do combined and speed exercises. If you have a desire, of course. Amateurs are not often aware of these techniques, but if you include them in your training, you will gain a lot.
Speed bench press, combined loads and RRMD exercises
The speed press is clearly taken from the arsenal of a weightlifter. It is recommended to perform 8-10 repetitions in three sets without large scales at a fast pace. Keep in mind that moving quickly does not allow all the muscles to come into play. The likelihood of injury increases due to the resulting inertia, which makes the technique dangerous. But if you include such an element rarely but accurately, it will only bring benefits.
Trainings with combined exercises and exercises for various modes of muscle activity (abbreviated RRMD) are effective. For an average amateur athlete there are only two such elements. The first is the speed bench press described above. To reduce the risk of injury and improve performance, perform it as follows: the barbell rises quickly from the chest, but slowly lowers down. The second exercise is either a standing press (also called a “soldier press”) or a barbell clean. There are other varieties of similar elements, but it is recommended to include them only at a more advanced level, when your muscles have strengthened.
Please note points 16 and 17 from the principles article. It follows from them that it is advisable to perform speed benches no more than once a week. Sometimes it is better to abandon KU and RRMD to save time for more specific exercises.
"Disruptions"
“Failures” are a bench press with a pause, during which, in the initial phase, the arms are completely relaxed. The element is performed in a power frame. The barbell is torn off only halfway. The purpose of the exercise is to work on intramuscular coordination.
Pay attention to your back muscles
For those who do power benching, the back extensors should be sufficiently developed. Preparatory exercise the squat, which must be performed with 1.5 of your body weight, seems to hint that the bencher requires not only a strong shoulder girdle For. Deadlifts also work great on the muscles of the back, buttocks and thighs, but doing them too often is not recommended, as it compromises the performance of the spine. Next exercises will load your back sufficiently:
- Barbell cleans.
- Kettlebell snatches and jerks.
- Push pull.
- Hyperextension.
The last exercise is recommended to be performed almost every lesson. When working with your own weight, it is practically safe. In addition, you can always include additional weights in the game in order to better work the desired muscles. Alternate the rest of the exercises from the list above between training days.
Press
Hyperextensions, crunches, and other abdominal exercises are important for clean weightlifters. Numerous studies show that in order to release the optimal amount of hormones into the blood, it is recommended to perform some exercise for a certain time before the main load. For a pure bencher, such variety is not necessary preparatory elements. One or two abdominal exercises and three sets of hyperextensions are enough as a quick warm-up for the whole body.
It is also good to perform these elements after training, just before completion. If you wish, you can make them a superset (link!).
Remember safety
The basic principle of constructing amateur training is to ensure all necessary measures aimed at protecting against injury. To do this, follow a few rules.
- Do a good warm-up before training.
- Use bandages and braces for your elbows and knees, as well as a special belt. This equipment is especially good at protecting against injuries.
- Warming ointments twenty minutes before the start of the main training will help you get in shape.
- Be sure to stretch your core muscles after each approach.
- Try to recover on your own without drugs.
- Do no more than 85-90% of 1RM.
- Use only push lifts - here the weight of the barbell is slightly less and the necessary muscle groups (vertebral columns, trapezius, shoulders) are developed in the required ratio.
Security forces using general methods in their work physical training, are more developed than those who ignore them. Such training prepares all body systems for work and improves the most important physical qualities.
Remember that tendons and ligaments develop much more slowly than muscles. General physical training allows you to avoid injuries by working on these structures of the human body.
The legs and back are especially important for benchers and weightlifters. Running and jumping of all variations help develop the necessary muscles. Upper part The body is “pulled up” by parallel bars, a horizontal bar, rope climbs, push-ups, dumbbells, weights, and blocks.
Many strength athletes are afraid of running, being confident that the muscles will dry out from such a load, reducing results in strength elements. This is wrong! Running develops the respiratory systems and cardiovascular system.
