50lb Bench Program????? [Forum Archive]

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50lb Bench Program?????

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Posted by: GAS

OK,

I'm going to start this program but I had a couple ?'s first.

1. Has anyone done this and if so what results did you see.

2. I went through his calculation table and starting with my MAX bench of 255lbs, I would end up at 280lbs by the 14th work out at the end of week 7. Where does this guy get a 50lbs from?

3. What exactly is the Rotator-Cuff exercise?

Thanks,
GAS

Posted by: cutemonkey

Quote:

Originally posted by GAS:
OK,

I'm going to start this program but I had a couple ?'s first.

1. Has anyone done this and if so what results did you see.

Yes. I had great results but I sort of changed the routine around to accomodate my schedule. BTW, are you referring to Shawn Phillips 50lb bench program?

Quote:

2. I went through his calculation table and starting with my MAX bench of 255lbs, I would end up at 280lbs by the 14th work out at the end of week 7. Where does this guy get a 50lbs from?

Although I don't have the table in front of me, I sort of remember asking myself the same question. If you at the table correctly, the 50lb weight increase is calculated from the very first day he has set out for you. For instance, if your 1rM was 255, I don't think you actually start the program benching 255...it's more like 230lbs. Then you work through the table for 14 weeks and by the end, you get 280lbs.. which is a 50lb increase from the first week.

Quote:

3. What exactly is the Rotator-Cuff exercise?

The rotator cuff is a set of 4 muscles that motor the shoulder joint. There are a few different types of rotator cuff excercises which can really help strengthen your rotator cuffs.

I'm not good at word description of excercises but try doing a search on the topic and look for a website with picture descriptions.

Posted by: GAS

Thanks. I know what the rotator-cuff is I was just wandering if it would be like a circular motion?

Do you know or have a link.

GAS AKA ZONEMAN

Posted by: Charger

Gas,
I am doing the program right now. So far so good but I would give you the same advice I received when I posted this. Start with 10lbs or more under your one rep max. I am amazed how accurate the chart is. Today I was to do 235 x 3 and 250 x 2, 2 sets each and that was exactly what I could do, no more. Also do the negatives, don't just try to lift the weight when it says neg, bring it down as slow as possible and have a spotter ready. Good Luck! Oh and also, I'm cheating and doing more than it says to do and I still am doing fine. I just can't do 1 triceps exercise in a workout.

Posted by: Bench_It

I started the program and went directly by it. I'm in Week#4 and have been doing great. You definitely need to do the negs. And even though you may feel like adding a bunch of other stuff to the workout days...I wouldn't. I tried for two weeks and I feel like it took some out of my bench, so I stopped. Since then I've been doing great and meeting every one of the routines. When I do the failure reps I'm in the 2-4 range just like it says, and I started with my actual 1 RPM. But everybody's different. It may just be working for me. I wouldn't think that it would hurt ou to try and start out at your 1 RPM and then adjust it after a failure rep if you need to. That's why they made that allowance.

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Shut Up and LIFT!!

Posted by: Charger

I took my first failure test today and I am doing just fine. todays workout
two warm ups at 135 x 12
215 x 6
2 sets 225 x 5
failure test 240 x 3

Cable crossovers 3 sets 80 x 10
db presses 3 sets 80 x 8
skulls 3 sets
pulldowns 3 sets
abs
And considering I'm sick I don't think that's too bad.

Why is everyone so afraid of overtraining? Has anyone ever thought maybe they are under training?

Posted by: ZONE

Thanks,

Yes I'm ZONE. For some reason I couldn't get in under ZONE So I switched to GAS. I started on Sat. I did just as was stated based on my 1 rep MAX. The very last rep on the very last set was very difficult but I did get it up. We'll see how this next one goes. Here was my workout based on my 1 rep max of 255lbs:

Well Saturday was the first work out: I'm doing SAT-MON-WED instead of MON-WED-FRI

Warm-ups
125x7, 165x7.....
then I jumped right in
200x6
210x5, 5
220x4, 4 ... stuggled a little on the very last one but got it up.

Incline (don't want to do DB Press to much weight switching around becuase I work out at home)
165x8, 8, 8

Side lat's
30's X 8,8, 9

Skulls
115x8, 7, 5

All done in 38 minutes

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

[This message has been edited by ZONE (edited 02-05-2001).]

