Triceps Bar Hammer Curl: 3-4 Sets Of 8-10 Reps Jeremy Dutra, Triceps,Workout,Arm Workout,Bar,Hammer,Curl,Grip,Bench,Press

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Triceps Bar Hammer Curl: 3-4 Sets Of 8-10 Reps

(Superset with Triceps Bar Close-Grip Bench Press)

Your next superset is the hammer curl and close-grip bench press, both done with a triceps bar (also called a football bar). This really targets the long head of the biceps. Keep your elbows fixed at your sides as you curl, squeeze, and hold for a second at the top. No fewer than 10 reps here!

If your gym doesn't have one of these bars, you can perform a regular neutral-grip hammer curl with dumbbells.

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How To Bench Press 315!

A 315 bench press is the mile marker for many young trainees. Getting that third wheel on the bar is a sign to everyone that you've paid your dues and you are on your way. Not only does it signify an above-average level of strength, but it is a sign of things to come: more muscle mass, greater strength, elite performance. Not only will your frame widen to accommodate new levels of skill and performance, but your confidence will become broader and all-encompassing. Stronger people get stuff done. This article is a tool to overcoming that first hump on the road to improved strength and size. I will show you not just how to bench press 315 or how to increase your bench press fast, but overall how to get strong quick.

Technique
This is the most important aspect of bench pressing. Proper technique will lead to more efficient workouts (which mean faster gains) as well as a reduced chance of injury. I can't teach you how to get strong quick or increase your bench press fast if you are also getting injured frequently. To start, your body needs to be as stable as possible. This doesn't mean lying down like a fish. Get tight! Position yourself so that your bellybutton is under the bar. Position your hands on the bar so they are at least shoulder width apart. Now walk your feet back under you so that you are on your toes. Here comes the tough part: keep your feet, butt, and hands in the same position and move your shoulders further down the bench so that your chin is now under the bar instead of your bellybutton. This is called the arch; your body should be in a high arch and you should almost be cramping up from the amount of tension in your body. In this position you are a rock, and any force you generate will be applied directly to the bar, instead of being absorbed through your relaxed, squishy torso.

You're not done yet. Before you can take the bar out of the rack and go to work, you need to make sure your shoulder girdle is stable. As you press, movement occurs in the shoulder joint. The actual shoulder girdle itself should not displace. Stand up and roll your shoulders forward. This is what I mean and this is what many trainees do that hinders progress and causes injury. To stabilize the joint (thereby preventing injury and improving gains), pinch your shoulder blades together as hard as you can. As your shoulder blades come back, your back should tense. Remember this position: you need to maintain it during the entire set.

Now you are tight and ready to increase your bench press fast; faster than anyone you've known. Take the bar out of the rack and position it directly over the highest point on your body. For some, the top of the belly is the highest point, but I find this too low. The bottom of the sternum seems to be most comfortable for most people. Now lower the bar in a straight line. Keep the elbows tucked. To illustrate this, stick your fists out in front of you as if you were going to bench. Now rotate your thumbs up. The position your elbows move into is the position you want them in as you lower the bar. Do this a few times to understand the movement pattern and then apply it to the bar. As the bar lowers, your chest should be high in the air, your shoulder blades pinched together, your elbows tucked, your forearm positioned under the weight perpendicular to the ground, and you should have a death grip on the bar. As you gently tap the upper most point of your torso, drive your feet through the ground and your entire body into the bar. Done correctly, this should be the most efficient, explosive repetition you have ever performed in a bench press. Before long, your query will change from 'how to bench press 315' to 'how to bench press 405'. And then who knows?

Programming
Now that your technique is solid, I'm sure you are asking, "To increase your bench press fast there has to be more than just technique!" Well, you're right. Exercise selection, rep ranges, and recovery are all things to consider when addressing how to get strong quick. The main principle is this: lift hard, lift often. Allow me to expand on this.

