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Rep Speed for Bench Press to Optimize Output
If you workout there is a very good chance that at some point during your week, you are performing a bench press.
In this Italian journal, authors have looked at effects of velocity on strength training during a supine barbell chest press.
20 subjects were separated randomly into two groups where the average age was around 40, height about 5’8″ (remember Italians like me are not the tallest!) and with similar training history (averaging to 20 years). The first group was the fixed pushing group (pushing at 80-100% max speed) and the second group performed at a self-selected speed (whatever I feel like!!).
At the beginning of the study, each of the subject’s single repetition maximum was determined through what was referred to a “touch-and-go” technique:
“(A) a warm-up including 5-10 repetitions at 40-60% of the estimated 1 RM, (B) 1-min rest with light stretching followed by 3-5 repetitions at 60-80% of the estimated 1 RM, (C) 3-5 attempts to reach the 1RM with 5-min rest intervals between each new lift. The maximum weight that was successfully lifted was recorded…. After 3 and 5 days, all subjects were tested in a bench press exercise at 85% and 100% of 1RM in the same manner as on the first day in order to ascertain their specific maximal speed”
Once the 1RM was determined, the strength training would begin. Training took place over 3 weeks, and with only 2 training sessions per week (subjects were told that no high intensity endurance activity could be performed outside of this study).
The fixed speed group performed 85% 1RM and stopped when the speed dropped by 20%. Recovery between sets was 2 minutes, and the subjects stopped the session when they could not arrive at the base calculated speed.
The self-selected speed group would perform 85% 1RM until failure, with a 2 minute break between sets until they could not do another push.
The results are in: maintaining that fast speed is more important than pumping out all those reps! Both strength and velocity measures had significant changes in the fixed speed group as the self-selected speed group had minimal changes (non-significant).
Specifically, this study showed that high velocity training can make an >10% strength increase in only 3 weeks! This is even more incredible seeing as the fixed speed group had less overall reps thus less overall pushed weight.
Lets just take one step back for a second though: these individuals had an average training history of about 20 years. These athletes had no current history of muscular or tendinous injuries, and had a good grasp of how a bench press should be done. Do not be surprised that when you go to see your physiotherapist for a shoulder injury that you will be working with a much smaller load, and without that high-velocity approach as this could disrupt healing.
Also a heads up if you haven’t been watching it’s the season of of NFL COMBINE! Check it out on nfl.com if you want more information. One of the events is the bench press: how many times can you bench 225? The season may be over, but the hype is still there!
Padulo, J. et. al. (2012). Effect of Different Pushing Speeds on Bench Press. International Journal of Sports Medicine, volume(?)(2), pp?.