Is there something specific you don't like about how your training is coming along? No matter how we are progressing, we always have something we think could be improving faster, right? And for most guys, they want to be the owner of an impressive bench press. If that's what you are looking for, it's time to prioritize your training. Not only will this help improve a weak point, but it will give yourself a new shot of enthusiasm with your training as a whole and ultimately that is what's really important. After all, you're not going to get the body you want if you don't train. Let's take a look at a routine I used to priortize my chest training. I'm just not built to bench press so it's always been a frustrating point of my training. Have you seen those guys who bench huge numbers? They have a really small range of motion because they have short arms and are barrel chested. The bar just doesn't have to move very far. They are built perfectly for the bench press exericse. Not me. I have long arms and the bar has to travel a long way to go from my chest up to lockout. After being stuck for a long long time, I decided to really give it priority and do some things differently than I've done in the past. Here's what my 8 week chest training routine looked like I worked out three days per week, on nonconsecutive days, such as Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Day 1 Bench Press 4 x 6, 6, 5, 4
Flat bench flyes 2 x 10
Seated Alternat Dumbbell Presses 2 x 8
Dumbbell Upright Rows 2 x 12
Incline One Arm Dumbbell Laterals 1 x 12
Lying Tricep Extensions 2 x 8
Overhead Tricep Extensions 1 x 12
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks 1 x 15 Day 2 Deadlifts 2 x 6
Negative Only Bench Presses 4 x 3, 3, 2, 1
Pec Deck Flyes 1 x 12
Undergrip Pulldowns 2 x 8
Machine Pullovers 2 x 10
Stiff Armed Pulldowns 2 x 10 Day 3 Squats 2 x 8
Sissy Squats 1 x 15
Leg Extensions 2 x 12
Incline DB Curls 1 x 10
Barbell Curls 1 x 10
Incline DB Hammer Curls 1 x 10
DB Concentration Curls As you can see, I worked my chest twice a week with more intense work while working my other body parts only once per week. Even so, I still only hit the gym 3 days per week, giving myself ample recovery time for the stress I was placing on my chest and body as a whole. This prioritization allowed me to jump my max bench press 45 pounds in only 8 weeks! And that was as long as I was gonna do this. After those 8 weeks, my body needed a break from that type of training and I didn't perform any serious chest work for the next two weeks. Looking back, I probably would've been smarter to end this routine after 7 weeks instead of going the full 8 weeks. Use this routine as a starting point for some ideas on how you can focus on your weak point. And here's a tip for all you long armed bench pressers as well as anyone that either get's some shoulder pain from bench pressing or just plain feels the bench press a lot in the shoulders. Try doing decline bench presses instead. You'll find that it places less stress on the shoulders and more stress on the pecs where it belongs. For most people, the decline actually puts you in a more advantageous position than the flat bench and puts much less stress on your rotator cuff as well. |
