All rights reserved. If you feel like you can do more on a given day, and you are looking to absolutely maximize your bench, you need to. Next time youre at the gym do a set of bench with your feet upthe lack of support makes the lift insanely harder. Check out which wrist wrap is the best! While we have discussed the neurological adaptations necessary for maximal strength in detail in the past and it gets very complicated very fast, all you need to know is that neuromuscular adaptations are the crux of actually getting strong. Lie down on the bench and grab the bar with an underhand grip. My Sling Shot mirrored exactly my raw bench programming, only differing in one way- the intensities were about 20-30 pounds greater. ****Performed at 58% of his projected 1-rep max. Thank you Josh for sharing your gift with the world. Josh has found through trial and error that trainees with a lot of fast-twitch muscle fibers do better on a somewhat lower training frequency while lifters with more slow-twitch muscle fibers need a relatively higher training frequency for optimal progress. It should fit snug and comfortable, but not extremely tight. The Original Sling Shot will allow you to handle about a 10% overload in the bench press while avoiding the pain that comes along with pushing your body to the limit. While RPE is phenomenal for pushing yourself, it can be an easy way to rationalize taking an easier workout day because you dont feel in the zone enough. With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days. Slingshot Bench Press; Bench Accessory 2: Standing Overhead Barbell Press; Incline Bench Press; Seated . Unlike other overloading methods for bench press like using boards, the Slingshot allows you to move the weight through a full range of motion. J Strength Cond Res 33(2): 327-336, 2019-This study examined the acute effects of the "Sl After the top set Josh normally likes his clients to move onto speed sets for the bench press, 1-2 supplementary bench press exercises, and then 2-4 bench press assistance exercises. Option #3: Bench press once every 10 days, two push workouts per 10 day period. Here is a bench press workout that James Strickland used on his quest to become the lightest man to ever bench press 700 pounds. Variety is the key herechoose different exercises as often as possible to target your bench muscles that are lagging the most. Josh likes his athletes to perform 1-2 supplemental exercises after the compensatory acceleration training sets. When youre trying to get used to heavier loads in general, youll want to perform lower repetitions for higher intensities. Josh typically organizes his bench press programs as 12-week peaking cycles. For example here is what a training cycle might look like: In my experience this is a highly underrated training frequency. My recommendation is to use the Original Slingshot as it will provide 10-15% more load than a raw bench press. The pyramid approach is simply the easiest way to put these two concepts together. Chad ended up shutting the workout down from here rather than finishing it. By the fourth week the lifter has already completed 48 total reps with the Sling Shot at very manageable weights. Josh Bryant is truly one of the brightest minds in the fitness industry. Why just initially use high frequency then? **Performed at 76% of his projected 1-rep max. Slingshot bench press Bench Accessory 2 Push press Incline bench press Seated barbell press Standing overhead barbell press You will also find some slots for isolation accessory exercises in most of the workouts. Retract. Lets use the same example of 5 X 5 at 70%. My personal experience with it atm is the following: I am on SS atm (since I am getting back into lifting after a 2 month break, where I also did not squat for 1 year (had no squat rack + also a 4 month break). Last 3 weeks: Paused bench 2-3 top sets 1-3 reps heavier each week. Cable or Machine Flye: 3 sets of 12 repetitions. As you have probably noticed, there are no specific isolation movements listed. Training to fatigue is not always practical though, so if you were looking to overload the triceps for your lock-out then using boards would be another training tool you could use. Here are some examples of accessory exercises that Josh likes to use at the end of his clients bench press workouts: As a very general rule of thumb you might want to perform 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps on each of your accessory exercises. The 8-Week Program to Build Your Bench-Press Max Akim Williams gives insider advice on how to make the most out of your time on the bench. Because repetition schemes are varied, it can be easy to look at the weight you used on the previous week and get discouragedbut that misses the point entirely for accessory exercises. In other words, handling a similar amount of sets & reps with more weight, or using the same weight for more sets & reps. Powerlifting is a competitive sport that takes years of hard work and consistent dedication to become proficient at. What Does a Slingshot Do For Bench Press? This type of split has the advantage of giving your muscles a full week of rest between workouts. This strategy is often used in combination with a 3 days per week push / pull / legs split. James is capable of pressing the 200 pound dumbbells for reps but only used the 100s to 130s during this training cycle. To use the slingshot in your bench press training, I would not