How to improve your bench press?

The bench press improves pure strength, muscle mass and upper-body power.

However, many practitioners stagnate after a few months and ask themselves: how can I improve my bench press effectively?

👉 In this article, you'll discover the 9 key techniques, programming, safety, mistakes to avoid and everything you need to put in place to build strength over time.

1. Master the technique before loading

Before trying to load more weight, make sure you've mastered every technical detail. Good technique is the basis for progress in bench pressing and avoiding injury.

Key points:

• Feet firmly planted on the ground

• Tight, lowered shoulder blades to protect and stabilize shoulders

• Slight natural arch of the lower back

• Grip slightly wider than shoulders

• Controlled descent to lower pectorals

• Explosive ascent, vertical trajectory

Tip: film yourself. It's one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your technique instantly.

2. Technique, stability and safety: the real foundations for progress

Exercise performed on our multifunctional bar

Technique isn't enough: to progress with the bench press, you also need to be strong, stable and secure. These are huge performance factors.

Use the leg drive (foot thrust)

The bench press isn't just done with the arms.

Good movement starts with your feet:

👉 By pushing through your legs, you transfer power from the ground to the bar, making you more explosive and stable.

Think: feet firmly planted on the ground, tension in the legs, strong sheathing.

Improve your grip with liquid magnesia

A good grip means clean, safe movement.

The liquid magnesia enables :

• better grip

• less slippage

• a more stable trajectory
  

Keep wrists strong with wrist guards

The wrist wraps are real game changers:

• firm wrists

• better thrust

• less pain

• greater stability on heavy loads

3. Strength training with intelligent programming

To progress in the bench press, you need to stimulate your nervous system, your muscle fibres and your technique with consistent programming.

Example of a weekly structure:

• Day 1 - Strength: 4×4 (or 4x3) @ 85-90% of max

• Day 2 - Volume: 4×8 @ 70-75

• Day 3 - Speed/Technique: 5×3 @ 60-65

This combination allows :

✔️ increase your maximum strength
✔️ build muscle
✔️ improve your trajectory
✔️ reduce nervous fatigue

4. Improve bar stability and trajectory

If your bar shakes or goes diagonally, you lose power.

To improve stability :

• work on your sheathing (plank, hollow hold, lateral sheathing)

• adds a 1 second pause at the bottom of the movement

• practice controlled tempo (3 s down - 1 s down - explosive up)

A clean trajectory = more strength and less risk of injury

5. Strengthen secondary muscles

The bench press doesn't just depend on the pectoral muscles.

To progress, you need to strengthen all the muscles involved in movement.

Essential complementary exercises :

• Weighted dips → strengthen pectorals and triceps

• Military bench press → strong shoulders

• Weighted pumps → excellent force transfer

The stronger your pecs, shoulders and triceps, the more powerful you'll be at bench pressing.

6. Adopt the right training frequency to progress with the bench press

One workout a week is very (too) little.

To progress, aim for 2 to 3 sessions a week.

Recommendations:

• 1 time/week: slow progress

• 2 times/week: optimal progress

• 3 times/week: ideal for pure strength

The more you practice the bench press, the better you become.

7. Managing recovery and nervous fatigue

The bench press places enormous demands on the central nervous system.

For effective recovery :

• sleep at least 7 h

• for heavy 48-hour sessions

• work on your shoulder mobility

• do a deload week every 6 to 8 weeks

Recovery is just as important as training.

8. Test and monitor your performance

You can't progress if you don't measure anything.

Note systematically :

• weight used

• number of reps

• tempo

• RPE

• technical feel

Test your 1RM every 6 to 8 weeks.

Even +2.5 kg gained in one month is enormous in the long term.

9. The mind: the secret of good benchers

The bench press is also mental:

• visualize the rep before making it

• take a deep breath

• stay focused on your trajectory

The head controls the helm. Not the other way around.

Common mistakes to avoid

Here's a list of mistakes to avoid: 

❌ Loading too much too fast (ego lifting)
❌ Neglecting the leg drive
❌ Forgetting secondary muscles
❌ Poor amplitude
❌ Never varying intensities
❌ Training unsafely

Conclusion: how to progress with the bench press?

To progress with the bench press, focus on the essentials:

• Clean technology
• A solid leg drive
• A secure grip and wrists
• Intelligent programming
• Strengthening secondary muscles
• 2 to 3 sessions per week
• Real recovery

By applying these principles consistently, your strength will take off and your bar will rise faster than ever.

It's up to you 🔥

Give everything to each rep... and respect the process.

I hope this article has helped you!

Don't hesitate to comment and share it if you do. 

See you soon.

Eric Flag.