The bench press is often one of the first exercises people learn in a gym.

But are you using the bench press to its full potential? Here are 10 variations, that you may not be using, to do just that…

1 - Medicine Ball Bench Throws

How to do it?

• Using a 5-10kg Mirafit Medicine Ball, lay on a bench. Instead of slowing down towards the top of the movement, continue to accelerate, throwing the ball up in the air and catching it again.

• Make sure to meet the ball with your hands on the way down, to slowly bring the ball to a halt, in a safe manner, like catching a cricket ball.

Why bother?

• Ballistic exercises are the greatest physical determinant of sporting success, of which a medicine ball bench throw is an example of. Ballistic exercises are those that do not decelerate towards the top of the movement, to control the load (like a traditional bench press). Instead, they continue to accelerate, just like most sporting actions (e.g. a right hook in the Boxing ring).

2 - Tempo Bench Press

How to do it?

• Perform a traditional bench press but slower on the way down; 3-5 seconds on the descent, thinking about ‘pulling’ (yes, it sounds weird to pull something down but trust me…) the weight down to your chest, to control the load, and then move the bar as quick as possible on the ascent.

Why bother?

• This is a fantastic variation for reinforcing bench press technique and helping us to avoid bar crash when we move back to traditional bench pressing.

• The extra time under tension is also a way to get us closer to failure, without more external load, which may be useful for beginners or those returning from injury.

3 - Variable Resistance Bench Press (Chains or Resistance Bands)

How to do it?

• Option 1 - Simply wrap a resistance band (15-25lb or 45-50lb bands) around your band pegs and the ends of the barbell.

• Option 2 - Attach a chain to either side of the barbell, hanging down from the bar to the floor.

• An approximate ratio of 15% variable resistance (chains or bands) to 85% plate resistance will suffice

Why bother?

• The variable resistance allows you to overload easier (mechanically advantageous) portions of the lift. This means that you have to continue to work hard and accelerate throughout the lift, where you would normally have begun to take your foot off the pedal, which has been shown to greater improve strength and power production than non-banded variations.

4 - Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do it?

• Perform a bench press with two equal Dumbbells equating to 80% of the load you would use on a barbell and simply press the dumbbells from your chest until your arms are fully extended.

Why bother?

• The dumbbells allow us to work unilaterally, isolating our right and left side, reducing muscular imbalances that can occur from using barbell bench alone for an extended spell.

• They also allow us to access a greater range of motion because the dumbbells are not restricted by the height of our chest, unlike a traditional barbell.

5 - Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do it?

• Using the M3 Adjustable Weight Bench, set the bench to a decline, anchoring your feet under the foot pad and then proceed to dumbbell bench press as normal, reaching the sky with the dumbbells and then pull the weights back down to chest height.

Why bother?

• The decline variation increases lower pectoral activation, more so than the flat bench press, while also maintaining a high activation of the upper pectorals, making it a high ‘bang for your buck’ chest exercise, potentially more so that the flat bench press.

6 - Incline Dumbell Bench Press

How to do it?

• Using the M2 Adjustable FID Weight Bench, set the bench to a high incline and then proceed to dumbbell bench press as normal, reaching the sky with the dumbbells and then pull the weights back down to chest height.

Why bother?

• As the incline increases, anterior deltoid (shoulder) activation increases. Making the incline dumbbell bench press a perfect addition to your workout if you are looking to isolate and strengthen your shoulders, which are often a weak link.

7 - Larsen Press

How to do it?

• Perform a traditional barbell bench press, except with your feet out in front instead of being anchored under your hips for stability.

Why bother?

• This reduces the stability of our base of support, increasing core activation and the demand for stability.

• This may be a perfect variation for a beginner or someone who’s bench press looks a little ‘wobbly’, so that when they go back to a traditional bench press, their stability has improved, allowing them to express force more efficiently and lift more load.

8 - Pause Barbell Bench Press

How to do it?

• Perform a traditional bench press but with a pause at the bottom position, where the barbell touches your chest.

Why bother?

• The pause eliminates the powerful ‘bounce’ out of the hole (the stretch shortening cycle), making this a perfect variation for an explosive athlete that lacks absolute strength as it doesn’t allow them to use their inherent explosiveness and forces them to use and develop brute strength.

9 - Narrow Grip Bench Press

How to do it?

• Perform a Barbell bench press but with a narrow grip, hands no wider than shoulder width apart.

Why bother?

• The narrower grip places more bias on the triceps and less on the chest than a traditional bench press and is thus a perfect accessory for those that are excessively chest dominant in their horizontal press.

• This will help develop the area’s that usually get neglected and thus increase your overall horizontal pressing strength, as your weaker muscles get stronger.

10 - Wide Grip Bench Press

How to do it?

• Perform a barbell bench press but with a slightly wider grip than normal, so the hands will be slightly wider than the elbows in the bottom position, instead of above the elbows.

Why bother?

• The wider grip, in any barbell variation, whether that be incline, flat or decline, allows more absolute load to be lifted, making this the perfect variation for those looking to beat their previous personal best or those competing in powerlifting, for whom the specificity requirements of the sport make this variation essential.

As you can see, the bench press can be used in so many more ways than just the traditional bench press and I encourage you to utilise these variations, whether your goal is to be stronger, more athletic or to improve your technique.

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Equipment > Benches ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout