Need a new Bench Press routine

Nice bench.

It looks like you do a bunch of sets and lot of reps in the bench. And you also do a bunch of work for the individual muscles too.

That’s awesome. But doing all those reps and all that assistance work will limit the weights you can lift in training. To get Stronger, try doing fewer reps, which will lead to bigger weights, and more Practice with low reps.

Check out this “wave loading” scheme where you do a bunch of sets, but jump the weights up each time.

" 3/2/1 Waves Using 88-97/102%

This is quite possibly the most powerful loading scheme you can use to build strength.

Some experts may have spoken out against it, but I’ve seen it work too many times to listen to “theory” and disregard reality. Heck, even Ilya Illyin, arguably the best Olympic lifter at the moment, uses this scheme in his training.

It has a profoundly-stimulating effect on the nervous system, but it can also be draining because of the high neural output.

You perform “waves” of three sets, increasing the weight and decreasing the reps in each set, and resting your normal length of time between sets (and between waves).

If you successfully complete all three sets of a wave without missing a rep, you proceed to another wave of three sets with more weight than the preceding wave. I recommend starting the next wave with the load you used for the second set of the preceding wave.

If you can complete all the reps in that second wave, you start a third wave. Stop the exercise when you can no longer complete a wave.

Note that the first wave is generally conservative while the second one is more challenging but a notch below your true maximum. The third wave, ideally, leads to a 1RM. Being able to complete four waves would lead to a PR.

If your 1RM on a lift is 355 pounds, your waves on a perfect day might look like this:

  • Wave 1:

  • 315 lbs x 3

  • 325 lbs x 2

  • 335 lbs x 1

  • Wave 2:

  • 325 lbs x 3

  • 335 lbs x 2

  • 345 lbs x 1

  • Wave 3:

  • 335 lbs x 3

  • 345 lbs x 2

  • 355 lbs x 1

  • Wave 4:

  • 345 lbs x 3

  • 355 lbs x 2

  • 365 lbs x 1

On any given day, you should be able to complete two waves. Completing three waves is a very good session. Completing four waves is an amazing workout. Completing five waves means that you underestimated the weights to use!"

5 Likes