THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO BENCH BIG WEIGHT

Thank you for downloading my Ebook! My goal with this Ebook is to provide you with
the information to make you a stronger, more confident bench presser!

Believe it or not, bench pressing isn't something that came easy to me. Sure I
experienced some success growing stronger in the beginning, but many don’t know that
my raw bench was stuck for an entire year. Benching can be frustrating and unforgiving.
For many lifters it is their achilles heel. That one lift they can never seem to improve on.

Just because you don't have short arms and a barrel chest doesn’t mean you can’t
succeed at benching, and just because you’ve been plateaued for a year doesn’t mean
you wont ever increase your one rep max. Patience is the key if you want to be a good
bench presser. Patience to roll with the punches and try new things. The patience to take
a step back to make a giant leap forward.

To find success in the bench press you need to find the art in the movement. You can’t
just lay on the bench and heave weight. You need to develop a consistent technique.
Setting up the same way every set, pressing the bar the same way every rep, making
everything look the same from the empty bar to max effort. Every time you bench press
you are practicing a specific movement. Your thinking needs to change from “get big and
strong” to the “practice of perfect technique”.

This is a mindset you can begin to adopt your very next training session. I encourage
each one of you reading this to go into your next bench session with the mindset that
you will practice perfect technique. Do everything exactly the same from the empty bar
to your working weight for the day. If you do this every time you bench I promise you’ll
begin to see some big changes in your technique and precision.

You can blame your genetics and continue to put forth a half fast effort on the bench or
you can choose to take action and begin from the ground up starting with this Ebook,
the choice is up to you! I’ll provide you the tools you need but I can’t put forth the effort
for you. Time to achieve the success in the bench press that you’ve been looking for!

BENCH PRESS SET UP 101

10 Cues For Success

1. “Pinch And Tuck Your Shoulders”

Perhaps one of the most important set up cues for the bench press. Lay on the bench
and pinch your shoulder blades as close together as possible. Likewise you want to tuck
your shoulder blades further underneath you towards your butt. This will keep your
upper back tight and create a tight shoulder joint. This is also critically important for
injury prevention, and keeping your shoulders safe under heavy load.

2. “Eyes Under The Bar”

To make sure you’re not setting up too far from the bench, you want to align your eyes
right under the bar. While there is some variance person to person, this will put you in a
good position. Setting up too far away from the bar leads to wasted motion on the
unrack and a higher chance that you could lose tension.

3. “Bar In Base Of The Palm”

Keeping the bar low in the hand over the meat of the thumb will keep your wrists from
getting bent over. This will assure more force generated from the body will reach the
bar. Think about an open palm punch. You wouldn’t try to hit your target with y0ur
fingers. You would drive the base of your hand forward. Same with benching, it
guarantees the best transfer of force.
4. “Head Down”

When a bencher lifts their head, they tend to drop the chest as a result. Never sacrifice
position. It is best to learn to bench with your head driven back down into the pad. This
will help keep the chest from falling and will allow you to drive the chest up harder. As a
side note, some powerlifting federations require you to keep your head down. Make sure
to check the rules of your fed.

5. “Chest High”

The goal of your set up is to always gain as much position as possible. This means
cutting down the distance you need to press the bar. This can be achieved by keeping
your chest up high. Every millimeter improvement can make a difference so make sure
to take your time and gain as much leverage as possible.
6. “Feet Rooted”

Just like in a squat or a deadlift, make sure your feet are planted sturdy into the ground.
Your strength starts from your feet so you cannot be slipping. Make sure you have
footwear appropriate for the flooring you’re pressing from. You need to have good
traction and a solid base.

7. “Drive Heels”

If you like to bench with your toes back, make sure you’re driving your heels down hard.
You should be up on the balls of your feet. Your heel won’t actually touch the ground but
the act of driving them down will set your lower body tight and create the leg drive
you’re looking for.
8. “Knees Out”

Just like when squatting, this cue can be applied to the bench as well. This will help
activate your glutes and connect your lower body to your midsection. When people
describe low back pain from creating their arch on bench, it is usually a result of not
having your glutes engaged in the set up.

9. “Breathe Deep / Expand Belly”

This step is critical in the set up process. Just like in any lift you need to create a bracing
sensation throughout your midsection. This starts with deep breathing. We often
breathe into our chest all day, we never truly expand our diaphragm and breathe into
our bellies. Practice expanding your belly as much as possible. Feel your breathe reach
deep into your waist and into your back.
10. “Set Your Drive”

Before the bar even comes out of the rack, set your leg drive. If you bench flat feet, then
push yourself back on the bench to create your tightness. If you bench toes back, then
drive the heels down to set your position. Don’t try to engage your leg drive after you
take the bar out, it should already be set.

