The bench press is, of course, a staple in every avid gym-goers routine. Especially if they’re looking for the perfect balance between lifting heavy weights and working up a muscle swelling pump. Sure, there may be better exercises for you to build your upper body – more optimal, more fancy and more research backed. But try as we might, most of us just can’t get away from the humble bench press. And frankly, I think it’s high time we stopped resisting its pull.
This chest-pumping protocol combines three of the biggest hitting bench press variations going, to deliver a satisfying, muscle-swelling, strength-building dose of upper-body goodness. And the good news is, it couldn’t be simpler to perform.
Using either a barbell or dumbbells, warm-up thoroughly and find a weight that you can incline press for around 10 reps, but not many more. Next, start a running clock and work your way down this pec-pumping, three-move mechanical dropset, which will essentially have you moving from the most difficult movement to the least, allowing you to keep working and racking up the reps, even as fatigue sets in. This high-volume, high-intensity approach will drive an unholy amount of blood into your chest, while seriously challenging your triceps and shoulders as a bonus.
Once you’ve completed your first round — finishing with as many reps as humanly possible on the floor press — watch the clock and rest right up until the five-minute mark. Then, go again. Repeat this five-times around, for a seriously swollen torso in under 25 minutes.
Begin at 0.00 and start a new round every five minutes. Complete five total rounds, the final round beginning at 20.00.
1. Incline Bench Press x 5
Lay on a bench set at a 45-degree angle, holding two dumbbells or a barbell above your head (A). Slowly lower both 'bells over a three-second count, keeping your elbows at a slight angle to your torso, until both dumbbells or the bar touch your chest (A). Explosively press back to full lockout and repeat.
2. Bench Press x 10
After your final rep, immediately lower the angle of your bench or switch to a flat bench. Lay flat on your back, with your knees bent and pushing your feet hard into the floor. Press your bells or bar into the air, locking out your elbows (A). Lower slowly until your weights make contact with your chest (B). Keep your elbows at 45-degree angle, and pause here before explosively pressing back up. Repeat.
3. Floor Press x Max Reps
Finally take your dumbbells or bar to the floor. Laying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows (A). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor (B), close to your body. Pause here before explosively pressing back up. Keep repping out until you can no longer press the weights up, then stop and rest for the remainder of the five-minute window.
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With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.