Speed Bench Press

**Firehawk** · 09-Mar-05, 08:59 PM

How many sets/reps do you guys do when you do a speed bench day?

I was thinking 60% of 1 rep max for 5-6 sets of 3.

abarlament · 09-Mar-05, 09:14 PM

That sounds fine. When your work capacity increases you can increase the sets, up to 10 or 11.

**Firehawk** · 09-Mar-05, 09:18 PM

Yeah, i just don't want to do too much too soon. I ain't a pro at this point.

**Jaster** · 10-Mar-05, 06:56 AM

I love when Firehawk asks a question then aswers it himself!!
LOL You got it

**Firehawk** · 10-Mar-05, 09:57 AM

Jaster,

How long do you wait between sets when you do speed bench?

Now that I powerlift, I wait until im as fully recovered as I'm gonna get. This is usually no less than 4 minutes and can be as long as 10 minutes. JUST on heavy sets though. I wait less on warmup sets.

Answer: I was thinking since the weight is lighter that I'd wait about 1 minute, or shorter if I feel ready to go again.

But I wanna know WHAT YOU DO?

HEHEHE

**Jaster** · 10-Mar-05, 10:13 AM

1 minute on light (Speed stuff) 3 to 4 minutes on heavy sets.
This is just how I work

**Firehawk** · 10-Mar-05, 12:35 PM

See, I'm gonna get that advice out of ya one way or the other

.

DaRkAnGel · 11-Mar-05, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehawk

How many sets/reps do you guys do when you do a speed bench day?

I was thinking 60% of 1 rep max for 5-6 sets of 3.

I use 155 x 3 for 8-12 sets and my max is around 240 right now coming out of wrestling.

**Firehawk** · 11-Mar-05, 05:23 AM

Wasn't your max 240 like 6 months ago man? What happened? You were benching more than me at one point!

DaRkAnGel · 11-Mar-05, 11:39 AM

Yea my bench has gone nowhere for a few reasons. One, i stopped training it for 2-3 months and two, at regionals i injured my right rotator cuff(doh, just the last year i injured my left rotator cuff). So i still have limited flexibility but im working on it. 2 weeks after the injury i had problems doing a front raise with a snickers bar and now im back to benching 205 x 3 for a few sets. My goal was 300 by summer but that looks like a faint and distant opportunity. I may hit it but only by a work of a miracle. On the other hand, my squat is stronger than ever lol. In 3 weeks time ive put on so much on my squat its incredible(doing the smolov squat routine). Everyweight i squat right now feels easy, its just strange.

What are you at right now? How about your deadlift?

**Firehawk** · 11-Mar-05, 12:40 PM

Benched 255 easily yesterday for a max. Probably coulda got 260. I work out with 225 for sets of 5.
My bench weakness for now is right in the center of the movement. This week im gonna set the pins to about 2 inches below where i failed (momentum reasons) and go heavy as i can. This should train my weakness. This will be done after speed bench.

Deadlift last week after my heavy sets I did 365 easily with decent form, although i want my legs used more than they are, just gonna have to wait for my leg strength. I dropped way down on these and worked on proper form.

I've pulled 405 before, but it was very very hard to get and the form wasn't the greatest. 365 felt easy, so i'm confident I can pull 405 fairly easily. My rack pulls are with 415 last week, for a set of 4 after doing deadlifts, and they weren't that hard. I put the saftey pins about 1 inch below my knee, right where my back picks up the weight in the movement.

Squat, same problem. I wasn't doing them right. Now I am, only doing sets of 165 for 3x5 paused reps on every rep, but they are perfect or near perfect form, so Im proud of it. Haven't maxed.

DaRkAnGel · 11-Mar-05, 01:26 PM

Sounds like thigns are going good. My buddy who plays football and who i was racing to 300 was benching 260 when i did 240 and now hes at 295 and im still at 240 haha so that was a let down.

If your squat is weak i seriously recomend you try the smolov squat cycle although im not sure if you will be able to given your recent turn of events. Check it out though, regardless.

S5soldier · 11-Mar-05, 10:20 PM

DarkAngel, I am currently benching the same max as you!!! Good stuff. Don't dismass 240, as being nothing though. Our max is more then most people could ever dream of wishing. I'm not even a big guy, I weigh 170 pounds 5'10 and my arms are only big when i flex my biceps. Goo Job Darkie.

DaRkAnGel · 11-Mar-05, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S5soldier

DarkAngel, I am currently benching the same max as you!!! Good stuff. Don't dismass 240, as being nothing though. Our max is more then most people could ever dream of wishing. I'm not even a big guy, I weigh 170 pounds 5'10 and my arms are only big when i flex my biceps. Goo Job Darkie.

It's pathetic the amount of gains ive made lately though. Not due to inexperience or not working but due to injuries and sports that i really cant prevent. Before i stopped benching for wrestling(on a weekly basis) i remember repping 255 x 3 for a 3 board press like it was nothing and now im back to square one.

Cort · 12-Mar-05, 12:21 AM

It happens, the strength usually comes back pretty fast though. It took me close to 2 months to catch up to where I was near the end of the summer, and now I think I actually managed to pass that (I'll find out in a month when I do my 1rm's.)

You'll get back up there.

Firehawk, what was the problem with your squat before?