Bench Press Question?
402734
If your goal is to bench a heavier amount, then you have to lift heavier amounts.  You can't lift heavy if you're doing high reps.  Firstly, you should be at least an intermediate weight trainer (2+ years experience) before even considering what I'm about to advise.  \n\nThere are three primary energy systems in the body, phospho-creatine, glycogen-lactic acid and aerobic.  If you want to lift heavy, you must focus on the phospho-creatine system, meaning your lifts should be no more than 8-10s (or less than 6 reps).  If you extend beyond this limit, you begin to kick in the glycogen-lactic acid system which is more related to strength gains than power.  6 reps or less will allow you to stimulate the appropriate energy system so that you may adapt to lifting heavier with more power as your training regimen progresses.  Creatine supplementation is also advisable and works very well with this type of training.\n\nPlease seek the advice of a professional trainer if you are not an experienced lifter.  Training 6 reps or less takes considerable knowledge on the basics before you can excel at this level.  Always use a spotter and you should be maxing out on the 5th or 6th rep and no more.  Also, stay away from any aerobic or cardiovascular activies as they will hamper your progression.  If you don't need to run then walk, if you don't need to walk then stand, if you don't need to stand then sit, if you don't need to sit then lie down, and if you don't need to stay awake then sleep.  The goal is to maximize growth and power, and you need plenty of rest and plenty of calories to achieve this.
590015
here is a picture of the bench, it may help\nhttp://www.cocoonzone.com/fitness/zoom/xr5_weight_bench.htm
887652
Your anterior deltoids (front part of shoulders) should get work a little, but it shouldn't support the bulk of the weight. For bench, you probably have a wider grip, which utilizes the shoulders more. Trying making it more narrow and see if that helps. Also, when doing flys, do them with your palms facing directly away from you (such that when you touch the dumbells at the top they face together). Try keeping them lower on your body as well. That should put more emphasis on your chest.
1175605
Bench press with dumbells is a great exercise to do if you don't want to dedicate a lot of time to improving that area.  Several exercises focusing on the pecs would be ideal.
1032241
With your body face up, rest your feet on one bench/chair/piece of furniture and your hands on another so that your legs are horizontal and your torso is vertical.  Then slowly bend your arms so that your butt sinks down below the seats of the chairs until it is almost touching the floor.  Then push quickly back up.  You should feel it in your triceps.  Do 10-20 of these, depending on how difficult they are for you.  Rest for a minute.  Then do 10-20 more.\n\nA variation on pushups that also works the triceps is what's called a triangle push up.  Instead of having your hands shoulder width apart you place them in the center directly under your chest so that your index fingers form two sides of a triangle and your thumbs form the one on the bottom.  As with all pushups keep your body straight.  Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 each.
913251
listen i go to the gym and let me tell you theres a lot of answers to this question\n\nfirst its possible that some are using steroids like the first person said but if your gonna say that everyone who benches more than you uses steroids then thats totally ignorant on that guys part and uneducated\n\nsecond your right some of them do have horrible technique....i know a guy at the gym who has horrbile techinique and is just doing it for show....hes kinda my friend but he just packs on the plates and doesnt do the exercise correctly....you know the constant cheaters....bends his back in bench press and swings and throws the weights around\n\nbut lastly my answer is simple....SIZE DOES NOT EQUAL POWER AND STRENGTH.....you see power lifters in the olympics and there 2 times smaller than regular body builders.......body builders arent stong....they train for the competition and the stage....the show....but its for looks.......powerlifters have to lift heavy weights.....listen there are two types of hypertrophy.....sacromere and sacroplasmic i think(to learn more about this click the link below)\n\nsacromere is a smaller diameter in the muscle but a higher density.......on the other hand sacroplasmic gives a larger diameter but softer density\n\nmeaning that if you train for the pump(12 to 15 reps) your gonna get bigger but not very strong but if you train with lower reps(6 to 10....usually around 8 reps) then your gonna get big but not that big and your gonna get much stronger.....also if you train ultimate strength low reps like around 4 then your gonna get very stong but not big\n\nppl train differently for different reasons and sports....good luck and dont get discouraged about other ppl benching more
1095680
I've heard that the best way to improve your bench press is by doing alot of push ups. Helped me. Also, try to do alot of free weights. Stay away from machines. Here's a great routine that works very well. \n\nBench press  4sets  10-12reps\nFlat bench dumbbell presses  4sets  10-12reps\nFlat bench dumbbell flies  4sets  10-12reps\n\ndo the same thing but switch to incline, then decline to work out your whole chest.
826989
OK i admit it   the  bench press  is not my fav exercise but when i do it is about 40- 50 lbs at the max.
541342
Yes it is perfectly fine to put your feet on the bench. It just makes it a lot harder to bench because you have to stablize yourself on the bench and the bar you are lifting. Do not worry about your back arching off the bench it is natural if you use a perfectly flat bench because your back is not flat.
1029671
Push-ups is an option but it gets really old really quick.  I would recommend getting a weight bench and doing bench presses with two free standing weights.  Not a bench press bar, but two solo weights around 10 to 25 pound each.  (depending how much you can handle.)\n\nWhen you lay down on the bench, push the weights up and inward so your hands start off side by side (seeing the back of your hands) and as you push up, turn your hands in (thumbs holding weight facing you, palms/weights against each other.)\n\nRemember; the lower the weight, the more reps brings toning of the muscle.  Higher weight, less reps brings mass & strength.\n\nHope this helps.
312606
There is a better one. For the sternal part do either flat or decline bench press with dumbbells or barbells. For the calvicular part do incline bench press with dumbbells or barbells.
1106288
Go to the gym and start working your chest out, fill that extra skin in with muscle... Bench press flat, incline, and decline will work best. Also Dumbel presses work awsome (when you kind of bench press, except with dumbells.)
447770
you should use weights 3 times a week. it should start building instantly little by little. i think there is a website bodybuilding.com or something to that effect.
876053
well 1 prob wit that....what if u cant bench press shit.....
799230
Push ups are the very best for building your chest and upper body. Less likely to have injury.But if my I have to choose between the two for fastest results bench press. Make sure to have a spotter and drink lots of water to reduce fatigue.
615911
You need to switch your routine every six weeks, otherwise you will hit a plateau.  \n\nYou obviously have been working out a while, not many can bench that much weight.  I am not sure what your goals are, but it looks like you are trying to increase your upper body strength more than your lower body.   You are really seeming to overdo yourself.  \n\nI think warming up is a good start, but then hit the heavier weights, it will bulk you up more.  \nMore weights/less reps = big muscles\nLess weights/more reps = toned muscles\n\nSlow down, though!  Don't over exert your body!
35194
If you're not going to have a spotter, you  might be better off finding a gym which has machines instead of free weights.\n\nMachines are safer to use if you don't have a spotter.  You can't drop the bar on your chest on a bench press machine. The worst thing you can do is to drop the weight stack and shatter the weights, but I've never seen this happen.\n\nMe, personally, I prefer the feel of free weights, but a lot of times, I don't have a spotter either, so I had to compromise and used the machines. If you're just starting out, machines and free weights will give you the same results.\n\nGood luck.