I haven’t chased after strength numbers in the bench in years , and I’d like to change that over the next couple training cycles. My gym just got a 2 board paddle for benching , and I’m considering using it, I’m wondering your opinions on using it as a variation.
The last time i was really taking benching seriously , my sticking point was often not at the chest or the lockout , it was generally in that middle area where a 2 or 3 board would be.
I assume that I would use this as an overloading movement , since the reduced ROM would allow me to handle more weight. With this in mind , would I still want to do it later in the week? Mondays are my main bench and squat day, it seems like having my heaviest bench day later in the week after I’ve already acquired multiple days of stress wouldn’t be the best thing , or maybe it doesn’t matter?
I don’t think that I can tell you exactly how to program it without knowing your program, but I do have a few thoughts on board press:
- I like using board press at heights that that train the lift just before the sticking point. This is usually 1 or 2 board for folks with their normal grip and 3 board for close grip variants.
- I don’t think board presses are the key to unlocking a big bench, but I do think some people like them. We program them for clients and in our templates regularly.
- They can be used for lower reps and higher loads or higher reps with lighter loads, which should be determined by the purpose/goal of the programming.
- I don’t think it matters when you program them during the week -Jordan
Appreciate the input Jordan! I’ll throw them in and play around with different variables to see if they’re a valuable variation for me.