Just curious as to which program your bench did best on?
if it did best on your own programming feel free to explain what it generally looked like.
Well for me I’ve always made the best progress benching 1x a week, and seated OHP 1x a week. For my bench:
week 1: 3x3 (pick a weight you know you can hit paused)
week 2: repout with 90% of the weight of previous week. Also a good time to hit weak areas so id do things like close grip and spoto presses
week 3: 3x3 +10lbs of previous 3x3 week
week 4: repout 90% of week 3 weight. You get the picture from here.
I know this is pretty low on frequency but I have chronic shoulder and elbow issues so this has been working for me well lately. And pick accessory work accordingly to your weaknesses
5/3/1 worked well for me for about 9 months, then it slowed dramatically. I always did incline as an accessory on OHP day though.
Now I am over half way through my second DUP cycle that is as follows.
Week 1
Sun - 5x8 at 75% 1RM
Tues - 5x1 at 80% 1RM
Thurs 3 x max reps at 85% 1RM
week 2
Sun 5x8 at previous sunday plus 5lbs.
Tues 5x1 at 80%
Thurs 3 x max reps at 87.5% 1RM
week 3
Sun 4x8 at prev sun plus 5lbs
Tues 4x1 at 85%
Thurs 3 x max reps at 90%
week 4
Sun 4x8 at prev sun plus 5lbs
Tues 4x1 at 85% 1RM
Thurs 3 x max reps at 90% 1RM
week 5
sun 3x8 at prev sun plus 5lbs
Tues 3x1 at 90%
Thurs 3 x max reps at 92.5%
week 6
Sun 3x8 at prev sun plus 5lbs
Tues 3x1 at 90%
Thurs 3 x max reps at 95%
Doggcrapp, with the following modification:
I generally follow Prilpines chart on regular grip bench for one of my upper body workouts for 90%+ work, and generally work up to a 1rm. I then do one all out high rep back down set at an easy weight (I last did 225x20, after topping off at 375x1).
I do the same thing for close grip bench, as a tricep exercise, on another day.
I essentially replaced the rest pause work with max effort work for regular bench & close grip bench. My other two chest exercises are DB Incline & Hammer Strength machine incline. My other two tricep exercises are close grip incline and cable pushdowns w/ rope. I do think the incline work is important, for me.
I experienced similarly good results with 5/3/1 but working up to a max 1rm before doing my AMRAP set.
Either bulgarian method (maxing out every day, even twice a day if possible, but only going up to a weigth that can be lifted with textbook form and good speed) or Smolor Jr, using a training max (90% of a recent gym max).
I’m on my 3rd 9 week cycle of the Russian squat routine for bench and that has got my bench moving again.
John Kiefer’s 12-week bench program.
Week 1-4 hypertrophy phase
week 5-12 has a rep scheme where you do 19 sets, starting with the bar, ramping up to AMRAP at 75%, a double, AMRAP at 90%, and a heavy single. I went from 355 to 390 in 12 weeks at BW~200.
Do your own programming or get a coach who knows what they’re talking about.
Start with years (srs) of linear progression. This is what all beginners should do for every lift.
When that stalls, start phasing your training. Start with a volume base, then a base of increasing weight, then a peak.
When that stalls, start adding new training variables, e.g. Frequency and volume. Add an extra bench day. Then increase your total weekly tonnage.
Your goal should always be minimum effective training stimulus. If you think you need smolov but are benching 300 (and you aren’t 130 pounds), you’re wrong. I got into the 400s with linear progression. I’m at 440 right now @198, and my total weekly reps under stress is only ~60. Why burn yourself out with super compensation like smolov? All it does is make it harder to make progress long term.
I’ve always programmed myself, btw.
[quote]bmcinnis96 wrote:
Just curious as to which program your bench did best on?
if it did best on your own programming feel free to explain what it generally looked like.[/quote]
I trained sub max singles regularly and focused more on technique and speed. By sub max, I’m referring to 85-95%. When I’m not doing that, I do 531 to break it up. I’m 38 now and have trained for 4 years. My bench started at 235 max and is now at 375. Only in the past two years have I instituted sub max singles and that is what gave me the biggest jumps.
Gains-wise? Smolov (you better be a walking book on prehab and rehab if you wanna run it a few times a year)…
Best gains i made without too much elbow soreness would probably john broz version of bulgarian method
If your curious how i do it
Day 1
ATG squat 90%x1, 85%x3x3 (or max out without backoff work if feeling good)
Bench press 80-85%x5x5,75%x8 (or max out with backoff work)
Shoulder press 80%x5x5
accesory work
Day 2
Front squat (or low-bar) 90%x3x3 (or max out)
Deadlift 70%x10x1 (10 sets of 1-3 or max out)
accesory work
Personally i never really progressed that fast on once a week
A program centered on Single Reps (helped most of my other primary lifts too).