DOMINATE THE MOVEMENT

10 Benching Cues

1. “Pull The Bar Into Position”

As you receive your hand off, use your lats to pull the bar into position over your chest.
This should be similar to a lat pullover type of motion. The goal is to eliminate
engagement from the shoulders for the take out and engage the back instead.
2. “Take The Bar Out Strong”

When you receive the hand off make sure your arms are completely locked out. Do not
take the bar with soft elbows. This will go a long way in maintaining tightness
throughout the movement.

3. “Bend The Bar”

Like you are literally trying to snap the barbell. I tell people to put their hands on the bar
and pretend you’re trying to open a tight jar. That is the sensation of breaking the bar. It
creates stability through all the joints in the chain (Wrists, elbows, shoulders).

4. “Drive Off The Bench”

To create the correct leg drive on the bench, you want to be pushing yourself
aggressively off the bench. Think about throwing your body into your hand off person.
Until there is enough weight on the bar to hold your shoulders down, you should
actually be sliding back on the bench with the empty bar.

5. “Elbows Under Wrists”

The elbows should always be aligned under the wrists to assure proper force transfer.
Make sure your elbows are driving right underneath the wrist joint when you reach the
bottom of the bench.

6. “Catch The Bar With Lats”

Loading your back as you lower the bar is critical for a big bench. It spares your arms
from tiring and it creates a solid platform to press off of. The best way to think about it is
trying to catch the bar with your lats or rather, trying to prevent your elbows from
lowering by expanding your lats.

7. “Touch Lower Sternum”

Many people fail to touch the bar on their chest low enough. If you touch the bar too
high it wont allow you any room to press the bar back and will make you grind through
the shoulders. Touch low on the sternum below the nipple line and throw back slightly.

8. “Press Back”
The bar should be pressed slightly back over shoulder level. The initial drive off the
chest is executed with the triceps and lats and by pressing slightly back you will finish
the lift with your shoulders and chest. This is the strongest bar path.

9. “Hold Air”

Take a deep breathe in before you unrack the weight. You should be thinking about
expanding the belly, breathing into the obliques and the lats. Take your time with this.
Hold this brace throughout the lift and never breathe out until the rep is over!

10. “Reset”

Take the time to reset yourself when repping out. At the top of the rep you should
maintain your leg drive back, and take a second to take another deep breathe of air into
the midsection. Rushing the reps will be met with poor results and a bad bar path.
TOP 5 BENCHING EXERCISES

Paused Benching

To perform this exercise get into your competition set up and hold an exaggerated pause
on the chest. 3-5 seconds is sufficient. I program this exercise for all my clients. Paused
benching is a great way to build strength off the chest. If you’re weak off the chest you
have to get comfortable living down there with some heavy weight.

Pausing not only makes the standard competition style pause seem easier, but you’ll
notice that you’re developing more pop off the chest. You need to work hard to stabilize
heavy weight on your chest. Pausing also works as a great teaching tool. When you
pause a lift you will naturally default into proper positions because of the demands of
stabilizing the weight. You allow yourself to slow down and get a good feel of where you
are on your chest and how it feels.

Competition Style Benching

You need to practice how you

play. You can perform all these
fancy exercises to get stronger
but at the end of the day you
need to get good at the thing
you’re doing. When I say
“Competition Style” I mean using
the exact set up and position
you’d use in a powerlifting meet
when the objective is to gain as
much leverage as possible and
lift as much weight as possible.
Every time you set up it’s a chance to play around with new things and gain more
leverage. Your set up can always be improved no matter how good you are.

Practicing competition style benching is something that is mandatory as you get closer
to a powerlifting meet, but is also something you should keep in your offseason work.
Even if you just use light weight, you should still be practicing your set up and working
specific grips. Think of it like this… a baseball player doesn’t stop throwing and hitting
in the offseason. While the offseason for a professional sports player is used to rest
(deload from volume) and build strength, they are still practicing the things that make
them great, just not as often. Treat your competition bench as your swing or throw, they
need to be practiced and maintained.

Board Pressing

I love using the boards in my lifter’s training and in my training as well. Pressing big
weights off various board heights will get anyone stronger. What makes them so great is
they allow you to overload. By overload I mean handling weights over your 1 rep max.
This trains the nervous system just as much as your muscles. To handle this type of
weight in your hands everything needs to be firing in unison and the demands are high.

They can also expose weakness. If your triceps aren’t strong you wont do very well on
the boards. Board pressing will make your lockout very strong. They provide a benefit by
teaching you how to brace and control heavy weight as well. Maximal weight demands a
higher level of control than handling sub maximal weights. Breathing needs to be spot
on, you need to be breaking the bar tight, and you need to maintain a strong leg drive.
The boards teach you these things.

