Training plan for increasing bench press

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2014-08-20

Target of the workouts: mass gain

Objectives of the workouts:

1. Increasing performance in the bench press.
2. Maximum development of triceps and chest.
3. Growth of strength and mass in the upper body.

Methods of execution: separately

Duration: approximately 2 months.

Difficulty: (above average)

The main goal of this plan is to increase performance in the bench press. Therefore, the focus will be on the chest and triceps as the primary muscles for this exercise. Secondary muscles (forearms, shoulders, and latissimus dorsi) will also be actively engaged, while the lower body will be minimally involved.

This plan is not intended for beginners, as it has a rather narrow specialization. Beginners should initially develop their entire body evenly. Additionally, most exercises for one muscle group will be done in blocks—that is, one after the other. For an untrained person, this would be too large a load.

So, in the first workout, the focus will be on the chest muscles. You will learn the number of repetitions and weights for the bench press by clicking the link next to this exercise. It is better to perform push-ups not from the floor but from supports. It’s also advisable to place your feet on supports. This way, you can push deeper than usual, training the initial phase of the bench press (lifting the bar from the chest). It’s better to do push-ups with weight on your back. After the chest, you'll work on biceps and forearms, which means we train the secondary muscles at the end of the workout.

In the second workout, you will focus on shoulders and back. There are three exercises for shoulders and three for the back. This workout is probably the easiest in the entire complex. If pull-ups are easy for you, then do them with added weight. This also applies to reverse grip pull-ups.

The third workout is for triceps and the lower body. I suspect that many will start shouting in the comments: How can you include squats and deadlifts in one workout?! You can. Especially since our goal in this plan is not to increase the strength and mass of the lower body. The only objective is the bench press. Therefore, there’s no need to exhaust yourself with squats and deadlifts.

By the way, in the third workout, the chest will also be actively working with close-grip bench presses and dips. However, you should try to perform these exercises focusing on the triceps rather than the chest, as the main goal of the third workout is to maximize triceps engagement.

Each workout is designed to last approximately 1.30 hours. In basic exercises, rest for 3-4 minutes. In auxiliary exercises, rest for 2 minutes. In heavy working approaches of the bench press, you can rest for up to 5 minutes. Next to each exercise, you will find the approximate number of sets and repetitions indicated. Good luck!

8000
9000
For the entire workout:
 
8bfc543cb971b5763e20ca445aae77a9 QayiWfDD_Q0

8001
9001
For the entire workout:
 
ae1687fe8db3bbcb97a193b5266eccca ZKkuPPzuSpc

8002
9002
For the entire workout:
 
a65cdf885abdd0de326af8991c70cad2 4E9dC2SR0cw