Modest warmups, followed by working up to the max Single of that day. I’m talking about a type of program where you start ‘light’ and don’t fail a lift for at least 6 weeks. But using more weight than you would for a work set of 5.
An occasional back off set of 10 reps or so but is not needed. And the back off sets crept higher in poundage, or in reps, as the Singles got heavier.
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I trained sub max singles regularly and focused more on technique and speed. By sub max, I’m referring to 85-95%. When I’m not doing that, I do 531 to break it up. I’m 38 now and have trained for 4 years. My bench started at 235 max and is now at 375. Only in the past two years have I instituted sub max singles and that is what gave me the biggest jumps.[/quote]
You seem very knowledgeable about training and your progress speaks for itself. Can you elaborate on your approach?
OP: Smolov but with twice the number of sets prescribed per day.
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I trained sub max singles regularly and focused more on technique and speed. By sub max, I’m referring to 85-95%. When I’m not doing that, I do 531 to break it up. I’m 38 now and have trained for 4 years. My bench started at 235 max and is now at 375. Only in the past two years have I instituted sub max singles and that is what gave me the biggest jumps. [/quote]
Osu, can you describe your programming for Singles? Days and main lifts used ? How many sets of Singles per main lift?
These days I much prefer Singles for strength work–seems the logical approach for it. I read about performing Singles (almost exclusively) years ago but gave it a try after reading Marty Gallagher describe the training approach of legendary lifter. Mark Chaillet. I find Singles also leave me fresher, I can maintain form better, and higher rep ranges also increase.
[quote]Roygion wrote:
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I trained sub max singles regularly and focused more on technique and speed. By sub max, I’m referring to 85-95%. When I’m not doing that, I do 531 to break it up. I’m 38 now and have trained for 4 years. My bench started at 235 max and is now at 375. Only in the past two years have I instituted sub max singles and that is what gave me the biggest jumps. [/quote]
Osu, can you describe your programming for Singles? Days and main lifts used ? How many sets of Singles per main lift?
These days I much prefer Singles for strength work–seems the logical approach for it. I read about performing Singles (almost exclusively) years ago but gave it a try after reading Marty Gallagher describe the training approach of legendary lifter. Mark Chaillet. I find Singles also leave me fresher, I can maintain form better, and higher rep ranges also increase.[/quote]
I work up to a heavy single that is NOT a grinder. When the bar speed seems to slow up - that is when I stop. Every 4 weeks or so I will work up to a grinder, but mostly work on power w/ the 85-95 range. I train by feel so I don’t have set schedule. When I get tired of singles (stagnate or body no longer responding), I scale back and do 531 for minimum reps on last set and push more body building.
If I were to guess, I’d say I do singles for 6-8 weeks w/ very little assistance.
And you’re right, better form, better recovery, fresher, etc. - but it doesn’t work forever. You’ll also find after doing a cycle of singles that your rep strength goes up. I was at 225x20 raw bench and after 8 weeks of singles I did a workout working up to 420x1 w/ slingshot and did a drop set of 225x24 raw.
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I work up to a heavy single that is NOT a grinder. When the bar speed seems to slow up - that is when I stop. Every 4 weeks or so I will work up to a grinder, but mostly work on power w/ the 85-95 range. I train by feel so I don’t have set schedule. When I get tired of singles (stagnate or body no longer responding), I scale back and do 531 for minimum reps on last set and push more body building.
If I were to guess, I’d say I do singles for 6-8 weeks w/ very little assistance.
And you’re right, better form, better recovery, fresher, etc. - but it doesn’t work forever. You’ll also find after doing a cycle of singles that your rep strength goes up. I was at 225x20 raw bench and after 8 weeks of singles I did a workout working up to 420x1 w/ slingshot and did a drop set of 225x24 raw. [/quote]
Thanks, Osu. My cycle is about 10 weeks long and just now grinding reps and even missing a rep, which can get risky if prolonged. But Singles accomplished the strength increase I wanted–across the board.
I’m also now working T-shirt raw, beltless and unwrapped, from the bottom position on all 4 basic lifts save the Squat, so stretch reflex is removed. For me that provides the best transferable strength to other tasks.
Now, I’ve wondered what to do next; that is, assuming I wish to remain with a Singles based approach as the base programming, and I do, would I simply add more sub max singles (but that seems to push recovery) or always add a high-rep back-off set (10+ reps) after a non-grinding Single, and then seek to improve that rep-out number (which is where I am at present and may try)?
