I started thinking about ways to improve it last year and did some research on how to increase my bench, which yielded some interesting results.  I looked at the T-Nation T-Cell to see what methods they recommended.  Most of them suggested developing triceps strength using close grip benches and rack lockouts.

It’s great advice but since without much training my dip is quite happy at around 150kg (70kg plus 80kg bodyweight), I’m not really convinced that lockout is my weak area.  I think my weakness is more at the midpoint.

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Enter the floor press

I’ve wanted to try the floor press for a while.  It has a good reputation for hitting the midpoint of the bench press but it’s also a great oldtime strength movement that preceded the bench press.

Most people will come across this exercise in gyms using a power rack but it is possible to set up something at home.  This is how I did it.

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Step 1: take two plyometric boxes

I made my 12″ plyometric boxes last summer (I will get around to doing a post about them as they’re really easy to make if you get your wood pre-cut at the DIY store).  I put a weight plate on each one to protect them from the bar coming down.  That takes them up to about 14″ off the floor, which is a bit high for a floor press.  More like a rack lockout, really.

Step 2: add bricks

I use bricks to make the base of a platform

Step 3: add some chipboard

I use these pieces of chipboard for all kinds of things.  They come in really handy when I need to reduce the distance between me and the bar or increase the range of motion on a deadlift.  I like having them around.  Hard to take with you to a commercial gym, though…

Step 4: you’re done!

That’s it!  Here’s a couple of photos of me using my new fat bar to test out the set up.

Other resources

If you’re interested in this great oldtime strength exercise, you can read more about it at these sites:

• Critical Bench – the floor press by Ben Tatar – some good hints and tips as well as technical comments from the experts.
• Weightlifting discussion – the floor press - some good pictures as well as a variant using a back pad.
• Elite FTS - the floor press and its applications - more technical discussion as well as first-hand commentary from a lifter who has incorporated the floor press into his programme for powerlifting
• Mike Robertson – the floor press - Mike gets technical and explains how the floor press benefits your bench.  He also laments the fact that most gyms don’t have the equipment for doing them.  Well, now you can get ahead of the rest with this set-up in your garage!

If you already do the floor press and have another method for doing it at home I’d be interested to hear about it.  Otherwise, if you try this approach, please let me know how it goes.

My bench is playing up at the moment.  It’s not a major stress for me right now because building a bigger bench isn’t in my top 3 goals.  But it might be in my next set of top 3 goals, so I need to keep an eye on it.  I like to plan ahead, you see…

Also, I have been surprised at the lack of transferability between my dipping and my bench.  My dip has gone up considerably in the last 6 months, to the point where my 3RM is 145kg (320lbs) and my estimated 1RM is 155kg (340lbs).  I will be testing this in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned!  In the meantime, though, my bench has plateaued horribly at 95kg (210lbs).

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So what am I going to do about it?

Well, I’ve written before about how much I’ve learned about benching properly from Elite FTS and, in particular, Dave Tate.  The main things I have focussed on in the past are technique, shoulder and back stability and overall body tension.  With my pull up work in the background, and the extra rowing work I’m doing, I’m fairly confident that my lats and upper back are up-to-scratch.  I think it might be my arms that are letting me down.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to start planning some additional triceps work for when I’ve finished dieting.  I suspect that I probably need some more muscle mass in order to add significant strength, so I’m looking at both strength and hypertrophy goals.  Before I start writing a programme, though, I needed to do some research and here are the results…

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Researching T-Cell Alpha

There was a recent round-table thread in T-Cell Alpha about building bigger arms and one of the questions asked was “are isolation exercises necessary for triceps mass?  If not, what are the benefits?”  Most of the forum participants provided 2 exercises, so I limited my note accordingly.  As at the time of writing, this is what was recommended:

1. close grip bench + one-arm dumbbell extensions
2. skull-crushers + pushdowns
3. skull-crushers + close grip bench
4. (machine) pushdowns and (machine) extensions
5. extensions and skull-crushers
6. dumbbell press + reverse grip bench
7. 4-board close grip bench
8. close grip bench + EZ bar extensions
9. 3-board close grip bench + close grip bench pin press
10. 3-board CGBP + close grip bench pin press
11. close grip bench pin press with chains + band pushdowns

So that’s 9 votes for close grip bench variants, 3 votes for skull-crushers, 3 votes for pushdowns and 4 votes for extensions (of varying kinds).  Of the 9 votes for close grip bench variants, 6 were for partial reps (either 3 or 4 board presses or pin presses).  The rationale here is that the top part of the rep puts the most stress on the triceps, whereas the lower part of the rep relies more on the chest.

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Mike Robertson gets technical

I recalled that Mike Robertson wrote a comprehensive article about triceps a while back and suggested two routines for developing triceps strength as follows:

• Routine A workout 1: max bench, throat crushers
• Routine A workout 2: speed bench, close grip decline bench press
• Routine B workout 1: rep bench, weighted dips
• Routine B workout 2: 3-board press, dumbbell extensions

Comparing these programmes with my current routine shows that Mike rates dips (and close grip decline bench, which might as well be a dip once all is said and done) highly for triceps work.  So I’m still puzzled why I’m not really seeing much cross-benefit from them.  Other than that, Mike seems to agree with the T-Cell Alpha results that partial rep presses and close grip bench are the most beneficial approach, followed by extensions.

