Crossfit Bench Press Workouts To Build Chest Muscle And Strength
In order to be the best athlete you can be, you need to bench press simply because it’s one of the better pushing exercises that you can do. While you can certainly perform push ups with a weight vest, dips and L sits for your upper body strength, you need to perform some bench press chest workouts to be the fittest you can be.
Look no further than the 2018 crossfit regionals where the bench press was involved. Many of the top athletes failed and struggled as they had never constantly done any type of pressing. The goal of these chest workouts is to build upper body muscle, increase muscular endurance and build raw power.
Mark 35 is the most well known Crossfit bench press workout
7 Rounds For Time
5 bench press (225/155 lbs
5 power clean (225/155 lbs)
35 Double Unders
I favor this workout because you really get to train muscular endurance. Yes, the reps are short and the weight is heavy but the intensity of rounds reduces rest and increases time under tension which is a great way to build chest muscle.
ADAMBROWN is a hero wod that pushes the pace
2 rounds for Time
24 Deadlifts (295/205 lb)
24 Box Jumps (24/20 lb)
24 Wall Ball Shorts (20/14 lb)
24 Bench Press (195/125 lb)
24 Box Jumps (24/20 in)
24 Wall Ball shots (20/14 lb)
24 cleans (145/100 lbs)
Crossfit Functional Bodybuilding Bench Press Workout 1
One fact that Crossfit athletes need to think about is muscular hypertrophy. We’ve written about Crossfit upper body workouts before but I can’t stress enough the need to add some physique training into your programming, especially when it come to the bench press. A functional bodybuilding bench press workout for crossfit would look like
Bench Press 5 sets of 5 reps with 30 second rest between sets
Triset 4 rounds of each with no rest
Flat bench kettlebell press: 30 seconds of work
At the end of those 30 seconds, pause in the bottom position for 10 seconds
Weight vest push ups for 30 seconds
15 cals on the assault bike
Crossfit Functional Bodybuilding Bench Press Workout 2
This workout is more focused on overall muscle growth
Weigh Vest Push Ups: 3 sets of 20 reps
Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 8 reps
Flat bench drop set. Each set will be a drop set. Perform 8 reps then drop the weight by 20 pounds and perform another 8 reps.
You’ll do 4 sets, each with a drop set to increase time under tension.
Why should a crossfit athlete bench more often? Not only is it one of the better exercises for building strength, power and muscle but it’s also helpful for improving lock out strength on overhead squats, clean and jerks and other crossfit specific movements. It’s a separate angle from clean and jerks and olympic lifting movements so you’ll experience different fatigue in different areas of your chest and shoulders.
Look no further than the 2018 crossfit regionals where the bench press was involved. Many of the top athletes failed and struggled as they had never constantly done any type of pressing. The goal of these chest workouts is to build upper body muscle, increase muscular endurance and build raw power.
Mark 35 is the most well known Crossfit bench press workout
7 Rounds For Time
5 bench press (225/155 lbs
5 power clean (225/155 lbs)
35 Double Unders
I favor this workout because you really get to train muscular endurance. Yes, the reps are short and the weight is heavy but the intensity of rounds reduces rest and increases time under tension which is a great way to build chest muscle.
ADAMBROWN is a hero wod that pushes the pace
2 rounds for Time
24 Deadlifts (295/205 lb)
24 Box Jumps (24/20 lb)
24 Wall Ball Shorts (20/14 lb)
24 Bench Press (195/125 lb)
24 Box Jumps (24/20 in)
24 Wall Ball shots (20/14 lb)
24 cleans (145/100 lbs)
Crossfit Functional Bodybuilding Bench Press Workout 1
One fact that Crossfit athletes need to think about is muscular hypertrophy. We’ve written about Crossfit upper body workouts before but I can’t stress enough the need to add some physique training into your programming, especially when it come to the bench press. A functional bodybuilding bench press workout for crossfit would look like
Bench Press 5 sets of 5 reps with 30 second rest between sets
Triset 4 rounds of each with no rest
Flat bench kettlebell press: 30 seconds of work
At the end of those 30 seconds, pause in the bottom position for 10 seconds
Weight vest push ups for 30 seconds
15 cals on the assault bike
Crossfit Functional Bodybuilding Bench Press Workout 2
This workout is more focused on overall muscle growth
Weigh Vest Push Ups: 3 sets of 20 reps
Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 8 reps
Flat bench drop set. Each set will be a drop set. Perform 8 reps then drop the weight by 20 pounds and perform another 8 reps.
You’ll do 4 sets, each with a drop set to increase time under tension.
Why should a crossfit athlete bench more often? Not only is it one of the better exercises for building strength, power and muscle but it’s also helpful for improving lock out strength on overhead squats, clean and jerks and other crossfit specific movements. It’s a separate angle from clean and jerks and olympic lifting movements so you’ll experience different fatigue in different areas of your chest and shoulders.