Prior to facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 28, Triple H had to overcome a series of shoulder issues
He turned to Joe DeFranco, strength coach at the Onnit Academy in Austin, Texas. Under DeFranco’s guidance, the nine-time WWE Champion fought off injury and actually built new muscle mass.
Triple H’s delts were in a poor state after years of in-ring action left him battered and bruised. However, by incorporating assistance exercises such as resistance band pull-aparts into his routine, Triple H was able to bench a ridiculously heavy weight pain free.
DeFranco claimed the assistance exercises helped build the smaller, stabilising muscles in HHH’s upper back. This area had previously been neglected.
Alongside his wife Stephanie, Triple H continues to train with DeFranco in the run-up to Wrestlemania 34.
You too can learn from the former WWE Champion’s approach. DeFranco’s advice on optimising bench press technique can help you add more weight without a cost to your joints.
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All you need are those trusty resistance bands.
When you work at a desk all day or spend long periods sat down, your shoulders have a tendency to rotate internally. This can make bench pressing a painful exercise.
By wrapping a mini-band around your wrists when benching, muscular tension is enhanced and pain reduced. If you feel some pain when pressing, this could prove a wise move.
The elasticity of the band will also increase muscle activation in your upper back. Although the back muscles aren’t worked by the bench press, you need them to fire to remain stable on the bench.
Strength coaches also advise squeezing the bar when performing a compound exercise such as the bench press. This has the effect of creating full-body tension. As this kind of lift works many muscle groups at once, you’ll benefit from having your entire body move in sync.
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