It starts early. All the guys want to know: "How much do you bench?"
Seldom does anyone ask how much you shoulder press, squat or dead lift. That ties into why so many have matchsticks for legs. They concentrate on chest and upper body. But, given the emphasis on the bench press, we're highlighting some tips from someone who knows: Caleb Williams.
Williams, 21, hopes to hoist 490 pounds today at the USA Powerlifting Nationals in Miami. If that's not impressive enough, consider he weighs only 148 pounds. The average man can't lift his own body weight. Williams, who holds the U.S. record of 468, has done three times his weight. Williams, a personal trainer at Quest Nutrition in Duluth, shared some advice on the most common weight room exercise.
Q: What are some of your top tips for improving bench press.
A: Technique is the biggest thing. Ninety percent don't add leg drive. A lot of people think that just because you're using your upper body you don't need to use anything from their lower body. You have to coordinate the whole body.
Q: How do you do that?
A: The first thing is to bring legs underneath you on the bench. Have your feet flat and drive through the heels. You have a good solid base by keeping your heels on the ground and as you start to come off the chest, start driving with the legs. The first few times it may feel weird and it takes a little bit of instruction to get the timing right, but once you do, it will help your bench press.
Q: Which other exercises do you recommend to increase your bench press?
A: I like incline and decline presses. I like to switch up and add different variations. And another thing that's great for increasing bench press is different plyometric exercises [involving stretching and contracting], like plyometric push-ups and plyometric throws.
Q: In general, how many sets and reps?
A: I never stick with the same rep scheme. It's always good to switch it up with reps, rest periods. But I'm going to start off with three or four sets of eight and end up working down to three or four sets of three over a six- to eight-week period. That's a good basic way to build strength. You can't ever let your body get used to what you're doing. You have to keep your body guessing, and that's how you get big gains.
Q: How fast should you lower the weight?
A: I do like speed coming down. I don't like the bounce and heave off the chest; I just want a good steady pace. You want to come down fast, but you need to be under control. If you come down slow, you're not building that stretch reflex and that explosiveness I want to work on. It's a fast, controlled descent.