basic bench press

[frankenstein]

Many have written on this subject, but I think as a newbie you'll find mine most beneficial. This simple example of periodization produced good strength and great chest mass and "cuts" on me this past year. I also did heavy incline dumbbell press and machine fly's to round out my chest workout for the day. 2 days after this workout I would do a light chest workout with heavy barbell incline press, pushups, hammer strength chest press etc(looking for "the pump" so to speak)..

Start out with a weight equal to 50% of your 1RM
Week 1( training bench once weekly)
- Perform 12 reps at 50%
- Add 20 pounds to the bar, do another set of 12 reps
- Continue this for 5 sets, increasing each time until
- You can no longer do 12 reps
Week 2
- Starting at the previous highest weight
- Do 5 sets of 10-12 reps, increasing the weight
- By twenty each time you do twelve until
- You reach your 10RM
Week 3&4
- At your 10RM do 5 sets for 2 weeks. Increasing by
- 10 pounds each time you can do more than 10
Week 5&6
- Add 20 pounds to your 10 RM
- Do 5 sets 8-10 reps, increasing the weight by
- 20 each time you complete 10 reps. When you
- Struggle to complete 8 reps your at your 8RM.
- Spend 2 weeks at this weight, rep & set range
Week 7&8
- At your 8RM increase the weight by 20 pounds.
- Perform 6 sets 6 reps, when you can do 8 reps
- Increase the weight by 20.
Week 9&10
- At the 6RM weight increase it by 10 pounds.
- Perform 5 sets of 5 reps, increasing by 10 pounds
- If necessary.
Week 11&12
- Increase the 5RM weight by 20 pounds.
- Do 6 sets by 3 reps increasing by 10
- Until you can no longer do 3 reps
Week 13&14
- Increase the previous best triple by 10 pounds
- Do 10 sets by 2 reps, increasing by 5 until failure.
Week 15
- Re-max on the bench press.

Let me know if you give it a try, it really turned my flabby chest hard. I think you'll be impressed by the results! If your a real "go getter" spend a month in each rep range. This is a great program for that mass steroid cycle your planning as well. This year I may flip it and do the same program on inclines and dumbbell bench press.

[frankenstein]

My bench went from 375 or so to 425 on this program. I was planning a 455 max but suffered a shoulder sprain which limited the weight I could handle in triples... It was still pretty successful.