Boards are generally made to cover the spectrum from a half board all the way to a 5
board. The high board you start with will be based on how long your bench stroke is.
Longer arms need bigger boards. You can 1 rep off the boards or do multiple reps. I
recommend keeping the rep range between 1-3. Work your weight down in the boards
each week to keep getting closer to touching chest with the heavy weight. If you want a
starting point, I recommend starting out using minus 5% your 1RM, your 1RM, and plus
5% your 1RM for your board sets. For example a 300 lb bencher would use 285, 300,
and 315 for 1 rep. Weights can always be increased or dropped but this is a general
starting point.

For my board pressing program, check out the Second Bench Day Solution on http://
www.bigbenchas.com/store/

Note: Don’t be afraid to take a down week from the board work. I recommend
performing boards 2-3 weeks in a row and then giving it a rest. The overload this
exercise provides is extremely taxing so taking a week off from boards is important for
long term health
Buffalo Bar

You may have seen cambered bars such as the Duffalo bar or formerly recognized as the
Buffalo bar. These bars have about a 2 inch camber to them and look curved. They are
most commonly used for squatting as they spare the shoulders and elbows, but are also
an excellent benching tool. When benching with this curved bar you are traveling
through a larger range of motion. This allows you to build strength in an even greater
range than a normal bench press ROM.

I recommend doing pause work with this bar. Between the pausing and extended range,
this will make you extremely strong off the chest. You should be able to feel the
difference in as little as 2 weeks. You will improve in this exercise quickly. If your
sticking point is on the chest then this exercise is a must have in your training.

Note: If you lack proper shoulder mobility then take a break from this bar every 3 weeks
or so. To test if you lack mobility, if you have a hard time simply touching the empty
duffalo bar to your chest then you’re relying on the weight to force you through the
complete range of motion. This becomes very taxing on the tendons involved. Don’t
worry if you do not have this issue.

Spoto Press

This exercise was coined from former world record bencher Eric Spoto, who pressed 722
lbs raw in competition. To perform the spoto press you stop the bar at a designated
point in the range of motion, almost like benching off imaginary boards. Dead stopping
the bar like this is very demanding for the upper body musculature. It is very different
than simply benching off boards where you can still let some of the bar weight sink into
the board before pressing. With the spoto press the only thing stopping you is your own
joints and muscles.

You can dead stop the bar at any point in the range of motion. My recommendation is to
perform these mostly very low. For the raw bench presser, the most strength is needed
off the chest to get the bar moving quickly to finish strong at lockout. I tell my lifters to
pause the bar motionless on the hairs of the shirt. Not letting any of the bar weight sink
into the chest but getting as close to the chest as possible. If you truly have a weakness
towards lockout or on the transition then you can also pause these higher up. You can
even do multiple sets at various locations.
TOP 5 ASSISTANCE EXERCISES

2-3 Board Close Grip Bench

This is a great tricep builder! Reason one being the addition of boards in the close grip
movement. When you close grip bench, there comes a point where your elbow flexion
stops and your chest begins to become stretched and loaded. The boards help keep all
the loading of the movement in the triceps. You never lose that tension in the triceps
which makes this such a great assistance exercise and one of my go to’s. You can even
add bands or chains to this movement to make it even more difficult at lockout. This
exercise can be performed for high reps to really fatigue the triceps, or heavy for low
reps to really build some serious tricep strength.

Using a thumbless grip can help enhance this exercise

because you won’t be able to torque into the bar. It
will take away some of the stability to the bar via the
shoulder joint and lats, putting all the tension straight
into the triceps. I recommend performing this
movement feet up as well in order to isolate the upper
body and take your legs out of the equation.
Everything done here to enhance the movement is a
result of making sure the triceps are really doing the
brunt of the work.

Overhead Press

The overhead press is so valuable to benching that it should be treated as a main

movement just like squat, bench, deadlift. You should dedicate a training session just to
the overhead press. It is the most difficult form of pressing. If you look at the
progression of pressing movements, standing is the most difficult, all the way down to
decline bench being the easiest because of the advantageous leverages. If you’re able to
overhead press more weight your other pressing movements should go up as a result.

The king of all overhead pressing is the standing barbell press. This exercise allows you
to handle the most weight and truly overload the press. I encourage everyone to perform
this through a full range of motion, from collarbone area to completely locked out
overhead. If you lack the shoulder mobility to press the bar up without arching severely
in the back or you get pain doing these, then simply switch to a standing dumbbell press.
The dumbbells will allow you to internally rotate the shoulders more for safer pressing.

Floor Press

This is a secondary movement I program a lot for my lifters. This is a very effective
exercise for lockout strength. I would use this more often with equipped lifters than raw
lifters but it is effective for both nonetheless. It also does a good job of allowing you to
connect with your lats on the descent of the movement.

