By Christopher Smith, C.S.C.S. Men’s Fitness
In the December issue of Men’s Fitness, we gave you the beginning tools for benching more weight. Now we are providing you with the full workout and everything you need to improve your benchmarks.
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How often do you get asked, “How much do you squat?” And when do people ever want to know about your best curl poundage? For better or worse, the bench press is the only lift you’ll likely ever be questioned about, and it would be nice if you didn’t have to answer with a lie to save face. Give us six weeks, and we’ll show you how to take your max bench up 15 pounds and build a barrel chest to match.
How It Works
While building your bench press will be our main goal, we’re not going to neglect the rest of the body. You’ll train every muscle group in each workout, resulting in strength and muscle gains all over. The training comes in two parts: a three-week accumulations phase, and a three-week intensification block. The accumulation weeks are designed to build a foundation for big gains later. You’ll do a higher volume of sets and reps and concentrate on grooving technique on the bench press. when you’ve acclimated to this workload, we’ll crank it up in the intensification phase and hit your muscles with heavier weights and exercises that target common bench-pressing weak points. Doing half- and three-quarter-range reps will strengthen your lockout, and presses that start one inch above your chest will improve your ability to get the bar moving. You’ve probably never done speed work before. Learning to explode the bar upward will allow you to blast through sticking points and hit numbers you used to lie about for real.
Directions
The program lasts six weeks. Perform each workout – Day 1, 2, and 3 – once per week, resting at least a day between each session. Exercises that are paired (marked “A” and “B”) are done in alternating fashion. Complete a Set of A, rest, then a set of B, rest and repeat until all sets are done for the pair.
WEEK ONE
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat: Grab the bar and squeeze tightly. Step under it and pull your shoulder blades together. Arch your back to take the bar off the rack – it should rest on your traps or rear delts. Step back and set your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a deep breath and sit back, lowering yourself as far as you can while keeping your lower back arched 3 8-10
2a Bench Press: Lie on the bench and grab the bar with hands outside shoulder width. Arch your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower the bar to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45 degrees to your sides. Drive your feet into the floor as your press the bar back up. 3 8-10
2b Seated Cable Row: Attach a straight bar to a seated row machine and sit with your chest up and shoulders pulled back. Grasp the handle at shoulder width and squeeze your shoulders blades together as you pull it to your sternum. 3 10-12
3 Back Extension: Use a 45-degree back extension bench and set your hips at the top of it. Bend forward as far as you can while keeping your lower back flat, and then extend your torso until your body forms a straight line. 3 15
DAY TWO
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Romanian Deadlift: Hold the bar at shoulder width. Bend your hips back and lower your torso as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Allow your knees to bend as needed. Extend your hips to come back up. 3 10-12
2a Overhead Press: Hold the bar at shoulder width and press straight overhead, pushing your head forward as the bar presses it. 3 10-12
2b Pullup: Grab a pullup bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your core tight drive tour shoulder blades down as you pull your chin over the bar. 3 10-12
3 Face Pull: Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station and hold an end in each hand, your palms facing each other. Pull the handle to your forehead, flaring your elbows outward. 3 12-15
[See 8 Tips For A Big Number Bench Press]
DAY THREE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squats 3 6
2a Bench Press 3 6
2b Bentover Row: Hold the bar at shoulder width and bend your hips back until your torso is parallel to the floor, allowing your knees to bend as needed. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly. 3 6-8
3 Shrug: Hold the bar with hands at shoulder width and shrug your shoulders to your ears. If the weight is too heavy to lift with both palms facing you, use and alternate grip (one palm forward, on back). 3 8-10
WEEK TWO
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat 3 8-10
2a Bench Press 3 8-10
2b Seated Cable Row 3 10-12
3 Back Extension 3 15
DAY TWO
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Romanian Deadlift 3 10-12
2a Barbell Overhead Press 3 10-12
2b Pullup 3 10-12
3 Face Pull 3 12-15
DAY THREE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Deadlift 3 6
2a Bench Press 4 6
2b Bentover Row 3 6-8
3 Shrug 3 8-10
WEEK THREE
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat 4 6
2a 1/2 Bench Press: Have a partner hold a board or other firm object on your chest as you lower the bar so that it stops at the halfway point. (You can also set up the spotter bars in a power rack to do this.) Press from there. 4 5
2b Wide-Grip Cable Row 4 10
3 Plank 3 Hold as long as possible
[See 8 Ways to Spice Up a Plank]
DAY TWO
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Hang Clean 5 3
2 Speed Bench: Use 55% of your estimated one-rep max and explode the weight up as quickly as possible. Rest 45 seconds between sets. 8 3
3a Barbell Overhead Press 3 6
3b Pullup 3 8-10
DAY THREE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Front Squat 4 6
2a Close-Grip Incline Bench Press 4 6
2b Dumbbell Row 4 10
3 Dumbbell RDL 3 8
WEEK FOUR
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat 5 4
2a 3/4 Bench Press: Have a partner hold a board or other firm object on your chest as you lower the bar so that it stops three-quarters of the way from the top. (You can also set up the spotter bars in a power rack to do this.) Press from there. 5 4
2B Wide-Grip Cable Row 4 10
3 Plank 3
Hold as long as possible
DAY TWO
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Hang Clean 5 3
2 Speed Bench: Use 60% of your estimated one-rep max and explode the weight up as quickly as possible. Rest 45 seconds between sets. 8 3
3a One-Arm Dumbbell Push Press 4 6
3b Pullup 4 6-8
DAY THREE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Deadlift 3 3
2a Dumbbell Bench Press 4 6-8
2b Dumbbell Row 4 8-10
WEEK FIVE
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat 4 3
2a Bench Press from Bottom Position: Set the spotter bars in a power rack so you can rest the bar on them an inch or two above your chest. Set up to bench press and lift the weight beginning in the bottom position. 4 3
2b One-Arm Standing Cable Row 4 8
3 Barbell or Swiss-Ball Rollout 3 10
[See 6 Weeks to a Big Number Deadlift]
DAY TWO
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Power Clean 5 3
2 Speed Bench Press: Use 65% of your estimated one-rep max and explode the weight up as quickly as possible. Rest 45 seconds between sets. 8 3
3a One-Arm Dumbbell Push Press 4 6
3b Mixed-Grip Pullup 4 8-10
DAY THREE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Front Squat 6 4
2a Close-Grip Bench Press 6 4
2b Dumbbell Row 5 10
3 Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 6
WEEK SIX
DAY ONE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1 Squat 2 5
2a Overhead Press 2 5
2b Pullup 2 10
3 Barbell or Swiss-Ball Rollout 2 10
DAY TWO
Off
DAY THREE
Squat: Test your one-rep max
Bench Press: Test your one-rep max
Source: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/…big-in-6-weeks
