Bench | Juggernaut Training Systems

5 Common Mistakes in the Bench Press

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:49:34 +0000

Struggling with your Bench Press? You may be making one of these common errors. Listen up as Chad Wesley Smith and Marisa Inda show you how to fix them.

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How To Design A Bench Press Program

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 17:36:53 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith presents a step by step guide of how to design effective bench press training programs by individualizing volume, frequency, exercise selection and progression strategy for each lifters needs.

How To Design A Squat Program

Videos referenced here are:

Principle of Overload

Finding Your MRV

Finding Your Frequency

Undulating Periodization Strategies

Best Exercises to Improve Your Bench

Utilizing Variation for Fatigue Management

Addressing Bench Press Weak Points

Selecting & Progressing Weights

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Bench PR with JuggernautAI Powerbuilding

Chad Wesley Smith — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 21:50:01 +0000

Kristin Estes is a Natural Pro Bodybuilder turned Powerlifter and has been killing it with JuggernautAI Powerbuilding. Here she is hitting a new Bench PR

Use MFGRLPOWER to save when you sign up for the JuggernautAI App at https://www.juggernautai.app/

The post Bench PR with JuggernautAI Powerbuilding first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Heavy Bench Press Session w/ Marisa Inda

Chad Wesley Smith — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:26:11 +0000

Marisa Inda continues her training for 2022 Powerlifting America Nationals with the JuggernautAI App, hitting a heavy bench press session.

Try the JuggernautAI App for 2 weeks FREE: https://www.juggernautai.app/

The post Heavy Bench Press Session w/ Marisa Inda first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Powerbuilding Upper Body Pump w/ Marisa Inda

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:13:24 +0000

Marisa Inda goes through an Upper Body session on the JuggernautAI App’s Powerbuilding system.

The post Powerbuilding Upper Body Pump w/ Marisa Inda first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Best Exercises to Improve Your Bench Press

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 13:40:22 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith shares his favorite movements to address different weak points and improve the Bench Press.

The post Best Exercises to Improve Your Bench Press first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

5 Tips To Improve Your Bench Press

Chad Wesley Smith — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 16:45:28 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith and Team Juggernaut bring your 5 Tips To Improve Your Bench Press. Use these simple but effective tips to improve the king of upper body lifts.

The post 5 Tips To Improve Your Bench Press first appeared on Juggernaut Training Systems.

Bench Variations | How, Why and When To Use Them

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:46:09 +0000

There are tons of different exercise variations out there being touted as a fix to this weak point or the best exercise to improve such and such. Here is a simple guide to help you understand how to do some of these more important variations, why you would perform them and when they’re best to include in your training.

Widegrip Bench

Technique Points

-Move your grip out 2-3” from your competition grip

-If your shoulders will tolerate it, a wider grip and higher touch point will be advantageous

Why To Do It

-To build up pec strength for overcoming weakness off the chest

When To Do It

-This is a great option for Hypertrophy training. While it can be stressful for your shoulders, since the load is lighter it is the best time to use it.

-Utilize this in Strength and Peaking as secondary movements if you are struggling with strength off the chest

Spoto Press

Technique Points

-Lower the bar rapidly, stopping it about 1” off of your chest.

-Have a short pause with the bar hovering off your chest

-Think about the tension through your back and body being used to stop the bar, not just your arms

Why To Do It

-To build up strength in the midrange portion of the bench press

-To improve stability and control over the bar

When To Do It

-This can be used during any phase to address a specific weak point or to avoid adaptive resistance

Board Press

Technique Points

-Focus on maintaining bar over wrist/wrist over elbow stacked position

-Avoid bouncing or heaving the bar off of the board

Why To Do It

-Build up lockout strength and tricep hypertrophy

-Develop confidence and neural force production by using heavier weights

-Workaround shoulder or pec injuries with a shorter ROM

-Rehab pec or shoulder issues through using progressively lower boards

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy. Can be used here to develop tricep size/strength for an improved lockout.

-Strength and Peaking. Build up your lockout strength and expose your body to heavier weights to develop strength and confidence.

Closegrip Bench

Technique Points

-Move your grip in 2-3” from your competition grip

-Focus on tucking your elbows more and touching the bar lower on your chest to maintain bar over wrist over elbow stacked position

Why To Do It

-To build up tricep strength for an improved lockout

-To workaround shoulder/pec issues

When To Do It

-Best suited for Hypertrophy but can be used in any phase to build lockout strength

Feet Up Bench

Technique Points

-Place feet on end of bench, straight out or held in the air (like a crunch position)

-Set your upper back the same way as you would in a normal bench press

Why To Do It

-To build up pec strength for overcoming weakness off the chest by eliminating leg drive

-To increase bench volume by using a variation that limits how heavy you can go

When To Do It

-This is a great option for Hypertrophy training as it tolerates very high volume

-Utilize this in Strength and Peaking as secondary movements if you are struggling with strength off the chest

Incline Bench

Technique Points

-Focus on maintaining bar over wrist/wrist over elbow stacked position

-Touch point will be higher on your chest than a flat bench

Why To Do It

-To build up shoulder strength to overcome midrange weak point

-To avoid adaptive resistance from training too long at the same exercises/planes of movement

