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Bench Programming


Bigken1985

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Hi guise 

Wanting some opinions/debate on programming my bench. The goal is to get a 140k bench in 2016. Im currently at a 130 comp bench. I have been hitting lots of volume trying to build some mass, i want to continue to do that but also push my strength up. I find if i train heavy too often i end up with a niggle or missing reps. for assistance i quite like what im doing, picking a couple exercises and blasting.  Is speed work worth doing for bench? im a natty fgt too so progress is slooowww

Routine atm 

MON- Squats

Tues -Bench /Chest

Weds- off

Thurs- Deads/ back

Fri-shoulders

 

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5/3/1 did wonders for my bench when I was hitting around those numbers.

But yea a heavy day and a speed day might be a good way to go.

Also train your accessories harder. Building a big upper body will obviously help lead to a bigger bench. Up the intensity and volume of your accessory sessions like Shoulders and Arms and also treat your Chest and Back accessory work the same once you've done the main movement.

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I think benching once a week is not optimal, IMO you need to increase the frequency (more times per week) and volume (reps and sets) especially if the intensity is causing you to miss reps.

Have you tried the Russian programs like Smolov Jr or Sheiko? These are high volume/frequency programs which always work pretty well. 

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OK well I ain't a power lifter so can't contribute much to this discussion.

Lol I bet you still press a fair amount of weight Harry.

All that experience woulf have plenty to offer in this discussion, a big bench is a big bench whether it's a bodybuilder or a powerlifter.

I think powerlifters get a little caught up in programming/methods/periodization etc sometimes and miss out on potential gains cos they dismiss the advice of someone training for another purpose even though they have valuable input.

Don't get me wrong, they're obviously important aspects but powerlifters can definitely learn a thing or two about growing from bodybuilders.

Up the intensity, lower the rest, increase the volume and build a base.

Muscle moves weight.

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Lol I bet you still press a fair amount of weight Harry.

All that experience woulf have plenty to offer in this discussion, a big bench is a big bench whether it's a bodybuilder or a powerlifter.

I think powerlifters get a little caught up in programming/methods/periodization etc sometimes and miss out on potential gains cos they dismiss the advice of someone training for another purpose even though they have valuable input.

Don't get me wrong, they're obviously important aspects but powerlifters can definitely learn a thing or two about growing from bodybuilders.

Up the intensity, lower the rest, increase the volume and build a base.

Muscle moves weight.

good post.

you have a good bench and you also kill it on accessory work for upper body and they are related for sure.

 

i did no accessory work starting out, have small arms and shoulders and because of that my bench is shit.

 

imo training like a bodybuilder to grow the muscles is smart especially for bench.

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Lol well my best gains in bench came from focusing on heavy inclines and shoulder work and lots of it. Lots of bench pressing just gave me injuries. But it's down to mechanics I guess. Realtalk, Tom Lee and SG have huge numbers on the bench compared to a few years ago. They'd have some awesome insights on this. Dr squat if he still posted cos he had am enormous bench and wookie has been doing some great programming for people on here.

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I dunno if he still reads or anything but I know Dr Squat would agree with you.

Always instilled those kind of ideas in us when we were training.

He was all about the Incline, Close Grip and Delt work.

He's still quietly working away.

Told me the other day he wasn't doing anything heavy and when I pushed him further he said "Oh I did hit 180 for ten on Close Grip the other day".. Freak lol.

As a case study for that kind of Bench progress, the first time I hit 140 was actually on Incline for a single in a cycle of Incline before I started a comp prep, then I went back to Flat and hit it for a Double or Triple within a couple weeks.

Definitely works.

Dave Tate has similar ideas.

When asked what the he thought was the best way to bench 405lbs he said "Easy, Overhead Press 315lbs and you'll hit 405lbs on Bench".

Starting to see similarities here between big pressers ideas lol.

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+1 for frequency. You'd likely hit 140 after 3 weeks of smolov jr. I got 10-15kg out of it as an intermediate natty.

I did smolov jnr. It was ok but I had my max set too high and started missing on the end of the 3rd week. Also I'm not that keen to train bench 4 days. Joints just got ruined and I still want to improve my other lifts
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Bench multiple times per week with moderate volume around the 70-85 percent range, get some elbow sleeves if your elbows are niggly (depending on what the root cause is), do plenty of pec stretching and upper back work and you'll hit your goal no doubt :)

+1 to this style. My program has bench twice a week at about 70-90% depending on the day one day is higher volume/weight but only slightly - working well, have added plenty of weight to my 1RM

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I did smolov jnr. It was ok but I had my max set too high and started missing on the end of the 3rd week. Also I'm not that keen to train bench 4 days. Joints just got ruined and I still want to improve my other lifts

Ah ok yeah I was gonna say I set it off 90% of my 1rm and it worked well but still got bad tendonitis for awhile.

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2 would be fine, I know a bunch of ipf guys bench twice a week at min - Gibbs the freak benches 3 times a week and his bench has rocketed off the hook - everyones different and i agree big time with the nutrition, gotta eat properly to recover for sure!

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I got my best gains through doing the 6 week russian peaking cycle . Its designed for squats but can be run on bench . You go 3 x a week but you have a base number so say if your nax is 140 your first workout might be 6 x 2 at 120 then next is 6 x 3 at 120 then 6x4 at 120 then back to 6 x 2 at 120 until you get up to 6 x 6 at 120 from there it changes and would be 6 x 2 at 120 then 5 x 5 at 125 then 6 x 2 at 120 then 4 x 4 at 130 and it reduces down like that. Also the 9 week 3 lift version was awesome for me Thats doing the same routine but stretched over 9 weeks bench and squat monday and friday with deads on weds . Fun programs .

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The operative part of that is that Gibbs is a freak lol but yeah sure multiple days fine just have to be aware of volume and overloading your shoulders and elbows. Hell guys who are geared up to the eyeballs have issues with those areas. It only stands to reason most natty guys would have to be even more aware.

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Probably be mindful that frequency and ability to recover is also directly related to nutrition and drug intake. You're natty? Maybe high percentage pressing 2 or 3 times a week is going to be counterproductive. Just my 2c

yeah, thats what my experience has been. natty as they come

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Probably be mindful that frequency and ability to recover is also directly related to nutrition and drug intake. You're natty? Maybe high percentage pressing 2 or 3 times a week is going to be counterproductive. Just my 2c

I bench 3x per week and recover fine. Do your prehab, eat and sleep enough and you'll be fine. Slack on any of these things and you will not recover well imo and from my experience.

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Great discussion. I was going to start a similar topic myself. I'm finding that 531 is still good, but it's getting harder to push forward, even incrementally. I wondered if the answer lay in more/better/difference assistance work, or a different programme like Smolov.

 

 

I dunno if he still reads or anything but I know Dr Squat would agree with you.

If we only had the new forum software up and running, you could tag him here!

 

Soon though... very soon! :D

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