Posted by: ZONE

So that would put you at the 5th work out based on a 265lb Max. So it looks like you're right on track.

Did back last night according to the program.
Didn't feel like much but I'm gonna stick to the program although I know I'll miss Deads to much, so I'm gonna switch up Squats and Deads every other week.

Chins:
8, 7, 6 (2 up 4 down)
BB Rows:
125x8, 145x6, 6, 7
BB Curls:
85x8, 8, 5 (took 5 minutes between set 2 and 3 to go wipe my 3 year olds butt)
Did hammer curls immediatley following my last set 30x8
I also through in some wrist curls 30x10, 10, 10...

done in 36 minutes

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Charger

I have to admit I gave up deads for this program and miss them but I could see where doing chest twice a week plus deads would be pushing it. Deadlifts really take alot out of me.

Posted by: ZONE

Wednesday 2-7-2001

Well this was the bench workout #2.

Did those stupid rotator cuff exercises then jumped in.
Bench:
Warm up
125x5, 175x5, 195x5
Work sets
220x3,3, 235x2,2 then a Neg with a 6 second decent with 260lbs.( I have my 13 year old to help spot).
Dips (I don't have a way to strap on weight so I do them very slow, 6 seconds down 4 seconds up) Doing them that way I could only do 6, 4, 3.... "WOW"

going that slow makes a huge diff.
Crunches with 20lb DB on my chest did 3 sets of 25 reps.

total time 42 minutes.

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Charger

Workout no 6
I had to modify because this will be my last chance to work out until Mon.
rotator cuff exercises
3 x 235, 2 sets
2 x 255, 2 sets
neg 1/2 x 285 8 seconds

weighted dips 3 sets x8
incline presses 3 sets
squats 5 sets x 8
abs
screwed up workout for me but I got it in.

Posted by: ZONE

I've been doing well through Work out #3.

Just a sidenote: Thursday 2-8
did some quick squats...
125x10, 10, 145x10, 165x10, 185x10
I read this article I think on hardgainer that was very interesting about squats. they talked about how you should concentrate on keeping your shins straight up all the time/at 90 degrees to the floor and the first motion when squating should be your a$$ going back, NOT your knees bending. So I'm working on strick slow form right now.
Chins(palms facing) 10 10 8

Total time 22 Minutes

Saturday 2-10-2001 "Bench workout#3"
warm up
125x10, 165x7, 185x5
work out
200x6, 215x5, 5, 225x4, 4 WOW it was a little rough but I got it up with no help at all so I'm right on target.
Incline
175x6, 165x6, 145x7 How wimpy.... I think that the flat bench just wore me out plus I took less time between sets.
side laterals 30'sx8,8,8
skulls 115x7,6,5

Total time: 54 minutes

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Charger

Workout #7

225x5 2 sets
245x3 2 sets
245 until failure, got 4
also
incline DB presses 3 sets
flat DB presses 3 sets
skulls 3 sets
cable pull downs 3 sets
lateral raises 3 sets
abs

Posted by: ZONE

CRAP.

I'm sick..... Yesterday I woke up feeling like crap... head stuffy sneezing watery eyes and snot pouring out of my nose... but I went to work anyway... Then last night about 9pm I decided to go ahead and try towork out anyway.... Bad idea:..

Rotator Cuff Exercises 3X10

Bench:
135x5, 175x5, 195x5
225x3, 3 then put 245 got it up once then about half way through the second rep I just lost it... my head felt like it was going to explode... I just stopped...

28 minutes

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Charger

Hey Zone, It's never a bad idea as long as you give it your best. Get some rest and hope you get to feeling better. I've had a cold for going on three weeks, sucks!!!

Posted by: Charger

I am quitting the program. Last week on the negs I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder and let the weight down fast, my spotter was right on it and now this week my shoulder is sore. I know I may sound like a puss but I feel lucky it's only sore. I am not willing to risk the gains I have made this winter for a few extra pounds on my bench.

Posted by: Charger

Hey Zone, I'm 38 so feel like the old man. I made it to work out no. 7 and my next should be Fri and my neg will be 290, would have been.
I am not going to risk an injury at this time of the year and throw away all my hard work this winter on an injury. Time to go back to lighter weights and high volume.

