How many times a week should you bench?

[utfootball4]

How many of your athletes bench over 300?
If Josh dan and Chad say that I'd disagree with them. Only people benching light can get away with that. The body needs rest.
You don't know how or why I got injured or when I do. But I'm on another level you can't see. Find me one person that can bench over 500lbs that hasn't gotten injured. How many people do you know under 181lbs that has benched 500 in a meet? Do you think they could with your training programs?

Chad bench over 500lbs and have benched up to 4x weekly in the offseason.

Remember - my athletes are track and field, football, and team sport athletes.

Injuries are injuries no matter what - and usually take place from bad training!!!

What level are you on? Have you ever ran 10.56 100m or jump 38+inches? Powerlifters aren't great athletes at all.. lol

You saw one sample program - don't act like all my athletes follow the same program... Individual differences!!!

[JohnnyRingo350]

[smokinHawk]

Chad bench over 500lbs and have benched up to 4x weekly in the offseason.

Remember - my athletes are track and field, football, and team sport athletes.

Injuries are injuries no matter what - and usually take place from bad training!!!

What level are you on? Have you ever ran 10.56 100m or jump 38+inches? Powerlifters aren't great athletes at all.. lol

You saw one sample program - don't act like all my athletes follow the same program... Individual differences!!!

I don't think Chad was in a strength phase when he was benching 4 times a week.
The op was talking about increasing strength, not anything else

My injury was from a lot of factors, don't think you have any idea. You have no idea what it takes to be at my level.

Oh not sure of what I could have run, but have jumped over 40" bbut that isn't **** the subject on hand how little you know about bench training for strength.

[utfootball4]

I don't think Chad was in a strength phase when he was benching 4 times a week.
The op was talking about increasing strength, not anything else

My injury was from a lot of factors, don't think you have any idea. You have no idea what it takes to be at my level.

Oh not sure of what I could have run, but have jumped over 40" bbut that isn't **** the subject on hand how little you know about bench training for strength.

Slow down and read my friend... I said 4x weekly in the offseason.... I would bet you any amount of cash that you can't/never have jumped 40in from a static position. I seen your small legs and ****ty squat depth - now I know why you always down play the usapl because they are strict with depth. Ditch the wraps and squat deeper then you may can get on my level.

[WolfRose7]

But you won't gain much strength that way.

I know he's not got anything in your bench but Woolson has ran 3x+ frequency for a while pretty successfully. Bryce krawczyk as well.

And obviously Mike T has always been a high lift freuqnecy guy, (unless you are talking strictly comp bench not including variations?.

Genuinely curious what you think of their approaches more than anything so not trying to argue personally

[pryme]

Lol at all the experts here
This is actually somewhat good advice

I would recommend benching twice a week. If your benching more for sessions won't have either the intensity it needs or you won't have enough recovery time.
I would have one session lighter with reps and volume and the other session heavy with less volume.
If your struggling with the half way point as a lot of raw lifters do (lockout) then do close grip with chains. Those work wonders.

Thank you.

The OP said bench presses over 300. Hes obviously not a beginner.
I personally have been weight training for 23 years and there is NO way I could bench over 2x a week. I use a decent amount of weight and a lot of volume, so 2x is it. And like I said, IF I do I will work volume one of those sessions.

This know it all is name dropping enhanced lifters. Natural lifters do not recover that quickly.

[pryme]

Slow down and read my friend... I said 4x weekly in the offseason.... I would bet you any amount of cash that you can't/never have jumped 40in from a static position. I seen your small legs and ****ty squat depth - now I know why you always down play the usapl because they are strict with depth. Ditch the wraps and squat deeper then you may can get on my level.

40" as in a box jump? Very easy if so.

[utfootball4]

40" as in a box jump? Very easy if so.

Like I said before static vertical jump aka nfl combine style.

[utfootball4]

Thank you.

The OP said bench presses over 300. Hes obviously not a beginner.
I personally have been weight training for 23 years and there is NO way I could bench over 2x a week. I use a decent amount of weight and a lot of volume, so 2x is it. And like I said, IF I do I will work volume one of those sessions.

This know it all is name dropping enhanced lifters. Natural lifters do not recover that quickly.

How do you know Chad is enhanced? Do you personally know him?

[pryme]

How do you know Chad is enhanced? Do you personally know him?

o

I dont need to know him. 99.9% of ppl bench pressing 500+ are not natural.

[utfootball4]

o

I dont need to know him. 99.9% of ppl bench pressing 500+ are not natural.