The existence of the phenomenon of “delayed metamorphosis”
Have you been working out for a long time in the off-season, but there are no visible results? The increase in strength is not coming and going? But unexpectedly, during the power period, a solid increase appears. This phenomenon is called “delayed transformation” or “delayed metamorphosis.” Take this into account in your training.
If desired, in the off-season it is possible to perform high-speed bench presses and combined exercises. As a rule, ordinary gym goers know nothing at all about these exercises or simply ignore them.
Speed bench press, combined exercises (CE) and exercises for various modes of muscle activity (RRMD). Beginners (and even those who are more prepared) in weightlifting after training are regularly “chased” to do standing jumps on a horse (goat) and long jumps. The speed press is clearly another exercise copied from the arsenal. weightlifting. True, they do a total of three sets (not 8-10) of 10-12 jumps “back and forth”. In this regard, I believe that you can do quick bench presses sometimes, but 3 sets of 8 times, and not vice versa. Although, who knows...
Please note that rapid movement due to inertia causes less tension in the muscles, and the likelihood of injury increases. Such exercises can be included in training, and there is no particular harm seen from them except for the benefits, and they don’t seem to tire you out so much, but they definitely cannot be classified as core exercises. That is, it’s like an elective at school.
Another important factor in increasing the effectiveness of training are exercises for various modes of muscle activity (RRMD) and combined exercises (CU). At the intermediate level there are only two such exercises: speed press (with a very slow lowering of the barbell in a inferior mode and a quick rise of the barbell), barbell cleans + standing press. At a higher level, more such exercises are required, but for those practicing at a below-average level, such exercises are not needed at all.
Training for an amateur bench press is so rare and short in time that it is not recommended to spend it on doing exercises other than the main one. Judge for yourself - the unwritten “rules” say that you cannot train different qualities in one day. It turns out that speed benching should only be done on a separate day. It cannot be combined with a strength or power bench on the same day! So an extra day is required? But, as a rule, there is no such day. Conclusion in this regard:
no matter how much we like the RRMD and CG exercises, we will still have to abandon them in power and strength cycles, and in the off-season it is permissible to perform them in 2-3 approaches, if desired
"Disruptions." This exercise is somewhat akin to a bench press with a pause, but its feature is the complete relaxation of the arms in the initial phase due to the fact that the exercise is performed in a power rack. You only need to “break” the bar halfway. The main goal of the exercise is to develop intramuscular coordination. From a completely relaxed state, you should literally “explode” using a mental impulse!
Back muscles. The back extensor muscles of those involved in the power bench press at an average level should be sufficiently developed. Judge for yourself: you need to squat 15 times with 1.5 of your body weight! Therefore, to preserve a functional spine for many years, do deadlift in its pure form is not recommended. There are exercises that will load your back just as well (and maybe even more effectively):
Push traction;
Barbell cleans;
Kettlebell snatch (24 kg or 32 kg);
Hyperextension.
Moreover, hyperextensions are performed regularly throughout the entire annual cycle! The remaining exercises alternate in cycles.
Press. Exercises such as hyperextensions and abdominal exercises are especially important exclusively for an athlete who trains without the use of “pharma.” The fact is that, according to research (4, p. 41), in order to optimally increase the body’s release of hormones responsible for the growth of strength and muscle, it is necessary to perform a series of exercises until the “burning” occurs with a long time spent under load. For an amateur bench press, only two such exercises are available:
Hyperextension;
Abdominal exercises.
These exercises, perhaps, include the last one or two pumping approaches in the bench press in the off-season with light weights and partly squats in the power bench press cycle. These exercises can be performed in a superset, and they also serve as an excellent warm-up before pressing. It only takes five minutes, and the warm-up is done + the optimal release of the necessary hormones occurs + external data improves = as a result, a great mood! In the off-season, you can bench press light weights until “burning” in the final approaches.
Safety. Strength bench press exercises must be structured in such a way as to protect yourself as much as possible from injury. To do this, you must follow simple generally accepted rules:
Warm up thoroughly before training;
Use wrist bandages and a weightlifting belt. They reliably prevent injury.
