3 Bench Press Variations for Bigger, Stronger Triceps
A key to moving heavier weights in the bench press is constantly improving triceps strength. Nine-time world powerlifting champion Larry Pacifico, a 575 lb bench presser, once said the triceps are 75% of the bench. While chest and shoulder strength contribute significantly, most people will hit their sticking point where the triceps take over at roughly halfway through the ascent. Smaller assistance exercises – extensions, pushdowns, etc. – can help add size and strength to the triceps. But to really improve your pressing prowess and blast through PRs, you’ll need to handle heavy weight in big triceps-dominant lifts. If hypertrophy is your main goal, using these exercises can help add mass to what’s often an underdeveloped muscle group. Strong triceps also take stress off the shoulders in heavy presses, so if you’re having chronic shoulder issues when benching, you might simply need stronger arms. Below are three uncommon bench press variations that will help you reach bigger numbers and build a thicker set of tris.
1. Reverse Grip Bench Press
For a stretch in the 1990’s, Anthony Clark shattered multiple bench press world records exclusively using a reverse grip. Other world-class powerlifters such as Jim Voronin also used a reverse grip to avoid pec tears. After the International Powerlifting Federation outlawed this grip, it was largely forgotten and rarely seen. The current king of the bench press, Jimmy Kolb, began advocating for the reverse grip as a means of benching heavy weights in training through the same range of motion as with a regular grip while taking stress off the shoulders and pecs. Jimmy credits regular practice of the reverse grip bench press as a major contributor to his astonishing 1,401 lb. world record.
Technique
Begin with the same set-up as you would for a regular pronated grip bench press. Taking a supinated (underhand/reverse) grip, set the bar low in your palm, probably lower than you’re used to carrying the bar. Use the same grip width as you do for the regular bench press. If you have decent shoulder mobility, you should be able to take a full grip around the bar as shown in the left picture below. If your shoulders are beat up and you can’t fully supinate your hands, use a “talon grip” as shown in the picture on the right with the bar between either your index and middle fingers or between your middle and ring fingers. Adjusting to the grip position will be the most difficult part of this variation – it might take a few weeks of practice before you’re accustomed to it. Wrist wraps help mitigate some of the discomfort.
As the weights get heavy, use a spotter for a lift-off since you won’t have as much leverage in unracking the bar. Once you begin the movement, aim to touch the bar relatively low on the torso towards the bottom of the ribcage. This tucks the elbows closer to your body which takes stress off your shoulders and pecs, places more stress in the triceps, and utilizes more of the lats than the upper back to stabilize the weight. Press the bar in as straight of a line as possible rather than back over the shoulders. If anything, think of pushing the bar towards your hips. This allows you to continue pushing with the triceps through the entire range of motion.
Programming
As with any new exercise, start with relatively light weights for sets of 8-12 reps so you can get used to the technique. Regularly include it in your training, at least once per week, to become proficient with the movement. Once you’re comfortable with it, start working up to heavier weights for sets of 5, 3, 2, and even max effort singles. See if there’s a discrepancy between your regular grip and reverse grip bench press. A big gap between them means your triceps, and possibly your lats, need more attention. If lots of heavy benching has worn down your shoulders and pecs, the reverse grip will allow you to continue pressing heavy without beating yourself further.
2. Brady’s
A short name for a close grip, high rep, high pin press. The name comes from masters world champion bencher, Dennis Brady, who credits this exercise to helping him bench over 400 pounds into his 50’s in the 181 lb. weight class. This was also a common assistance exercise at the legendary Westside Barbell.
Technique
Set up a bench inside a power rack or under spotter arms. Set the safety pins or spotter arms at a height that gives you a 4 to 5 inch range of motion when using a narrow grip (i.e. index fingers touching the smooth inner part of the bar). There’s no eccentric/lowering portion of this exercise so start with bar directly on the pins.
There’s not a lot of technique to discuss in this exercise but there are some nuances to keep in mind. Above all, stay focused on pushing with the triceps. Avoid rolling the shoulders forward to push the bar – keep your shoulder blades pinched together throughout the entire set. Since you’re starting each rep from a dead stop on the pins, focus on leverage: rather than thinking about pushing the bar up and away from the pins, think about driving your upper back through the bench to get the weight moving. This helps keep your shoulders back and creates a more stable foundation to push from. You should think about this same leverage during a regular bench press as well so use this exercise to practice this technique.
Programming
Use this as a secondary exercise after a bigger range of motion press. It’s not a bad idea to push heavier weights but you’ll want to keep this specific variation in the 8-15 rep range for 3-4 work sets. Stick with weights that allow you to keep the emphasis on the triceps rather than the pecs and deltoids. Despite the limited range of motion in this lift, you might need to use lighter weights for a while if your triceps are lagging. Since it’s a relatively low-stress exercise, you can perform these up to twice per week on upper body days.
3. Guillotine Press
The Guillotine Press is a more challenging variation than the prior two lifts and isn’t suitable for all athletes. But if you can handle the initial awkwardness of the Guillotine Press, few exercises will tax the entire triceps like this exercise. Louie Simmons introduced it to me during a trip to Westside Barbell, and it left me with a level of triceps soreness I had never experiened before.
Technique
Start by taking a very narrow pronated grip on the bar – the pinkies should be at the inner edge of the knurling of the bar with the rest of the hand on the smooth portion. If your wrists can handle it, take an even narrower grip. Begin the lift by lowering the bar directly to the neck. Your arms should remain in the same vertical plane as the barbell with the elbows traveling out rather than straight down. Once you reach the bottom, relax your arms for a moment to stretch the triceps. You should feel an enormous amount of tension around the elbows before pressing the bar back up in a straight line. Be sure to focus on pushing exclusively from the triceps.
Like the Reverse Grip Bench Press, use wrist wraps to take some stress off the joint. It might also take a few sets to find the right grip position that doesn’t put the wrists in a painfully awkward position at the bottom of the lift. You might also want to cut the range of motion short depending on your elbow health. If you do have elbow flexibility issues, this can be a good exercise to improve that joint range of motion over time by progressively working into a lower position.
Programming
When first performing this exercise, keep the weights light and the reps high (between 10-15 per set) so you can focus on getting as big of a range of motion as possible and honing your technique. Eventually you can work up to heavier weights for sets of 3-5 to really test your triceps strength. Like the Brady’s, use this as a secondary exercise on your upper body days rather than a main movement. Because of the stress placed on the triceps tendon, rotate this exercise into your routine once every two to three weeks to avoid tendonitis.
Wrap-Up
For many recreational lifters and competitive powerlifters, focusing on triceps strength is the key to breaking through bench press barriers. If you’re simply training for hypertrophy, using these three lifts will help your arms grow substantially especially if you haven’t been using big barbell lifts with a triceps emphasis. If you’re an athlete in something other than strength sports, these lifts can allow you to work around shoulder injuries while still moving big weights and working your arms. Whatever your goals might be, rotate these lifts into your training and reap enormous benefits!