jump into the heavier weights to start. Here was James near miss with 702.5 pounds: Keep at it James Strickland that 700 pound bench press is as good as yours! Daniel Scali set a new Guinness World Record despite chronic pain in his left arm. You can expect to lift 10-15% more weight using the ORIGINAL SLINGSHOT (click for todays pricing on Amazon). First, it relieves any pain you may be having and prevents it from happening in the future. In essence, this simply means altering the exact amount of weight you lift each session based on how you feel on any given day. Isometrics are the single best thing you can do to strengthen a sticking point within the bench press. This training log was also taken from the old training log archives at elitefts.com. If youve been in the gym more than a handful of times theres a great chance somebody has already asked how much you bench?. For the most part, the differentiating feature between each of these Slingshots is how much tension youll get while benching. When working through the program you will find various percentages which correspond to an RPE as discussed earlier. Cambered Bar Bench Press: Benefits, How-To, Technique. 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The Original Slingshot is designed for people to lift around 10-15% more weight than their raw bench press. Part 3: Compensatory Acceleration Training. For anyone who has ever tried it, you notice the benefits right away. Josh Bryants bench press peaking programs are designed for one thing and one thing only: to help you put up a huge bench press on the day of your powerlifting meet. or weight - the only true trait that matters is heart and determination. By the end of week 7 your weights are really starting to climb up. M MANUEKLEAR Bench Press Band, Slingshot Bench Press Band for Men and Women Power Weight Lifting Fitness - Push Up Exercise Assistance Bench Block Increase Strength Gym Workout Equipment 118. . And to do that, you should start with the following: Regularly bench press in the 4-to-6 rep range (about 85% of your one-rep max). The ascent path, however, tells a very different story. If you are constantly alternating exercises, you will always be progressing. The training percentages increase during each of these three week blocks before dropping back down during the deload week. Between that and 315 lb or 142 kg should go with the original. You would perform a set of overcoming isometrics, rest 2 minutes, perform a set of speed bench presses, rest 2 minutes, and then perform another set of overcoming isometrics etc. Bench press two or three times per week with at least two days in . You can use a strength chart, but this can be done very easily using Epley formula and is something you should know and be able to do on the fly for all lifts. As a general rule of thumb Josh likes to use isometrics to attack 1-2 weak points within a workout. It's comprised of a thick, stretchable fabric that helps keep your arms locked in a sound bench press position and provides support at the bottom of the lift. However, he does not do anything that is taxing enough to negatively impact his performance on his heavy bench press day 3-4 days later. They found that the elbow position of the Slingshot group to be more mechanically advantageous in driving the bar through their sticking point. In this video EPIC's head coach Brandon explains . Vincent Dizenzo is a highly accomplished bench press specialist. He actually has his athletes alternate between sets of overcoming isometrics and sets of speed bench presses. If you are a novice or beginner, you should be reading the 55 program. Its very important to understand that isometrics are extremely taxing on your central nervous system. Rest your feet flat on the ground or you can use the foot rest at the end of the bench if your feet don't reach. It's a relatively straightforward bench-only program that gradually decreases volume while increasing intensity before attempting a new PR on week 5. James barely missed an unbelievable 272.5 pound bench press at a bodyweight of less than 300 pounds. This was because participants were able to drive the bar faster through their natural sticking points. In Joshs opinion the answer is bench press isometrics. 855 Riverside Pkwy Suite 10,West Sacramento,CA 95605. Although very similar to a regular bench press, the elastic does have a slight learning curve. Each workout you are going to work up to a triple, double, or single on the competition bench press to start your workout. If youre used to the typical bodybuilding-style bench, youre doing it very wrong. Take a look at this now-famous bar path image showing the difference between a novice lift and a world record bench press. This will ensure the third fundamental principal described in the intro to this article is covered and youll be on your way to a two plate bench as most gym enthusiast wonder how many people can bench 225 pounds, and youll proudly be able to say youre one of them. If he can move you by pushing against you, youre too loose. The sling shot is an elastic piece of material that helps you bench-press more easily. They also require a great deal more of psychological focus and intensity (compare how you feel after squatting hard vs. benching hard). The Slingshot is an effective tool for overloading the bench press. version of yourself. Vincent missed his 600 pound bench press attempt in this training cycle. Tuck your feet back