Step 1: Set your supports on the bench so you can unrack the barbell and be in proper position to perform the bench press.
Step 2: After loading the weights, lie on the bench with your spine in a neutral position. Position yourself on the bench so that the bar is directly over your eyes. Keep your feet firmly on the floor, pinch your shoulder blades together and make sure your traps and upper back are tight. When grasping the bar, wrap your thumbs around the bar tightly and make sure your palms are facing forward. Use a grip that will have your pinky fingers on the rings of the barbell.
Step 3: After you are set-up, have someone place the board on your chest so that one end of the board reaches your upper chest. If you train alone, the board can be placed under your shirt or under a mini-band that is wrapped around your chest.
Step 4: Keeping your elbows tucked, inhale and then unrack the weight, also ensuring your wrists remain in a neutral position. If using a spotter, have them assist you in unracking the weight to the starting point. While keeping your air in, lower the weight in a controlled motion with the bar in line with your mid-to-lower chest until the bar touches the board.
Step 5: When the bar touches the board, allow a full pause to allow the weight of the barbell to rest on the board. Then, press the weight back up in a straight line to its original starting position until your arms are locked out, exhaling only once the rep is completed. Keep your feet firmly on the floor throughout this movement, maintaining tightness throughout your upper and lower body.
Step 6: Take another breath between reps, exhaling only when reps are completed. Repeat until the desired reps are reached and then rack the weight, or have your spotter help you rack the weight in a controlled manner. Weight can be added to the bar between sets.
Benefits:
The bench press is often considered the king of all pressing movements.
The board press is a great aid to help improve your bench press, adding strength and muscle to your pressing muscles as well. They also train specific ranges of the press to increase overall power.
The 3-Board Press is a great tool to build power and strength at the lockout of a bench press, and is great for increasing strength and power in the triceps. With board pressing, you work through sticking points, allowing you to use heavier weights to improve in those areas.
While doing that, you are increasing your strength in the pressing muscles. The triceps are specifically targeted when using a 3-board, making it a great lockout builder as well.
Make sure to keep your form (keeping your elbows tucked, etc.) the same as a regular bench press and to pause completely on the board.
This exercise can be used as a main movement or can be done after a regular bench press.
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Have your bench angled between 30 and 45 degrees. Step 2: To get into position...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Have your bench angled between 30 and 45 degrees. Step 2: To get into position...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Have your bench angled between 30 and 45 degrees. Step 2: To get into position...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Step 2: To get into position, rock back slightly, lifting up each leg to give...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Step 2: To get into position, rock back slightly, lifting up each leg to give...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Have your bench angled between 30 and 45 degrees. Step 2: To get into position...
Step 1: Place dumbbells at the end of the bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and, as you sit down on the bench, place the end of the dumbbell on each knee. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. Step 2: To get into position, rock back slightly, lifting up each leg to give...
Step 1: Attach a single handle to the top pulley of both cable attachments and then stand in the middle of the cable machine. Firmly grasp each handle with your palms facing each other. Step 2: While standing in the middle, take a slight step forward (it doesn’t matter which foot) and slightly bend your torso forward from the waist....
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