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy. This is the ideal time to build up shoulder strength and use an exercise with slightly lower specificity

-Strength. If you are really struggling with a midrange weak point you can continue Incline Bench during strength but we typically prefer Spoto Press for this issue

Low Pin Press/Dead Bench

Technique Points

-Set the pins about 1” below your sticking point, down to ½” off the chest

-Get your normal setup (scaps retracted, foot position, stacked position) as you would in a normal bench -Come to a full stop on the pins for every rep, this is usually best done by perform singles or cluster sets

Why To Do It

-To build up pec strength for overcoming weakness off the chest by eliminating any stretch reflex

-To work around an injury by controlling ROM or removing the eccentric phase, if that is where pain is happening

When To Do It

-This is best suited for Strength Blocks. It doesn’t lend itself particularly well to higher volumes that you’d want for Hypertrophy but could be used there too. This can either be done as its own bench day or after your competition benching to address a specific weak point.

Floor Press

Technique Points

-Set your upper back the same way as you would in a normal bench press

-Focus on pausing your triceps on the floor, not your elbows

-Legs bent or straight is fine, just avoid using leg drive

Why To Do It

-Build up midrange strength

-Workaround pec or shoulder injuries with a shorter ROM

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy or Strength Blocks. This exercise lends itself to high volume, making it a good fit for Hypertrophy or can be used to address a midrange weak point during a Strength Block.

Slingshot Bench

Technique Points

-Ensure that the Slingshot is high enough on arms for proper fit

-Try to maintain as similar technique to your normal bench press as possible, this may be difficult if you bench with a more wide/flared elbow position

Why To Do It

-To overload your neural force production qualities with heavier weights and build confidence.

-To add extra volume/stress to your triceps if they are relatively weak compared to your chest/shoulders.

-To workaround injuries/pain in the pec, shoulder or elbow that is alleviated by some assistance in certain ranges of motion

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy. The Slingshot can be used in this phase to add extra/volume stress to your triceps and build up extra lockout strength potential.

-Strength. This is a good time to use the slingshot for a bit of Mechanical Overload training, eg. Do a 5rm raw, then add the slingshot and do a 5rm at 5-10% more

-Peaking. This can be used in a similar way as Strength.

Other Notes

-This is a tool that should probably be used every 2-4 weeks during the course of regular training, it is not for every session or every week, outside of injury workarounds

-Aim for a 5-20% overload above your normal weights, the stronger you are, the lower on that range you’ll be. Using a slingshot to bench 50% more than you can without it is not beneficial enough to warrant the fatigue it would create.

-If you feel the Slingshot disrupts your Bench Technique, all of the benefits of it can be derived from Reverse Band Benching, which won’t disrupt your technique in the same way.

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Heavy Bench Session with Marisa Inda

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 14:28:53 +0000

5x USAPL National Champion Marisa Inda and Coach Chad Wesley Smith take us through a full Bench Press training session using the JuggernautAI App.

Interested in training like Marisa? Check out the JuggernautAI App for Apple and Android and get The Smartest Program for You

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Warming Up for the Bench Press

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 21:18:44 +0000

Marisa Inda demonstrates a simple warmup to utilize before your Bench Press training sessions.

An effective Bench warmup entails raising the core temperature, facilitating the muscles that will be used during the movement and priming the nervous system to maximize force output. Here is a sample Bench Warmup that moves through all these goals:

Upper Back Cat/Cow

-Hands Stacked Under Shoulders

-Drive the Upper Back High, As If A String Is Pulling From Between Your Shoulder Blades Toward the Ceiling

-Drop Your Chest Between Your Shoulders, Feel Your Movement Come from Your Scapula

-10 Reps In Both Directions

Bear Crawl Shoulder Touches

-Hands Under Shoulders. Knees 1” Off Ground

-Move With Control and Intent

-Keep Hips Level Like Balancing A Glass of Water on Your Low Back

-5 to 10 Reps Each Hand

Iso Hold Pushups

-Straight Line from Head To Heels

-Pause Halfway Done for 2-3 count

-Pause At Bottom for 2-3 count

-Pause Halfway Up for 2-3 count

-3 to 5 Reps

Couch Stretch

-Elevate Back Foot On Box/Bench

-Sit Deep Into Split Squat While Keeping Torso Upright

-Push Butt Towards Foot For More Stretch

-Hold for 30-60 Seconds Each Side

Band Pullaparts

-Grip Band with Overhand or Underhand Grip

-Pinch Scapula Together As If Squeezing a Pencil b/t Your Shoulder Blades

-Pull Band Apart with Straight Arms

-Band Should Contact Chest In Same Spot That Bar Does in Bench

-Perform 10-20 Reps

Cuban Press

-Maintain A Neutral Trunk Position w/ Ribs Stacked Over Hips

-Raise Elbows w/ Minimal Shoulder Shrug

-Externally Rotate w/ Control

-Press While Maintaining Neutral Spine

-Internally Rotate w/ Control

-Perform 10-15 Reps

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