Basic exercises are not enough for powerlifters to fully prepare for the tournament. Find out which support exercises will improve your bench press performance. During the off-season, powerlifting training programs are very similar to bodybuilding training, and their goals are the same. Athletes need to pay special attention to lagging muscle groups to gain mass. In the preparatory period for the competition, training changes, and the number of auxiliary exercises decreases, working weights increase, and the number of repetitions decreases.
Classification of auxiliary exercises for the bench press
The more experienced the athlete, the more obvious the division of the training process into stages becomes, and the arsenal of auxiliary exercises also increases. All auxiliary movements are usually divided into three groups:
- To the first group includes exercises performed by athletes at all stages of training. Their main task is to pump the main muscle groups.
- Second group make up exercises that eliminate "bottlenecks" in the development of muscles and improve the technique of performing basic movements. There are special auxiliary exercises for the power bench press, which will be discussed today.
- To the last one third group includes exercises that develop antagonistic muscles, or more simply, muscles that are not directly involved in squats, deadlifts and bench presses.
Also, the entire training process can be divided into three stages: the “pitching” stage, intermediate and preparatory.
The stage of "rolling" is aimed at gaining muscle mass. At the intermediate stage, the main goal of the athlete is to increase strength endurance, improve the technique of performing exercises and raise speed-strength qualities. During the preparatory phase, the athlete conducts targeted preparation for the upcoming competition.
Returning to the above classification of exercises, it should be noted that the movements of the first and third groups are used at all stages of training, from the second group they are mainly used in the intermediate period and sometimes during the "pitching". Each athlete must know their bottlenecks in order to then work to eliminate them. Defining them is quite simple and for this you need to break each exercise into at least three phases.
- If problems arise with the breakdown of a sports equipment, special attention should be paid to the outer part of the chest and the deltoid;
- If problems appear in the middle of the movement, then the athlete does not have a powerful stall and the chest muscles are poorly developed;
- If you cannot press the barbell at the end of the trajectory of movement, then you should work on the triceps;
If problems arise with the return of the projectile to its initial position, the athlete needs to work more on the posterior beam of the delta, forearms, biceps, latissimus and shoulder-beam.
Bench Press Support Exercises
Now let's talk about the auxiliary exercises, for the power bench press, which will help you improve your performance in this exercise.
Bench press, close grip
This exercise allows you to develop the front deltas as well as the triceps. It is recommended to do 2 to 8 reps in 3-5 sets.
Incline Bench Press
Through this exercise, you will be able to develop your triceps and anterior delts. Pay attention to the grip, it should not be very wide. It is recommended to perform from 3 to 5 sets of 2-8 repetitions each.
Press the bar in a sitting position from the chest, medium or wide grip
Exercise will help develop the front deltas. To perform the exercise, you should use an incline bench. With a small tilt angle, the risk of injury is significantly reduced. This is because the shoulder joints will be in a more natural position. In total, you should perform from 3 to 5 approaches, consisting of 3-8 repetitions.
Dips on the uneven bars
A very popular exercise, which confirms its effectiveness in training the triceps, anterior delta and lower chest. When performing the movement, the amplitude should not be very large and correspond to the amplitude of the bench press in the prone position with an average grip. If the amplitude is large enough, the risk of injury to the elbow joints increases. The number of approaches is unchanged in comparison with previous exercises and ranges from 3 to 5 with 3-8 repetitions in each.
Dumbbell Divorce Press Using a Horizontal Bench
The exercise is aimed at pumping the middle and lower chest. The movement should be carried out as quickly as possible. The number of recommended reps and reps remains the same as in the previous exercises.
It should also be noted that the seated barbell press, bar push-ups and dumbbell lift-press are the main auxiliary movements and should be performed at least once a week each.
French press using an incline bench
Exercise promotes the development of the lower triceps. When performing a movement, it is necessary to remember about its high injury hazard. Using large weights can cause chronic injury to the elbow joints. The exercise should be performed from 3 to 5 sets of 5-8 repetitions.
Extension of arms on a vertical block
Through this movement, you will be able to strengthen your triceps. The number of approaches and repetitions remains the same in comparison with the previous exercises.
Pressing the barbell from a dead center
This exercise allows you to eliminate one of the possible bottlenecks in the bench press. The amplitude of its implementation should be chosen based on the point at which the athlete's trajectory begins to have problems.
Press the bar with the maximum arched back
Through this exercise, the most favored trajectory can be discovered. The movement is performed as follows: the legs and trapezes rest on the bench, the back is maximally bent, and the amplitude of the exercise is minimal. The number of approaches can be from 3 to 6 with 2-5 repetitions.
Swing dumbbells forward
The front section of the delta is being worked on. When performing the exercise, it is necessary to use only muscle strength, not using cheating techniques. The hand is somewhat relaxed.
By using all of the auxiliary exercises listed above for the power bench press, the athlete will be able to significantly improve his results in this powerlifting discipline.
You can visually familiarize yourself with the technique of performing auxiliary exercises to improve bench press performance in this video tutorial:
