Key exercises for a big raw bench.

[emekajokammor]

What about dips for triceps? Do you guys think that strong triceps can contribute to a strong bench? It is the second active muscle of the movement.

[Off Road]

Originally Posted by Fazc

From what I recall of Davis he trained in a similar manner to Hepburn, repeated effort on the big lifts. But he did something like multiple doubles to Hepburn's famous multiple singles.

That's what I remember too, and he'd take up to 15 minutes rest between sets. This is getting a little off-topic but it was fun. Back to benching...

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by emekajokammor

What about dips for triceps? Do you guys think that strong triceps can contribute to a strong bench? It is the second active muscle of the movement.

I think this rolls back to what Ryano was saying about finding your weaknesses. A lot of Benching done first will highlight a weakness, then you act on that weakness with specific assistance work.

For example, as a bodybuilder you might do Squats but from doing all of the Squatting you might realise that actually your quads aren't getting as much stimulation as you require. So you might add in some specific work for your quads on leg day, perhaps you'll add in some Leg Press or perhaps you might switch to a Front Squat for a little while.

Another example, if training for strength you Bench but perhaps your elbows flare too soon. This *might* indicate an overly dominant chest, so you add in additional tricep work perhaps some board work or lockouts and see how that goes.

Some guys, like myself get a lot of tricep work from just Benching. Probably because I'm very tricep dominant anyway. For me what works is some really high volume chest work. So to cut a long story short, I think it depends on your bodytype/form and how you respond to the exercise.

Just my theory!

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by emekajokammor

Do you guys think that strong triceps can contribute to a strong bench?

Stronger the better. In my opinion you can never have enough back or tricep strength.

I like dips a lot for the beginner, instead of say doing overhead dumbbell extensions or push downs, just as an overall upper body development and strength building tool.

Beyond that I think it's really up the the individual. I reached a point after 12 months where I was dipping with 90 pounds and it was hard to continue with progression.

[Trevor Ross]

Depends on your training style, if you're a Westside or 5/3/1 disciple then the assistance work is tailored into those methods.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by emekajokammor

What about dips for triceps? Do you guys think that strong triceps can contribute to a strong bench? It is the second active muscle of the movement.

Well with a Bench Press your triceps are the primary mover, raw even more so since you're benching with tucked elbows. Strong triceps and back are the key to moving big weight.

[Fazc]

My 2 cents; I think the idea that Bench is tricep and upper back is a view which is highly influenced by WSB and just shirted lifting in general.

For me, I used to have a very strong upper back, back and legs. But my Bench was terrible. I actually competed for a couple of years with a awful Bench (200) and pretty decent squat and deadlift (400/500). Predictably at that strength level my legs/back were muscular but my chest/shoulders lagged.

As I finally started putting more and more work into the Bench my entire upper body grew. My chest and shoulders now look pretty big on me.

I think the idea that triceps are important certainly has a lot of merit, I'm not denying that but we need to keep a little perspective here. Just like all of hocus-pocus about squats being all hamstrings. People take a good piece of advice and then just run away with it, forgetting that the quads' primary function is to extend the leg! The chest draws the arms together and it's a large muscle of course it will help, particularly at the bottom.

So let's keep some perspective, especially for a raw lifter sure it's good to train triceps and hamstrings, of course it is. But let's keep not take a good idea and warp it into something else, the chest and quads are still massively important.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by Fazc

The chest and quads are still massively important.

That's why I do flies and high bar squats.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by Fazc

Just like all of hocus-pocus about squats being all hamstrings.

Well, that depends on your Squat style. If you're doing a good morning style squat, then I'd say it's more hamstrings/glutes, but high bar is more quads.

[Fazc]

You really can't escape the simple fact that in a raw squat, to parallel or lower, the quads primary function is to extend the knee.