If you are under a 300lbs bench press, you will still be considered a novice. This means your program doesn't have to be super specialized for you to make progress. In fact, you should be doing the opposite of specializing: focus efforts on building up accessory movers and potential future weak points now, and make progress continuously tomorrow. Bench pressing twice a week is plenty. Since benching puts a lot of strain on the connective tissue of the pectorals and shoulders, limit alternate pressing work to a couple sets. Young lifters have a tendency of shooting themselves in the foot by doing too much. Less is more. Stick with moderate rep ranges (5-8reps) as progress with these will carry over to progress with your 1 rep max. Training below 5 reps often will eventually lead to chronic inflammation and a burnt out central nervous system. There are very successful max-effort programs that have lifters train heavy, frequently and work around these problems, but they can be unnecessarily complicated. Keep it simple, stupid.

Workouts should start with an extensive warm-up, move into your primary bench press sets, and then taper into lighter accessory work that will add muscle to your shoulders, triceps, back, and biceps. Augmenting these muscle groups will not only increase your bench press fast, but give you a lean, muscular physique that I'm sure you want. You can choose one exercise for each and do 2 sets to absolute failure(utilizing drop sets, cheat reps, rest-pause, etc.), or you can do a simpler approach of 5 sets of 8-15 reps, using the same weight for all sets and adding 5-10lbs each session. Either one works well and, being performed twice per week, is more than enough to cause growth in the desired areas without overtraining.

Follow these principles and you will be on your way to a giant press in no time! For a more in-depth look at how to get strong quick, look out for Part II: How to Bench Press 405.

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How to Bench Press 405!

Part I of this series ("How to Bench Press 315") covered the basics of bench press technique and how to handle accessory work when building for mass. This installment will focus on programming for intermediate lifters. This isn't just a collection of workout routines for upper body development, but a comprehensive system that will grow weak points which will, in turn, increase your bench press fast. Using more weight in the bench press will, again, spur new growth in your upper body. The idea is get big to get strong, and get strong to get big.

The Bench Press Broken Down - The main movers of the bench press are the deltoids, pectorals, and triceps. These are not, however, the only players worth noting. To increase your bench press fast, you must train optimally, and that means targeting every muscle that plays a role in the movement. This causes synergy: improving individual muscle groups, which improves bench press performance, which improves workout efficacy, which improves individual muscle groups. Take any piece out of this chain and you are wasting your time. The other key players are supportive structures: traps, rhomboids, lats, biceps, and even abdominals and lower back muscle groups. These muscles create stability, which is the key to moving more weight efficiently. Studies show that weakness or fatigue in any of these supportive structures causes a decrease in performance. This is clear proof that to bench big, all musculature of the upper body must be firing on all cylinders.

The meat of your routine should be actual bench pressing. Time under the bar will lead to skill refinement: muscle fibers will be conditioned to fire simultaneously and in the proper order and this is the heart of optimal performance. When straining under maximum loads in the future, all thought must be geared towards effort and intensity; there is no room for thinking about technique cues. All of this must happen automatically.

Workouts begin with a warm-up: 10-15 minutes of stretching, getting blood to the supportive structures, and practicing the movement about to be done. I like to perform various arm circles and shoulder stretches in between light benching with an empty bar and light biceps/triceps work to warm my elbows up.

Here is the 'meat and potatoes'. Add weight to the bar in 20-30lb increments, performing 5-8 reps and keeping technique and tempo perfect. The goal is to get to your working weight completely warmed up, but not fatigued. 5 sets of 5 is one of the most time-tested routines for improving strength and size simultaneously. Use the same weight on each set and go for broke on the last one. Starting the cycle, choose a weight that is around 70% of your 1 RM. A 300lb bench presser would start around 210lbs. The sets would look like this: 210x5,5,5,5,12. Do this twice a week and add 5-10lbs every time. At a rate of 5lb increases and bench pressing twice per week, this lifter will bench press 300lbs for 5 sets of 5 in 9 weeks. Err on keeping the jumps small and keep track of your rep records on the last set. Your goal will be to break your record from the last session with 5 more pounds on the bar.

After you have completed your main sets, perform one exercise for 2-5 sets for each accessory muscle group, focusing on building for mass. 2-3 sets can be done if the intensity on each set is extremely high(i.e. training to and past failure using drop-sets, rest-pause, forced reps, etc.). 5 sets are best when performing sets that fall just short of failure. You are going to choose one exercise for shoulders, traps, back, biceps, and triceps. Chest isolation(dumbbell, incline, flyes, etc.) is only necessary when benching is limited to once per week. Since this is a twice per week program, try to avoid excessive strain on the connective tissue of the chest and shoulders.

