bench

Natural bodybuilder and trainer Jeremy Ethier took to his Instagram account this week to put his finger on the correct bench press grip distance for making optimal gains on the bench press. Here’s what you need to know. On the surface, the humble bench press seems like a pretty straight forward...

The barbell bench press is the king of the bench press jungle, but the dumbbell bench press is striding with it side by side. Barbell variations allow you to move more weight due to their fixed range of motion, but dumbbell bench press variations offer more freedom of movement. Why does that...

ou probably don't need dozens of movements to develop strength and size - you just need the six very best ones. This is all killer, no filler! Everyone can benefit from getting stronger. But for an athlete, there’s a lot more to physical success than being strong in the weight room. If you’re a...

Can You Meet These Functional Strength Standards? A one-rep max on the bench press only measures a fraction of your real strength. Can you pass this more complete list of tests? How Strong Are You? Sure, you test your one-rep maxes on the bench press, squat, and deadlift, but those numbers are...

by Jim Wendler Jim Wendler's 5/3/1/ program promises slow and steady gains that will eventually turn you into the strongest guy in the gym. And it delivers, every time. The Reason for 5/3/1 Just so we’re clear, either people want to do 5/3/1 or they don’t. I really want to help people, but if...

Best Bench to Build Your Chest The incline bench press doesn't do what you think it does. Choose the decline press instead for more chest growth. Here's the science. Incline Bench Press vs. Decline: What's Best for Growth? It's becoming increasingly rare to see decline benches in the gym. Sure...

Jay Cutler may have become famous for his “Quad Stomp,” but without a physique that was in proportion to the rest of his humungous legs, he could have never lifted 3 consecutive Olympia trophy’s. When it comes to the upper body, and particularly the chest, Cutler says that the dumbbell bench...

When it comes to the big lifts, technique is technique. But on top of mastering the form, everyone looks for progression – and there comes a time when even the best of us run into a stymie, and our strength (and size) doesn’t increase at the same linear rate that it did when we were 21 years...

Arnold Schwarzenegger says his chest was a challenging area of the anatomy to build, but he was able to grow it from what he described as “very flat and sunken” to one of the biggest in bodybuilding, and he did so with the flat bench dumbbell chest fly. Peaking at 58 inches, Schwarzenegger...

Here are three ways to do this exercise that'll build your back, make your shoulders feel good, and even boost your bench press. My most successful bench-pressing phase involved doing band work between sets. I’d been experimenting with various types of band-only exercises for the back – slow...

Jeff Nippard is a huge advocate for results-backed, science-based bodybuilding, but still believes in mastering the basics for greater gains. Case in point is a recent social media post, where the Canadian coach lists the top 3 most common bench-pressing mistakes that he’s observed. And, while...

Do You Even Need to Bench? Is the bench press right for you? Maybe. But maybe not. Here's what you need to know. In part one 17, I explained how the term “king of lifts” is defined as an exercise that’s not only superior to all other alternatives but also the best exercise for everyone. It means...

It's Time to Chase Some Better Movements Unless you're a powerlifter, stop with the emphasis on bench, squats, and barbell deadlifts. There are better masters to serve. Here they are. For years, lifters have treated the "big 3" lifts – squat, deadlift, and bench press – as if they're sacred...

by Charles Staley The sport of powerlifting is awesome, except for all the not-so-awesome parts. Here are the pros and cons you need to know. Back in the days when I was involved in Olympic-style weightlifting, I tended to view powerlifting with some disdain, which, by the way, is common in...

Best Bench to Build Your Chest The incline bench press doesn't do what you think it does. Choose the decline press instead for more chest growth. Here's the science. Incline Bench Press vs. Decline: What's Best for Growth? It's becoming increasingly rare to see decline benches in the gym. Sure...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... High frequency training (HFT) can consist of utilizing the same exercise(s) anywhere from 3-5 sessions per week to 15-20 sessions per week. Pretty much anything and everything works for beginners, but HFT works for everybody from beginners to very advanced...

When you hear the term "ego lifting" you probably think of one-fourth squats, curls that use everything but biceps, and bench presses that double as the spotter's deadlift workout. As a T Nation reader, you know better. However, you can easily fall prey to a more subtle version of ego lifting...

THE DUMBBELL FLOOR PRESS This is a staple exercise for many lifters. The floor press is simply bench pressing lying on the floor. This will reduce the range of motion compared to the regular bench press because the elbows stop when they hit the floor. You could argue that this might be a more...

Use whichever grip is most comfortable for you: arms crossed, clean grip, or strapped clean grip. Set the box or bench just below parallel. Lower each rep for 3-4 seconds. Pause on the bench for 1-2 seconds. Lean forward slightly and contract your glutes and hamstrings to initiate movement off...

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see a tall guy in the gym? Besides saying, "Damn, he's tall," you're probably thinking the guy either plays basketball or paints ceilings for a living. Or even worse, you say to yourself, "Man, he's skinny." For the most part, "skinny" is...