bench programs

[jazer80]

what would be some good choices for trying to add ~15-20 pounds to your bench in as short a time as possible, lifting 2 days weekly (two bench days)

[D Breyer]

trying to break 300 i take it?

[WBBIRL]

Negatives

[jazer80]

trying to break 300 i take it?

haha yeah. made it a goal for summer vacation, so i have like 2 and a half months. doable? in all honesty my max can't be 285 now, since i have been missing many workouts. haven't gotten completely rusty yet, but my gym closed for a bit plus a promotion at work have kept me back

[jazer80]

Negatives

actually i'm looking for a program. can't say i expected a response like negatives tho. interesting.

i know there are some programs that are bench specific, but i can't remember what they're called, and don't seem to have them bookmarked. i am coming off months of a modified westside program, which worked awesome (gave me the gains from beginning to current in my sig). but now i want to focus on just my bench, as i got new rollerblades and have been street skating a ton, so continuing westside isn't really my best option. plus i don't want my legs to keep getting bigger. i wish benching did to my chest what squats did to my legs, guess most of us do

[drew]

If Westside worked so well, why not stick with it? I really can't see why you wouldn't want your legs to grow anymore. That baffles me.

Benching is a triceps exercise, not really a chest exercise. It's not going to make your chest grow as much as squats make your legs grow.

So, if you want to be that guy, why not just drop squat days and continue doing westside, bench only? (I can't believe I just said that).

[WBBIRL]

Well two and a half months to gain 15 to even 30 lbs isnt that hard. Negatives help when you've hit that wall where another 5 lbs makes all the differencel. You know, you just got up 285 but 290 hit your chest like it was 390. I've also heard alot of people say that leg work (espically squats) correlates to overall strenght gains. Im trying to beat this into one of my friends head. But if you dont wana squat, then dont I guess... just do tricep work, that will help out with lockout.

[jazer80]

If Westside worked so well, why not stick with it? I really can't see why you wouldn't want your legs to grow anymore. That baffles me.

Benching is a triceps exercise, not really a chest exercise. It's not going to make your chest grow as much as squats make your legs grow.

So, if you want to be that guy, why not just drop squat days and continue doing westside, bench only? (I can't believe I just said that).

why doesn't anyone understand when people want to do something different? i'm a skater, and if i want to do a lot of skating over the summer, i can't seriously do legs. i'm gonna be doing 1 moderate legs day weekly, so taht i can still skate. if i do two leg days a week i'm never gonna want to skate. i should have mentioned earlier that i was going to keep a single leg day. i meant 2 days weekly on my bench, so 3 days in the gym total

that aside, you think i should just stick with westside? i was considering that, but thinking of making a change out of boredom

[KevinStarke]

Benching is my forte of the 3 lifts and i got it that way through just murdering my chest and tri's in the gym. I do a really heavy power day and give it my all and then 3-4 days later i do an assistance day to work on form and the mechanics of it all. To get big you have to lift big so just go heavy and give it your all.

[drew]

why doesn't anyone understand when people want to do something different? i'm a skater, and if i want to do a lot of skating over the summer, i can't seriously do legs. i'm gonna be doing 1 moderate legs day weekly, so taht i can still skate. if i do two leg days a week i'm never gonna want to skate. i should have mentioned earlier that i was going to keep a single leg day. i meant 2 days weekly on my bench, so 3 days in the gym total

that aside, you think i should just stick with westside? i was considering that, but thinking of making a change out of boredom

Well, if you're bored with it, than you probably should change. Personally I like the variety that Westside offers, I'm never bored anymore. Sore and tired as hell, but not bored.

WHere would you say your weakest point is on the bench?

[bIgHwN86]

you could also do Westside for Skinny Bastards.....2 bench days (one ME, and the other Repetition) and one Heavy Squat/DL day....its really good..i did it this past semester and it worked well....not on it anymore because my goals have changed but through and through it is a great program....you can still hit two bench days and a leg day and believe me you will still have enough energy to skate....the day after squatting i would skateboard(well its a longboard) around campus for cardio/GPP...

[jazer80]

Well, if you're bored with it, than you probably should change. Personally I like the variety that Westside offers, I'm never bored anymore. Sore and tired as hell, but not bored.

WHere would you say your weakest point is on the bench?

right off the chest. oh i don't wear a shirt or anything

[Sensei]

I agree that if WS is working for you, it would be foolish to change it if you are looking for quick results...

But, here are some links to articles that might be of interest:
http://johnnymnemonic.proboards44.co...num=1118000370

Good luck!

[drew]

right off the chest. oh i don't wear a shirt or anything

I have the same problem. Just work the hell out of your triceps. I've been doing DB floor press to help with getting it out of the hole. I don't max on standard bench for about 4 weeks now, so I won't know if it's working until then.

[WBBIRL]

Sweet Drew, what are you going for???

Im goana be maxing here in about 3 week and every day I get more and more jacked about it. Im goana try for 335.

[KevinStarke]

You'll get it man especially if your pumped to do it! I have to be in the right mindset to max out. 335 damn, i envy you sir!

[drew]

Well, I'd like to get at least 235. My bench is very slow to progress. Good luck with yours!

[WBBIRL]

Hey man, your right up there with me and Im double your body weight. I kinda place myself in a begginer catagorey right now though, im thinking and hopeing I have much more to gain yet.

[drew]

At your weight, you should have no problem increasing your lifts.

[KevinStarke]

Maybe your chest is just a "late bloomer" or something. My friend Geoffe has a great squat and deadlift, much better than me but his bench is lacking.

[drew]

My biggest problem is my thrashed shoulders. I'm doing all I can to take my shoulders out of my bench. All triceps and lat work for me these days.

[KevinStarke]

Yah im trying to boost my back too, i find bringing the weight down with my lats enables me to push alot more weight on the upswing when maxing out.

[WBBIRL]

Just did some heavy rack pulls yesterday, warmed up with 315 for 10 and then went for 375 for 8 and then for the last set I did 425 for 4. My back really bothers me today so I know that it was long overdue and im hopeing the soreness goes away pretty soon.

[KevinStarke]

Damn man thats alot of weight haha

[WBBIRL]

My lowerback has always been one of my weak links, so I figured the rack pulls will get me started in correcting that problem. My lowerback and my grip keep me from puting up any kinda big numbers. My body is almost perfectly worked out to contridatic itself, I have a strong chest, strong tris, and bi's but only average forearms and hella poor grip. I have very good calf, quad and hammi strength but really ****ty lower back strenght.