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Press/bench (upper body) centric strength program

P

pseudonym

Guest
Hey all!

In a foolhardy attempt to rehab my tight/painful left hip cum lower back I headed to the gym this afternoon to bang out some band squats and Turkish getups (both at very light weights). Turns out a law degree does not qualify me as a physio or other remedial training expert and I can now no longer walk (a slight exaggeration but I am in a lot of pain and have significantly reduced mobility in my hip)

I have stuffed my painful bits completely and i am certain that squatting and deadlifting (at anything like weight) are out of the question for the next few weeks (I'm gutted as I was progressing nicely on both).

I intend to keep my linear progression going on the bench and press (if I can stand with weight added) and wonder what the brains trust here thinks is a decent way to go about it.

As I see it could either move bench and press to every session, alternating each as the 'main lift' on an incremental 3x5 (with the other perhaps being a few higher rep sets to get the overall volume up enough to spur progress?). Or perhaps I could drop back to two sessions a week and alternate a heavy 5x5 (or so) sets across for each exercise with some accessory work thrown in?

I do not want to stop progressing but I am worried without the stimulus of heavy squatting (in particular) I'm losing a potent mechanism in my workouts and I'm not entirely sure how to replace it.

Would apprecite your thoughts!
 
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You've pretty much got the right idea. I'd try something like 5x5 without the squats and deadlifts.
 
When my back was stuffed I didn't squat for 6 months and deadlift for a year.

I saw a physio and did heaps of the following exercises.

Bench, Board Press, Heavy negatives, band bench, kettlebell bench
Chins
Dips
DB Rows
Seated Military Press
Upright rows
Tricep Pressdowns
Curls
 
The 5x5 program is NOT the best way to increase bench press, far from it. Its no better that 4x6 or 6x4. Your just using basic principles of progressive resistance.

The bench needs to be attacked from your weakness. You need to determine the weakest part of your bench.

is it speed off the chest, is it lockout?

Twice a week bench sessions, one based on speed, one on heavy weights, supplemented by extensive tricep work.

Big Nick has added over 30kg to his bench in around 8 months doing this, Dave added 27.5kg, I have around 6 clients who undertook this program with briliant results.

The problem for most of you is it doesnt fit into your structured 3 x week 5 x 5 programs.

When specializing, only do one exercise at a time, you simply maintain the other lifts.
This fits in perfect with you as your injured at the moment.

The bench press used to be Nicks weakest lift, at 147.5kg, thats no longer the case.
 
Hey buddy!

This is not good to hear and sounds like our discussion we had the other day regarding the problems I had with my lower back, hamstrings.

As I suggested def go and see a Physio and they will be able to sort you out with exercises etc - they will also tell you not to squat or deadlift - even doctors tell me not to squat and deadlift EVER lol....

Def do not squat or deadlift till your physio has given you the all clear or till you have fully recovered.

When it last happened to me I did not squat or dead for around 6 weeks - and I gave myself plenty of time to recover - also lots of aids to help me recover - i.e foam and PVC pipe roller (we have the PVC at the gym), heat packs, heaps of stretching etc etc

When I was recovering I did a great bench program that is based off a russian program - I had GREAT gains with it and if bench is your weakness then its perfect to get your form, set up, and work on weakness down pat - bench was always my weakness and being injured was nearly a blessing due to me spending a full 4-5 weeks focusing on bench and nothing but the bench!

Come into the gym whenever - even if your not training and I will show you the program and give you abit of a run down on how to do it, deload, supplement work etc!
 
Thanks for the input all!

I've got an appointment with a physio tomorrow so we'll see what drops out of that.

NPR: sweet list of exercises! What is a negative in respect of a benchpress? Sounds intriguing!

Markos: thanks for the advice, should my being a fairly new trainee affect my approach? I have no glaring weakness on the bench except for the fact I can only press 75kg for 3 sets of 5 (i.e. I am weak on the entire movement, no one place more than the other just yet). Thus far adding 2-5kg to the bar every bench session has worked a treat (it's taken me from 35kg for 3 sets of 5 about a month ago to where I am now) - why would a simple progressive approach not continue my progress?

