Right here’s an age-old sports activities cliche: it’s not the way you begin, it’s the way you end. Relating to the bench press, it’s exhausting to complete what you began for those who can’t lock out heavy weights. The lockout depends totally on the triceps to increase the elbows. And whereas it doesn’t take a lot convincing to get most powerlifters to coach their triceps (large arms are a pleasant bonus to having a powerful lockout), it’s not essentially your bodybuilding-style workout routines which might be going to have the perfect carryover to the bench press.
Specificity is among the major ideas of power coaching that lifters should adhere to, and with a purpose to have particular carryover to the bench press, your triceps workout routines must carefully mimic the bench press itself. Listed here are my prime 5 triceps workout routines to enhance your bench press lockout.
Shut Grip Bench Press
The shut grip bench press is my primary bench press supplementary exercise for a number of causes. First, it will increase the vary of movement, resulting in extra general work carried out and doubtlessly a larger hypertrophy response. Subsequent, the narrower grip makes it more durable to maintain the higher again tight, which is commonly what fails first throughout a heavy bench. And eventually, it offers extra mechanical rigidity by way of heavier loading than every other full-ROM triceps train, making it my go-to choice to construct triceps power.
I’ll usually program the shut grip bench press as the principle benching motion on my lifters’ second bench day of the week. We’ll often work as much as a heavy prime set of 1-5 reps, then comply with up with higher-rep backdown units which might be RIR-based to push the triceps nearer to muscular failure.
Slingshot Bench Press
Most lifters expertise a sticking level nearer to the chest than lockout, making it exhausting to overload the triceps with a full-ROM bench press. Workouts like board presses and pin presses (extra on these in a bit) will let you skip the toughest a part of the bench and simply give attention to the lockout, however what if you wish to truly observe the complete bench press motion whereas additionally overloading the triceps? Enter the Slingshot bench press.
The Slingshot is a model identify for a wearable machine that gives help off the chest. The help dissipates nearer to lockout because the Slingshot goes slack, leaving your triceps to complete the rest of the elevate. I completely love the Slingshot to show correct bar path, construct confidence beneath heavy weights, and strengthen the triceps at lockout.
As a result of the Slingshot is an overload approach, we’ll sometimes hold the reps per set fairly low, largely singles and doubles. As soon as a lifter learns to successfully use the Slingshot, they’ll use weights considerably heavier than their uncooked bench 1 rep max. Our greatest Slingshot benchers can get almost a 20 % improve, though we sometimes keep within the 105-110 % vary throughout coaching.
Shut Grip Pin Lockouts
As I alluded to earlier, lowering the vary of movement skips the toughest a part of the bench and allows you to give attention to solely the lockout. I choose utilizing pins to board presses as a result of pins pressure the lifter to remain tighter and develop pressure from extra of a lifeless cease. Lifters can bounce off the boards or sink-and-heave off of them, which has a time and place. However I’ve discovered shut grip pin lockouts to have essentially the most technical carryover to the competitors bench press.
I’ll usually place these on the finish of a coaching session and hold the reps greater. Consider it as a triceps burnout utilizing hundreds a lot heavier than what you can use for skullcrushers, triceps pushdowns or different accent workout routines.
JM Press
I disliked JM presses for years as a result of they damage my elbows, however I at all times heard a few of the world’s finest benchers waxing poetic concerning the effectiveness of the train, so I knew I used to be lacking one thing. Seems I simply hadn’t tried the variation that labored finest for me. Fortunately, there are many methods to regulate the JM press primarily based on particular person choice, such because the SSB JM Press:
The 1-board JM press is an alternative choice that eased my elbow stress by barely lowering the vary of movement and giving me the task-based cue of aiming the board for my chin.
I choose to maintain the load decrease and rep ranges greater on JM presses as a result of potential elbow stress, however I’ve heard of big-time benches going as heavy as units of 5 on these, so that they’re pretty versatile.
Rolling DB Triceps Extensions
A favourite of Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell crew, the rolling triceps extension will get the nod over every other conventional extension due to the emphasis on the stretched place. By going into full shoulder flexion, you may totally lengthen the triceps and generate a ton of pressure on this place, which appears to result in a larger hypertrophy impact.
I deal with this like a straight-ahead bodybuilding motion greater than any of the opposite workout routines on this listing. Hold the reps excessive (8 or extra per set), push the units near failure (1-3 RIR) and purpose to extend quantity earlier than weight.
Lock It Up… I Imply, Out
Marriage ceremony Crashers quotes apart, if you wish to enhance your bench lockout, you need to prepare your triceps exhausting and heavy. Rinky dink cable pushdowns aren’t going to unravel your sticking level issues. Use workout routines which have particular carryover to the bench press and that may be loaded closely sufficient to construct your confidence with maximal weight in your arms.