Posted by: ZONE

Charger,

Don't worry about it. I took off last Saturday from the program because I still felt like crap. I usually get one kick butt cold that puts me out for 3-5 days. I too was experiencing a slight pain in my left shoulder but I kept going, I was hoping not but expecting it to get worse after work out 3 but because of my cold I didn't complete it. Hey at 35 I gotta be carefull...
Here is what I did Sunday:

Bench:
125x8, 145x8, 175x8, 195x10, 7
Incline:
165x8, 7
Skulls:
105x8, 7

I took it light because I didn't feel 100%.

What I think I'll start doing is what I read on Hard gainer and just do it once per week
and add like 2 pounds per week. I figured out how I can do this, I have 3 sets of Collars.

My mini collars that came with my Dumbell set are about 1/4 pounds each.

Then I have my collars from like 10 years ago that I've had with my EZ Curl bar that are about 1.5 pounds each.

Finally my new collars which came with my bench set are 2.5 - 3 pounds each.

So if I switch up the collars along with my 3 and 5 pound plates I should be fine.

Heck if I can add an average of 2.5 pounds per week, that would be 10 pounds per month, and 60 lbs in a year, although once I'm doing 225X10x2 I'll be very happy. Then I'll start working on getting my Incline bench to = my flat bench.

Also can't neglect the rest of my body either

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Bench_It

I'm on workout #11...So I'm gonna go ahead and finish it. But after that, I'm gonna start doing what y'all are saying. So far I believe I've added 30-35#. But haven't tested it.

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Shut Up and LIFT!!

Posted by: Scotty the Body

I did this program a wile back and I did gain about 25lb on my bench but like a dummy took a bit of a break from bench and "Poof" my bench droped back down to what it was from the start.

My advice is to maintain after your done the program, work your reps up to 6-8 or 10 reps from the same program where its like 5 reps.

I think where people go wrong and get hurt doing one rep maxes is getting to tired, yes you need proper warmup but doing a one rep max after already working that muscle for 1/2 hour is just asking for trouble.

Posted by: Bench_It

I'm not worried about that one rep max anymore. I'll just use the formula for wt./reps to get it.

I've heard of people gaining good amounts of weight by doing a wide grip narrow grip bench program. Anybody heard of this?

How long of a break did you take Scotty?
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Shut Up and LIFT!!

[This message has been edited by Bench_It (edited 02-23-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Bench_It (edited 02-23-2001).]

Posted by: ZONE

have any of you been out to hardgainer.com?

There are some really good articles out there. The reason I mention this is because of the narrow/wide grip comment by Bench it. There was one article talking about useing a grip that is most comfortable to you, and a close grip would be about 3-4 inches inside that.

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Thoughts are more powerful then Matter

Posted by: Scotty the Body

Bench it, it was around christmas and I was out of the gym for about 3 weeks, I think if I had kept doing some of the higher days from the program for a few weeks, I'd of been ok.
I don't think my muscles realy had a chance to get use to the heavy weight and couldn't handle it once I went back.

I change my grip often when doing bench, works realy good.

Posted by: Bench_It

I was thinking about just taking a week off. Then hitting a normal bench routine and raise the reps. Are you saying that you should have done say the 2x5rep and 2x3rep workouts? Just curious. I'm hoping a week won't do too much to me in this particular case. I know it wouldn't usually, but what you're about the muscles hitting the higher weights for that short time might be true for me.

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Shut Up and LIFT!!

Posted by: Scotty the Body

Yeah, the 2x5rep is what I'm tbinking, maybe try getting it up to 2x8reps and 2x5rep range for the same weight.

For me anyway I've found that if I don't keep the same scheme for a couple of weeks, it seems like I've got to start over again.

Posted by: bharminder

damn u guys are fricken huge my max bench is only like 165 =[

Posted by: Bench_It

bharminder, Everbody's gotta start somewhere. You didn't say what your size is or how old you are. Some guys are just built big. Don't worry about the weight. Just pick a goal, get it, and pick another one.

I finished my 50# bench routine and think that I added 40-45# using it in 9 weeks (I got sick and took a vacation). I'm going to do a 2-3 rep max at 260 tonight to see what I did. I started at 1 RPM of 230. I haven't gotten to my goal of 300 by summer. But its also not summer yet.

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Shut Up and LIFT!!

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