Understanding Balanced Strength: Should You Barbell Row As Much As You Bench Press?

A Muscular Man Holding a Heavy Weight Plate

When it comes to building that classic upper body you’ll be hard-pushed to find two better exercises than barbell rows and bench press. However, something that’s always puzzled me is the difference in weight that I use to perform the two movements. I wasn’t sure whether my ratios were good or whether I had a … Read more

Pause or Power Through? Should You Pause at the Bottom of Your Bench Press?

A man in a red vest performing the bench press

To pause or not to pause, that is the bench press question? There are various techniques you can use to improve your bench press, strength, and muscle-building capabilities. However, one of the most popular methods is the paused bench press, as opposed to the standard touch-and-go bench press. So, I’ll discuss the pros and cons … Read more

Bench Press Going Down? Why Your Gains are Stalling & How to Get Back on Track (Fast!)

A Muscular Man Performing Bench Press

The most common gym-related question to determine someone’s manliness is probably, “How Much Do You Bench Bro?” So, there’s nothing more frustrating than performing bench press regularly, but finding that your numbers are actually going down. This is obviously not great for progression, and definitely not great for the ego. Allow me to explain what’s … Read more

Chest Day Dilemma: Incline or Flat Bench First? Do This For Epic Chest Gains!

An Athletic Man Sittng on the Bench of the Bench Press Resting Between Sets

When it comes to building muscle and strength in your chest the bench press is typically the first place that we all look. However, with many variations of the great barbell exercise you may be wondering whether it’s better to do incline or flat bench press first. There are certain factors that you’ll need to … Read more

Bench Press & Overhead Press: Same Day or Separate Strategies?

A Muscular Man Putting a Weight Plate onto a Barbell

There are probably no two better push-based exercises than the overhead press and the bench press. So, if you want to get a bigger and stronger upper body these two movements are a must. However, you’ll typically find that one lift can be impacted by the other. This generally means that the exercise you’re doing … Read more

Traps on Fire After Bench Press? Here’s Why & How to Fix It

A Man Performing the Bench Press

The bench press is probably the most prominent chest exercise, although it does engage the traps and upper back to some extent. With that being said, the last thing you’d expect after bench pressing is for your traps to hurt. However, this can occur, and it can dramatically affect the amount of weight you can … Read more

Should I Hold My Breath During Bench Press? (Revealed!)

Should I Hold My Breath During Bench Press

Have you ever noticed that you occasionally hold your breath when you bench press? Plus, this may even help you to bench more effectively. But, should you really be holding your breath? Is holding your breath dangerous? Or is this a legitimate bench press breathing technique? Let’s find out. You can hold your breath during … Read more

How Much Easier is Bench Press on a Smith Machine? (Explained!)

How Much Easier is Bench Press on a Smith Machine

So, you want to know how much easier bench press is on a Smith machine? In effect, we’re back to the age-old argument – free weights vs. machines. This is not to say that machine exercises are ineffective, as you can still build muscle and strength. However, you’re probably also wondering how much more you … Read more