The bench press isn’t just a gym lift — it’s a test of power, dedication, and progress. From beginners aiming for their first 135-pound bench to experienced lifters pushing toward a 225 or even 315 milestone, the bench press remains a cornerstone of strength training.

But here’s the truth: if all you do is max out every chest day, your progress will stall. To consistently add pounds to the bar, you need a combination of smart programming, accessory movements, and explosive training. That’s where structured planning comes in — and why tools like Peak Strength training plans are game-changers for lifters who want to see steady, trackable progress.

In this article, our team at Garage Strength will cover 10 exercises guaranteed to increase your bench press, proven strategies to break through plateaus, and answers to common strength questions like Is a 225 bench good? How rare is 315? Is 135 respectable for beginners?

Let’s dive in.

How Do I Increase My Bench Press Strength?

Increasing your bench press is not necessarily just a matter of throwing more weight on the bar each day. Hitting your bench press goals comes down to three pillars:

1. Improving Technique – A strong bar path, proper shoulder blade retraction, and core tightness make each rep more efficient, as well as preventing injury.

2. Progressive Overload – Gradually increasing the weight, reps, or training intensity forces your body to adapt and grow stronger.

3. Accessory Work – Strengthening your triceps, shoulders, and stabilizers is what separates lifters who stay stuck from those who hit new PRs.

And here’s the kicker: progressive overload is nearly impossible to master without structure. That’s why lifters who use training plans like Peak Strength progress faster — it helps to adjust workouts, track volume, and ensures you’re adding weight in a way that drives growth without burning out.

How Rare Is a 315lbs Bench Press?

A 315 bench press (three plates per side) is one of the highest achievements you can hit as a lifter. Reaching this level usually takes years of dedication, refined technique, and specialized training. If you can hit 315 cleanly, you’re already stronger than the vast majority of recreational and many competitive lifters. Structured programs, like those inside Peak Strength, are essential at this level — every set and accessory matters if you want to keep climbing.

Is a 225lbs Bench Press Good?

Yes — a 225 bench press (two plates per side) is a major milestone for many people. For most gym-goers, it signals a solid level of upper-body strength and usually takes one to two years of consistent training to achieve. 

At Garage Strength, many athletes who require a lot of upper body strength and power set this as one of their first goals. Athletes like football players, throwers, and powerlifters in their first or second year of high school set this as their primary goal. With consistent training, we hope male athletes can hit this milestone around 14 or 15 years old. 

While elite lifters push far beyond it, 225 remains a respected standard and a common benchmark for progress.

Is 135lbs a Respectable Bench?

Definitely. A 135-pound bench press (one plate per side) is a respected starting milestone, especially for beginners. It demonstrates real progress and strength development in the early stages of training. Every lifter starts somewhere, and for many, 135 is the first “big” goal on the journey to heavier lifts.

Ready to hit that next big bench press milestone? Try the Peak Strength Calculator tool. 

10 Exercises Guaranteed to Increase Your Bench Press

Here are ten proven exercises that directly translate to a stronger bench press:

1. Slow Eccentric Bench Press

Lower the bar over 3–5 seconds before pressing explosively. This builds control, strengthens connective tissue, and increases stability.

By targeting the lower chest and reinforcing proper bar path, athletes develop stronger pressing mechanics. This transfer of stability and power improves performance in the regular bench press, enhancing overall strength.

2. Decline Bench Press

The decline bench press emphasizes the lower chest and triceps, allowing athletes to handle heavier loads with less shoulder strain. This increased strength and power in pressing muscles transfers directly to the regular bench press, helping athletes push through sticking points and improve overall performance with greater efficiency.

3. Command Press

The command press develops patience, control, and stability by forcing athletes to pause with the bar on their chest before pressing. This eliminates momentum, builds starting strength, and strengthens tightness under load. As a result, athletes develop greater power and confidence, improving performance in the regular bench press.

4. Dips

Dips serve as a powerful accessory exercise rather than a primary movement, targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps through a deep range of motion. By developing lockout strength and muscular endurance, dips support the bench press. This accessory work builds upper body power, improving overall pressing performance and efficiency.

5. Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is a valuable variation often used later in the training week to emphasize the upper chest and shoulders. By pressing from an elevated angle, athletes develop balanced muscular strength and stability, which carries over to the flat bench press, improving overall control, endurance, and pressing performance.

6. Cable Extensions (Tricep Pushdowns)

Cable tricep extensions work the triceps through a full range of motion, keeping consistent tension from start to finish. This strengthens the muscle in both stretched and contracted positions, building balanced development. The improved tricep strength enhances lockout power and directly supports better performance in the bench press.

7. Miracle Gro

The Miracle Gro targets the triceps, lats, and core through a deep, controlled range of motion, combining a dumbbell pullover and skull crusher. This movement strengthens the triceps for lockout power while engaging stabilizing muscles, improving pressing mechanics and overall bench press performance with greater strength, control, and muscular balance.

8. Explosive Push-Ups (EXP Push-Ups)

Explosive push-ups develop upper body power, speed, and reactive strength by forcing the chest, shoulders, and triceps to generate force quickly. This plyometric movement enhances neuromuscular coordination and fast-twitch fiber recruitment, directly translating to stronger, more explosive bench press performance and improved overall pressing power.

9. Z-Press

The Z Press strengthens the shoulders, triceps, and core by requiring strict overhead pressing from a seated position on the floor. Without leg drive, it emphasizes upper body stability and pressing mechanics. This builds strict pressing strength and core control, which transfers to improved performance in the bench press and other pressing movements.

10. Telle Extensions

Telle extensions target the triceps through a controlled overhead pressing motion, emphasizing full range of motion and constant tension. By strengthening both the long head and lateral head of the triceps, this exercise enhances lockout strength and pressing stability, directly supporting improved bench press performance and overall upper body power.

Coaches Corner: Helping Athletes Build a Bigger Bench Press

Beyond gym exercises, small daily habits can help athletes stack up huge strength gains over time:

• 50 Clap Push-Ups Every Night – This adds extra explosive pressing volume, conditioning your muscles to be twitchy without hurting recovery.

• Triggered Sets – Quick bursts of push-ups or presses throughout the day keep the pressing muscles primed and activated.

• Upper Body Mobility  – Even just 10-15 minutes of stretching a day can help muscles recover faster and maintain proper function.

4 Accessory Movements to Break Through Plateaus

When your bench stalls, these four accessories will help you break through:

1. DB Neutral Grip Bench Press – Shoulder-friendly and great for chest/triceps growth.

2. Close-Grip Floor Press – Builds lockout power and eliminates leg drive, forcing pure pressing strength.

3. Lean-Away Seated Tricep Extension – Puts the triceps under maximum stretch for growth.

4. Explosive Push-Ups to Boxes – Trains bar speed and explosiveness off the chest.

Structuring Your Training for Maximum Progress

A smart weekly setup might look like this:

Day 1: Heavy Bench Focus

• Clap Pushups: 5 sets of 10 reps
• Bench Press: 4–6 sets or f 3–6 reps
• Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 8–10
• Cable Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 12–15

Day 2: Overhead & Accessories

• Push Press: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
• Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 5–8 reps
• Telle Exentions: 3 sets to of 12 reps
• Lean-Away Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 17 reps

Daily Habit: 50 push-ups or triggered sets outside the gym.

This type of progression balances heavy barbell pressing, accessory strength, and explosive training.

And if you don’t want to second-guess your programming, Peak Strength makes it easy. The app builds custom programs for your goals, automatically adjusts volume and intensity based on your performance, and tracks every lift — so you can focus on lifting, not spreadsheets.

Final Thoughts

The bench press is more than just a lift; it’s a journey of strength and progress. Whether your goal is hitting 135, 225, or 315 pounds, the formula is the same: perfect your form, build explosive power, and attack your weak points with accessories.

By consistently applying the ten exercises in this guide, adding daily push-up habits, and rotating in plateau-busting accessories, you’ll unlock serious bench press strength over time.

And if you want to maximize results, don’t guess your way through programming. Download Peak Strength and let it handle the numbers while you focus on the grind. With personalized plans, progressive overload built in, and detailed tracking, Peak Strength is the smartest way to add pounds to your bench and finally crush those milestones.

Try a Peak Strength training plan today and take your bench press to the next level.