Base Building - Bench Specialization

I was going to include chapters in the Base Building manual that went over specialization in the big 3, however because I'm such a nice fucking guy, I thought I'd leave it out, and simply make it a series for the blog.

To start, if you're a relative noob, you don't need to specialize in a lift.  Nothing annoys me more than some dude with a 175 bench telling me his bench hasn't moved in two months and is frustrated.  Using the beginner template in Base Building or Strength Life Legacy (both can be found here) will work fantastically for a novice guy trying to get stronger OVERALL.

So this series does not apply to guys that are still working their way up the strength ladder.  You guys need to focus on overall strength and mass development.  Not specializing.

Phases - 

One of the things I really like to do, because it's been very productive, is to design training in phases.  This is for a few reasons...

1.  It breaks up monotony.
2.  It gives you a way to strengthen lagging areas over each phase, and allows each phase to build on the previous one.
3.  It provides a way to avoid overuse.
4.  It allows for long term programming and consistency.

For a guy whose bench has been stuck for a while, let's delve into phase I.

Phase I - 

To start, if you're going to specialize in a particular lift, the other lifts need to take a bit of a backseat for a while.  This doesn't mean you HAVE to drop them all together, though that is an option and one I've seen many guys use successfully.  What it means is, you shouldn't be training those lifts as a priority in terms of improvement.

A lot of guys don't understand that the body is a "total systems" entity.  Meaning, squatting and pulling take a toll on recovery, and pushing those movements hard can indeed impede recovery and hamper progress in other movements.  This is often why one or two of the big three can be progressing very well, while the other lift is in the shitter.  There's a myriad of other factors that could be playing a part, yes, however if you don't think it's a factor then drop squatting and deadlifting altogether for a while and see if your bench and pressing work don't get a bump.  For those that think recovery isn't a major factor, there's your proof in the pudding.

So my recommendation is to either drop those movements all together for a while, or to train them very light, with nothing more in mind than keeping the motor function intact.  In other words, you're simply going through the motions so when you start working them again, you don't feel totally "off" technique wise.

Second, if your technique sucks, then that could be holding your bench back as well.  If you aren't getting a strong enough scapular retraction, aren't set up tight on the bench, and don't have proper elbow to wrist alignment, then you're going to be limited by those factors alone.

I suggest reading this in order to figure that out.

For phase I, we'll use Base Building model I only, and run it for 6 weeks.  I actually used phase I for a very long time and I credit it to taking my bench from 405x2-3 max, to 405 for multiple sets of 5, that were explosive and fast.  Phase I also took my incline from a grinding 425 to a very easy 455.  

The rotation - 

For this phase, and the next one as well, you will bench twice in a row, then overhead press the next session before benching again.

I think pressing twice a week is optimal for most people to improve the press, however it has to be managed properly.  That is, benching heavy twice a week tends to have more drawbacks than benefits.  After a while most guys tend to get sore tendons and elbows, and the next thing you know pain management becomes a bigger issue than benching.

If you're one of those guys totally built for benching, then this may not be a problem.  Having t-rex arms and a huge chest tends to alleviate any of these problems.  Unfortunately, most guys are not built to be massive benchers, so I'll write this to adhere to the majority and not the exceptions.

Also of note, ALL reps are to be done paused, and as explosively as possible.  This is not an option.  That is how it is to be done.  Period.

This phase is fairly simple, and straight forward...

Week 1 -
Day 1 - Bench - Base Building Model I and assistance work
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - Squat and Deadlift (optional)
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - Bench - Base Building Model I and assistance work
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - off

Week 2 -
Day 1 - Overhead Pressing of some sort and bench assistance
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - Squat and Deadlift (optional)
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - Repeat schedule starting from week 1

Since people will ask about assistance work, here is some recommendations.  Let me emphasize that these are not magical.  Assistance work is just that.  Something supplementary to your bench.

A chin, row, or pulldown - 2 sets of 6, then two sets of 12
A tricep movement - pushdowns, overhead extensions, etc.  Not a fucking board humping press.
A bicep movement - 100 rep curls

For phase I, even if you set your EDM properly (that's "every day max" if you didn't know), it's possible that you may not be able to get all 5 sets of 8 in.  Relax.  This is NOT uncommon.  Lots of guys experience this because they are not used to this kind of volume at this intensity.  If a guy comes from doing 5/3/1 or any other method that doesn't focus on handling volume at these intensity levels, and has been doing 1 or 2 top sets, he may feel his power drop off significantly a few sets.  In these cases do not lower the EDM.  Just keep at it, and work towards getting all 5 sets of 8 in.  Just do all 5 sets, and whatever you get is whatever you get.

For the overhead pressing day,  I recommend working up to a "top" set of 5, then a back off set of 8-15.  Whatever your body tells you that you are good for that day, work with that.  There is nothing set in stone here.

Phase II -

For phase two we're going to keep model I in the picture, and add in Model II of Base Building with fatigue singles.  The split stays the same, and there is no "deload" week.  You don't need one.  You're just benching, and you're training sub-maximally.  The longer you can bench, or train in general, without deloading, the more progress you will make.

Your goal here should be to increase the speed at which you can move your EDM on the fatigue singles day.  When you get to where you're moving 95-100% of your EDM in a fatigued state with great speed, you're going to know with certainty, that your bench has increased significantly.

The rotation is the same as the previous 6 weeks.

Week 1 -
Day 1 - Bench - Base Building Model I and assistance work
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - Squat and Deadlift (optional)
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - Bench - Base Building Model II with fatigue singles and assistance work
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - off

Week 2 -
Day 1 - Overhead Pressing of some sort and bench assistance
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - Squat and Deadlift (optional)
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - Repeat schedule starting from week 1

Notes - 

On the fatigue singles day, you don't have to work up to 100% of your EDM if you're feeling like shit.  You have a certain amount of auto regulation built into that, so don't feel like you HAVE to work up to the EDM.  If it's 95% of it, fine.  If it's 93%, no problem.  Just listen to your body, and make a judgement call on how fast and easy things are feeling for the day.  The point is to get to where you can pretty consistently hit your EDM in a fatigued state with great speed.

If your bench has been stuck I recommend using these protocols for the next 12 weeks to give your bench a boost.  Expect to be sore, and expect to be humbled at first if you have not been using a volumized training method.  Once you adapt to it, you're going to get a significant boost in your pressing.