under the bench directly beneath the hips, with the balls of the feet in contact with the floor and heels raised. You definitely dont want your elbows flaring behind the bar. While the lower body responds tremendously well to higher volume, lower frequency training, the bench does not. On this upper body accessory day you train your chest/shoulders/triceps again but overall the workout is not nearly as taxing as your main heavy day. The third is where you can really make some free gains. Push-ups . One quick and simple way to make sure youre following number four correctly is to add a bit of chalk to the middle of the barbell. or weight - the only true trait that matters is heart and determination. This means you can use more weight to focus on your lockout without fatiguing your chest or injuring your shoulders. You definitely dont have to do this much work in a single workout. Lastly, make sure to place the bar into the meaty section of your hand instead of wrapping your fingers around. A: Complete the same sets without; you wont benefit from the overloading benefits programmed to target your lockout for max-out day, but can still use the sets for more volume. Message and data rates may apply. his reduction in both volume AND training intensity gives his body a chance to fully recover from the prior 3 weeks of intense training and sets him up to lift some massive weights at the end of his bench press peaking cycle. Josh Bryant is a HUGE believer in the concept of compensatory acceleration training, or CAT sets. *****Performed at 59% of his projected 1-rep max. Research Shows That Most Heart Disease Deaths Are Preventable By Changin Is Weight Loss With the New Injectable Meds Sustained? He ended up tweaking his pec on this set and decided to call it a day rather than going for a third attempt with the same weight. The spreadsheet presented under this sub-heading caters to the Taper Version of the Deathbench Program. After youre done, use the same weight with the Slingshot, but perform as many reps as possible. If you are an intermediate or advanced lifter, micro-loading is non-negotiable for optimal progress. Lets look at the percentages of a sample 12-week peaking program. As you can see, the descent path is very much the same for all three. After a deload you should be ready to put up between 105-110% of your original 1-rep max in the powerlifting meet! Second, you will need to ensure youre tucking your elbows so that theyre slightly in front of the barbell when the barbell is on your chest. They used differing loads throughout the year instead of a constant high-intensity approach to make gains much faster while staying injury free. ****Perform 3 sets of 1 ramping up to one top set with maximum weight. He has trained many of the worlds strongest bench press specialists including Julius Maddox. James trains the bench press roughly once every 7 days with one heavy bench press day early in the week and one bench press accessory day later in the week. Let one of our coaches help you get stronger, study by Dugdale et al. SMASH F$%@ING WEIGHT! By feeling this supra-maximal load in your hands, you should be more confident in handling heavier weights in your raw bench press. It enables you to overload the bench press, like knee straps do in the squat for example. And the ones that do are, frankly, quite lazy in their approach. Overloading using a slingshot; The last piece is probably the most critical, so it was saved for last. This is done to make sure that the stretch reflex does not help you after your 1st rep. As a general rule of thumb the dead bench is performed for 3-10 sets of singles with 30-60 seconds rest between each single. It will fit most people comfortably and wont have a high learning curve because the bar path will feel similar to someones raw bench press. This is definitely a viable approach but Josh prefers to perform the speed bench sets immediately after the top set of the day. All rights reserved. Please note that all of the training percentages in these three routines are based off of the highest weight attempted on competition day. Influence of the Slingshot bench press training aid on bench press kinematics and neuromuscular activity in competitive powerlifters. Download Deadlift Program Once again, all of the training percentages are based off of Chads highest attempted bench press in competition. Option #2: Bench press once every 7 days, two push workouts per week. Lets kick things off with an examination of the exact training cycle James Strickland used from December 2018 February 2019. As a general rule of thumb Josh likes to program three weeks of triples, three weeks of doubles, and three weeks of singles. You can click right here to watch the training video for the week 6 heavy bench workout: You can click right here to watch the training video for the week 6 accessory workout: **Performed at 90% of his projected 1-rep max. 9. 4. If its still a little cloudy, dont worry youre not alone. 8. Are you curious about the Josh Bryant Bench Press Program? 