To perform these simply lie down on the floor in a power rack. Have the bar racked low
on the power rack so you can reach it. You’re simply benching from the floor. I
recommend taking a closer grip with this movement, I personally go a thumb out from
the smooth. As soon as your elbows lightly touch or get close to touching the floor,
explode up. Adding band tension or chains to this exercise can be very beneficial. I
always encourage the use of bands or chains on lockout exercises.

Bamboo Bar

The bamboo bar made by bandbell is an excellent tool for benching. As the name
implies, this bar is made from bamboo. It is an extremely light bar and you hang weights
from it via bands. The result is a very unstable bar that wants to bounce all over the
place. It’s up to you to stabilize it through a controlled range of motion. It becomes very
difficult as weight is added. You will feel yourself shaking all over. This trains your upper
body to stabilize. Proper stability is a trait that is needed when going for max effort
weights.

I find this a great tool to teach a lifter to involve their lats as a platform to catch the
weight. When you’re properly utilizing your lats to catch the weight you’ll notice the bar
shakes a lot less, when the lifter is using their arms then the bar will be moving all over.
This gives you feedback on if you’re loading your lats properly. This bar is also great for
someone with shoulder issues. The stability demands of this bar train the smaller
muscles in the shoulder girdle that can often go untrained. This helps add stability back
to the shoulder and hopefully leave you feeling better than ever, and stronger!

Dumbbell Pressing
Dumbbells are under utilized. Dumbbells create a unique stimulus because they are
harder to control than a barbell. You can’t “break the bar” with dumbbells to create
stability. You need to find other ways to create control. They are a lot more demanding
on the body. Heavy dumbbell pressing can be the stimulus you need to get to the next
level.

Dumbbells also come in handy for people who lack mobility or have injuries. They are a
lot more friendly on the joints than a straight bar because they don’t lock you into one
position. There are many ways to use dumbbells, you can overhead press them, incline
bench them, flat bench, or one of my favorites, single arm flat bench. Don’t be afraid to
go heavy either!

MISTAKES TO AVOID

Going Too Heavy

The most common mistake I see in bench training is lifters going too heavy. Not just
maxing out too often but just training too heavy in general even with volume work. Let
me make this nice and clear…

YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO TO FAILURE TO MAKE PROGRESS!

That set felt easy? GOOD. It should feel manageable. We are training the movement, not
constantly slamming our foot on the gas pedal. My biggest pet peeve is when a lifter tells
me a set felt too easy and wants to go up in weight. Sure you could handle more weight
but we are training with a specific percentage range for a specific purpose. Just because
you handled more weight doesn’t necessarily mean you improved the most. If you take
away anything from this book, that would be the lesson.

Sure, there are times when you want to challenge yourself and work heavier. I
understand that. What I’m referring to is people that constantly want to push the limits.
Work within your given range for the day and worry more about making each rep look
clean and identical. I can guarantee you that you will make faster progress and actually
look like you know what you’re doing.

Testing Too Often

This brings me to the next mistake I see. Testing your 1 rep max too often. I can count
on one hand the amount of times I test my 1 rep max in a year. If you’re constantly
testing then you’re not getting stronger. You need to give yourself time to work with
higher reps and build back into heavier sets with proper technique. Training is a
crescendo of waves, the peak being the 1 rep max test. If you are unable to count the
amount of times you attempted a 1 rep max on one hand this year then you’re testing too
often.

There are other ways to tell if your 1 rep max is increasing without actually having to test
it. One being rep maxes. If you attempt a 5 rep max and hit a PR of 10 lbs then it is very
likely that your 1 rep max is now higher. This allows you to handle lighter weight, train
more safely, and still see progress.

Another way to measure

progress is through the feel
and speed of the bar. If you
take 90% of your max and it
looks bad and feels heavy, but
then you come back 3 months
later and hit that old 90%
again and this time it looks
great and feels lighter then you
know you are progressing. You
don’t have to handle max
effort weight to know you’re
capable of more. I always tell
my lifters, just because you can
handle more doesn’t mean you
need to do it to prove it. Save it for when it matters, in a meet or at the end of a properly
planned training cycle.

You can also measure progress with an actual speed reading. Strength and Science
makes an affordable bar speed reader or you could invest in a tendo unit if you’re
serious about utilizing bar speed in your training. It can be a very powerful tool. If you
are handling 85% for the day and you get a reading of .32 m/s but then come back and
hit that same weight again months later and it reads .40 m/s, you can bet that your 1 rep
max potential is much higher. This assigns you an actual value to your bar speed so you
aren’t left eyeballing from video.
Program Hopping

Ever hear of the saying, “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it”? Well truer words haven’t been said
regarding strength training. Lifters love to program hop. It is a chronic issue. Once
someone encounters difficulty for the first time they are quick to put the blame on the
program their using and switch to another. This constant hopping from one program to
the next is going to have you spinning your wheels and result in you going nowhere.