Great so the OP in this thread isn't natural.. That's why you should be pressing more then twice weekly. Ty for making my point.

[JohnnyRingo350]

Really starting to think smoking hawk is the only one not trolling.

[pryme]

Great so the OP in this thread isn't natural.. That's why you should be pressing more then twice weekly. Ty for making my point.

It's no surprise you're in the red now. You're really a troll but a bit too dull to do it well.

[utfootball4]

It's no surprise you're in the red now. You're really a troll but a bit too dull to do it well.

Red what?? Once again keep pressing twice a week and forever be stuck at 185lbs.


If I remember correctly you are the idiot that didn't know the difference between a vj and box jump. smh

[Rags85]

Thank you.

The OP said bench presses over 300. Hes obviously not a beginner.
I personally have been weight training for 23 years and there is NO way I could bench over 2x a week. I use a decent amount of weight and a lot of volume, so 2x is it. And like I said, IF I do I will work volume one of those sessions.

This know it all is name dropping enhanced lifters. Natural lifters do not recover that quickly.

Yup, high intensity and high volume. Obviously your frequency is going to be low. But if you had lower intensity and lower volume, believe it or not you would be able to up the frequency.

What I'm saying is, limiting your frequency to twice a week tops is just silly. Sure, if you go in and do a massive session with 20 sets (between bench and its variations, this whole time I've been talking about both, not just comp bench itself) of 8-10 reps, yeah, you won't be able to handle that again. But if you do 5 sets per session, you should be able to do 4 days per week.

[utfootball4]

Yup, high intensity and high volume. Obviously your frequency is going to be low. But if you had lower intensity and lower volume, believe it or not you would be able to up the frequency.

What I'm saying is, limiting your frequency to twice a week tops is just silly. Sure, if you go in and do a massive session with 20 sets (between bench and its variations, this whole time I've been talking about both, not just comp bench itself) of 8-10 reps, yeah, you won't be able to handle that again. But if you do 5 sets per session, you should be able to do 4 days per week.

My high freq varies from athlete 2 athlete. One of my athletes had issues with his midrange strength - he did some type of press 4x times weekly.

Day 1:
Spoto press
Chest support row
Db front raises
Db tri ext

Day 3:
Squat
Halting dl
Db military press
Hypers
Lunges

Day 5:
Dead bp
Lat pd
Db lat raises
Pushdowns

Day 6:
Deads
Fsquat
Incline
Leg curls
Glute bridge


Worked like butter!!!

This spring I will cont to press twice weekly but both sessions will be monster sessions with 20+sets and over 50reps per session.

Natural lifters need/should do more volume/freq!!!

[FaIIen]

Yup, high intensity and high volume. Obviously your frequency is going to be low. But if you had lower intensity and lower volume, believe it or not you would be able to up the frequency.

What I'm saying is, limiting your frequency to twice a week tops is just silly. Sure, if you go in and do a massive session with 20 sets (between bench and its variations, this whole time I've been talking about both, not just comp bench itself) of 8-10 reps, yeah, you won't be able to handle that again. But if you do 5 sets per session, you should be able to do 4 days per week.

^ Exactly this.

Saying that benching more than two times a week wont get you stronger is just flat out wrong.

[TheUnderdog83]

^ Exactly this.

Saying that benching more than two times a week wont get you stronger is just flat out wrong.

Agreed. Look up Arnold’s routine, he benched 3 times per week. 5 sets of flat bench and 5 sets of incline each time.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content...s-and-abs.html

[JohnnyRingo350]

Red what?? Once again keep pressing twice a week and forever be stuck at 185lbs.


If I remember correctly you are the idiot that didn't know the difference between a vj and box jump. smh

My high freq varies from athlete 2 athlete. One of my athletes had issues with his midrange strength - he did some type of press 4x times weekly.

Day 1:
Spoto press
Chest support row
Db front raises
Db tri ext

Day 3:
Squat
Halting dl
Db military press
Hypers
Lunges

Day 5:
Dead bp
Lat pd
Db lat raises
Pushdowns

Day 6:
Deads
Fsquat
Incline
Leg curls
Glute bridge


Worked like butter!!!

This spring I will cont to press twice weekly but both sessions will be monster sessions with 20+sets and over 50reps per session.

Natural lifters need/should do more volume/freq!!!

Agreed. Look up Arnold’s routine, he benched 3 times per week. 5 sets of flat bench and 5 sets of incline each time.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content...s-and-abs.html

[smokinHawk]

There is a difference in training optimally for strength
Was Arnold that concerned with strength?

