Ask Al: Benching without a spotter

Q. How can I bench heavier without a spotter?

We have all heard the horror stories of men being trapped under more weight than they can handle. It can be pretty scary.

One solution is to vary the rest period. With this pause principle, you end up handling more weight than you would ordinarily have used. All this by taking short breaks during the set.

Here's how it works.

1. Select a weight that normally allows you 4 or 5 reps. After those reps, pause and rack the weight for 10 sec.

2. Grab the bar and do whatever you can safely do. Usually, this would be 1 or 2 more reps. Rack the weight again for 15 to 20 sec. Now, try for a couple more reps.

3. Rack the weight one last time for 20 to 30 sec. Finally, do 1 or 2 more reps.

By the time you have finished the set, you should have anywhere from 8 to 12 reps with weight that you would usually have managed at most 5 reps with.

The result is more size and strength.

Thank you guys
AlejandroQ