This routine betrays my powerlifting roots. If followed as described, it will provide the base strength, power, and development for future refinement. Please note carefully the exercise performance techniques as they may be different from what you have done and they are critical to the success of the program. The weights shown are for illustrative purposes only so you have an idea of the relative proportions. They are pulled from my personal training logs the last time I did this routine.

Bench Press

Technique: feet elevated from floor, ankles crossed. This may be an adjustment for you. Be careful of your balance. You may want a hand-off until you are comfortable and stable with this style. Grip width is such that when the bar is on your chest, your forearms are exactly perpendicular to the floor. When performing the lift, the movement is "touch and go", no bouncing off the chest. Control the bar on the way down, max power on the extension. Lock out every rep (except where noted).

The base of the routine is 5 rep sets. Pick a weight with which you can achieve 5 good reps. This means that you are totally in control of all reps and could probably get 6 or 7 reps if you were to take it close to failure.

Warm-up: 2 sets of 8 reps with 135#. 1 set of 8 reps with 185#. All reps performed deliberately at moderate speed.

The Work-out: 5 sets of 5 reps @ 285#. On sets 1 and 2, no more than 5 reps even if you feel capable. On sets 3, 4, and 5, use 5 reps as your minimum. If you can get 6 or 7, do it. However, do not take to failure. Rest 1:30 (one minute, thirty seconds) after set 1, rest 1:45 after set 2, rest 2 minutes after set 3, rest 2:15 after set four. If you have performed every rep "under control", no bouncing, full lock-out, and using sufficient weight, you should be pretty fatigued at this point with chest, front delts and tri's begging for mercy. But you're merciless, no rest.

After the last set, break the bar down to where you can get reps in the 12 - 15 range. You are actually shooting for as many as possible but no less than 12. If you can get more than 15, the bar is too light. If 285 is your 5 x 5, for example, this set would use approximately 225. On these reps do not lock out. Just a little short of lock out (maybe an inch) then bring the bar back down. This set you will take to failure (spotter needed). But no rest yet, the coup de gras is to strip the bar to 135 and again perform as many reps as possible. You can get a little crazy here at the end and keep the bar moving until everything quits - the arms won't work, the chest won't work and that bar is just dead on your chest. (And everyone in the gym will be wondering why that 'itty, bitty' weight just kicked your hindquarters!)

We've done just 10 sets here and you should be pretty whipped. Your target time from the first warm up rep to where your spotter pulls the bar from your chest should be 20 minutes tops with 17 minutes being the minimum time. If you can do this quicker than 17 minutes, you're not lifting heavy enough. But you're not done yet! Stay where you are, don't lose the bench or the bar because now you'll be doing...

Bench Press to Neck

Same elevated feet and hand spacing as previous. No temptation to bounce this one! After resting 3 to 4 minutes, load the bar to a weight where you can achieve 8 - 10 reps. Lower the bar to the collar bone and press. This will require you to keep your elbows well back. You'll do three sets resting 1 minute after the first and 1 1/2 minutes after the second and that's it!

Recap

Bench Press Warm-up sets 3 x 8
Heavy sets 5 x 5
Flush set #1 1 x as many as possible
Flush set #2 1 x as many as possible
Bench to Neck 3 x 8 - 10

Ideally, you'd want to perform this routine five times every two weeks or twelve workouts over a five week period. Keep moving the weight in the heavy sets up whenever you are getting more than 25 total reps over the five sets. After one month you'll find not only a significant increase in strength and power but also improved recuperative ability and the beginning of a very nice pec-delt (front and rear)-tricep tie in.

This doesn't seem like a lot of work when compared to some other routines, but trust me, if you're performing the exercises as described and keeping the rest periods as recommended, you won't *want* to do anything else!

Bill2

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