Weightlifting for Rugby Fitness - The Bench Press

[DevineAvenger]

question if i just keep benching does it increase my strength alot more?

[Markzl900]

I see he is benching all the way to his chest, the last information available for this would suggest stopping with the arma at a 90 degree angle is safer for the rotator cuff.

What is you opinion?

[rugbyworld08]

@Markzl900 shoulder damage comes from allowing the shoulder blades to move when pressing and taking a very wide grip. The key point from the video to protect the shoulders is to squeeze the shoulder blades together and keep them flat on the bench throughout the exercise.

[utuberlol]

Why such a wide grip, is it not more sports specific if its about shoulder with, wider grip is for bodybuilders?

[rugbyworld08]

@utuberlol that is a standard grip that is midway between wide and close grip. It is good to vary your width in training though and work wide, standard and close grips.

[arthurkirakosyan7]

u should talk about the way he should be breathing cause u dont just hold your breath and do it ur suppost to breath in while taking it down and breath out while taking it up.

[rugbyworld08]

@arthurkirakosyan7 that is ok at light weights but when it gets heavy you need to hold your breath to help stabilise your midsection and breathe between reps

[ck12120]

I dont play rugby yet but since its so similar to football i just wanna know how i cant increase my bench press within the next month by atleast 30lbs i currently bench 245-250 and my goal is to be at 300 by my senior yr and im 15 going into my junior year right now so..Please help!

[multisynu]

i want to get big for the rugby season can you tell me what is the workouts or excrises that will do this QUICK.

PLEASE HELP!

[utuberlol]

@multisynu get a bodybuilding program and eat loads of chicken, eggs bananas and potatos,and atleast 3 L of water

[Welfareofhorizon]

is bench press better or dumbbell presses better?

[AustralLord]

@Welfareofhorizon With dumbbell it takes less weight for the same exercise. People use them to mix up their training every once in a while or if they reach plateau or get bored. Benching with the barbell is just more standardized, and it's what you tend to use to "max out". To get bigger and stronger muscles though, dumbbells work just as good if not better.

[goatkiller68]

@AustralLord i agree dumbbells in my opinion are better

[thelidiots99]

@AustralLord

Hey, thanks for the info. I was wondering if there was an alternate way to do this 'cause I'm not yet strong enough to handle a barbell. Thanks again!

[hakametal]

Hey, great video.

I've recently been getting pains in my Sternum from pressing. A few of my friends have experienced this too......... any help suggestions??

[AustralLord]

@hakametal Yeah, take a few days to rest, eat, and don't bounce the bar off your chest or rest the bar on your chest next time. Use a pad (or improvise by wrapping a towel or shirt around the barbell) and bring the bar down till it just touches your muscles, even if you don't like using a pad, it will allow you to train while you allow your sternum to heal just in case you screw up.

[stang1987ful]

im 120bls 5'3 and i do 180 10 reps with 3 sets. ever three 3 weeks we move up 10 lbs. then i go down to 150 10 reps 3 sets. than i do military bench at 120 10 reps of 3 set tan do about 90 3 sets of 10 reps. is that good? my max is 210 1 rep.i tried getting up 230 today after i benched all that but i couldn't get it up for some reason thought i would im trying to hit 250 or more bye august. any comments would be great on if that's a good set to do or not. thanks.

[HellFuryOwnz]

thx to these videos.

it took me 4 months.

to get my ultimate bulldozer body :D

[SK8BomBer1991]

why did he only do 5 reps, isn't it supposed to be 10reps?

[rugbyworld08]

3 to 5 reps to build strength.

[Cassidyx21]

Can excessive amounts of bench press not also bring your shoulder muscles forward meaning anterior dislocation is more likely? I know you've already talked about wide-grip potentially being bad for your shoulder but could this also not cause problems especially in a sport like rugby (which I play myself). I'm studying Strengthening and Conditioning and just wondered if this was true for future reference.

[thrashmetal1029]

@SK8BomBer1991 depends on what you want. if you're toning your muscle you can do like 3 sets of 10-15. if you're wanting to build muscle you should do around 2-5 reps of as much weight you as can handle

[si135]

Hi, do you have any idea how much weight those stands that your using can hold?

[rugbyworld08]

They can hold more than you can bench press!! I don't believe they have an official rating but as they have a welded base they are extremely sturdy.

These ones are from York Fitness and are called FTS Press Squat Stands.

[wayneroney]

Hey i bench close grip is that bad for me? Or should i do wide grip?

[rugbyworld08]

Close grip requires more triceps involvement and wide grip reduces the range of motion often meaning you can lift more weight. Which grip you choose depends on your training goal. Be careful with wide grip though as it can be harmful to your shoulders.

[wayneroney]

Oh thank you, Im 5'6 weight 129 recently i got 275 on squat 170 on bench and 180 on clean. I just want to look rip you know. So which would be better ??

