I’m likely to be doing 12+ reps on my top set on bench this week and want to push it as high as possible. When doing heavy high rep bench how do I crank out as many reps as possible?
I know there has to be a trick about when to breathe and how to breathe — plus I imagine that rep speed is a crucial parameter. As well as how to correctly manage those moments where you need to pause a little. For the most part I think I have a pretty intuitive “grove” that I can cycle through where my leg drive feels natural but I know there’s a lot of optimization left on the table.
Edit weird side question, I have a deadlift bar. It’s not made of elastic but it’s got a little more whip and a lot more knurling. Is this a context where, grooved right it could help if I used it? Im only using 255 so it shouldn’t be wildly bouncy
The same way you do on lower reps, with as good of technique as you can muster. For me, the biggest thing I lose on higher reps is the tightness I get from a good setup with a torso full of air.
With a lighter weight you’ve got less potential for bad consequences as fatigue sets in and you need to get more air into your lungs. On a higher rep bench set I just try to stay as tight as possible and I tend to exhale as I finish the press, get more air in at the top and then brace for the next rep.
When I did heavier sets of 3-5 I would typically keep my air for the whole set.
A deadlift bar “helps” a deadlift by reducing the distance you need to lift the weight and being easier to hang on to for most people. At your poundage I don’t think it will really help or hurt to any appreciable degree. It will just behave a bit differently than a power bar or an Olympic bar, but they all hold plates just fine. You may perceive a bit more slack in the bar during your setup but it won’t be dramatic.
Once you get up above 500lbs or so the deadlift bar starts to behave quite a bit differently than a power bar. Over 600 I really started to notice how the weight breaks from the floor in stages.
Sorry when I reference the deadlift bar I’m talking about using it for the bench haha. The idea I have is that I should get a tiny bit of bounce coming up off the chest from the whip, as well as a bit more radiation from the better grip.
I know bench bars are stiff for competition because of the pause, but here I’m gonna TnG
To clarify are you breathing on every rep?
(Also it’s my personal bar I’ve had since college when I was in the gym more, I’m not out here abusing other peoples equipment haha)
Oh I’ve never tried that but I can’t see how it would confer any advantage to a bench. It doesn’t shorten the distance you need to lift the weight at all there and the smaller diameter probably makes pressing more difficult than a normal diameter. It is easier to hang on to, harder to push if that makes sense.
Right now I’m benching in the 10-12 rep range and yes, I stick to the same breathing rhythm for the top set.
I was thinking more from the elastic action of the bar itself. If you’ve tried locking out particularly fast on deadlift you’ll know how the weight kinda “bounces” at the ends of the bar. I figure if I can time that bounce right it should impart some extra momentum into getting off the chest
Just did it with the normal bar, honestly depressing. I “””got””” 12 but my buddy watching from the side said he saw some butt lift on the way up so might as well be 0.
I fully understand where it’s coming from too, it’s me trying to be fancy and using “leg drive” but because I’m a fucking idiot I’m letting my ass come up when I’m pushing with my legs. In retrospect there’s a whole host of obvious errors — my glutes aren’t engaged, my heels are up.
Is there a good non-video guide to bench setup? I’m pretty sure my upper back is set correctly but legs and hips are obviously all over the place.
From what I can gather it’s a couple inches of lift, so I’m holding out at least some hope that fixing my stability should offset some of the loss caused by removing the lift.
I’m not the best bencher out there and my cues have all been plucked from these forums over the years. I use leg drive while striving for upper body tightness. I achieve this in my back by imagining I’m trying to pinch a pencil with my spinal erectors while “bending” the bar to stay tight in the torso.
I wouldn’t worry too much about an inch or two of butt lift if you have no aspirations of competing in powerlifting. As long as the lift is feeling good and you’re progressing in your reps, you’re getting stronger on the bench press.
John Haack uses the cue of squeezing/hugging the sides of the Bench with his thighs to anchor his lower body into position (I wish I could find the video for you, I was trying to find it while typing this out, if I do, I’ll link it), this would only really work if you use Static Leg Drive using the soles of your feet.
I use this myself as a cue and it anchors me tremendously well.
I’ll try these cues out, and meanwhile get reading on setup specifics. Hopefully next week offers redemption. I should be at about 9 reps if there isn’t substantial strength loss and hopefully less reps makes it easier to focus on tightness. I still kinda want to increase the TM to work at lower rep ranges but I’ll trust it for now.
I know rip is regarded as teaching bench poorly, is there a name out there that I should really be trusting for technique stuff?
I don’t think you need redemption at all. It sounds like you had a good top set to me.
Keep busting ass on your top set while refining your technique. It really is that simple on 5/3/1.
As far as specific sources of information available on the internet for bench pressing, I’d defer to @T3hPwnisher who is much more encyclopedic in his knowledge of such things.
I appreciate that, although bench is really outside my wheelhouse. I know good benchers and good coaches, but I personally couldn’t tell you who has good advice and who doesn’t.
I’d once again suggest studying NFL combine strategies for a goal of high rep benching. Otherwise, Josh Bryant has trained heavy benchers, and Matt Wenning is an accomplished bencher and a coach. J M Blakely stands out as well.