Use warming ointments, such as Nicoflex, 20 minutes before starting the main exercise;
Regularly stretch the target muscles immediately after completing each main approach;
Use all possible methods for recovery to eliminate cases of violation correct technique performing exercises due to premature fatigue, which can lead to injury.
In addition to the proposed preventive measures, completely exclude squats and deadlifts from your training. Do no more than 80-85% of 1RM. Do only push deadlifts. Firstly, the weight of the barbell is less, and secondly, it is more practical - it is useful for lifting the barbell to the chest and standing press, thirdly, get 3 in 1 - speed, trapezoids, long backs.
GPP. As the results of observations show, those security forces who use general physical methods (GPP) in their training show higher results than those who ignore GPP! The data is quite reliable, so in the off-season it is simply necessary to plan a large volume of such exercises. Of course, not to the detriment of the main exercise. In strength cycles, especially power cycles, we significantly reduce the volume of general physical fitness.
Why is general physical training needed and what is the composition of its means for a lover of the power bench press? General physical training prepares all organs and systems of the body to work at a higher level and develops the most important qualities: strength, speed, flexibility and endurance. In addition, ligaments and tendons train more slowly than strength increases. Consequently, general physical training helps to avoid injuries by preparing the tendon-ligamentous apparatus, and allows for new results in the future.
I suggest turning to the experience of TA and seeing what general physical training tools they have. It's no secret that there are a lot various exercises for legs: long jump, high jump, goat jump, running short distances and just run. Almost everything is on its feet! The legs and back in TA are very important, if not almost everything. In the bench press, the role of the legs is performed by the arms. This means that the main burden should fall on them, and this dictates our choice of general physical training tools. This includes a horizontal bar, parallel bars, climbing on ladders at different angles, push-ups, exercises with dumbbells and blocks, squeezing tennis ball and... run! There are many examples of amazing gains in barbell exercises, including the bench press, when active activities run.
It is running that expands the capabilities of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which allows you to recover much faster. True, I must admit, there is still a category of people among weightlifters who are afraid of running like the plague. For some reason, they believe that their mass will crumble and their strength will go away. But this, of course, is not so.
In order not to overtrain in the off-season, it is quite acceptable to completely exclude the power bench press from the program, replacing it with a standing press or other auxiliary pressing exercise. There is no need to worry, the results will not crumble in 4-8 weeks of the off-season. In fact, you can completely devote a couple of months to training on the horizontal bar, parallel bars, various ladders, push-ups, exercises with dumbbells, kettlebells, exercise machines and jogging. Folk wisdom says: “If you drive more slowly, you will go further.” After such an off-season, as a rule, you return to the gym with a desire to train, which allows you to remain highly motivated.
"Delayed transformation." In short, it looks like this: “plow and plow” both the off-season and the strength cycle, but as a result there is no increase. And then suddenly, it seems, in the power cycle everything turns into a significant increase! It also happens the other way around - the power cycle is “plowed”, but there is no increase. And a month or two will pass, you see, and suddenly in the off-season both your strength and your mood have changed! Please pay attention to this.
Now you can use the acquired knowledge to try to find the differences between amateur and sports (competitive) training.
Bench Press Program
is an annual training plan for the strength athlete, specializing specifically in training the bench press. The program involves 4 training stages: development of strength indicators, development of speed and technique of performing the bench press, a period of endurance training and a period of reaching the peak of strength for important competitions. This article will present different bench press programs, some of which will be suitable for beginner athletes, the other part for athletes with a high training level. All training programs are based on the cycling theories of such methodologists as Verkhoshansky, Funtikov, Vorobyov, Chernyak and others, but since each athlete has his own unique genetics, any program can be modified at the discretion of the coach or the athlete himself, however, for this it is necessary to have the appropriate theoretical and practical basis.
