How can I increase my bench press?

By Mert Yerekapan · Updated

The fastest way to raise your bench is to bench two or three times a week, add a little weight or an extra rep whenever you can, and train the muscles that support it: triceps, shoulders and upper back. For most people that means 5 to 10 lb (2 to 4.5 kg) more on the bar each month at first, slowing down as you get stronger.

Bench more often

Benching once a week is the most common reason a bench stalls. It's a skill, and skills improve with practice. Try this:

  • One heavy day: 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 6 reps
  • One lighter or higher rep day: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
  • Optional third day: a variation like incline or dumbbell press

Getting to the bench two or three times a week is mostly a consistency problem. League of Fitness counts lifting sessions synced from Apple Health toward a daily 1v1 match, which is a small reason to go on the days the bar feels heavy.

Add weight slowly

When you hit the top of your rep range on every set, add the smallest jump you have. Two and a half pounds per side is fine. Small jumps stack up. If you jump 10 lb and fail, you've wasted a session.

Fix your setup

Plenty of benches are held back by position, not strength.

  1. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, and keep them there.
  2. Plant your feet and push through them.
  3. Keep your wrists stacked over your elbows.
  4. Lower the bar to the lower chest, not the neck.
  5. Touch, press, and keep your hips on the bench.

Build the muscles behind the lift

Your triceps finish the press, and your upper back is what you press against. Add rows, pull-ups or face pulls, and some triceps work like close grip presses or pushdowns. A weak upper back shows up as a shaky, slow bar.

If it stops moving

Past the first few months, every lift stalls sometimes. When that happens, look at how to break a strength plateau before changing everything. Sleep and eating enough matter more than most people want them to.

If you feel sharp shoulder pain while benching, stop and get it looked at by a doctor or physical therapist. Don't train through it.

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