Is there greater benefit to be had by mixing up speed work and heavy work for a generally piss-weak trainee like me? (I shall google speed work because I don't quite know what it is and perhaps get back to you with more specific Q's if that's OK?)

Joel: Mate I'm pretty much couch bound today but should be mobile by tomorrow so I'll come in and touch base :) In some ways you're right, this is a golden opportunity to get on top of my two major weaknesses (upper body and overhead strength), but I am painfully aware that I squat and deadlift less than fully grown females so I do not want to regress too far on that front either haha :)

Thanks again guys!
 
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Hey mate, be sure to say gday if you see me in powersports, im 6"6 and kinda hard to miss :) Not sure if we've met before?
 
If you were fully fit and able to train properly, its a no brainer, stick with what your doing.

But if your looking to speed up progress for a single lift in a short time, then specialization works. Full stop.

there are also plenty of different programs. I would go and see Joel and try his Russian one, you would be mad not to.
 
Blue: not sure if we've met formally though I suspect that you were in mid last week training with Blake for the up coming PTC comp? I would've been the fellow getting about in old adidas lifting shoes and an awful attempt at a beard! :) shall have to get formally acquainted at some point!

Markos: I dig that reasoning, I'll drop in on Joel and have a chat shortly.

Joel: I'll be in for a chat shortly :)
 
PTC said:
The 5x5 program is NOT the best way to increase bench press, far from it. Its no better that 4x6 or 6x4. Your just using basic principles of progressive resistance.

The bench needs to be attacked from your weakness. You need to determine the weakest part of your bench.

is it speed off the chest, is it lockout?

Twice a week bench sessions, one based on speed, one on heavy weights, supplemented by extensive tricep work.

Big Nick has added over 30kg to his bench in around 8 months doing this, Dave added 27.5kg, I have around 6 clients who undertook this program with briliant results.

The problem for most of you is it doesnt fit into your structured 3 x week 5 x 5 programs.

When specializing, only do one exercise at a time, you simply maintain the other lifts.
This fits in perfect with you as your injured at the moment.

The bench press used to be Nicks weakest lift, at 147.5kg, thats no longer the case.
Click to expand...

Just the info I was looking for. Thank you.
 
pseudonym said:
Blue: not sure if we've met formally though I suspect that you were in mid last week training with Blake for the up coming PTC comp? I would've been the fellow getting about in old adidas lifting shoes and an awful attempt at a beard! :) shall have to get formally acquainted at some point!
Click to expand...

With the fold down squat stand for overhead presses? I remember you mate. Ill be in this arvo but usually there mon-weds-fri.
 
haha yeah that's me! dodgy home made squat stands for the win!

I'm a mon wed fri type of guy as well but will wait out until after my physio appointment to see if that needs to change for a bit :)
 
Mate the back is fine as it happens - it's my SI joint that's got dramas hahaha.

I'll explain it in proper detail next time we're chatting but basically I have a very nasty technical flaw in my squat wherein I shift my weight onto my left foot on the way up. This causes my SI (hip) joint to slide out of place and generally ****s the musclature in the area, I've not done any significant damage but I have to scale back the weight and address this issue (the physio was awesome, I took a few of my squat video's along and she analysed them and pointed out what was happening - it's quite subtle but noticeable once you know what to look for).

Physio poked and prodded me back into place and said to spend a bit of time getting my weight to distribute evenly on the way up and the rest will take care of itself.

Gonna do your bench program as written (with a few light sets of squats to start) to give myself time to heal (I have aggravated the muscles of my lower back and abs and they need some deload time - they are not injured per se but have been working so hard to stabilise my misaligned hip that they're all worn out).

Will come in and sort out the missus' membership shortly too (I'll be in later this afternoon though so will probably miss you this time round).

Lookin forward to the challenge too!
 
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