The bench press program primarily involves correct execution basic movement, so we will also pay attention to improving the technique of performing the exercise. It is impossible to build a training cycle without knowing your personal maximum (PM), so we will also consider this aspect. As for the relative intensity, its maximum and minimum, as well as the training volume, expressed in the number of lifts of the barbell (RPR) and total tonnage, these parameters are individual, so the article will give their approximate values, which the athlete can and should adjust based on from previous training periods. We will devote a separate chapter to each individual cycle of the program for improving performance in the bench press, so in order to make it easier for you to find the information you are interested in, we have introduced the corresponding table of contents:
Bench press technique
The bench press is a classic core exercise for building the pectoral muscles, but since the bench press is a competitive movement in powerlifting, athletes and their coaches have refined the movement to allow athletes to lift more weight with less chance of injury, called the power press. If you have not yet studied the classic bench press technique, then you should start with it, but if you are already familiar with it, then you can start power benching, but if your technical skill is already at a high level, you should pay attention to the following nuances. Firstly, distortions are very common, when on one side the barbell is lower than on the other, which is due to an incorrect grip and uneven position of the shoulders, or unequal innervation muscle fibers. If you have problems with your grip or moving your shoulders back in starting position, then you need to develop technical mastery in the bench press at a theoretical level. Problems with muscle innervation are somewhat more difficult to solve.
As a rule, the incorrect position of the barbell during the bench press is due to uneven muscle development, which is often offset by exercises performed with one lagging hand, which is fundamentally wrong. You need to correct muscle development with the bench press, in which case you have to make adjustments to the intensity training plan, reducing the weight on the bar to a level at which the athlete does not experience difficulties with evenly distributing the load between the muscles. Then the standard strength cycle of the bench press program is used, with a gradual increase in weight; if, with the next increase in the weight of the projectile, imbalance occurs again, then the weight needs to be reduced and trained for some time with this weight, gradually trying to increase it. In this way, you should train until the distortion in the bench press disappears completely.
Secondly, to improve the technique of performing the bench press, experienced athletes can use the “counter movement” technique. Let’s make a reservation right away that the technique is not suitable for everyone; athletes with a very flexible bridge, as well as those athletes who rest on the floor not with their heels, but with their toes, will not be able to use it. The essence of the technique is that the athlete takes the most rigid bridge in the lower phase of the amplitude of movement, and then, when he presses the barbell up, the legs relax, and the back and chest go down, moving away from the barbell, which gives additional inertia to the projectile. That is, after you take the barbell in the starting position, lowering it down, you bend even more, firmly resting your feet on the floor, when you rip the barbell off your chest, there is no longer any need to bend, so you can relax your legs and lower your chest down, moving away from the bar downwards. You need to develop the technique with a small weight, after which it can be gradually brought to the worker so that the movement is “mechanical”.
Thirdly, what is not entirely related to technique, but also affects its observance and the final result of the athlete, is the elaboration of individual phases of the exercise. So-called specialized exercises for the bench press must be included in the training program. These exercises include: push-up, chain press, rack press, stop press, speed press, pause press, press incline bench, close grip press and medium grip press. The athlete must use all these exercises, correctly including them in the bench press program, depending on where his dead point is, that is, in what phase of the movement he experiences difficulties.
Determination of 1RM in the bench press and auxiliary exercises
To determine the maximum maximum, an athlete usually uses a method called “walking”, that is, he allocates a workout in which he performs singles in each basic exercise, after warming up well. Since performing “walking” is associated with huge energy costs, overstrain of muscle structures, ligaments, joints, and, most importantly, the central nervous system, a method for reverse calculation of the PM from working scales was developed, which we have already written about in more detail in the corresponding article on our website. But, naturally, the question arises, how to calculate the RM for auxiliary exercises when you include them in your training split. Of course, to take into account the intensity and create an adequate cycle, knowledge of the RM in all exercises is simply necessary.