[rugbyworld08]

If you have no goal (looking rip is not a discernible goal) then bench with your little fingers just inside the power rings on either side of the bar, make sure you squeeze your shoulder blades together and tuck your elbows in slightly to protect your shoulders. If you reach a plateau and re-setting by dropping 10% and working back up isn't working then you can look at varying your grip depending on what is holding you back (i.e. weak triceps therefore adding close grip).

[CoDkamikaze]

you should do both. close grip works your triceps and wide grip works your chest

[SadegoGG]

If your working out for sports you should do a neutral grip (Not like a traditional snatch grip, not a close grip) and focus on lower body power. Then you should do some sort of shoulder reconstruction exercise...ex: Pushups

Dont worry about weight, worry about force production.

And be skeptical when getting advice from internet 'gurus' who obviously know nothing about the lift.

[YouCanDie]

I have been alternating leg curls and extensions to work on my lower body. Should I continue doing that or is it more effective to use squats and such.

[revent29]

Personally, I believe that squats, and powercleans are the best for leg workouts.

[rugbyworld08]

Yes Squats and Deadlifts are better than curls and extensions.

[rehanb]

extensions and curls will actually weaken your body in the long run, also it does not offer the advantages of training the cns and does not train the stabilizing muscle at all, squats deadlifts, box jumps, cleans and about 50 other exercizes are a lot better to enhance your performance

[iLoveCurryBello]

How many reps would you consider to do to add muscle size and bulk? At the moment i am not too worried about definition or being ripped, i just would like and need more bulk, muscle mass and weight. Cheers

[rugbyworld08]

Most people should be concerned with gaining strength so I recommend reps between 3 to 5.

If mass is a primary concern though aim for 8 to 12 and eat as much as you can and drink your milk.

[iLoveCurryBello]

Thanks. Also I am really aiming to beef up my legs as i suffered an injury last december which resulted in me not being able to train them for a while. IM doing like squats, lunges split squats and leg press, should i do isolation hamstring exercises aswell? Thanks very much

[rugbyworld08]

For Hamstrings try Low Bar Squats, Box Squats and Romanian or Stiff Leg Deadlifts.

[emreteli]

great video

[Petden91]

Good video. While chest strength is important for Rugby I believe that leg strength is much more important. My favourite combination is Squats, Deads, and then a sled pull.

By the time you reach the sled pull you should be very exhausted. The sled pull is the most realistic motion IMO.

I have only been doing weights for 8 months and do 1.3x body weight for bench, 1.65x BW for squats, and 1.65x BW for deads. And these are all for 3 sets of 8-10.

So, keep at it ppl, strength comes quick.

[crombet01]

As your bodys ability to adapt decreases, as it will if you continue to strength train, you must increase to stresses put on the body in the correct manner and set and rep range. 3 sets of 8-10 has been a guideline set by ACSM for general public weight lifting.

AS you prgress from a novice to intermediate, try to lower rep range to around 5-7 and maybe 4or 5 sets, and wgain when you move to be adavanced 3-5 reps with 6 sets

[brentybop]

gj, how much do u weigh?

[polishtom23]

hey i weigh 160 and iv been stuck on benching 225 for a while. any tips?

[rugbyworld08]

Depends why you are stuck. If it is bar speed you can try some Dynamic Effort work by pressing between 115lbs and 135lbs for 8 sets of 3 reps focusing on being as explosive as possible. It may be you need to strengthen a weak bodypart such as your triceps or lats so do some assistance work for these. It might be technique or more often than not a combination of all of the above. Try some extra wide grip and some close grip benching to mix things up.

[rugbyworld08]

Actually just to add I see you weigh 160 - you need to add body weight - squat, deadlift and eat as much as you can as often as you can and see what happens to all your lifts.

[polishtom23]

thanks i appreciate the help. il try it. also do u think that incline bench helps?

[rugbyworld08]

Not really.

[SANDYBOWLS]

Hello,

I'm fifteen and i started to lift weight 2months ago, I currently bench 50Lb and do 5 sets of 10 each

is this any good?, and should i increase the weight or increase the sets?

[rugbyworld08]

For your age that is fine. Concentrate on your technique and do not sacrifice good form for more weight on the bar. Increase the weight rather than sets as long as you are able to maintain good form and 3 sets may be better. Ensure you match any work you do on the bench with an equal amount of overhead presses and pulls like deadlifts, dumbbell rows and bent over rows. So if you do 3 sets of 10 bench press also do 3 sets of 10 overhead press, deadlifts and bent over rows.

[adrenalin17]

hey im also a scrum half but im trainig to gain mass aswell as muscle strength. What exercises should i do for overall upper and lower body strength. I am restricted to few exercise as i am recovering from a knee injury. I also would like to know if protein shakes are vital for gaining mass?

i would appreciate the help

[rugbyworld08]

Rehab your knee properly as you need to Squat and Deadlift to get strong and build muscle. These 2 exercises are unrivalled for the hormonal response they create which affects the whole body. Chin Ups, bench presses and overhead presses will build your upper body. Protein shakes are just a supplement, you must have a good quality diet with lots of lean meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds before you even consider them. Many people have become very strong for years before protein shakes came out.