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Louie Simmons’ favourite triceps exercises

I couldn’t even contemplate planning a routine for developing my triceps without reading what Westside have said about it.  While I understand that a general principle of Westside training is the rotation through various exercises until progress is no longer made, Louie did do an interview with Powerlifting USA in which he recommended:

• close grip bench presses (all variants)
• dumbbell triceps extensions with the palms facing each other for 6-12 reps for 60 total reps
• JM press to 4” above the chest for sets of 3-5 reps
• straight bar triceps extensions for sets of 5 reps

Again, the overall message seems to be close grip bench presses, partial rep presses and extensions.

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Conclusions

So that’s the highlights of my research so far.  I’m going to think about it a bit more and maybe do some more digging.  When I’ve got a programme idea, I’ll post it up.  In the meantime, I think it’s pretty clear that the consensus is that a programme comprising (partial rep) close grip bench presses and (dumbbell) extensions would be fairly solid.

Don’t necessarily rely on your doctor for sports-specific injury help

My friends often ask me why I go to a physical therapist or a sports massage therapist rather than taking advantage of the NHS, which is free (I live in the UK)?  Why not go to a doctor instead?

Well, in the NHS, the local doctors are usually referred to as GP’s or General Practitioners, which means they know a little bit about a huge range of diseases, disorders and other ailments.  This is a good thing if you happen to go down with a bizarre tropical disease after flying back home from Mexico.  But it’s a bad thing if you need help with a bad knee.  What’s the point?  They aren’t specialists.

In the UK, GP’s are basically triage experts.  They see everything from people with Oh-my-God-you-have-5-minutes-to-live diseases to people who have I-have-a-bit-of-a-cold-doctor-but-all-I-really-need-is-some-sympathy-and-a-nice-cup-of-tea disorders.  If you walk into the surgery and ask about a bum shoulder the GP is going to say “rest it and come back in 6 weeks if it’s still a problem”.  You might get a prescription for some pain relievers but frankly you can get those cheaper in the supermarket anyway.

And if you think I’m being unkind about the medical profession, then take a look at the prevailing view on doctors at T-Nation for a no-holds barred approach…

Find a skilled sports massage therapist instead

In contrast, I have found the sports massage therapists I have used to be excellent.  I now recommend the London School of Sports Massage graduates to anyone who will listen.  Every LSSM practitioner I have worked with has understood that I am still going to train whatever they say and has worked with me on that basis.  They know that if they said “don’t do anything for 6 weeks” then I am going to go elsewhere in a hurry.

The London School of Sports Massage also has a feature on its website that allows you to search for practioners close to you.

Tips on how to work with your sports massage therapist

I have found the following approach to pay dividends when working with a sports massage therapist:

• Tell them what hurts and answer their questions honestly
• Ask the therapist what exercises you can do and do them
• Ask the therapist what exercises you can’t do and don’t do them
• Ask the therapist for corrective exercises if appropriate.  If they give you any, make sure that you do them

Speed your recovery

There are a few other things that I have done that have helped speed my recovery from shoulder pain:

• Drink plenty of water before and after massages
• Stretch after massages
• Use hot and cold contrast pads or showers on the affected areas

Balance your pressing and pulling

Once you’re back hitting the gym hard, it’s worth making sure that you aren’t setting yourself up for injury again because of an unbalanced programme.  About a year ago, my pull-up progression stalled.  I reviewed my programme and I found that (unlike most people) I was doing much more pulling than pressing.  To correct things, I introduced dips, which I hadn’t really been doing before.  My dips performance improved incredibly quickly, until it reached a similar level to my pull ups.  After that, they both moved upwards together.  Coincidence?  Probably not. 

A good rule of thumb is that your pull up strength should be similar to your bench press.  So if you weigh 75kg (165lbs) and bench 95kg (210lbs) then you should be adding 20kg (45lbs) to your belt when you do pull ups.  If you’re not then you shouldn’t be surprised if your shoulders hurt, really…

Improve your movement patterns and mobility

Many shoulder problems can be caused by inadequate shoulder movement patterns or mobility.  There have been lots of great articles written on this subject.  I found Eric Cressey’s article series Shoulder Savers to be the most helpful when I had my last injury.  I found the following hints made the most difference for me:

• Thoracic extensions on a foam roller
• More soft tissue work on a foam roller
• More targeted soft tissue work with a tennis ball
• Doing more horizontal rowing
• Sorting out my bench press technique

If your bench press technique isn’t at least as good as mine, you may be at risk of injuring your shoulders…

So that’s how I approach any injuries I get when lifting.  I hate getting injured as much as anyone so I like to have a game plan ready for when I do.  Fortunately, by following my own advice, I’ve been twinge-free for at least 6 months now and hoping it will stay that way!

This is the second article in a 5-part series about pull ups.  The first was a general introduction to pull ups and chins.