| Exercise | Addiction |
| Bench press | 100% |
| Press from 3 cm | 100% |
| Press from 5 cm | 103% |
| Press up from 8 cm | 105% |
| Press up from 10 cm | 110% |
| Press with chains | 105% |
| Rack press (start) | 80% |
| Rack press (pressure) | 90% |
| Press with stops | 70% |
| Speed press | 80% |
| Press with a pause of 2 seconds | 95% |
| Incline Press | 80% |
| Medium grip press | 90% |
| Press narrow grip | 85% |
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to deduce the dependence of PM in auxiliary exercises on PM in competitive movements. For example, cable extensions cannot be linked to the bench press, but specialized exercises can be linked, and, in general, this is what we are interested in. If you include cable extensions in your bench press program, French press and other formative exercises, then, since their role is insignificant, it will not be critical to select the weights intuitively. As for specialized exercises, their role is very important, and, focusing on the correspondence of the maximal max in a particular specialized exercise to the maximal max in the bench press, you can find out where the athlete’s dead point is. If the value is less than the expected RM, it means that the athlete is lagging behind this particular phase of the movement, but if it is greater, then there is no point in working on this phase separately, and you should focus on working on other phases of the bench press.
Bench press endurance program
This program assumes a cycle of 8-12 weeks, during which the athlete can increase his adaptive abilities, increase his capacity, tonnage and body weight. It is recommended to use weights of 30-65% of the maximal maximum and the number of repetitions from 8 to 20 in 2-6 working sets. During an endurance cycle, “refusing” accessory exercises is not allowed, and the use of specialized exercises is not recommended. Cycling is accomplished by increasing tonnage from week to week until the athlete feels under-recovered, at which point the tonnage is reduced to slightly above the original value and the second cycle begins. Each cycle lasts approximately 2-3 weeks and involves a total increase in tonnage due to CPS or intensity. The athlete selects the initial working weight independently, based on previous periods; beginners are advised to choose the minimum intensity and maximum CP.
Monday ( heavy bench press
)
Barbell squats (35-45%)
Power press (50-65%) – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Lying dumbbell flyes
Extension on the block
Wednesday ( light press)
Power press (20-40%)– 4 sets of 8-15 repetitions
Barbell rows – 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Lifting dumbbells in front of you - 4 sets of 8-20 reps
Hyperextension – 4 sets of 10-20 reps
Friday ( medium bench press)
Power press (40-55%)– 4 sets of 8-15 repetitions
Incline Press – 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Extension on the block– 4 sets of 10-20 repetitions
Standing barbell curls for biceps – 3 sets of 8-20 reps
Bench press strength program
The strength cycle is the main training period in the annual plan of strength athletes, since it is during this period that the athlete’s main strength potential is developed, however, 1 cycle should also last 8-12 weeks, although there are programs that provide for several strength cycles in a row. The main range of an athlete's work during the period of strength development lies within the range of 3-6 repetitions, and the intensity ranges from 60 to 90% and even higher. The program involves wave cycling of tonnage and relative intensity, while during heavy training the athlete uses large working weights and relatively low volume, and during light and medium training, a higher CPR, but a relatively light working weight. From week to week, the tonnage and intensity are growing, which is due to both an increase in the CPS and an increase in the PM. The athlete must select the KPS independently, based on his own endurance indicators, which he has previously demonstrated.
Monday - hard workout
Barbell squats (45-55%) – 4-5 sets of 4-6 reps
Power press (65-75%) – 4-5 sets of 4-5 reps
Pressing from a bar 10cm (75-85%)– 3-4 sets of 3-5 repetitions
Lying dumbbell flyes
Wednesday – easy workout
Power press (40-50%)– 3-5 sets of 5-6 repetitions
Press with pause (50-60%)– 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps
Lifting dumbbells – 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Hyperextension – 5 sets of 5-6 reps
Friday - average workout
Power press (50-60%)– 4 sets of 6 reps
Close grip press (55-65%) – 4 sets of 5 reps
Cable extensions – 4 sets of 6 reps
Biceps Curls – 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps
Notes* The athlete chooses the intensity according to how long he has been working on endurance, since endurance and strength are antagonists, and therefore, after a long period of endurance training, the athlete is forced to use lighter weights. Intensity is calculated from the maximum maximum, you can add 2-3 kg to the maximum maximum and count the weight accordingly; when you feel that the weight is not going any further, then it should be reduced to the lowest point of intensity, increasing the maximum intensity, then the intensity rises again. The key factor is the tonnage, which must constantly increase, which can happen both by increasing the intensity and by increasing the KPS, in addition, you can increase the proportion of basic exercises relative to formative ones.