If you’re going to commit to a program, then fully

commit to that program. It takes time to see
results. Sometimes months, and even years. Look
at the other variables that may be holding you
back before you blame the program. Are you
eating good? Are you sleeping enough? Are you
recovering well? Are you actually following the
program as it’s written? If you have a hard time
answering these questions then you’re probably
the reason you’re not making progress, not your
program.

It is also a huge mistake to jump programs just for the sake of jumping programs. If you
added 30 lbs to your bench in the past 4 months using one program, why would you
want to switch?? Those are some great results! Obviously the program worked well for
you, so why would you chance going to something else when you are unsure of the
results? We go back to that famous saying, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Treating Bench As An Upper Body Lift

Bench Pressing is anything but a strict upper body lift. Proper benching requires effort
from your entire body, if you don’t think so then you’re not realizing your full potential
in this movement. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten hip cramps, back cramps,
even hip pulls from benching. I’ve seen it with my lifters numerous times as well. Why is
this you might ask? It is because we are utilizing our lower body in the bench press!
Generating a powerful leg drive on the bench is the most crucial part to the lift.

Think of a baseball swing. If a batter only swung by rotating his upper body and flailing
his arms, he might get a hit… but I can guarantee you he’s not hitting a home run. To hit
a homer you need to generate power from the ground up. Power transfers from the
ground through the powerhouse of the body, the hips, into the upper body, into the ball,
for a big grand slam. If you want to hit a homer on the bench press you need to utilize
the power of your legs. We joke that squat training is just training leg drive for the
bench.

Doubting Yourself

A huge mistake I see with lifters is they let doubt creep into their minds. Ever wonder
why lifters get stuck on specific numbers and milestones? It’s not because they are
failing to become stronger, they are just failing to overcome the weight in their minds.
You also see right away that when a lifter finally breaks a plateau they immediately
begin climbing up in weight. This is because they eliminated their self doubts.

Lifting is just as much mental as it is strength. You need to believe without a shadow of a
doubt that you are going to lift the weight. You need to eliminate doubt and fill yourself
with confidence. All my best lifts are done at meets. When I’m at the meet I feel like I
can throw anything on the bar and I’ll lift it. You feed off the energy of those watching
you. You need to learn to harness that energy and turn it into nervous confidence. You
are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

Training Without Commands

If you’re looking to compete in a powerlifting meet then training without going through
commands is a big mistake. There are 3 commands at a meet. “Bench, Press, Rack”.
Bench is to begin the press, press is given when the bar becomes motionless on the
chest, and rack is to put the bar back when control has been shown at lockout. If you
don’t train with these commands constantly then it is very easy to forget a command at
the meet and be given a red light as a result.

One of the biggest mistakes is not using a competition pause in training. There is major
difference between a touch and go bench where you can utilize some rebound off the
chest, and having to still pause it before pressing. If all you do is touch and go in training
then you’ll be in for a rude awakening on meet day when that judge holds you there
before issuing the press command. If you train with the commands all the time you
won’t be in for any surprises on meet day and you will be less likely to miss a command
either.
Heaving Weight

What constitutes a heave? Heaving is when a lifter sinks the bar deep into their chest
and heaves it up using momentum. This motion looks very wild and uncontrolled
majority of the time. There are a few that get strong utilizing this strategy but I can
almost guarantee you they aren’t as strong as they could potentially be. What you’ll
traditionally see with these people is they’ll explode off the chest very strong but die out
very quick at mid range or lockout. This is because they are relying entirely on the
momentum and speed created by the heave to carry them through the press.

Look at some of the strongest raw benchers out there. When they press the bar it comes
up in one smooth, controlled, effortless motion. Sure there are exceptions that bench
600+ lbs and it’s impressive, but they could potentially be benching 700+ the way I see
it. Control through a full range of motion beats heaving any day. The trouble is if you
have been utilizing a heaving style bench, no one is open to change because it usually
means they will not be able to handle as much weight for a while and everything will
probably feel heavy. In order to correct that technique it requires a drastic drop in
weight and a complete overhaul of technique. This takes time and requires patience.

Eating Too Little

If you’re constantly consumed with your body composition you will likely experience a
lot of frustrating plateaus. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to go and get fat
to lift more or to neglect your health. I don’t even want to insinuate that you can’t get
strong while dieting either because you can. I am pointing out that it’s “powerlifting” not
bodybuilding. The goal is to lift the most weight possible. Now this is a fact, to have
successful heavy training sessions you need to be fueled up. If you are eating like a bird
you will not set many PR’s.