Benches twice a week weighs 174lbs

[Hardlifter9]

How many of your athletes bench over 300?
If Josh dan and Chad say that I'd disagree with them. Only people benching light can get away with that. The body needs rest.
You don't know how or why I got injured or when I do. But I'm on another level you can't see. Find me one person that can bench over 500lbs that hasn't gotten injured. How many people do you know under 181lbs that has benched 500 in a meet? Do you think they could with your training programs?

I've done 445lb in the gym @ 177lbs and I like to bench 3x a week with high intensity.

Curious what your routines like?

[utfootball4]

I've done 445lb in the gym @ 177lbs and I like to bench 3x a week with high intensity.

Curious what your routines like?

What does your training look like?

[Hardlifter9]

What does your training look like?

Honestly it's been random because of how busy I've been with med school but now that I'm graduating and have free time... I generally do..

day 1 : work up to a heavy triple

day 2: heavy singles/long paused singles +/- slingshot

day 3: heavy sets of 6-10, 4-5 set

?Day 4 (not always done): heavy triples

Accessory work is a mix of push downs, some form of overhead press (DB, BB, machine etc), rows and few sets of bicep variations. I'm 25 and the most serious injury I've had from lifting was a pec strain when I was 15.

Of course, I like to remain a 3-lift guy, despite the severely slacking squat/dead the last couple years (time constraints). I squat 2x a week and pull heavy once a week currently. When I was making progress, I would squat 4x a week (2x medium intensity, 1 higher int medium reps and 1 heavy high int day), bench 3-4x a week and pull 3x a week - total of 4 sessions per week all combined.

Accessory work for those two is just GHRs, pull downs/pull ups and rows.

I've always responded to high volume and high intensity. Calorie intake is 3.5-4.5k/day, sleep is 5-6.5 hours a day and I'm life time natty (srs).

[smokinHawk]

Honestly it's been random because of how busy I've been with med school but now that I'm graduating and have free time... I generally do..

day 1 : work up to a heavy triple

day 2: heavy singles/long paused singles +/- slingshot

day 3: heavy sets of 6-10, 4-5 set

?Day 4 (not always done): heavy triples

Accessory work is a mix of push downs, some form of overhead press (DB, BB, machine etc), rows and few sets of bicep variations. I'm 25 and the most serious injury I've had from lifting was a pec strain when I was 15.

Of course, I like to remain a 3-lift guy, despite the severely slacking squat/dead the last couple years (time constraints). I squat 2x a week and pull heavy once a week currently. When I was making progress, I would squat 4x a week (2x medium intensity, 1 higher int medium reps and 1 heavy high int day), bench 3-4x a week and pull 3x a week - total of 4 sessions per week all combined.

Accessory work for those two is just GHRs, pull downs/pull ups and rows.

I've always responded to high volume and high intensity. Calorie intake is 3.5-4.5k/day, sleep is 5-6.5 hours a day and I'm life time natty (srs).

what have you done in competition then?

[Hardlifter9]

what have you done in competition then?

425

[invain]

I've tried a lot of different frequencies in the 27 years I've been benching. When I was younger I could bench more then 2 times a week. But once I started benching more then 225lbs I needed more recovery time. Yes you can cut the volume and intensity down to bench more often, but why? You don't make strength gains faster,

If I avoid injury I can add 25-30lbs in 8 weeks at the same body weight with my training methods. Mind you these gains aren't newbie gains either. Only thing that slows me down are injuries. The right amount of volume and recovery are key if your going to make incredible gains, and less then 3 days recovery will not work when you dial in the right amount of volume and intensity.

I've found the same thing. When I was younger benching in the 300's I could go heavy twice a week and do all kinds of extra accessory crap. As I've gotten stronger I've been forced to cut the frequency. I'm training my main lifts every 5 days right now and I feel like I'm right on the edge of being recovered enough to get some meaningful work in.

I think people forget there is a difference between training for hypertrophy or just working on technique, and training for peak strength. Obviously there's a reason why guys train differently in the off season compared to a meet prep. If you're a beginner lifter and still reaping the newbie gains, it barely matters what you do, you're going to make progress just getting your ass in the gym. Light weight higher volume training is fine for active recovery and working on technique, but it needs to be light enough that you're not inducing unwanted fatigue. I see so many guys going hard 2 - 3 days week hitting 75-90% efforts every time and just spinning their wheels. You HAVE to give your body time to recover. It takes a long time to learn what works best for YOU and IMO intensity/volume/fatigue management is about 75% of what sets the top level lifters apart from everybody else.