| There are many milestones when entering the world of bench pressing. When starting into the gym life, you might see others in the gym benching big weight and wonder how you too can get there. |
There are many milestones when entering the world of bench pressing. When starting into the gym life, you might see others in the gym benching big weight and wonder how you too can get there. Benching is an eye-catching movement that draws a big crowd. It never seems to fail, that if a conversation starts between two people in the gym, one will ask the other, "So how much do you bench?"
In a normal gym, you might observe lifters benching in the three hundreds, but watch someone load 8 plates on the bar and people will stop to see if the lift goes up. If that lifter does 405 for more then one, people will come from other rooms to watch. If that lifter goes higher into the mid-400s or even crosses into the 500-pound press, well then, all eyes in the gym will be focused on him and all movement in the gym will come to a standstill.
BREAK THAT MARK
People will always ask the lifter how he got there, the 400, 500, or 600 pound bench press. Have you ever been one of them? Are any of these weights one of your goals? Have you been training for months and not seen any improvement in your strength? Are you frustrated because it seems there are so many techniques and magazines with so many different ideas that can't possibly be done in a normal lifestyle? Here are my basics. My routine mixes old school intensity with some new school methods. It ought to help with your training as well.
Listen, training for strength is a tough thing to do. In bodybuilding, a competitor must peak at the right time to insure the best results. In power lifting, a competitor must do the same to insure a best lift. However, in order for a power lifter to be the best at his best, he must first keep the "beast fed." This means eating, then eating, and then eating some more.
Natural power lifting is very tough on the body. The main things the body has to restore itself from the beating is rest and food. I hate to use a clich̩ but you definitely are what you eat. If you want to be strong, you have to eat for it.
Now bear in mind that this article is specially geared for the natural lifter. I know there are many out there who want to perfect the bench press, naturally. I personally believe lifting natural is the best way to go. Plus, it's a whole hell of a lot cheaper. But your choice is your own. OK. Let's start.
START OFF RIGHT
Too many beginners start right off the bat eating a diet a bodybuilder two weeks out of a show would be proud of. You know what I'm talking about: no fat, no carbohydrates and usually only moderate protein intake. When you're training for strength or size (or both), you should be taking in, minimum, at least a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. Hard, heavy lifters (those athletes getting ready for a power lifting competition, for example) should take in as much as a gram and a half for every pound of bodyweight per day.
There are some people who say that the body only needs 50 grams of protein per day and anything over that will only be eliminated. I can tell you from personal experience that recovery time is cut down dramatically when you follow a high protein diet.
Remember, the body uses protein to rebuild the muscles that get torn down every time you lift heavy. Common sense should tell you that the harder you lift, the more protein you'll need to fix the damage you cause. If you run your big 4x4 truck hard, does it use more gas? Hell yeah!
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Now young, inexperienced lifters should take special note here. Too many of you are under the impression that the diet of the bodybuilder and the training of a power lifter go together. They do not. Let me repeat: they do not. If you want to be cut and ripped, you have to train and eat for that physique. If you want ultimate power, you have to train and eat for that instead. Very few athletes can look like a hard core bodybuilder and bench like a world-class power lifter, as this usually involves more then just training and diet.
HAVE AN EXTRA STEAK
So, if you want that big bench, make sure to eat a ton. I am not giving you a license to eat all the sweets and chips you want. What I am saying is to make sure you have an extra steak, eat 2 more potatoes, or even throw in an extra meal because taking in at least 5000 calories a day is not uncommon for a serious power athlete. I'm going to say it again because it's that important: Heavy training and a big diet is the way to gaining size and strength.
We all have a comfort zone. The key to diet is to see what yours is. When first starting out, don't be afraid to eat when your body craves extra food. The addition of heavy training will add many calories to your diet. Trust me. Eventually, your body will find out where it wants to stay. Only then can you start to plan out your route for competition.
In addition, drink at least a gallon of ice cold water a day. For those in doubt about eating so many calories a day, drinking the water will help keep extra weight down (not that the beginning power athlete should worry about that right now). Why ice cold water? Because it will help keep extra weight down since your body will burn calories to warm the water up. Another reason that a power athlete should drink a lot of water is because most of the supplements on the market are water-soluble.
SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT
Speaking of supplements, if you're just starting out, focus on the nutrition you get from the foods you eat. If you're eating a wide variety of foods, you won't need to start with supplements. Remember, supplements are just another tool for helping you reach your goals. They're not a magic pill. Supplements, in the absence of a solid diet, hard training, and plenty of rest, will be a waste of your hard-earned money. But when you're ready for that extra edge, start with a basic protein powder, maybe some extra amino acids, and a good multivitamin. My feeling is, since the training at the initial stage is not advanced, why should the supplement plan? A beginner should not be worried about supplements so much. Advanced lifters who have more knowledge and experience, on the other hand, should formulate their own opinions about what they want to take.
As an experienced lifter, I personally rely andAnimal supplements. During the year, I useAnimal Pak and Animal Stak religiously. Lately though, I've been using some Animal M-Stak right before a meet and getting great results. Whatever supplements you use though, if you want to train naturally and you want to get strong, take supplements that will increase your body's ability to train and recover.
THROWING IT ALL TOGETHER
Heavy training, a huge diet, a good supplement plan, and plenty of rest is the only way to gain size and strength. So if you're training hard but having trouble getting strong, start by looking at your diet. After all, if you are unhappy with the way you look, you can always cut weight. It is much easier to cut the weight off then put muscle on. And unfortunately, eating big is the only way, naturally speaking, to put on a lot of size. A solid supplement plan will get you to the next level. On top of all that, get your sleep at night. All this will lay the foundation for the next step:training. Next month, I'll specifically talk about training for bigger gains in the bench. Until then, work hard and eat big.
Read Bench Like An Animal: Part 2
In the first part of this article, we talked about diet and nutrition. Now, let's talk training. The one thing I run into all the time is people not knowing how to develop their training routine. The first thing you need to do is know what you are training for. Do you want to be cut? Do you plan on putting on size for show? Or do you want to train for powerlifting?
Typically, when someone wants to be ripped they stay in the area of 12-15 reps. This will not put on maximum size but can be used for rounding and fat burning. 8-10 reps is typically the area for a bodybuilder. 6 or less reps in a set is the powerlifting range. A lifter has to train his body for what he wants it to do. If you want ultimate power you don't do sets of 10 to build size. Sets of 10 will build strength but will not teach the body to hit the highest lift it can for one.The body is a blank slate. Isolating it to one thing will allow the body to be at its maximum for that thing. How many times have you done better on your second or third rep then on your first? Look into your training that might give you the answer. To achieve the big bench, train for it. Developing a training schedule is not difficult if you know a few basic rules.
RULE ONE: DON'T OVERTRAIN
The first, and main rule to follow is don't overtrain. You can't bench three times a week and expect your bench to go anywhere but down. If you do, you'll only increase the risk forinjury. If you are following a routine that calls for you to bench more then once a week, my advice is, stop. When lifting for ultimate strength, every major muscle group needs about 48-72 hours to recover. If you bench three times a week, you cannot achieve huge lifts.
Plus, benching once a week and designing the workout to do accessories, for the bench, will give the body time to rest between benching and strengthen for the bench. By accessories, I am referring to the smaller muscle groups that complement the major one you are working on. For the bench, these include the triceps, shoulders, and lats. When you bench at this level, you have be careful not to over work the accessories.
Sound a little confusing? When you bench, the movement recruits other muscles. This means even if you lift your butt or twist a little, it is still benching. So benching three times a week can burn those muscles out too. If the workout is designed to do the accessories for the bench, it gives other muscles time to recover before they are used directly again.
Ok, now you are saying if you lift other parts in the same week, I still could be using the parts I used while benching. Yes, that would be correct, but now they are used indirectly and give them more time to recover. I never said powerlifting was for the faint at heart.
RULE TWO: GIVE MUSCLES PLENTY OF REST
Plan your routine to allow for maximum recovery. This means if you want those parts to be their best, design the workout so that each body part can rest as much as it can. If you bench on Sunday, for example, triceps would be the most logical body part to exercise after doing the bench routine. Benching and strong triceps go together. If the routine calls for lifting on Monday then doing bicepsand back would be the most logical.
Old school training used to design training schedules on the push/pull method. One day would call for you to exercise muscles that pull (biceps/back) and other days would be designed for muscles that push (chest/triceps).
RULE THREE: NEVER GIVE UP
Put on an intense lifting face. Never, never give up. So many lifters walk into a gym with good intentions. So very few actually accomplish the goals they set out for themselves. The only way you can accomplish any goal is to first show up. Show up mentally and show up physically. Or why bother showing up at all?