Bench press program for speed
A distinctive feature of this period is that it is optional, since, in general, speed training can be included in other periods, but if there is no need for it, then it makes sense to allocate 5 -8 weeks to develop quality speed. During this period, it is recommended to pay attention to the development of technical skills, to use mainly dynamic exercises, such as singles, chain presses, rubber presses, speed presses and pause presses. The recommended intensity is 55-75%, and the number of repetitions is 2-6, so that the athlete can gain speed with a large working weight. The special thing is that in this program the athlete must perform the first approach with the minimum specified intensity, and the last one with the maximum. California press (40-50%) - 6 sets of 6 repetitions
Biceps curls (40-75%) – 5 sets of 4 reps
Bench press peaking program
The peculiarity of the bench press program to reach peak strength is that it makes sense to use it only before important competitions, since the program involves a lot of stress for all body systems. The program is designed to level out weaknesses and guide the athlete to the maximum potential strength result per repetition. The number of repetitions per approach does not exceed 4, and the intensity ranges from 70 to 90%, while the emphasis is on special auxiliary exercises, which allow you to level out weak points in the bench press. The duration of the program is 5 weeks, and the athlete must complete the program 2-4 days before the competition in order to achieve supercompensation Extension on the block– 5 sets of 5 reps
Friday - average workout
Press with a pause of 2 seconds (70-75%)– 5 sets of 3 reps
Press in a power rack (60-70%)– 5 sets of 3 reps
Dumbbell flyes– 4 sets of 4 reps
Extension on the block– 5 sets of 6 reps
French Bench Press – 5 sets of 5 reps
Today we will pay attention to well-known techniques that will allow you to quickly develop strength in the bench press exercise. This favorite exercise the predominant number of athletes training in the gym, largely due to its complex effect on the muscles. The bench press techniques presented below can be extended to other exercises, their goal is to develop muscle strength and speed.
For the convenience and safety of the athlete, it is better to perform the bench press in a power rack. The supports of this “box” will allow you to limit movements to the extent necessary; in extreme cases, you need to acquire the services of a belayer. In 2-4 approaches you need to perform 2-5 repetitions, the working weight is selected so that it is enough for exactly this number of presses. With heavy weights, the barbell is allowed to be kicked away from the frame.
Partial Bench Press
Singles
This method is nothing more than single repetitions. Place about 95 percent of the maximum weight on the barbell and do 3-4 approaches at a time. Before this, you need to warm up using light weights. It is also important here not to exert maximum effort, and not to confuse these movements with penetration. The weights are only approaching the maximum mark, but are by no means there. After such a workout, the muscles involved need to endure a recovery period of about a week.
Bench press. Singles
Negative presses
Let's say right away that this exercise is not easy, but effective. Increased muscle work with negative acceleration will help you gain strength during overcoming work. This is the main specificity of negative presses. Thanks to them, it is possible to load the ligaments and muscles more with the same amplitude as in traditional presses. The execution technique is presented as follows. Each athlete has his own indicator maximum weight when bench pressing. So, we add 5-10 percent to it and install it on the projectile.
With the help of a partner, the barbell is released from the racks and begins to be lowered, as slowly as possible. There should be no acceleration in the movements of the bar; the main thing is to learn to resist the force of gravity throughout the movement of the bar. When the barbell touches your chest, most likely you will no longer have enough strength to lift it. This is where an insurance partner can come in handy. Thus, the negative press is performed three times per workout. It is not recommended to do it more than once every 8 days due to the high risk of injury or overtraining.
Negative bench press of a girl
Explosion of power
The use of explosive techniques when performing bench presses is observed to a greater extent in weightlifters who are deprived of excess muscles. They pull such weights that it is incomprehensible to the mind, it is unclear where they got such strength from. This is achieved through developed speed qualities. Therefore, if you want to increase weights, then be sure to include speed exercises in your workout list. It's not difficult at all, the principle is as follows. Place 50-60 percent of your maximum weight on the barbell and do several sets of three reps each. The rest between them is short, just one minute. But there is one nuance: the main thing in these movements is speed. With each repetition, the lifting and lowering are done faster and faster. The barbell needs to be thrown up to the ceiling. Before speed classes, do not forget about warming up so as not to harm your ligaments.
