#2 Strengthen Your Back and Arms For Better Chest Exercises
Your back is your foundation so don’t neglect it when focusing on bench. You will want to build it up as much as possible by doing barbell rows that will isolate your upper back and lats. Triceps are also important and you can do close grip bench, floor press, dips and JM press to build them up.
Believe it or not you can also get some stabilization strength from working your biceps as well. The brachialis act as a stabilizer during bench press. A good exercise for this is hammer curls this will help the best chest exercises.
It’s important to remember to train back/arms on separate days, and separate them from chest for the best chest exercises. Lifting chest and then doing triceps after is not very effective because your triceps will be fatigued and won’t be at their full potential.
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This article needs a serious overhaul. Speed on chest will lead to injury no matter what you do. Form and steady movement will always do you better. You also need to work triceps lightly befofore a chest workout due to you need to warm up and it’s the primary muscle that is used. Always use proper form steady movement and when using negative movement use a partner.
I agree with going too fast is not beneficial, however, to suggest that tricep is a primary muscle group is wrong. Triceps are clearly a secondary muscle group when doing bench. The only way tricep would be primary is if you were doing close grip bench.
Thanks
Terry
You must be doing a specific type of workout that involves working small to big muscles first. Doing light warmups on the bench press is sufficient enough. There is no need to do any type of tricep workouts before bench. You won’t get maximum results if you do that. Think big to small for the most part.
Thanks for your input James…
Terry
Agree with you 100%
I feel that too fast is incorrect. Slow and steady pace is the right way. In a full range of motion, just off your chest with the bar is your chest and as you extend upward away from your chest the triceps kick in. Both are important. DIPS are excellent and add big gains to you chest. Slow and controlled since the should is involved. Chest pull overs are another. Add these into your chest day add to your bench. It worked for me for sure. Switch to dumb bells ever other work out. Another biggie. Pushing up two 100’s is completely different, Than 200 on a bar. Why did they not talk about that? Dumbbells are more effective than bars. Especially included. Every huge guy uses Dumbbells. That’s a fact.
Dan,
I agree too fast is not productive or reckless. I also agree with you and often switch between straight bar and dumbells personally because they really hit my chest differently. Furthermore, dumbells also hit stability muscles and are more “functional”.
-Terry
One moment this article says “lifting fast is the way to go” and then a couple of tips later, “Negatives” (a slow and controlled movement” helps you achieve gains. Conflicting lifts makes this article lose credibility.
Agree to disagree, we are simply stating both benefit you in different ways. Obviously we wouldn’t suggest doing Negatives back to back with fast lifting.
Terry
I see where this could get mixed up, proper form should always be applied and you should never be reckless with your movements. I feel like the article is refering to the explosiveness of your reps. The more explosive(fast) you are out of the bottom of your lift, The more weight you do, the more size and bulk you can obtain. This has nothing to do with negatives, being the negatives focus on deteriorating and tearing every last bit of your muscle towards the end of a bench work out, they are two different types of movements, focusing on two types of ways to tear your muscles.
Exactly Aaron… Thanks for your input!
Terry
Aaron has it right. You’re supposed to explode on the concentric movement, which is pushing the weight up for bench, and going slow and controlled on the way down (eccentric). That’s the best way to get gains and build strength for any exercise.
Thanks for your input Mike!
Terry