For me, among all the strength programs, Singles seem the most logical basic approach (assuming one is beyond a novice), if one cares about load on the bar as the primary variable.
Also found bodycomp stayed the same at least, no diminution in ‘size’, because sleep and nutrition remained good. And that lack of big pump might be what scares some off, even as it is a transitory acute effect anyway, in my view.
Anyway, thanks as there is very little good talk on the subject of Singles, and I’ve read much of what little is out there.
As the posters said above, it kind of depends on where you are at. For linear progression doing 5x5 three times a week got me maxing out in about a month. Once you hit the slow gain, plateau stage you know thats where you are starting to make some real gains (muscle growth).
[quote]Roygion wrote:
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I work up to a heavy single that is NOT a grinder. When the bar speed seems to slow up - that is when I stop. Every 4 weeks or so I will work up to a grinder, but mostly work on power w/ the 85-95 range. I train by feel so I don’t have set schedule. When I get tired of singles (stagnate or body no longer responding), I scale back and do 531 for minimum reps on last set and push more body building.
If I were to guess, I’d say I do singles for 6-8 weeks w/ very little assistance.
And you’re right, better form, better recovery, fresher, etc. - but it doesn’t work forever. You’ll also find after doing a cycle of singles that your rep strength goes up. I was at 225x20 raw bench and after 8 weeks of singles I did a workout working up to 420x1 w/ slingshot and did a drop set of 225x24 raw. [/quote]
Thanks, Osu. My cycle is about 10 weeks long and just now grinding reps and even missing a rep, which can get risky if prolonged. But Singles accomplished the strength increase I wanted–across the board.
I’m also now working T-shirt raw, beltless and unwrapped, from the bottom position on all 4 basic lifts save the Squat, so stretch reflex is removed. For me that provides the best transferable strength to other tasks.
Now, I’ve wondered what to do next; that is, assuming I wish to remain with a Singles based approach as the base programming, and I do, would I simply add more sub max singles (but that seems to push recovery) or always add a high-rep back-off set (10+ reps) after a non-grinding Single, and then seek to improve that rep-out number (which is where I am at present and may try)?
For me, among all the strength programs, Singles seem the most logical basic approach (assuming one is beyond a novice), if one cares about load on the bar as the primary variable.
Also found bodycomp stayed the same at least, no diminution in ‘size’, because sleep and nutrition remained good. And that lack of big pump might be what scares some off, even as it is a transitory acute effect anyway, in my view.
Anyway, thanks as there is very little good talk on the subject of Singles, and I’ve read much of what little is out there.[/quote]
Hold on, are you only doing eccentric-less training?
[quote]HeavyTriple wrote:
Hold on, are you only doing eccentric-less training?
[/quote]
No. Just starting the rep from bottom (in most cases), followed by a controlled eccentric back to the bottom position.
[quote]Roygion wrote:
Thanks, Osu. My cycle is about 10 weeks long and just now grinding reps and even missing a rep, which can get risky if prolonged. But Singles accomplished the strength increase I wanted–across the board.
I’m also now working T-shirt raw, beltless and unwrapped, from the bottom position on all 4 basic lifts save the Squat, so stretch reflex is removed. For me that provides the best transferable strength to other tasks.
Now, I’ve wondered what to do next; that is, assuming I wish to remain with a Singles based approach as the base programming, and I do, would I simply add more sub max singles (but that seems to push recovery) or always add a high-rep back-off set (10+ reps) after a non-grinding Single, and then seek to improve that rep-out number (which is where I am at present and may try)?
For me, among all the strength programs, Singles seem the most logical basic approach (assuming one is beyond a novice), if one cares about load on the bar as the primary variable.
Also found bodycomp stayed the same at least, no diminution in ‘size’, because sleep and nutrition remained good. And that lack of big pump might be what scares some off, even as it is a transitory acute effect anyway, in my view.
Anyway, thanks as there is very little good talk on the subject of Singles, and I’ve read much of what little is out there.[/quote]
If the singles work, stay w/ the singles until they don’t. Then take a few weeks and do 531’s last set for the minimum reps and up the bodybuilding stuff. This will lower the intensity while still have a decent amount of weight in your hands. This will also allow your body to recover from the big weights and the bodybuilding (high reps/low weight) will also help. Use bands to do some of your assistance work instead of the traditional methods for a change. They work well for a pump. Then…back to the heavy stuff when your body feels ready. Just make sure to listen to your body and do what works for you.
Tue: 5 x 8-10 reps @ 75%
Friday: Either 5x5 @ 85% or 8x3 @ 90+% with 2 sets of 15 finishers @ 60%
Depends on time of year.