I love to bench!!  Well I “used” to love to bench.  I don’t bench much anymore.  I have nothing against the bench press (Except it is a ego lift more so than a productive lift), nevertheless I love benching.

However benching can get boring!!  It also can reek havoc on your pec tendons, rotator cuff muscles and isn’s a great lift for developing the pecs, its actually more of a shoulder & tricep exercise.  Hard to believe but true!

I have a lot of my clients (espicially those doing MMA & Jiu Jitsu) do other exercises besides just standard bar or dumbell press, and here’s why!

Answer this question for me.  When EVER have you laid on your back, on a bench, with your body elevated and done a bench press motion in real life?  Just think about it for a second?

My guess would be NEVER.

Now IF you are lying on your back and pressing up (IE underneath something pressing up) more than likely your back is ON the floor, not 2 feet above it on a bench!

Which is why I recommend a few “Alternatives” to just the normal bar or dumbell press!

Give these a try your next workout!  You won’t be disappointed!

As well while on the topic of benching be sure to check out my past blog post

5 Tips For A Better Bench Press Here

http://robkingfitness.com/2009/12/03/5-tips-to-a-better-bench-press/

It is probably the most over rated lift that there is but everyone loves to Bench Press (myself included).  There are many better lifts that can be done for upper body development but there is no escaping the “How much ya bench?” Question!

Here are 5 easy training tips to improve your Bench Press!

1. Don’t think about driving the bar off your chest, rather focus on PUSHING the bar away from you and  driving back to the floor!  Push yourself away from the bar.  I know it sounds strange, but trust me it works!

2. Be sure to drive your head back against the bench!  I can’t tell you how many people I see  that lift their head UP as they bench!  Don’t look down at your chest, drive up and almost look at your spotter!  Lifting your head off the bench also throughs off neural patterns in your neck and spine causing you not to be as strong.  I wont go into details but drive the back of your head against the bench!

3. Lift Fast!  I know, simple enough, but how fast do you lift?  I believe in a slow controlled eccentric (lowering) and a touch of the chest then EXPLODE the weight off as fast as you can.  You need to train your nervous system to fire totally when moving the weight.  The faster you train the concentric (Way Up) The Better!  So Lift FAST.

4. Train your rotators!  Another simple point, but totally neglected by everyone.  For more information clic HERE for info.

5.  Use Chalk!  Yes, chalk!  It is a STAPLE for lifting big weight.  If your gym doesn’t allow it (that really sucks for you), I recommend Liquid Chalk.  But if your gym allows it invest in some normal gym chalk (just be sure to clean up when your done).  If you have never used Gym Chalk before go buy some and use it on Bench, Deads, Squats & Chins.  It is worth the 7$ or less!

I know these pointers may seem pretty simple, but this is a good start!  Next month I will add 5 more detailed training tips to get that Bench Press Up!

Don't Bench On Mondays!

It’s a new week!

Monday, back at the gym!

There is a good chance that most of the people in the gym on a Monday were not in there training on Saturday & Sunday, or for that matter maybe not Friday either, after all, its Friday!.

But Monday….NO ONE misses Monday!  It’s a new day to start with a new program, moving towards a new goal!

You look around, bench press taken, bench machine press taken, hammer strength press taken, power rack taken (by someone doing CURLS!),  Its Monday aka Bench Day!  So here is WHY you shouldn’t have your program revolve around Monday aka Bench Day!

If you are like most people (don’t deny it), Monday is bench day!  Which means for the last few weeks/months/years Monday is usually chest & biceps day.  Why are you doing this?  Why is everyone doing this?  Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean that YOU SHOULD!

Here is what I want you to do!

I want you to take that muscle group or area that you have been neglecting.  Maybe it’s legs (I mean who wants to hit legs it’s so hard), maybe it’s back (you cant see it when you train so thats not as much fun as a chest pump).  I don’t CARE what you want to do Monday!  I DONT want you benching!!

Make a promise to yourself that for the next 6 weeks come monday YOU will target what you have neglected or what you don’t want to train!  6 weeks!! 6 Mondays!!  Don’t think, start TODAY.

Here is why you need to make that change NOW

- Monday everyone benches or does curls.  So machines & equipment are taken.  Do something no one is doing Monday and not wait for equipment

- Monday is usually a day of high motivation.  So target what you neglect when motivation is high!

- Monday is the day people set goals and priorities, so prioritize SOMETHING BESIDES BENCH PRESS!

- Monday means your well rested. If like most people you took Saturday & Sunday (Shame on you lol) So monday is a good day to hit something hard and heavy when you are recovered well.

- Monday the power rack is usually free (except people who do bicep curls in it, which should be banned from the gym).  Monday means a GREAT DAY for Squats or Deadlifts!

So start today and make a change.  Leave the chest press for Thursday!  Take an exercise or muscle group you neglect and target it TODAY and for the next 6 Mondays!  You will be thankful trust me!

Post up your Monday Goals Here!  Mine for Monday is Leg training – Weight Vest & Plyometrics!!

What you SHOULD Be doing Monday! - Squatting!!

Shoulder Pain

However with this battle comes injuries.  And there is nothing as bad as being able to bench press 300lbs, yet something as simple as picking up a glass, or closing a car door can cripple you in pain.  How can something so small set you back so much?  The answer usually lies in a small group of muscles called “The Rotator Cuff”

As the old saying goes you are only as strong as your weakest link, and in most cases improving your bench (and overall upperbody strength) can be dramatically improved by training your rotator cuff and by reducing future rotator injuries.  Ask anyone with a rotator injury it is not fun!  I can speak from experience as I have hurt mine twice, but never had surgery and learned how to get mine stronger.  At my heaviest I benched 405lb for 4 reps.  A big factor in this was always training my rotator cuff muscles.

The next the paragraphs are the anatomy behind theses mucles, don’t get too caught with the ins and outs of it.  As long as you get an understanding and add these exercises in the gym that is more important.

The rotator cuff is a group of four relatively small muscles (the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis, or “SITS” for an easy way to remember them all) that help keep the ball-and-socket joint intact. Rotator cuff muscles get strained from 1) sudden impact (a fall or high-velocity movement such as throwing when a person is not used to that particular activity), 2) overuse, particularly in sports such as swimming, baseball or tennis, 3) training with too much weight in the primary movements such as bench pressing or overhead pressing without proper recovery time, and 4) doing too much of certain types of movements without balancing them out with opposing movements (i.e. not enough pulling and too much pushing.)

Rotator Cuff Muscles

Because the rotator cuff muscles are so small, when strengthening them, it is important not to train with too heavy a weight. Initially a 3 or 5-pound dumbbell may suffice for most women, and an 8 to 12 pound dumbbell for men. When performing rotator cuff exercises, keep the movement slow and controlled, and be sure to train in the pain-free range of motion. Keep your wrists neutral rather than flicking the wrist to add range. Another option is using therabands or exercise tubing, although remember that in doing so, the end range of motion will be overloaded far more than the start, and in this case handheld weights (be it soupcans, 2-liter bottles or dumbbells) or cables are preferable to bands.

If necessary consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

The 3 Exercises

-Cuban Press with bar or Dumbell

-The Hitch Hiker

-Thumb Down Front Shoulder Raise

Add these 3 exercises in on your chest or press days.  It will help reduce chance of injury, improve pressing strength and also aid in improving shoulder strength and health.