Example Bench Press Day:
Bench Press - 210lbs x 5,5,5,5,12 reps
Triceps Press down - 70lbs x 5 sets x 10 reps
Bent Row(10 second drop set) - 135lbs x 10,6,5 reps 135lbs x 9,5,4 reps
Standing Curl - 85 x 5 sets x 12 reps
Shrugs - 185lbs x 3 sets x 30 reps
Front Raises(strict to failure, then swinging) - 30lbs x 20,18 reps

The high volume work(sets of 5) is very effective at building for mass, but the high intensity work(drop sets, forced reps, etc.) is just as effective and much faster. Experiment, mix and match: one combination isn't better than another. The most important factor for increasing your bench press fast is consistency. 9 weeks is an extremely short period of time for our hypothetical lifter to perform his 1 rep max for 5 sets of 5, but he won't get there unless he is on point for every workout in between. Stay focused, follow the basics, and you will realize your goals in no time!

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Bench Press - A Few Helpful Tips

ByJordan S Scheller

Bench Press

The bench press is an extremely popular lift, and is known by everyone who has ever touched a weight. For that reason, countless weight lifters are trying to pump up their bench press. While the bench press is a very popular lift, there is a lot of variation of technique that is used. Incline, grip, and elbow location are just a few variables in the lift. All the factors I just mentioned can alter the press in a huge way. With all the differences in technique, it is important to find the one that suits you the best.

Incline

The first factor that I mentioned earlier is the incline. The pectoral muscles are divided into two separate parts: the upper pec and the lower pec. Many people might suggest that a decline bench increases the lower pec, while an incline bench focuses on the upper pec. According to studies, this was somewhat correct. The variation in incline did affect the areas slightly different, but the difference was just not enough to matter.

A rule of thumb that I use with any lift is: variation is always good. I would suggest using variation on your bench press, but you don't have to so much focus on which part of the pec you are working. Instead, just make sure you have a good dose of incline, decline and regular press.

Grip

The next factor that I mentioned is the grip. I am sure that you have been told numerous different stories about various grips. I am not here to tell you which one you have to use; instead I just want to share with you some personal experience. Based on experience, I found that my form and overall bench was at its best with a wider grip. This means that my hands are out slightly wider than my shoulders. This grip utilizes my pectorals and lats to do most of the work, and takes a load off of the triceps.

Now, if you were looking for a triceps workout, a closer grip would achieve just that. Like I said earlier, variation is always beneficial.

So, back to the bench press, when actually performing the bench, it is essential that you bring the bar to the center of your chest. You do not want the bar to stray over your head or your stomach. You want to keep the bar in your power line.

Another important part of the bench press is your legs and bottom. While in the weight room, I often see people benching with their bottom way up in the air, while struggling with their weight. This is wrong for many reasons, one, you run the risk of pulling something in your leg, and two, it is not a proper bench press, since you are using unfair leverage. While benching, I focus on keeping my bottom on the bench, and I pull my legs back under the bench towards myself to reduce the temptation of using my legs.

I hope that you have found a few of my tips helpful, and I wish you the best of luck in your lifting.

Jordan enjoys sharing his ideas and experience which cover a vast expanse of categories. If you are interested in ankle weights, I would suggest that you follow the link to learn all you need to know about the benefits, risks, and much more about Ankle Weights. Follow me on Twitter to discover Walking With Ankle Weights.

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Tips for Properly Performing the Bench Press

The bench press is probably the most popular exercise among beginner weight lifters and bodybuilders. The lift seems fairly simple. I mean, you just bring the bar to your chest and push it back up, right? Actually, the bench press has several intricacies that can cause several problems if ignored:

Not targeting the pectoral muscles in the chest most effectivelyThe onset of shoulder painLacking strength and muscle gains

These are just a few examples, but I think you get the idea. Not performing the bench press correctly can slow your gains at best and cause bodily injury at worst. So let's look at a few of the most common aspects of bench pressing that go awry.