Your bench will often go up and down as you gain and lose weight. It is often the first lift
to be effected when changing bodyweight. If you’re planning to diet down a lot, the goal
should be to try and maintain your bench press. However when you go and gain weight,
you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how strong your benching becomes. In fact I often
recommend a lifter try and gain some weight if they really want to break a bench
plateau. Gain weight and get your bench up, then if you want you can diet down and try
to maintain. This is a great strategy when trying to increase your bench.
Look at some of the world record benchers. They know how to eat. Many of these
monsters are well over 300+. Bigger people bench bigger weight. You don’t need to be
300+ to be strong but gaining that 5 lbs certainly will help!

PROGRAM TEMPLATES

All this information is great, but now it’s time for you to take action! Detailed below I
have given you 3 very effective bench program templates. All of which I have used and
tested with my lifters. It’s not the complexity of a program that makes it effective, it’s the
effort you bring to it with proper emphasis on fuel and recovery.

The templates below are for the main benching movement only. You will want to
supplement with other exercises that will target your weak points. If lockout is an issue,
do more close grip benching, if your shoulders are
weak, overhead press more frequently. When in doubt
find an exercise you suck at and do it until you don’t
suck at it anymore. It doesn’t get more simple and
effective than that!

I am confident that if you dedicate yourself to your

training then you can become as strong as you want to
become by following these templates. You can use the
9 week linear progression to kickstart your training,
run the board pressing cycle into a meet, and use the
speed cycle as a second bench day to increase your
explosiveness. I have given you the tools for success,
now you just need to act upon it.

9 Week Linear Progression Template

The following cycle is a simple linear progression. There is no magic bullet here, no
fancy exercises. This type of training has been around for a very long time. You’re
starting with a higher volume phase, in this case 5x5’s. Each week you’re increasing the
percentages you’ll be working with. These percentages are all based off your one rep max
minus 5-10 lbs to ensure good technique.

Example: Lifters 1 Rep Max = 355

(Minus 10 lbs For Training Max = 345)
We will be basing percentages off this lifters training max of 345 lbs. The minus 10 lbs
ensures the lifter is able to maintain good technique while using these percentages

Week 1 - 5x5 (70, 75, 80%) (2 x 240, 2 x 260, 1 x 275)

Week 2 - 5x5 (73, 77, 82%) (2 x 250, 2 x 265, 1 x 280)

Week 3 - 5x5 (75, 80, 85%) (2 x 260, 2 x 275, 1 x 295)

Week 4 - 5x3 (77, 82, 85%) (2 x 265, 2 x 280, 1 x 295)

Week 5 - 5x3 (80, 83, 87%) (2 x 275, 2 x 285, 1 x 300)

Week 6 - 5x3 (83, 87, 90%) (2 x 285, 2 x 300, 1 x 310)

Week 7 - 5x1 (87, 90, 92%) (2 x 300, 2 x 310, 1 x 315)

Week 8 - 5x1 (90, 92, 94%) (2 x 310, 2 x 315, 1 x 325)

Week 9 - 5x1 (92, 94, 97%) (2 x 315, 2 x 325, 1 x 335)

Speed Training Template

The goal of this training template is to become a more explosive lifter. This
template helps you get stronger not by gaining muscle, but by training the
nervous system to react more quickly. When the nervous system can fire quickly
and engage more muscles, in turn you become stronger.

With this template each rep should be performed with maximal effort. You
should be moving the bar as quickly and explosively as possible. Note that
Accommodating resistance in the form of bands or chains can be added to the bar
(15-20% of 1RM weight) but are not a necessity.

Week 1 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 60% (30 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)
Week 2 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 60% (15 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)

Week 3 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 65% (30 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)

Week 4 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 65% (15 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)

Week 5 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 70% (30 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)

Week 6 - Competition Bench Press - 10 x 2 @ 70% (15 sec rest) (Maintain bar speed or
drop weight)

Board Pressing Template

This template is designed for you to overload with big weight. This is something to
consider doing for a meet prep, where you will need to start handling heavier weight for
singles. The goal is to take an overload weight and in 11 weeks get close to taking it full
range of motion. We are simply working up in weights, and working down in boards on
a weekly basis.

This template will accommodate you to handling big weights and also teach you how to
brace and control heavy weights. Not to mention you will create brute lockout strength
and tricep power. Lets also be real, who doesn't love taking heavy ass singles!