Exercises to develop explosive strength
Bar hold (statistical)
10-20 percent is added to the maximum weight, together with the insurer, they are removed from the racks and held for 5-10 seconds at outstretched arms. In order not to involve outside hands, this movement is convenient to perform in a power rack. Next, a short rest for 5 minutes and the next repetition. The number of repetitions per workout is 4-5 times.
All special exercises The exercises presented above are aimed at accustoming the muscles to working with heavy weights. At the same time, the concept of lost reserves does not lose relevance. This means the need to develop muscle power and speed indicators. This will teach the brain to use an extremely large number of muscle fibers in the shortest possible time.
These exercises are also aimed at increasing speed. To perform them you need to have two benches. We focus the right side of the body on the right bench, the left side on the left bench. We take the usual lying position and lower ourselves as deeply as possible. From this starting position, with a sharp jerk we push the body up to outstretched arms. Then we go down and make a jerk again. Movements should be focused on stretching and sharp contraction of the pectoral muscles. Here's an exercise.
Traditional Press Speed
In addition to speed exercises, athletes need to watch their speed of movement when working on traditional presses. Attention must be paid to both raising and lowering the barbell. The faster the barbell lowers from the top point to the chest, the less force is spent on resisting the force of gravity. It is more appropriate to spend the saved energy on the next climb.
Practicing sharp descents, pectoral muscles and the ligaments also sharply stretch and help increase the barrier to the previously mentioned receptors. Accordingly, when you press the barbell, you significantly increase your strength. Try to put maximum resources into the squeeze to literally throw the projectile away from you. Thus, the brain is trained to engage a large number of muscle fibers.
Bench Speed Training
The exercises presented above provide an opportunity to add variety to your previous training process and make it more effective along with the usual method of approaches that use a fixed number of repetitions. However, keep in mind that singles and negative reps need to be used wisely.
DMITRY KASATOV
27 years
European record holder for bench press (306 kg) in the category up to 125 kg.
Champion of Russia and the 2004 Russian Cup in bench press.
Make your muscles work at 100%!
In this article I would like to move a little away from the magazine’s declared theme of “Pump up your muscles” in the direction of “Make your pumped up muscles work at 100%”! True, it will not work out 100% in any case, but it is quite possible and necessary to take certain steps in this direction. We will talk about increasing strength indicators in so beloved by many basic exercise- bench press.
When performing the exercise in the modes recommended for bodybuilders - with weights for 6-10 repetitions, maximum result, of course, is growing, but not to the extent that they are increasing strength endurance and muscle volume. Roughly speaking, the relationship between the achieved strength result and muscle volume is not optimal. All of you, I think, have noticed the superiority in size characteristic of bodybuilders compared to weightlifters and powerlifters (with the possible exception of the superheavy categories). But bodybuilders are inferior in strength to representatives of these sports, and inferior significantly. I will not go into the intricacies of physiology and biochemistry, trying to explain the nature of this phenomenon: I will say only in a nutshell - the whole point here is in the different composition muscle tissue and the brain's ability to mobilize motor units. Thus, for those who want to “pump up” after training, add more a short time and as a result, “at a time”, the techniques of powerlifters can be useful. Let’s say (figuratively speaking) you bench press one hundred kg (or maybe two hundred) and want to add twenty kilograms to your maximum in the bench press in a couple of months - try next program training (see table).
Necessary explanations for this table
- Only working sets are given (warm-up sets are omitted): 4x6, for example, means four sets of six repetitions.
- Medium intensity means that on each set you work with enough weight to leave room for one or two repetitions.
- High intensity means the last rep in last approach refusal.
- I hope you don’t need to explain the meaning of the word “pyramid”, but on such methodological techniques like fast and partial presses, negatives and singles, I will go into more detail.
