{"id":378686,"date":"2026-04-07T00:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T00:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/378686\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T00:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T00:01:12","slug":"why-your-bench-press-isnt-improving-and-4-exercises-to-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/378686\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Bench Press Isn\u2019t Improving \u2013 and 4 Exercises to Fix It"},"content":{"rendered":"

When two guys sit down at a bar and talk fitness<\/a>, there\u2019s usually one question used to size each other up: \u2018What do you bench<\/a>?\u2019<\/p>\n

The bench press remains the lift by which all strength is judged \u2013 and why Bench Press Monday is still a weekly ritual for most lifters. <\/p>\n

But if you \u2013 week after week \u2013 have been benching roughly the same weight for the past year, the solution isn\u2019t more benching. You need to fix the part of the lift that\u2019s holding you back, says Mike Robertson, C.S.C.S., a former powerlifting coach for Team USA. <\/p>\n

\u2018If we\u2019re talking bench, we\u2019re talking two really common sticking points and one less common one,\u2019 he says. \u2018But fixing sticking points in the bench is the easiest way to improve your numbers.\u2019 <\/p>\n

You Falter When the Bar Is on Your Chest<\/p>\n

Your chest<\/a> and triceps<\/a> \u2013 your pressing muscles \u2013 need to be strong for a big bench. But problems in this position often come down to your pulling muscles. <\/p>\n

\u2018Getting stuck off the chest is usually due to a stability and control issue, often because your upper back is weak.\u2019 A strong upper back provides a more stable base to press from.<\/p>\n

\u2018Having people do more upper-back work often fixes this problem,\u2019 says Robertson. \u2018I like row<\/a> and chin-up<\/a> variations.\u2019 <\/p>\n

If your pulling muscles are already strong but you\u2019re still struggling, building your chest can help.<\/p>\n

\u2018Doing dumbbell bench presses<\/a> builds up the pecs<\/a> and improves stability,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

Do These ExercisesSingle-Arm Row
\"three<\/p>\n

With a dumbbell in your right hand, place your left hand and knee on a bench. Keep your back flat and torso parallel to the floor as your right arm hangs. Row the weight to your ribcage, squeeze your shoulder blade back, then lower under control. <\/p>\n

Chin-Up\"chin<\/p>\n

Grab a bar with an underhand grip, hands just inside shoulder width. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar, then lower under control. <\/p>\n

You Fail Midway Through the Lift<\/p>\n

The midpoint of the bench \u2013 where your elbows are bent at roughly 90 degrees \u2013 is no-man\u2019s land, says Robertson. \u2018Your chest has just done its big effort, but your triceps aren\u2019t in a strong position to take over yet.\u2019<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you need to get stronger in this range.<\/p>\n

\u2018I like floor presses<\/a> and board presses,\u2019 says Robertson. Both build strength and confidence where your elbows are at 90 degrees. <\/p>\n

Do This ExerciseDumbbell Floor Press\"dumbbell<\/p>\n

Lie on the floor holding two dumbbells at chest height. Press them up until your arms are fully extended, then lower back under control.<\/p>\n

You Miss the Lockout<\/p>\n

Most lifters don\u2019t struggle here, says Robertson. But if you do, your triceps are likely the weak link.<\/p>\n

\u2018The lockout is really driven by the triceps,\u2019 he says. Your move: strengthen them.<\/p>\n

You could use isolation moves like skull crushers<\/a> or rope pressdowns, but a more specific option works better.<\/p>\n

\u2018I like the close-grip bench press<\/a>,\u2019 he says. \u2018Bringing your hands closer reduces chest involvement and overloads the triceps. It also increases the range of motion, so the lockout phase is longer.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Do This ExerciseClose-Grip Barbell Bench Press\"arm<\/p>\n

Using an overhand grip slightly narrower than shoulder width, hold a barbell above your sternum with straight arms. Lower it to your chest, pause, then press back up. That\u2019s one rep.
<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When two guys sit down at a bar and talk fitness, there\u2019s usually one question used to size…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":378687,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[141224,7157,181347,637,589,163,85,46,636,181346,140993],"class_list":{"0":"post-378686","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-collection-chest-exercises","9":"tag-content-type-default","10":"tag-contentid-b4b01341-ea1f-44a9-9a3d-2467db6638d3","11":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","12":"tag-fitness","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-il","15":"tag-israel","16":"tag-locale-gb","17":"tag-shorttitle-why-your-bench-press-isnt-improving","18":"tag-subsection-train-smarter"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=378686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/378687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=378686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=378686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=378686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}