There are many techniques to overcome the weaknesses of Bench Press and one technique which has been tested by us is use of boards. Here we will jot down what we have learned when it comes to using boards. You will surely gain something out of our researches:
How to construct a board?
Check the Home Depot for some quality 2x6s. One board will reduce the ROM by 1.5 inches (considering the fact that one 2x6 is 1.5 inches thick), two board by three inches and so on. You can always buy the second hand material if you have a lower budget. Chop the board to the desired length and nail them or screw them. You can always create a handle on the board so that your partner can easily grab it. IF you don’t have any helping hands then why not adjust the board inside your shirt? You always need two gentlemen to hold the ends of bar and one to lift the bar. Similarly it is always recommended to arrange for someone who holds the board on your chest.
Partial range of motion is one of those old tricks which has been tested by experts and always recommended for training purposes. It is best suited for deadlift rack pulls as these don’t possess any eccentric before the lift. If you plan to lower the weight to pins and later on pressing them up again then just to inform you that this isn’t fruitful as you loose tightness during this process.
In case of bench press the board press is always considered the better option over power rack pin press as in board press the weight lifter stays tight, lowers the weight, establishes proper groove, and develops some necessary reflexes. Pin press can cause long lasting shoulder problems and elbow problems when one tries to start a dead stop weight. It always depends on the particular human to choose some sort of technique but it is always recommended to prefer board press over power rack pin press.
The upper end of the Bench Press is overloaded by board press. Board press also helps you to recruit all the fibres in the triceps. One can always have some travelling boards and some boards which remain at the gym. All this depends on the taste of the person. In case you have longer arms then you will need the 5 board set. The three general grips for board press are:
- In first kind the pinky (finger) lies on the ring marking the maximum legal grip width.
- In close grip the index finger touches the smooth part of the bar.
- In third type of grip the max legal grip ring on the bar is covered by the index finger. It is also called as meet grip.
It depends on the lifter when it comes to choosing the best approach for board press. We have found max effort workout and the assistance work out to be the best options for the lifters. In max effort workout the lifter warms up and then goes to the board for heavy singles. One may try various grips during this process. It is recommended to keep a record of every grip and the corresponding weight. One must analyse why he missed some weight and which grip seems to be the most favourable for him?
One should remain at a single board height for a day (using staying around the meet sticking point) if he follows the raw process. Try dropping down to 90% of your best day for a triple, then 80% and so on. This depends on the volume which you are capable of handling in one week. If you miss some PR then you must check with the next wider grip PR and try that. It is all about trying everything yourself so as to know the best process. If in case you are using a shirt then it’s suggested that you use the meet grip. It works!
If you miss something then you should try the same stuff again so as to know what actually went wrong. Now try to complete 4-6 reps on your weak point. You can perform the max effort exercise for around three weeks straight (this will help you learn the basics). Once you are familiar with this then it is suggested that you change your exercise on weekly basis.
Personally I do a max effort day and a speed day on alternate basis on every Monday. Thursdays are for raw process. You must remember to work the most on something on which you need to improve.
We will wrap this up with a trick from George Halbert, the best Bencher I have known. He requests people to feel their triceps drive correctly and he requests that people should know the right way to lower the bar. He recommends a close grip with around four boards on your chest. Now, bring the weight down towards your feet and not towards your head. You will feel your triceps driving as you push the weight back up. Remember this feel and if you don’t get this feel then try single arm pushups. You will surely get the feel which George is pointing out. Once you get the feel in your triceps then its time to start bench pressing!
One last point which you need to know is that you must concentrate on your lats too along with your Bench Press. Work on your lats constantly as this will surely help you in the future.