Keeping the Elbows Out

Nine times out of ten, when I'm coaching someone who complains about shoulder pain while bench pressing, it stems from them angling their elbows outward as they bring the bar to their chest. This puts an enormous amount of angular pressure on the shoulders. This not only leads to immediate pain, but can cause serious damage if left unchecked for an extended period of time.

The way to prevent this is by simply being intentional about turning your elbows inward after you've lifted the bar from the rack and before you begin lowering the bar towards your chest. This turning needn't be too pronounced. Just a slight turn in to keep your elbows near your torso as you bring the bar down and press it back upwards.

Not Expanding the Chest

The focus of the bench press should always be the pectoral muscles. Far too many lifters unintentionally shift their focus to the shoulders and triceps muscles by having their back completely flat against the bench while performing the bench press lift. Instead, what you want to do is bring your shoulder blades back and in, forcing your chest upwards and making a slight arch in your lower back. In other words, your butt and shoulder blades should be providing most of the base for this lift.

Your chest should be "barrel-chested" so it is maximally expanded upwards. This will ensure the focus of the lift is centered on the pectoral muscles and also allow you to lift heavier weight because it will shorten the distance the bar has to travel from start to finish.

Implementing these changes can take a little getting used to, but they will have a tremendous impact on your long-term muscle building results from using the bench press. Not to mention they will help ensure your immediate safety and prevent long-term injuries from using improper bench pressing form. These tips have been an enormous help to me and I hope they will be to you as well.

Craig Leonard is someone who understands the struggles the average person endures when trying to build muscle and shed unwanted body fat. His passion is inspiring others to transform their bodies and improve their lives.

For more information to help you build muscle, lose fat and bench press more weight, check out Craig's inspirational articles on RippedOut.com.

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A Guide To The Bench Press

ByLisa Perkins

One of the most popular exercises in the gym, particularly among men, is the bench press. When talking about an individual's strength, the question is always "how much can you bench?" It's a good measure of upper body strength, as it uses the chest, triceps, shoulders, and biceps. The bench press is a pretty simple exercise to perform, as virtually anyone can do it.

If you are interested in learning how to increase the amount you can bench press, the good news is that you don't need any special equipment or supplements to accomplish your goals. Regardless of what weight you can currently bench, there are techniques you can benefit from.

The grip is the first point of emphasis when getting ready to do a repetition. If you opt for a wide grip, then more pressure will be placed on the chest muscles and it will involves pushing more outward. On the other hand, a narrow grip involves the triceps a lot more, and you will be pushing more inward. The consensus is that the ideal grip is somewhere between the two, with your forearms perpendicular to the ground as you lower.

If you are new to the bench press, start with no weight and focus on technique. Keep your shoulders and back down on the bench the whole time. Spread your feet out wide, with your legs at slightly less than 90 degrees.

Once you have established a grip and lifted the bar up, lower it down to the point on your chest where your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Once it hits your chest, push the bar straight back up. Once again, I would recommend starting off just lifting the bar only, or very light weight, so you know what grip and landing spot on your chest is ideal. Having someone spot you is a good idea so they can provide feedback on your technique.

Most advise pausing when the bar comes into contact with your chest. What you don't want to do is bounce it off your chest, as it will give you momentum. While momentum might seem like a good thing, it's not. You want muscles to do all the work so you get maximum benefits from each repetition.

The bar should come to a complete stop as it hits your chest. This will reduce the possibility of injury, and keep the bar in the right position.

Also, be sure to use a nice, controlled motion when pushing up. Going to fast can once again result in injury or losing control of the bar.

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Bench Press Equipment: What Are Your Options?

ByLisa Perkins

Almost all bodybuilders and weight lifters have the bench press as a part of their routine. The bench press is what's often used to measure one's upper body strength. Not only will it increase the strength of your chest, triceps, and shoulders, but will also build your reputation.

The bench press can be done in several ways, and each one is used for different reasons. If exercising from home is your preference, then buying bench press equipment is something to consider.

