Q About Speed Bench

[u418936]

After a good 1-year run, my bench has gotten stuck for a few weeks. I'm weak about 3" off my chest, so I've been doing some speed benching. I do rows and weighted pull-ups regularly, so I think I have my lats covered.

From what I've read, when doing speed bench, you're supposed to use about 60% of your 1RM and get the bar off your chest as explosively and quickly as possible. When I follow these instructions, my upper back leaves the bench at the completion of each rep. This doesn't seem right (or safe), so am I supposed to use heavier weights or something? For the first few sets, doing triples with 60% of my 1RM seems pretty easy.

 

[UAphenix]

how's your setup? If you have a good arch and your shoulder blades are tucked and jammed into the bench then I would think it would be really hard to pop off the bench. Also remember even if your going as fast as you can you want to be able to control it. You might think about integrating bands or chains for speed day.

 

[silver_shadow]

something tells me that you aren't an advanced lifter (no offense - look at it as a boon... you can make gains faster which is a great thing).

it's been my belief lately that anyone but a pretty advanced lifter will not benefit as much from speed benching/squatting.

what i'd rather suggest is to build up your strength using paused benching with lighter weights at first. pause for 2 seconds with the weight on your chest (don't relax - maintain tension in your muscles). you could do something like a 3x5 with paused bench 1x per wk.

 

[u418936]

how's your setup? If you have a good arch and your shoulder blades are tucked and jammed into the bench then I would think it would be really hard to pop off the bench. Also remember even if your going as fast as you can you want to be able to control it. You might think about integrating bands or chains for speed day.

I was thinking it my be my form. I don't set up like a lot of the powerlifters I've seen on Youtube, who put their feet below their hamstrings, create a massive arch, and bring the bar low. I tried it, but I had a hard time getting into that position with heavy weight, because my spotter can't get me much of a lift off. I could do it pretty easily with 60% of my 1RM, though.

 

[Tweakle]

Speed work isn't optimal if you're a raw bencher imo, you need a constant diet of heavy low rep work and DB's rather than following protocols for shirted benchers.

ditto the low bar, you need some 'pec pop' with a raw bench, not a belly bounce

 

[u418936]

Speed work isn't optimal if you're a raw bencher imo, you need a constant diet of heavy low rep work and DB's rather than following protocols for shirted benchers.

ditto the low bar, you need some 'pec pop' with a raw bench, not a belly bounce

My back was always weak until I started doing Pendlay rows. I was thinking that benching explosively might add strength the same way that rowing explosively does. With Pendlay rows, though, you're not purposely using light weights to generate force, so I guess speed benching might not be all that great.

I've been on a 5x5 for nearly a year now, so I'll try switching to triples and singles for awhile. I won't be able to do any decent DB work, because the my gym doesn't have anything heavier than 120.

 

[Tweakle]

try pause benching, but you need to keep training heavy at pretty much all times with triples and 5's at most on the flat if you want to keep it progressing.

whenever I got 'clever' with bench training, my bench dropped

 

[chaos13]

might want to try hammer bench press (might have a different name for other ppl)

but use about 60-70% of you 1RM on the smyth machine, take the bar down to your chest, then explose up and try to "throw" the bar to the top of the machine, then catch it on the way down. go slowly on the way down, then explose again and throw the bar back up

not sure if my explantion is clear or not. if you need tome try and explaine it again, just let me know

 

[fallingeggs]

another one here for some good pause benching. like tweakle and silver shadow said, the speed bench is really for the advanced bencher, although you do not necessarily even need it at that level. you will get more out of a pause bench because it will teach you to keep tight and to explode off the chest, just something you need when going raw. when i started off, i did pause benching for a few months and i could really tell a huge difference in the explosion off the chest and my ability to keep tight at all parts of the press. Also, your workout might need to be changed to better fit gaining strength in the bench if that is something you really want.

also, about you back coming up, it is probably because of your form, or more lack of a powerlifting one. when using an arch, there is a lot of weight pushing your upper back/traps/neck down into the bench so the lifting up off the bench would not happen.

 

[u418936]

another one here for some good pause benching. like tweakle and silver shadow said, the speed bench is really for the advanced bencher, although you do not necessarily even need it at that level. you will get more out of a pause bench because it will teach you to keep tight and to explode off the chest, just something you need when going raw. when i started off, i did pause benching for a few months and i could really tell a huge difference in the explosion off the chest and my ability to keep tight at all parts of the press. Also, your workout might need to be changed to better fit gaining strength in the bench if that is something you really want.

also, about you back coming up, it is probably because of your form, or more lack of a powerlifting one. when using an arch, there is a lot of weight pushing your upper back/traps/neck down into the bench so the lifting up off the bench would not happen.

I'm not sure what to do about form. I don't have use the big powerlifting arch, but I tuck my shoulders, and I think I stay pretty tight in my upper back--Two months ago, I actually strained a trap benching. Should I work on benching with a big arch? It's really hard for me to start in the right position on heavy lifts, because I pretty much have to unrack the weight by myself. Also, when I try to move my feet back and maintain a big arch, I tend to bridge when I'm straining to finish a rep. I hate missing PRs because of this.

 

[mad dipz]

have someone watch your bar motion up and down. It sounds like you don't have complete control, and the bar is moving outward. Pressing the weight directly up and down should keep your upper back flat on the bench since the weight is directly over it.

 

[silver_shadow]

try posting vids of you benching with moderate weight where you nail the weight comfortably and also with heavier near PR weights. it would be useful for us to help you correct your form.

 

[fallingeggs]

I'm not sure what to do about form. I don't have use the big powerlifting arch, but I tuck my shoulders, and I think I stay pretty tight in my upper back--Two months ago, I actually strained a trap benching. Should I work on benching with a big arch? It's really hard for me to start in the right position on heavy lifts, because I pretty much have to unrack the weight by myself. Also, when I try to move my feet back and maintain a big arch, I tend to bridge when I'm straining to finish a rep. I hate missing PRs because of this.

Unless you are powerlifting, i do not really see the need to try and have a powerlifting form. i mean, keep a big chest and belly full of air, pin your shoulders back on the bench, tuck your elbows and plant your feet, but you do not need to have a big arch.

but anyways, i will run down how i set up and maybe that will help you get set with an arch. i lay on the bench relaxed and grab the bar where i want to and then slide up the bench while tucking in my shoulders. i slide up the bench till my eyes are under the bar or just past it (although i will say i am a little unique in how far back i go). once i have my traps/neck digging into the bench, i plant my feet which is about shoulder width apart with my toes even with the end of the bench. Note, at this point in time, my ass is still up in the air, i am pretty much stretching and getting the biggest arch possible with my hands on the bar and only my back and feet touching anything. I lift off the weight, settle my shoulders in their final place and then lower my butt down, holding it in place with pressure from my legs. i lower the bar to my lower chest, and press it straight up.

some thing that i could see messing up your lift off would be being to far forward on the bench to easily lift off your self. also remember that you do not necessarily need to be in the correct form when you do lift off (as for me, i have my butt off the bench). one last thing, when you are pressing the weight, make sure you are tucking in your elbows so that you touch your lower chest. once you start pressing, press straight up so the bar stays right over the point that you touched. the biggest thing i see people doing is touching in the right place, but swinging the weight towards their head and pressing the weight over the shoulders. That will mess your arms up.

 

[u418936]

Thanks for the tips everyone--especially on the setup. I'm getting a power rack in a couple of weeks, so I'll post a video as soon as I can.