Add Pounds Onto Your Bench Press

Everyone wants to increase their numbers on the bench press. Here’s how add the muscle and strength to actually do it.

With winter around the corner and worse weather on the way there’s no better time to get back into the weight room and start moving around the steel. Everyone wants to bench big weight, whether it is 185, 225, 315, 405, and this period is your opportunity to break that plateau you’ve been struggling with. However, if you’re going to take your numbers to a place they’ve never been before, you’ve got to mix up your workouts and focus on exercises that target the weak part of your bench press.

Remember, the way to get stronger is to:

1. Move heavy weights
2. Move weights quickly

This program forces you to do both. So get focused, get a lifting partner, and get working to a new personal record on the bench press!

Day 1 (Heavy)

Before you perform this workout, make sure that you have done the proper full body warm up.

This is your heavy bench day, so make the most of it because you won’t press heavy for the rest of the week. On this day you’ll max out (I recommend 3 rep max for beginners or 1 rep max for more advanced lifters) so you’ll need a spotter to keep yourself honest. Each week you’ll try to beat your last week’s max.

After three weeks, switch exercises and test again for a new max to serve as your new starting point. If you’re an advanced lifter, I would advise you switch every 2 weeks instead of every 3, but either way, make sure you properly build up to your heavy set (see example below). Keep in mind that after these 9 weeks, your bench will be substantially higher so make sure to test it before you begin this program.

Example Workout:

Week 1-3
Pause Bench Press (up to 1/3 rep max)
Proper progression for a 315 bench max:
8xBAR, 5x135, 5x190, 3x230, 3x250, 1x270, 1x290, 1x310, 1x320
DB Incline 4x5
Dips 4x8-12 (add weight if you can)
Rope Pressdown 3x10
Shoulder Cans 3x10 (2.5-5, yes light weight)
• Full can Y, empty can Y, side raise thumbs up, bent over raise thumbs up

Weeks 4-6
3 Board Press (up to 1/3 rep max)
• If you do not have a 3 Board Press max, it should be around 20-40 pounds higher than your flat bench max
• Same progression as pause bench in weeks 1-3
DB Bench Press 4x5
DB Tate Press 6x8-10
Double Hand MB Pushups3xMAX
Shoulder Complex #1 3x10 (be careful trying to do too heavy of weight here)
Front raise, side raise, bent over raise, press

Week 7-9
Regular Bench Press (trying to beat your old record)
Close Grip 3 Board Press 5x5
DB Skullcrushers 4x8-10
Incline Cuban Press 3x12 (light weight)

Day 2 (Speed)

This day should be 72 hours (yes, 3 days…) after your heavy bench day. On this day you will be working with lighter weights but trying to move them as fast as possible (with good technique of course). These exercises will help you hone your technique and get you moving weight explosively to help blast through old plateaus.

Weeks 1-3
Speed Bench Press 8x3 @ 50-60% of your bench max
• 3 sets with close grip, 3 sets with a middle grip, 3 sets with your regular bench press grip
• Rest only 60-90 seconds between sets
• Your goal is to do 3 reps in under 3 seconds, from the first decent to lockout
• Your technique should be watched closely here
Incline Barbell Press 5x8 (1 set designated as a warm up set)
DB Fly or Pec Dec 2x12-15
Bar Skullcrusher 5x10
Pressdowns (your choice grip) 4x10
Any kind of shoulder complex 3x8-10

Weeks 4-6
Speed Bench Press 8x3 @ 50-60% of your bench max
• 3 sets with close grip, 3 sets with a middle grip, 3 sets with your regular bench press grip
• Rest only 60-90 seconds between sets
• Your goal is to do 3 reps in under 3 seconds, from the first decent to lockout
• Your technique should be watched closely here
Barbell Rep Out 2 x MAX (you are shooting for 8-15 reps here, so choose the weight accordingly)
DB Incline Fly or Pec Dec 2x12-15
Dips 5x10 (ADD WEIGHT)
Rope Pressdowns 4x10
Any kind of shoulder complex 3x8-10

Weeks 7-9
Speed Bench Press 8x3 @ 50-60% of your bench max
• 3 sets with close grip, 3 sets with a middle grip, 3 sets with your regular bench press grip
• Rest only 60-90 seconds between sets
• Your goal is to do 3 reps in under 3 seconds, from the first decent to lockout
• Your technique should be watched closely here
DB Incline 5x8 (1 set designated as a warm up set)
Cable Crossover (yes, I will allow it)
DB Tate Press 5x8-10
Close Grip Pushups (add a band if you have one) 3xMAX
Any kind of shoulder complex 3x8-10

This second day is crucial and the primary movement should remain the same throughout the program. This is where you put your ego to the side and work on pure speed. If the speed is not there you have to suck it up and lower the weight until you can move it fast enough. However you should feel free to mix up the secondary movements every couple of weeks (i.e in weeks 3-4 you may want to opt for dumbbell incline bench instead of barbell incline bench).

Additionally if you have the availability to use chains or bands here I strongly recommend them, though you will have to lower the weight to hit the 3 secondtime frame. If using bands or chains make sure that you only work with each for two to three weeks before switching to another or to just the bar weight.

Once again I can not stress enough that if the weight is too heavy to be moved in less than 3 seconds then you need to lower the weight. Always start low and work your way up.

If you have any questions regarding how to approach this please feel free to email me at nchemphill@ucdavis.edu and I will help with any questions that you may have.

As always hydrate, eat, and stretch because this program will place heavy stress on your body as you force it to adapt to move more weight on the bench. But follow the program to a tee for 9 weeks and you'll be able to build muscle, gain strength, and add a ton of weight to your bench press.

To take your bench press numbers to the next level 1R would recommend the following supplements:

1. Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery - The carbs and protein will help you recover and build lean muscle faster after tough workouts
2. Cytosport L-Glutamine - Needed for immune system support, energy production, and the building and protection of the lean muscle mass when stress is increased on the body
3. Cytosport Creatine - By increasing your body's ATP production creatine will help you become more explosive, more powerful, and more athletic when taken before or after workouts