A weak bench press is a common problem many people face when starting out with strength training. There are several potential reasons why your bench press may lag behind other lifts.
Reasons for a Weak Bench Press
Here are some of the most common causes of a weak bench press:
Poor Technique
Bench pressing is a technical lift that requires proper set up and execution. Small technique flaws like not retracting your shoulders, keeping elbows flared out, or bouncing the bar off your chest can significantly reduce your strength. Take time to learn proper benching technique and do some form checks to identify any issues.
Lack of Chest Strength
Your chest muscles are the prime movers in the bench press. Weak chest muscles often limit bench press strength. Prioritize horizontal pressing exercises like barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press, and push ups to build a stronger chest.
Weak Triceps
The triceps are heavily involved in the bench press as they extend the elbows. Poor triceps strength can be a major bottleneck for your bench press. Target your triceps with exercises like close grip bench press, overhead extensions, and dips.
Poor Scapular Control
To maximize strength, you need to create a solid base by retracting your shoulder blades together and down on the bench. Poor scapular control leads to inefficient force transfer. Work on exercises like rows, face pulls, and band pull aparts to improve scapular strength and control.
Lack of Leg Drive
Your legs can help generate power in the bench press by driving through the floor. Make sure to set up with your feet firmly on the ground and think about pressing the back of your shoulders and hips toward each other as you bench.
Weak Core
Your core plays an important role in stabilizing your torso and spine during the bench press. A weak core can cause energy leaks and technique breakdown. Train your core consistently with planks, pallof presses, deadbugs, and other stability exercises.
Poor Bar Path
Keeping the bar in the optimal straight vertical path requires good technique and full body tension. Deviation from this path due to technical flaws will reduce mechanical efficiency and limit your strength.
Other Factors Affecting Bench Press Strength
Aside from muscle weaknesses and technique issues, there are other factors that can influence bench press performance:
Anthropometry
Your limb length proportions can impact your leverages for bench pressing. For example, someone with short arms relative to their torso length will typically be able to bench more weight compared to someone with long arms and a short torso.
Muscle Fiber Type
The composition of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers you have is largely determined by genetics. Someone with a higher proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers may have an easier time developing a stronger bench press.
Recovery Factors
Are you getting enough sleep? What is your nutrition like? Stress levels? All of these recovery factors influence your ability to regain strength after training sessions and make progress.
Training History
Someone with a background in gymnastics or wrestling may pick up the bench press movement pattern quicker than someone without prior upper body training experience.
Improving Your Bench Press
Here are some strategies you can use to improve a lagging bench press:
Prioritize Frequency
Bench pressing 2-3 times per week is optimal for getting stronger. The more practice you get with the movement pattern, the quicker you will improve.
Add Volume
Do more total sets and repetitions for bench and bench assistance exercises like dips, overhead presses, push ups, rows. More volume drives strength gains.
Use Progressive Overload
Slowly increase the weight on the bar over time. Aim to add 2.5-5lbs each session or week to the bar to force continual adaptation.
Utilize Variations
Rotate through different bench press grip widths, barbells vs. dumbbells, incline vs. flat vs. decline, to provide variation and build strength from different angles.
Improve Technical Efficiency
Keep refining your form. Leg drive, upper back tightness, grip width, bar path- small improvements in technique go a long way.
Get Stronger Overall
Improving your squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, rows will help bring up your bench press too. Get stronger in supporting exercises.
Sample Bench Press Program
Here is a sample 12 week bench press specialization program focused on increasing bench press strength:
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press 5×5 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×8 | Bench Press 4×6 |
| 2 | Bench Press 4×5 | Incline Bench Press 3×8 | Bench Press 3×6 |
| 3 | Bench Press 5×5 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×8 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×6 |
| 4 | Bench Press 4×5 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×8 | Incline Bench Press 3×6 |
| 5 | Bench Press 3×5 | Incline Bench Press 3×8 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×6 |
| 6 | Bench Press 5×5 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×8 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×6 |
| 7 | Bench Press 4×5 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×8 | Incline Bench Press 3×6 |
| 8 | Bench Press 3×5 | Incline Bench Press 3×8 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×6 |
| 9 | Bench Press 5×5 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×8 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×6 |
| 10 | Bench Press 4×5 | Close Grip Bench Press 3×8 | Incline Bench Press 3×6 |
| 11 | Bench Press 3×5 | Incline Bench Press 3×8 | Dumbbell Bench Press 3×6 |
| 12 | Bench Press 1RM Test | Rest | Rest |
This program cycles heavy and lighter bench press workouts each week to manage fatigue. Supporting exercises like close grip bench, incline, and dumbbell bench press are used to target the bench press muscles from different angles. Slowly increasing load each week provides progressive overload.
Conclusion
A weak bench press can be frustrating, but is usually fixable with targeted training. Analyze your technique, muscle imbalances, programming, and recovery factors. Prioritize frequency and volume for the bench press exercise itself. Build your chest, triceps, and upper back muscles. Slowly add weight each session. Consider running a bench press specialization program for 12 weeks. Be patient and keep working hard- your bench press strength will improve dramatically.