4 Exercises to Max your Bench By Strengthening Triceps

Who doesn’t want a bigger bench?  Nobody, that’s who.  No matter what stage of the game you’re in, you want to bench more than you do.  A simple answer to benching higher numbers is to bench more. After all, practice makes perfect, right? 

Not always, is the answer.  Being able to analyze where you’re missing your lift and addressing the specific weakness involved can be a faster way to a bigger bench.  After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Make sure you’ve mastered the basics, and then read on.

A miss between the halfway point of the bench press and lockout is attributable to triceps strength.  Or lack thereof.  To correct a top miss in the bench press, we need to increase our triceps strength.  Below are 4 exercises we love for adding serious power to your triceps and increasing your bench press. 

1.      JM press

 The JM press is performed much like a close grip bench press.  Except that instead of bringing the bar path straight down, we bring the bar path down toward our necks or faces.  The JM press can best be described as a combination between a skull crusher and a close grip bench press.    This movement loads the triceps, especially the lower head of the muscle, which is why there is so much carryover to the bench press. 

2.     Skull crushers (barbell triceps extensions)

Another great movement that really isolates the triceps is the skull crusher.  Using the EZ curl bar, you just lie back on the bench.  Once on the bench, you raise the bar over your mid-chest and lower the bar by hinging the elbows.  You can isolate different heads of the muscle by varying whether you bring the bar down toward your nose area or behind your head.  Our favorite is to bring the bar down to your nose area, as this is where we’ve seen the most carryover to the bench press.

3.     Dumbbell rollbacks

You begin by positioning the dumbbells as if you were going to do a dumbbell press.  Ensure that as you lie on the bench, your shoulders are even with the end of the bench (This movement can also be done to significant effect from the floor).  This is primarily an elbow hinge movement, so you bring the dumbbells down near your ears and then let them roll back by rolling your shoulders back.  This rollback with the shoulders stretches the long head of the triceps muscle, creating more tension within the muscle than merely doing a dumbbell extension.   To complete the movement, you simply reverse course.  Rolling the shoulders forward so that your arms are perpendicular to the floor, and then unhinging your elbows. 

4.     Close grip bench press

Last, but certainly not least, is the close grip bench press.   Not only will the close grip bench press throw size and strength into your triceps, but it also offers a lot of carry-over to your competition lift.  To execute this lift, set up like you would do a competition bench press.  Use all the same cues you usually use for your bench press.   When you grip the bar, you want a narrow grip on the bar.  Many prefer to have a finger adjacent to the smooth of the bar.  Some grip the bar a bit wider.   Often this comes down to shoulder mobility and personal preference.  But remember, the narrower your grip, the more emphasis is placed on the triceps; thus, the stronger they will get. 

Until next time,

 Rob Campbell

 Still want to improve your bench? Let’s get you in touch with one of Beast Strong Powerhouse’s accomplished coaches. Click here for more information or email us at info@beaststrongpowerhouse.com to discuss how we can help you max your bench.