[adrenalin17]

hey im a scrum half and im training to gain over mass and muscle strength, what exercises should i do to be successful in this? i also would like to know if protein shakes are important while training. It is off season now and speed training and agility are at a minimum, also some of the excercises such as powerclean- i am unabke to do as im recovering from a knee injury.

i would appreciate the help

[DAVnKEV]

i am a scrum half and i am trying to get stronger. over the past year i have been doing a lot of weight programmes and they really help. but i was wondering what kind of exercises i should do to get explosive power?

[rugbyworld08]

Any variation of the Snatch, Clean and Jerk together with Plyometrics such as Box Jumps, Broad Jumps will develop explosive power. The second pull of the Snatch and Clean generate the greatest power output of any exercise. Be careful with Plyometrics though as you need sufficient strength and conditioning to withstand the large forces generated.

[frodocampbell]

Surely weight programmes vary between scrum-halfs and props..What excersises would be suitable for backs to do without losin mobility?And if you put on more weight will that mean you lose agility and speed?..

[rugbyworld08]

Different positions should have different programs no question. It all depends on the individual requirements. Strength training requires reps in the 1RM to 5RM range no matter who you are. Higher reps and volume work will actually add size not necessarily strength. As a back you need to train cleans and snatches to convert strength from Squats and Deadlifts into Power and work on sprints and agility to carry that Power over to the field.

[alfa2389]

if you have the time please answer: what is the correct way to increase resistance? higher reps and low volume or higher reps with high volume? any other form? thanks - im a judoca and im doing mainly squats, deadlifts, military press, benchpress and clean & jerk. Besides that i do judo and also aerobic traiinining like running up the hill and stairs. Sugestions please?

[rugbyworld08]

What is your goal? To increase your strength you need to be using heavier weights in the 1 to 5 repetition maximum range. With regard to volume that depends on your training status - are you a novice or intermediate? Read up on Periodisation - best book is Practical Programming for Strength Training by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore by the Aasgaard Company.

[alfa2389]

thanks, i already asked my coach if he has any literature about strenght conditioning. I will try to buy that book you recomended. Thanks.

[bluedevilcenter]

in American football we will do bench press and then reverse grip bench press...where you ly on the bench and grab the bar like a bicep curl...then do a bench press movement...do the rugby players do the reverse grip?

[bluedevilcenter]

if you are just starting to get into weigt training i would recommend doing a couple of weeks of foundation building..this can be done by starting with low weight even the bar and doing 3 sets of 10...then work your way to the strength and power section of 4 sets of 5 and so on to sets of 6,4,2,1 reps or 3,3,3,3,

[SeigeCJ]

what would you say is the most critical areas to imporve on being a prop? As am little confused on what i should be aiming increase muscle mass (Arms, legs, core strengths etc) By the way great vid

[rugbyworld08]

That will very much depend on your individual situation and working on any areas of weakness you have. For strength focus on 3 to 5 rep maximums in the Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press and for Power work on Cleans and Snatches for 2 to 3 reps being as explosive as possible.

These compound moves will add any mass you require across your whole body and will make your core very strong.

[bikementality]

Dumbells are a great way to work out the chest if you don,t have a spotter but maybe not for beginners. You have to position your shoulders properly on the bench so that the work effort is coming from your chest. It's advisable to have a pillow or something soft and raised either side of the bench to drop the dumbells onto once you have finished your set.

Strength trainning done the correct ways is very effective but always remember always do your own research, don't just listen to one person!

[drunkentortoise]

if you cant get a spotter, whats the best alternative? will dumbells do the job ok?

[rugbyworld08]

Dumbells are best if you have no spotter and are an excellent exercise as they require more co-ordination and shoulder stabilisation. Some people use a barbell with no collars when benching alone so that if they fail they can just dump the plates off but a quick look around youtube at failed bench presses will quickly assure you that barbell benching without a spotter is a bad idea.

[mikeybill91]

I think what some people forget is that the point of these workouts are to increase strength and not size, sure size will come with it. I think you are using the right amount of reps. I would stress to make sure that you perform a warm up set to get your muscles use to the exercise you are performing.

[rugbyworld08]

Once you are comfortable with the form on these exercises you should be looking to perform 3 sets of 5 repetitions with the same weight across each set.

It should be a weight heavy enough to challenge you but that you can complete all sets and reps. The weight is then increased a small amount in the next workout.

Over a short period of time this will develop your strength which is of vital importance in rugby.

[utuberlol]

Bench press should be done with heavy weights i believe, u should go for as much as ur comfortable doing 10 reps with.

[rugbyworld08]

The Bench Press should be used as it is the best raw strength development exercise for the upper body. It allows you to lift much more weight than the incline press and therefore develop the most strength. This is then carried over into the Overhead Press which is the single most functional/sports specific pressing movement and will improve at a greater rate with the raw strength from the bench press.

[Roshibear]

I am glad you mentioned that the bench press isn't very sport specific, but why bother with the bench press at all when the incline press is just as good for upper body strength and better as far as being transferable into a sport specific movement.