7. As you come out of the bottom of the bench, flare out your lats to recruit their maximum power. There have been a handful of studies conducted that examine the response and effectiveness of the Slingshot. You should ideally be rotating between chest, shoulder, and back movements. The Mark Bell Slingshot is a tool that powerlifters use for bench press training. Bell says to flex your chest as high as you can while keeping your lats tight. Here is what a typical bench press workout might look like: Here is a perfect example of this type of workout: Josh starts out every bench press workout with the competition bench press itself performed for one top set of 1-3 reps. Slingshot mimics a bench shirt which helps with preventing injuries, it's awesome at helping you adapt to heavier loads. Inno Supps Complete Gut Health Stack: Doctor Approved 3-Step Process for UFC and Project Rock Team Up For BSR 3 Shoe Collaboration. However, we know from practice that handling heavier loads by using overloading methods can be a psychological benefit to some lifters (i.e. Jon Chambers is a powerlifter, strength coach, sports hernia expert, and writer involved in the strength training community for almost a decade on a mission to create the best strength and fitness guides on the web. Browse our wide variety of gear to see how we can help improve all of your lifts while keeping you protected. The Slingshot was invented by powerlifter Mark Bell, who holds a 545lb raw bench and 854lb equipped bench. Deathbench Taper Version Spreadsheet. Normally it would be very difficult to perform 2 reps at 93% of your 1-rep max. It takes some practice to perfect, but just having this concrete idea of what it should look and feel like is a huge first step. You can click right here to watch the training video for the week 5 heavy bench workout: You can click right here to watch the training video for the week 5 accessory workout: ***Performed at 88% of his projected 1-rep max. If you are interested in Josh Bryant style programming then I highly recommend you subscribe to James YouTube channel: All exercises performed with 70% of weights used during weeks 1-3. help you achieve your goals inside and outisde of the gym, and most importantly, help you become the best Option #1: Bench press once every 7 days, one push workout per week. It allows you to use much, much heavier weight than you are used to. The slingshot bench press was included in my article on the Best Bench Press Variations. This training program is nine weeks long, with three workouts per week. **Performed at 58% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 46% of his projected 1-rep max, ****Performed at 56% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 78% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 61% of his projected 1-rep max, ****Performed at 58% of his projected 1-rep max, *****Performed at 61% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 59% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 48% of his projected 1-rep max, ****Performed at 57% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 80% of his projected 1-rep max, ****Performed at 60% of his projected 1-rep max, *****Performed at 63% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 61% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 50% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 76% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 42% of his projected 1-rep max. ****Perform 3 sets of 2 ramping up to one top set with maximum weight. Please note that all of these workouts were taken directly from, Exercise G1: Standing rope cable pushdown, 3 x 10, 60 seconds rest. However, it is sometimes necessary if you are trying to squeeze all of your bench pressing workout into one single workout during the week. 5440 West Sahara Ave.STE 205, Las Vegas NV. Supplemental exercises are going to be very similar to the bench press itself and are designed to directly boost your pressing strength. Mission accomplished. ), **Performed at 77% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 59% of his projected 1-rep max, ****Performed at 69% of his projected 1-rep max, *****Performed at 78% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 97% of his projected 1-rep max, ***Performed at 71% of his projected 1-rep max, **Performed at 69% of his projected 1-rep max. While it is considered obvious now, at the time the thought of altering weights in a strategic manner had never been formulated. If you bench press one to two times per week, you should do a good amount of pressing assistance work. Finally, James wraps up his bench press workout with three accessory exercises for his upper back, chest, and triceps. My bench press program for powerlifting is the ultimate plan for benching more in 30 days. They rank 27th nationally in forcing turnovers, 22nd in offensive rebounding and 58th in 3-point frequency. The accessory exercises are essentially bodybuilding-style movements designed to strengthen weaknesses and maintain muscular size within individual muscle groups. IRON COMPANY Body-Solid Leverage Bench Press. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. The Full Board Slingshot also provides a bit more tension, with some lifters getting as much as 20% more overload. This is true even for things such as seated military presses. Your starting position is everything. Check on Amazon. Please note that the DB bench press was performed extremely sub maximally. here are some stats: height: 5'9. weight: ~200-205lbs (stayed in this range the entire program) bench: ~275lbs 1rm to ~315lbs (lifetime PR) the 275lbs as a 1rm is a bit of a sandbag as i workout alone and hadn't truly maxed on the . Here, Bell outlines his go-to routine (including warmup) to help increase strength. More weight moved for the same amount of reps equals more progress.