Standard or Flat Bench

The flat bench is a staple of any commercial or home gym. An ideal flat bench would have supports for the bar as well. Most of these benches do have several racking heights to accommodate taller and shorter individuals. Some spotter arms come with the ability to adjust them vertically. You also have the option to buy a basic flat bench with no spotter arms. Instead of lifting a barbell, you would lift dumbbells. I actually prefer the latter because each side gets worked equally.

Incline Bench Tool

An incline bench press is recommended if you want to focus on the middle and upper part of the chest. Anyone who wants a thick, bulky chest should do the incline variation. The change in position allows you to work the upper pectoralis muscle and anterior deltoids more effectively than the flat bench press does. Because it's so effective and involves a more natural motion, this is a favorite among many bodybuilders.

Multi-Exercise Bench

This kind of bench press equipment offers multiple exercises with attachments generally for leg exercises, and a preacher curl pad. Multi benches are rarely found in gyms and are sold primarily as home equipment. For those who want to do more than one exercise and have limited space, this is an option to consider.

Weights and Bar

There are a lot of options in choosing bars and weights compare to other equipment. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes from Olympic bar, Olympic bench, and barbell.

Bench press equipment is available in many different variations. If you have come up with a decision to buy a complete set of equipment, think of how much you are willing to spend first. Consider all the options.

The most inexpensive and flexible option is to purchase a flat bench with the ability to incline, while using dumbbells instead of a barbell. It allows you to work more muscles and do many more exercises. It all boils down to what you prefer and can afford.

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Make Your Bench Press Epic

Talk to ten people at the gym, and you will get ten different descriptions on how to do a particular exercise. Which one is right? I guess the right answer is: it depends. Everyone's body functions and moves differently than others, but there are definitely certain guidelines that should be followed while performing a lift and adapted to fit one's comfort level.

As a mechanical engineer by trade, I tend to analyze weightlifting technique from a mechanical systems standpoint. I highly stress form, and today I want to describe to you what I consider perfect technique for easily the most popular weight lift at the gym: the bench press.

First off, I want to touch on two major technique flaws that you should abandon starting right now. The first is the tendency to bounce the barbell off of the chest in order to generate momentum upwards to begin the lift. In general, any sort of momentum generation is cheating. Remember in physics class when they taught you that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. In this case, you are using the elasticity of the rib cage to spring the barbell upwards. Not only are you taking a significant amount of work out of the lift, but you are also placing an intense amount of stress on your rib cage, which can't be safe.

The second technique flaw is the tendency to only perform half a lift. It's pretty common to see people load up a barbell with more weight than their muscles can handle, and in order to compensate they will only allow the barbell to travel downwards a few inches. In this case, the weight must be dropped in order to perform a full lift and get the full effect out of the lift.

Now that we have covered the wrong way, let's take a look at how the bench press is truly supposed to be done.

First, find a mirror. Stick your arms straight out to your sides, with your palms facing downwards and your arms parallel to the ground and level with your shoulders. Your body should make a lower-case "t" shape.

Next, bend your arms at 90 degrees so that your hands are pointing straight in front of you. Your arms should still be parallel to the floor and level with your shoulders. This is how far apart your hands should be placed during the lift. This may be a wider grip than you're used to, but it will emphasize your chest muscles to a higher degree.

Now, from this position, imagine you have a bar in your hands and are lowering it to your chest. You may notice that you would be lowering the bar higher up on your chest than you typically would, almost to the point where it is above the base of your neck. This is the range of motion that your bench press should have.

Lifting the bar in this manner targets the upper part of the pectorals to a higher degree, which allows for two main benefits. The first is that it develops far more functional strength than your average bench press. Imagine a football lineman driving forwards and engaging his opponent after the snap of the football. Because his torso is typically slanted forwards, he will be using more of his upper chest muscles to drive his opponent backwards.

Second, performing the bench press like this allows for a better looking chest muscle. Emphasizing the upper part of the pectorals will help to develop a fuller-looking chest, while too much emphasis on the lower half of the pecs can make them appear to sag.

While performing the lift, remember to take the barbell down slowly until it is about an inch away from your chest. Pause for a brief moment to prevent the elasticity of your muscles to generate any unwanted momentum, and focus on your chest muscles as you drive the barbell back upwards.

Remember to warm up properly and use a spotter, as this can be a dangerous lift!

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