1. Partial presses (press-ups)
This method is often used to train the triceps.
It is performed like a regular bench press, but the bar does not lower to the chest. There are options here. You can lower the bar quite low, or you can literally lower it by 10-20 cm. Accordingly, the weights on the bar will vary greatly. To increase strength, we use heavy weights and small amplitudes of push-ups. Supports can be used as a rod limiter power frame, or maybe the hands of the belayer. The work goes for 2-4 repetitions. In order to increase working weights, you can do light repelling from the power rack.
2. Singles
Single repetitions, if we say so.
Take a weight of about 95% of the maximum and with it (after an appropriate warm-up, of course) perform three to four approaches at a time.
The important thing here is not to make maximum efforts, i.e. Do not confuse singles with penetrations. Weight and effort should not be maximum! Close to maximum, but not maximum.
3. Negative presses
A very difficult exercise. But effective! The muscle effort during yielding work (negative acceleration) can significantly exceed the effort during overcoming work. This is what the method is based on. It allows you to load the muscles and ligaments throughout the entire range of motion more than with conventional presses.
The weight on the barbell is set to 105-110% of the maximum; The barbell is removed from the racks with the help of a partner and then slowly, slowly, independently lowered to the chest. It is important to resist the weight throughout the entire movement of the barbell. It should move evenly, without acceleration. Of course, it will be difficult to achieve this below, but we must strive for it. After lowering the barbell, a partner helps (and helps a lot) remove it from the chest. And so two, maximum - three approaches.
4. Fast presses
There is nothing complicated about it. Take a weight of 30-60% of your maximum and do sets with a rest of one to two minutes. BUT! The most important thing here is speed. Faster, faster with every set, with every rep. You need to shoot, mentally try to throw the barbell towards the ceiling.
Well, don’t forget to warm up properly so as not to get injured or strain ligaments.
And finally, one more important recommendation for this program: first of all, pay attention to recovery. The number of rest days between workouts given in the table is an average. Everyone has their own individual body with its own specific metabolism and certain conditions for recovery (sleep, nutrition, work, pharmacology). And you will have to choose the optimal training periods for you yourself. Moreover, naturally, it is better to rest more than to spend hard workout against the backdrop of insufficient recovery. In general, feeling your body in terms of what kind of load it is ready for on a given specific day is a big thing for an athlete. This is what we should strive for, experimenting with periods of rest and loads, and not puffing all the time according to the same split: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
Good luck in realizing the strength potential of your muscle mass!
| Day | Contents of the training |
| 1 | average intensity: 4× 6 |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | pyramid: 8, 6, 6, 4, 4, 6, 8, 10 |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | high intensity: 4× 4 |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | average intensity: 4× 6 |
| 11 | |
| 12 | pyramid: 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | high intensity: 4× 3 |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | quick press: 5 × 5 |
| 19 | |
| 20 | pyramid: 6, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 |
| 21 | |
| 22 | |
| 23 | high intensity: 4× 2 |
| 24 | |
| 25 | average intensity: 4× 6 |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | partial presses: 4× 3 |
| 29 | |
| 30 | quick press: 5 × 5 |
| 31 | |
| 32 | high intensity: 4× 2 |
| 33 | |
| 34 | |
| 35 | partial presses: 4× 3 |
| 36 | |
| 37 | |
| 38 | pyramid: 6, 4, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 |
| 39 | |
| 40 | |
| 41 | |
| 42 | |
| 43 | |
| 44 | quick press: 5 × 5 |
| 45 | |
| 46 | |
| 47 | high intensity: 4× 3 |
| 48 | |
| 49 | |
| 50 | singles: 3×1 and negative: 2×1 |
| 51 | |
| 52 | |
| 53 | average intensity: 4× 6 |
| 54 | |
| 55 | |
| 56 | partial presses: 4× 2 |
| 57 | |
| 58 | quick press: 4 × 3 |
| 59 | |
| 60 | penetration to maximum |
Dmitry Kasatov, Pump up Muscles No. 5-6 (102) 2005
