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michael rosenbaum
michael rosenbaum's picture
Bench Press Routine

This is something you guys might want to try, if you're in love with the bench press. ( Like I am, but don't admit it.) It's a bench press only routine that takes about 45min-1hour depending upon the time you have and you're physcial endurance. It's great for upperbody development, or can be done on one of your "off" days, you know those periods in-between heavy workouts.

The routine goes like this:

1. Start off with a weight half of your one-rep max.

2. Do as many reps as you can with the half-max weight.

3. Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4.Add 4-6 pounds and do as many reps as you can then rest.

5. Continue adding weight until you reach a 1 rep max. (What you're doing is basically repeating steps 3 &4 until your reach exhaustion)

6. After your 1-rep max decrease your weight 4-6 lbs and do as many reps as you can.

7. Continue decreasing your weight 4-6 pounds until you're back at the original weight you began with.

Have fun and enjoy!

 

Mike R

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Mike,

I like it! I think adding routines like that to the "training methods" section will make for a very useful resource.

If anyone has any they'd like to share, then please do!

All the best,

Iain

rshively
rshively's picture

Have you tried an old "hindu weight training" method?

This method uses light weights with slow motion reps. The idea is to extend the amount of time used to make one repetition. Instead of a rep taking only a few seconds to execute, you make the rep last 10-15 seconds, even up to 30 seconds.

This method is hard! which is why you use light weights. After a few reps/minutes, you'll find your arms shaking from the slo-motion.

This method doesn't build muscular size, instead it creates dense muscle mass and increased strength.

Gavin Mulholland
Gavin Mulholland's picture

I work to the folowing routine which is a four week progressive programme training the bench 2 or 3 times a week:

Week 1:  12x60 - 12x60 - 10x65 - 8x70 - 8x70 - 10x65

Week 2: 10x60 - 8x70 - 6x80 - 4x90 - 8x70

Week 3: 8x70 - 5x77.5 - 3x85 - 1x100 - 1x100 - 5x77.5

Week 4: 3x90 - 3x95 - 3x100

After this month you up the starting weights of Week one so the second month becomes:

Week 1:  12x65 - 12x65 - 10x75 - 8x75 - 8x75 - 10x80

Week 2: 10x60 - 8x75 - 6x80 - 4x95 - 8x75

Week 3: 8x75 - 5x85 - 3x95 - 1x110 - 1x110 - 5x85

Week 4: 3x95 - 3x100 - 3x105

Then up it goes again. If anyone is interested its all based on your 1-rep max and I have the figures for heavier  if all this is too light for you lot...

What happens to me is I get so far then let it slip for a while and back to square one but I suspect that might not be too uncommon...

p.s. All weights in Kgs