Powerlifting offers a plethora of health benefits. Simply working out is good for you, even if it’s just half an hour a day on a treadmill, but strength and weight training can help you sleep better at night and has been proven to alleviate pain in 80% of people suffering from lower back problems. With the right powerlifting gear, such as knee sleeves, knee wraps, and wrist wraps, you’re able to reap the full benefits. However, if you want to take it one step further and focus on strength and power rather than health, you need to get yourself some bench blokz.
A Bigger, Better Chest Day
Depending on how long you’ve been doing bench presses, you may find yourself a little bored with the routine. Maybe you’ve plateaued at a certain weight and ability, or your reps aren’t as smooth as you’d like them to be, but you’re unable to change the focal point of the exercise. Bench blokz provide an opportunity to fix all of those issues: they change up your routine, strengthen weak areas, and master sticking points, which are defined as the most difficult part of the exercise (therefore causing you to “stick” when you get there).
Although previously known as board pressing, wherein two-by-fours were stacked and placed on your chest as a way to stop the bar from coming all the way down, bench blokz have made the workout easier and allow you to do it without a partner holding them in place. The foam blocks attach directly to the bar, forcing you to hold the weights farther from your chest than normal.
“By bringing the bar down to the planks [or bench blokz] instead of all the way to your chest, you effectively shorten the distance the weight has to travel,” says Men’s Health Fitness Director BJ Gaddour. “This allows you to lift heavier loads since you don’t have to press the bar as far.”
Additionally, they allow you to “zero in” on sticking point; you’ll find yourself blasting through plateaus and setting new records while you strengthen the weakest parts of your presses.
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