Blast Your Bench

Forget about what you lift. Instead, focus on how much you can lower. Men can handle 40% more weight on the eccentric, or lowering, portion of a bench press than on the press itself. So you can increase your size and strength gains by targeting the down phase of the lift, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Be sure to take three full seconds to lower your barbell. Lowering thr weight under control forces your muscles to work harder, stimulating growth