Thread: Trying to get more out of my flat bench!

There are a lot of variables missing out of this equation..Form being what comes to mind first..are your shoulders blades pulled together, is there an arch in your lower back and driving with your legs to further lock your shoulders/back into the bench. When you unrack the weight are your elbows flared or tucked, are you squeezing the bar or trying to pull it apart to involve the triceps, the location of the bar when you lower it, and are you pushing in a straight up motion or arching the bar back towards the rack..sorry for the rant but to me technique should be addressed

Originally Posted by SloppyJ

I'd drop the close grip and save it for tricep day.

That's just wearing you out on chest day. Atleast that's what I do. I'd rather save it for tri day and go heavy. Like 250ish.

Yeah I don't advocate going heavy close-grip on chest days. But going heavy close-grip on non chest days, i.e. Tri days, my bench has imrpoved significantly. However, many people like to do Tris and chest on same day so it would require a temporary realignment of workout routine.

Originally Posted by scaryclown34

by life fitness i assume u mean the smith machine? i know the smith machine bar at my gym which is a yellow life fitness only weighs 25 lbs not 45 lbs like an olympic bar. its definatley safer if ur gonna lift heavy weight by yourself. but some of ur stabilizer muscles wont be fully engaged since its on a track.

No go to Life Fitness. These are not smith machines. Go to that web site then tell me what you think.

Originally Posted by purplerain

No go to Life Fitness. These are not smith machines. Go to that web site then tell me what you think.

u cant just tell me to go there and know which machine ur talking about.

do u mean something like this?

Incline Press | LifeFitness

Strengthening my lats for more stability, increasing my grip strength helped alot. 2 movements helped my bench, dips and close grip bench presses. One more is using the power rack. Overload the bar (more weight you can actually bench ), unrack it and focus solely on the negative. OH and make sure you have the safety's set right above your chest. The negatives will help you get stronger than you can believe.