Example: Same Lifters 1 Rep Max = 355

(Minus 10 lbs For Training Max = 345)

Week 1 - (-5% 1RM) 3 Board, (1RM) 3 Board, (+5% 1RM) 3 Board (1 x 330, 345,
360)

Week 2 - (-5% 1RM) 2 Board, (1RM) 2 Board, (+5% 1RM) 2 Board (1 x 330,
345, 360)

Week 3 - (-5% 1RM) 1 Board, (1RM) 1 Board, (+5% 1RM) 1 Board (1 x 330, 345,
360)
Week 4 - Deload (No Board Pressing)

Week 5 - (1RM) 3 Board, (+5% 1RM) 3 Board, (+10% 1RM) 3 Board (1 x 345,
360, 380)

Week 6 - (1RM) 2 Board, (+5% 1RM) 2 Board, (+10% 1RM) 2 Board (1 x 345,
360, 380)

Week 7 - (1RM) 1 Board, (+5% 1RM) 1 Board, (+10% 1RM) 1 Board (1 x 345,
360, 380)

Week 8 - Deload (No Board Pressing)

Week 9 - (+5% 1RM) 3 Board, (+10% 1RM 3 Board, (+13% 1RM) 3 Board (1 x
360, 380, 390)

Week 10 - (+5% 1RM) 2 Board, (+10% 1RM 2 Board, (+13% 1RM) 2 Board (1 x
360, 380, 390)

Week 11 - (+5% 1RM) 1 Board, (+10% 1RM 1 Board, (+13% 1RM) 1 Board (1 x
360, 380, 390)
COMMON Q & A’S

Q - Where should I place my hands?

A - Hand placement is an individual thing, everyone has different limb lengths and so
on. Typically as a quick rule of thumb, most average sized guys will do well with their
pinky on the ring, and average women do well going a thumb length out from the
smooth part of the bar. In the bottom of the press you want your arms to be about 45
degrees out from the side of the body, and your wrists aligned right over the top of the
elbow. Whichever hand position allows you to achieve this is the one you should use.
Some lifters experience benefits from widening their hand placement when it’s time for
the meet. Widening your hands will drastically cut down the range of motion you need
to press the bar. This is advantageous in a meet setting where the goal is to lift the most
weight possible but when you’re in training make sure you’re not just relying on these
leverages. Treat your comp grip separate from your training grip.

Q - I’m sliding off the bench when I use leg drive, how do I stop it?

A - You need a bench pad that provides good traction so you don’t slip. Most commercial
gym pads do not provide this. A trick you can use is to place a yoga mat over the pad.
This will keep you from slipping. Another trick is to throw a couple training bands over
the pad, this should provide enough traction to keep you from sliding on the pad. Never
let a slippery bench stop you from initiating a strong leg drive. We are currently working
on a product that will provide a solution to this issue so keep an eye out in the near
future!

Q - Should I hold my breathe when I bench?

A - Absolutely! It should feel like your head is ready to pop and that’s ok! In time you’ll
train yourself to hold your breath longer and more easily. You need to hold air deep in
your midsection to create a bracing effect that keeps tightness throughout the body. This
allows the force generated from your leg drive to transfer smoothly up into the bar. Take
another breath at the completion of the rep.

Q - Where should I touch my chest?

A - This is also different for everybody but on average lifters should touch low sternum,
just below the nipple line. Just like when determining your hand placement, you should
touch the bar wherever you need to to create a 45 degree angle between your arm and
your body and elbows aligned under the wrists. If you follow this guideline you’ll not
only find your hand placement but you’ll also find where you need to touch the bar.

Q - Do I need to arch?


A - As much as you can yes! It is a common myth that arching on the bench is bad for
your back. You need to set up with your chest in the highest position possible. If you’re
breathing properly and activating your glutes you shouldn’t feel discomfort. There is no
axial load on the body like in a squat or a deadlift so there is no concern with hurting
your back. Back cramps can be common since you're remaining tight throughout the
body. Even soreness can result but these are all byproducts of hard training, not back
issues.

Q - Should I train with a pause?

A - I recommend always training with a pause if you’re a competitive lifter. In fact, I

often program longer pauses such as 3-5 seconds. Even if you aren’t a competitive lifter
it is beneficial to pause. You are essentially making the movement more difficult. This
will result in a standard pause or even a touch and go feel easier. By pausing you are
forcing your body to stabilize and control weight in the most difficult portion of your
range of motion, you are also eliminating some of the benefits of the stretch reflex.

Q - How can I get past my sticking points?



A - There are a few techniques you can employ. One would be to perform some speed
training. I have outlined a speed template in the program templates section. Often times
a sticking point is a result of a rapid deceleration of the bar. The solution would be to
train the body to press the weight more quickly so you can accelerate with more force
through lockout. Another solution would be to perform work in that specific area. Weak
off the chest? Perform a lot of pause work on the chest. Weak at lockout? Perform a lot
of high board presses. Isometrics also offer an unique solution. By pressing an empty
bar into the pins of a rack, you can essentially create max effort force for a longer
duration of time. Set the pins wherever your sticking point may be and press the bar into
them as hard as you can for 10 seconds.

Q - How do I keep my shoulders tucked?



A - I often tell lifters, once you take the bar out of the rack, things can only go downhill.
Make sure you set up in the best position possible from the start. Maintaining that
shoulder tuck you created once the bar is out is a result of constant leg drive. You need
to be forcefully trying to push yourself off the bench. This leg drive will not only transfer
into your pressing but will keep your set up tight and in tact.

