Pushing Grips Toward Midline to Maximize Muscle Activation for the Incline, Decline, and Flat Bench Press.
When focusing on building strength or achieving PRs when executing an incline or flat bench press, we would not recommend this!
However, if your goal is to increase muscle mass in the chest then we need to keep the chest under tension throughout the movement, prioritizing time under tension and the mind-to-muscle connection principle!
Achieving this is tough, and the secret we unfold will help significantly!
Undoubtedly, every aspect of your training will benefit from the support of a consistent workout plan and a sustainable nutritional protocol that are amenable to modifications in accordance with your life! Work with us for a seamless experience that will lead to results that last a lifetime!
Time Under Tension
Now, regarding time under tension, various studies like Pereira et al. (2016) state that executing “controlled repetitions with a slow eccentric phase promote greater muscular hypertrophy, in a balance between significant metabolic stress and muscle tension”.
Anecdotally, switching our training protocol to focus more on the tempo of each repetition led to an increase in the maturity of the muscle as well as the temporary pump established.
Therefore, through studies and experience, we recommend at least a 40-second execution time for each exercise. For example, with an eccentric portion of 3 seconds and a concentric portion of 2 seconds, executing 8 repetitions will reach your desired time.
You may ask why you can’t just do 20 to 25 repetitions to reach your desired time.
This is where metabolic stress and muscle tension come into play.
In comparison with higher movement speeds and a lighter force, a study by Gehlert et al. (2015), indicates that maximal force with “lower speed…resulted in higher mechanical stress, even in a smaller number of repetitions.”
How can you figure out the weight you can handle when executing this exercise?
Per ISSA's “estimating your one-repetition maximum”, 80% of your 1 RM results in 8 repetitions. Now, use this as a guideline, lowering the weight accordingly to handle the decreased movement speed of the eccentric portion of the movement.
NUMBER OF REPS | % OF MAXIMUM |
1 | 100 |
2 | 95 |
3 | 92.5 |
4 | 90.0 |
5 | 87.5 |
6 | 85.0 |
7 | 82.5 |
8 | 80.0 |
9 | 77.5 |
10 | 75.0 |
Mind to Muscle Connection
A basic term that when implemented in your workout routine will lead to maximum growth!
A study evaluating trained individuals found that they “can increase triceps brachii or pectoralis major muscle activity during the bench press when focusing on using the specific muscle”.
Of course, secondary, and tertiary muscles will be used, but despite that, we want to use them as little as possible. Therefore, when executing a bench press, which is a chest exercise, we are trying to isolate the chest as much as possible by focusing on the CHEST!
Our Secret…
Why do we push our grips toward the midline?
Simple, it helps us achieve our desired time under tension and mind-to-muscle connection.
How?
Throughout the entirety of the exercise, our chest muscles are contracted. Due to this, it is easy to focus on the chest muscle and reduce the movement speed.
Conclusion
Slowing down your execution and focusing on isolating the muscle that you are primarily using will help free you from a plateau in building your chest with a chest press movement!
Think about it, on a bench press, while you are doing 1 rep, we are doing 2. So, while you may be able to lift more weight, you are doing almost half the work.
Make the workout harder! With the help of your grips, you can take advantage of this in your workout program!
Are you struggling to lose body fat and build lean muscle, despite your efforts? Our personalized approach offers 24/7 guidance, accountability, and unwavering motivation resulting in success that lasts for a lifetime! Let us do all the planning, all you have to do is show up! To learn more, click the link below.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running.
Thank you for your support!
Also, all content contained within this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute the advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical professional.
Comentários