How to Raise Your Bench-Press Max

Teammates, we've long known that our Perfect Pushup workout routines help you get stronger in the arms, abs, chest and shoulders (and of course, men get bigger and women get more toned). But did you know that the routines will help you improve your bench-press max?

How's that possible? Let me tell you: The bench-press movement isolates your hands into one position. By doing so, it essentially limits the number of other muscles you can recruit to help you move the weight. The Perfect Pushup, on the contrary, enables you to rotate through the same bench-press movement, which means you recruit more muscles.

When this happens, you get what we call "functionally stronger," and in turn, you'll be able to apply your newfound strength to pushing up your bench-press max. But don't listen to my theories, read on and hear real life examples -- Hooyah! Alden

From AKO's blog: "We were getting truly ripped, and were stronger than we had ever been from weight training. So, as we have scientific minds, we decided to test the apparent reality of being in better shape, even though we hadn't touched a weight in over a year. We first decided to see if we had decreased our bench press. We first decided to see if we had decreased our bench press. We started with a low weight, about 80 pounds less than our maximum weight of 215 a year ago. Easy. So we increased ... 185 pounds. Cake. Like David Dunn, Bruce Willis' character in the movie Unbreakable, we kept piling the weight on until we incredibly maxed out at 235 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than we had ever been able to lift. We were awestruck. We felt invincible."

And Daniel K's recent comment: "About a month ago I tested my bench press and could only max out on 185lbs. I consider myself an endurance athlete so I've never been concerned with my max bench or lifting heavy weights. I did the Perfect Pushup program as part of my morning routine. Yesterday, my max bench came out at 210lbs. A 30lb increase in only 3 weeks without even touching a bench press bar. A good accomplishment and proof that it works."

Alden Mills, creator of the Perfect Pushup, is CEO of Perfect Fitness, based in California. Mills went to the Naval Academy, where he went on to become a Navy SEAL. After retiring in 2000, he earned his MBA at Carnegie Mellon. His ultimate mission is to inspire everyone to pursue their own dreams. 

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.