For that reason, Mike Tuchscherer uses/programs them for reps and from the top down like a regular bench press except you pause on the pins. That can work too. The point of the dead bench for singles-only is that it completely removes the stretch reflex. Personally, I have never had a problem setting up, just don’t rush it.
I will not argue further about dead benches, I do not have enough knowledge and experience (I never did dead bench).
All i know, I do not want to put this exercise as max effort 1RM, and besides max effort there is no place in my training for this exercise right now.
Really?
Im pushing it right now, so without pulling something out im not able to add more work.
But with Westside you change up exercises each week, correct? On ME day you can do a “supplemental” lift after the ME lift, and if I’m not mistaken that is normally up to a 3-5rm. So simply use dead bench as a supplemental lift, but don’t work up to a max. Just to give you an idea, you can start with 50-60% and make jumps of about 20lbs. until you get to a weight that feels fairly challenging (use your judgement) and then repeat that weight for maybe 4-6 singles. If you don’t want to use the same lift for several weeks in a row then just try to add 5-10lbs. the next time you do dead bench.
As for ME dead benches, one of the examples that Josh Bryant gives in his book “Bench Press: The Science” is basically a linear progression for several weeks and the last week you work up to a max. I did that in my last training cycle, I’m not injured. If this exercise does in fact increase the potential for injury then I would have to assume that it’s from not being tight enough when you setup and using weights that you can’t handle. Other than increasing strength off the chest, the biggest benefit is that it really teaches you to get tight because otherwise the bar is not going anywhere once it gets heavy. So just make sure you set up properly and keep your shoulder blades retracted. And don’t max out the first time you do this lift.
You know almost all pec tears are from benching, right?
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Yes, you are right. It looks like a good idea.
I said before that im not able to add more work without pulling something because my plan looks like that:
ME 1RM - different exercise every week
ME lift 3x5 reps 75% of 1RM - sometimes i skip this (When i feel tired)
Then 2triceps exercises for volume (extension+pushdown), 1 back, 1 biceps 1 rear delts exercise
DE day
DE bench 9x3
DB bench 2x20
Or instead of this 2 - 6x6/8x8 illegal wides.
Triceps heavy movement 5RM
Triceps db extension variation
1 back, 1 biceps 1 rear delts exercise
And I’m using 3 week cycles for all my assistance work (excluding stuff small stuff like biceps,rear delts etc)
In a clinical, theoretical sense, this thread is pretty cool.
One of the main ideas of the Conjugate System is NOT doing the competition lifts. You do stuff that is close, so you know your training is working.
But you don’t test yourself on The Real Stuff. Its too psychologically damaging if you miss!
Bench is up 35 pounds in 11 weeks. Including a 12.5 pound jump in the last month! 420 was a Pr, right? Anybody should be ECSTATIC with that.
Then one miss (immediately after a PR!) and everybody is worried? 420 Blasted Up! The sky was the limit, and 5 minutes later the sky is falling!
I’m gonna copy your training, do what you did and see if I get those Gainz!
It’s also interesting that @Vincepac1500, who trains heavy-heavy often, understands the ups and downs of lifting big singles. Just picking good weights is a Skill that can/should be trained.
I skimmed thru the replies so I apologize if I missed this recommendation, but I highly recommend doing pause benches.
If you insist on ME work then use them as your supplemental lift after the ME work. Do them full range and partial range from chest to half way up to keep pressure on the lower half of the lift. Sets of 3-5 reps.
This helped me a ton getting the weight up quickly off the chest.
It’s pretty simple, rather than doing volume work on the ME lift after working up to a max you could just to dead benches, isometrics, or another “supplemental” lift for a 3-5rm. I have never used Westside/conjugate training but I have read a lot of articles by Louie and Dave Tate, Matt Wenning also puts out a lot of useful information. If you can’t do a particular exercise (which you know will be beneficial) because it “doesn’t fit into your program” then there is something wrong with your programming. Every workout is not supposed to look the same.
Anyway, I have nothing more to say on this topic. You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
You messed up by taking a PR attempt that was too heavy. Dont change anything, take a nedium week and attempt 425. Even Louie Simmons with all his geared and “enhanced” lifters says to take a PR of five pounds and leave more for next time. If you get that even though its a small increase its still an INCREASE and it means your training is valid at least for the time being. It also reinforces success rather than failure.
If you listen to those suggesting you chnage your programming, you may fuck up by changing things that got you to this point. Good luck.
I opened this topic to get feedback from others. And I’m grateful to anyone who answered, I got a couple of ideas to try in near future.
All I know is that for the past 11 weeks I have not had a session without PR, hell I even beat PRs on all supplemental and accessory work. With this kind programming i can fit everything i want, but right now I do not want to add dead bench period. I dont know if dead bench will be more beneficial than my current plan, maybe yes maybe not. Just right now I prefer to stick to my plan (add 1 board ME to rotation and illegal wides rep instead of speed bench for cycle or two) I forget about dead bench for now. Because at the end im the person who will reap all the benefits or ended without PRs.
Please do not think I’m smartass, Your answers have given me a lot of ideas for future programming. Just right now i want to stay without dead bench, And see where I’ll land after 8-12weeks.
To be honest, “Westside” plan gave me the best results I could imagine. And gave me more motivation than anything else, there is something magical about constantly beating PRs week after week.
But I do not recommend this plan to anyone, because most ppl are unable to put enough effort to understand it.
Before I started to use it I have devoted hundreds of hours (really) to learn stuff about conjugate system. Probably on the internet there is no article or forum thread about “westside” that I have not read (Matt Wenning stuff too, i have his 5h long dvd about conjugate system)
But even with all that knowledge, you must be brutally honest with yourself, and you have to properly estimate your weaknesses and then choose right exercises and then… tons of other stuff
And one last thing, I’m using a term “Westside” because most people know general assumptions of this plan. But i never been there, my knowledge about this plan is from internet threads, articles, videos from such people as Louis Simmons, Dave Tate, Jim Wendler, Matt Wenning and others.
Yes exactly 
I plan to check my new bench 1RM after 10-12weeks from now. And now focus on building strength. I want to add only 2 changes - one more ME exercise 1 board press, and replace DE bench with illegal wides 6x6/8x8 for cycle or two (to build chest and strenght of the chest, and to have rest from bands a bit)
I’m eager to see how it works for you. I have been on conjugate for 6 weeks after screwing around with 5/3/1 for too long. It takes time to learn the program, but all the poundages on my supplemental and accessory work are going up and I have built more muscle tissue (I’m 56) in the last six weeks than I have in a year. I’m raw (knee wraps) btw so anyone who says this doesn’t work with raw is BS.
Its more work than Ive been doing and my recovery is much better.
The caveat is that your form needs to be dialed in so that when you go back to it occasionally it doesn’t go to shit.