Q - I have shoulder pain when benching, what should I do?

A - First off, I would recommend seeking out the experience of a good physical therapist
to make sure you’re not at risk for further injury. Often times this is a result of benching
in a poor set up. If you’re benching with your shoulders untucked and constantly
grinding out reps that way then shoulder pain is going to happen. If you have suffered
an injury unrelated to benching, you should slowly work to restore full range of motion.
If you need to bench off boards for a while that is fine. Slowly work down while you
rehab until you’re able to touch chest again. make sure to keep the weight light! You can
always go up but starting too heavy could set you back again. My best answer to this
question is take a look at how you’re setting up and seek out the help you need to
properly work back up to handling heavy weight safely.

Q - How do I break my plateau?

A - This question comes with no simple answer. Everyone is in a plateau for a very
different reason and it may not even be a result of your training. The only way for me to
help you out is to analyze the issue at hand in depth. I understand how frustrating a
plateau can be. I was stuck on a certain bench number for an entire year. My best advice
to you is to try and remain patient and seek out an experienced coach. Sometimes the
solution is simple, sometimes it requires a lot of work. You will want a second pair of
eyes looking at what you’re doing. Don’t try to go at it alone, we all do better with some
help.

LAST THOUGHTS

I hope you found this ebook helpful and something you can look back at frequently for
reference. How I recommend you use it would be to download it on your phone and take
it to the gym with you. Pick one cue at a time and just work on it until it becomes second
nature. Throw some of the exercises outlined in here into your training as well. If you do
these things I’m confident you’ll experience major benefits!
If you’d like additional, more detailed help, I encourage you all to reach out to me at
anytime to join our online coaching program. We have a growing team of talented and
encouraging lifters. No matter where you are in the world you can benefit from the
program. Everything is tailored to you. I know that phrase has become somewhat of a
clique to say today but I hold value in making sure everyone is performing the training
they need to get stronger. Don’t leave your programming up to guesswork.

You’ll also gain amazing benefits from our video reviews. When you send a video in for
review it will come back to you within 24 hours with voice overs, and drawing overlays.
You will be told what you did great, and what could be worked on going forward. This is
easily the most beneficial part of working with Big Benchas for your training. These
video reviews make sure you’re developing good technique and staying safe.

Each week I touch base with my lifters on how things went, and what we can do to
improve going forward. You are never left in the dark and will never be at it alone.
Everyone gets invited to our private coaching group on Facebook where the team can
easily communicate amongst each other. I encourage everyone to message me at
anytime regarding anything they may need help with.

If you have an upcoming meet I will come out to help coach you. If you’ve ever
experienced having a coach in your corner to handle you at a strength zoo that’s called a
powerlifting meet, you know it makes your job as a lifter so much easier. You just have
to worry about showing up and lifting. Warm up attempts, timing attempts, planning
weight selections, knee wrapping, selecting future attempts, all this and more will be
taking care of for you. Having a coach in your corner is a god send and I want to be there
to help you!

Big Benchas is a community of lifters and an online strength team! My goal is to bring
together lifters from all over and create the strongest version of themselves. We are all in
this together and everybody has their own unique strength journeys. We have something
special with this team and I want you reading this to be a part of it!

Even if you don’t feel ready yet, please spread word of our service. I want to reach as
many lifters as possible and that won’t happen without your help. If you want to return
the favor for the information presented in this ebook, the best thing you could do is to
tell just one friend to join our newsletter and check out our website. I would be
extremely grateful.
 As my appreciation for you
downloading this ebook and joining
our newsletter I’d like to extend a
special coaching offer!

Receive your first month of

coaching with Big Benchas for 50%
off! ($50 Savings!). Mention the
Ebook Special in your message

Email [email protected]
to get started!

I wish you all the best in strength! Thank you for reading!

Nick Benerakis CFST, CPT

bigbenchas.com

RESOURCES

Articles (Published Through EliteFTS)

5 Bench Pressing Basics You’re Overlooking - https://www.elitefts.com/education/five-

bench-pressing-basics-youre-overlooking/

Building The Bench, Piece By Piece - https://www.elitefts.com/education/building-the-

bench-piece-by-piece/

Breaking The 600 Pound Bench Barrier - https://www.elitefts.com/education/

breaking-the-600-pound-bench-barrier/

5 Ways You’re Screwing Up Speed Work - https://www.elitefts.com/education/5-ways-

youre-screwing-up-speed-work/
How To Break A Bench Plateau - https://www.elitefts.com/education/how-to-break-a-
bench-plateau/

Nine Weeks Of Linear Progress To A Bigger Bench - https://www.elitefts.com/

education/nine-weeks-of-linear-progress-to-a-bigger-bench/

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6weekbenchprogram

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