Naturally it takes a lot of time and education. While training, be open to new ideas and watch others in the gym. Know when someone in the gym is doing an exercise incorrectly. That way when that person comes up to you and talks, or tells you are doing something wrong, you can just say, "Thanks," and walk away with a smirk.
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Everyone has a different way to train. Not all of them are right, and not all of them are wrong. But, when you know the facts about training, you can take what works for you out of any conversation and then there is never any wasted time. Strengthtraining is one of the toughest sports to handle. Training has to be heavy, hard, and constant. Saying I can't do that today is not an option. Being too tired is not a choice. Being the best at anything takes a lot of time and dedication. Knowing your training is crucial to success.
There is no wrong way to train when you know and follow the facts. Old school training has its place, as do new forms of training. With education, a competitor can make his own choices. Knowing that not touching the bar when entering a bench contest and only doing accessories does not work for natural competitor cuts down on time and frustration when training for a contest. Learn your sport, keep the goals reasonable, never quit, and know what you got to do. When it comes to powerlifting, know it's not a sport, but a state of mind.
ROUTINE: THE 8-WEEK HEAVY BENCH
I have included a 4-day routine for building a strong bench. It's not the be all, end all, but it will definitely help the lifter who doesn't know how to train for a better bench or the one who needs a boost in the bench. You can adjust this routine to fit your particular needs. This workout should only be used for approximately 8 weeks.
During your 8 weeks of the program, pay close attention to how your body responds to the training. After the 8 weeks is up, change will be needed. Design a modified program that gives you more time for rest or just lighten the weight for a 2-week off cycle.
To maximize this workout, a lifter should start this workout with lighter weights. He should know about his range for each exercise and know failure. If any of the workout is not tough enough, raise the weight. If the reps for the abs are not enough, raise the reps. Always write down and keep track of what you do. The program is designed for increasing the bench press so even though legs are part of the routine, watch the extras as it will drain strength from the main focus. But don't forget this important fact: strong legs and strong abs will mean strong bench.
On heavy bench day, if your final rep is a failure, don't worry. Try again next week with the same weight. If the final rep is easy, then add 10 pounds and try again. If you hit that too, and it takes at least 20 pounds to fail, then start at 20 pounds or higher next week. After completing this program, try your one rep max again. The typical gain you can expect is around 20-30 pounds on your bench.
One final note. Warm up is very important. Whether you choose to lift light, stretch, do some cardio, or whatever, just do it. Anyone who is dedicated to training usually has their own style of warming up. Just make sure that the body part you are training and the muscles associated with that part are ready to start heavy.
__________ THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM __________
SUNDAY
- Warm-up
- Heavy Bench
- 225 lb. x 6 reps (75%)
- 235 lb. x 5 reps (78%)
- 245 lb. x 4 reps (82%)
- 255 lb. x 3 reps (85%)
- 265 lb. x 2 reps (88%)
- 275 lb. x 1 rep (91%)
- Final end rep (around 90%)
- Note: The above poundages refer to a lifter who already has a 300 pound one rep max. Your numbers will vary depending on your individual goal.
- Triceps
- Close Grip Bench: 3 x 3 (75%) -
- Skull Crushers (Light): 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Dumbbell Kickbacks: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Pushdowns: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Abs
- Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps -
- Cable Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
MONDAY
- Warm-Up
- Back
- Pull-Ups: 4 sets x 10 reps -
- T-Bar: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Front Pulldowns: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Biceps
- Hammer Curls: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Preacher Curls: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Straight Bar Curls: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Seated Curls: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Abs
- Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
- Cable Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
TUESDAY
- Day off
- Warm-Up
- Shoulders
- Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets x 6 reps
- Incline Press: 3 sets x 6 reps -
- Front Delt Raises: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Shoulder Flyes: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Triceps
- Single Arm Skull Crushers (Heavy): 3 sets x 6 reps -
- Barbell Skull Crushers: 3 sets x 6 reps -
- Single Arm Pushdowns: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Abs
- Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
- Cable Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
THURSDAY
- Warm-Up
- Legs
- Squat: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Leg press: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Hack Squat: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Leg Extension: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Hamstrings: 3 sets x 8 reps -
- Calves: 3 sets 15 reps -
- Abs
- Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
- Cable Crunches: 3 sets 25 reps
FRIDAY
- Day off
- Day off
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