When guys who lift weights slow down their bench press reps by about 25% from their fastest speed, it helps them get stronger faster than other training methods.

When trained lifters slow down their bench press reps by half, it helps them build bigger chest muscles and do more reps.

Lifting heavy weights with fewer reps and longer breaks makes your arms stronger and bigger faster than doing more reps with lighter weights and shorter breaks, especially for guys who already work out.

For men who already lift weights, doing bench presses with heavy weights (70-85% of their max) for 8 weeks gives the best boost to chest muscle size, strength, lifting speed, and how many reps they can do.

How much total weight you lift matters more for muscle damage than whether you use a barbell or dumbbells—even if one feels harder or heavier per rep.

If you're a young guy who's never lifted much before, doing push-ups and light bench presses until you can't do any more, twice a week for two months, will make you just as strong on the bench press as if you were lifting heavier weights — and you don't even need dumbbells or barbells.