Bench Article Sept. Monster Muscle

[BoShow]

What's up fellows,
I just read the "How Much Can You Bench" Article in the Sept. 2002 Monster Muscle by Joe Ladniers. Its just like Ken Lain's program. It says to add 50 pounds to your max in 10 weeks, but I was just going to add 20 and calculate the percentages nstead of 50. So excluding the warm ups, here would be my program:
(Max bench of 295) want 315
Tuesday
Week Sets Reps Weight % of max
1 3 10 170 55
2 3 9 190 60
3 3 8 205 65
4 3 7 220 70
5 3 6 235 75
6 3 5 250 80
7 2 4 265 85
8 2 3 280 90
9 2 2 300 95
10 2 warm ups then go for 315

Heavy assistance work weeks 1-6, light on 7 then none on weeks 8-10.
Assistance work:
1 drop set of bench, 30 partial reps with 35% of 315=110 lbs
Close Grips on Decline (I'm substituting weighted dips here)
3x6
1 Arm side delt raises 3x6

3 days later or Friday:
Deadlifts (not in article but I want to do them) 2*5
Barbell Shrugs 3x10
Wide Grip Pulldowns 2x8
Close Grip Pulldowns 2x8
Seated Cable Rows 2x8
Rear Delt Raises 3x8
Hammer Curls 3-5x8

Then Sunday I will do legs to get it all in.

So there it is, has anyone did a 10 week program like this and get good results (like 20 lbs on bench?) Thanks a lot guys.

 

[spatts]

I did an 8 week periodization routine once...I found it restrictive and limiting because the program dictated how much strength I could gain, and not my own natrual ability. Personally, I would find 50 pounds in 10 weeks disappointing, but I'm probably still experiencing beginners luck.

I'm curious to read some responses...

 

[Deciever1]

Personally, I would find 50 pounds in 10 weeks disappointing,

i hate you i would love 50 lbs in 10 weeks... even in 10 months...

some routines work for the 50lbs in 10 weeks.. may as well give it a shot... what can you lose??

 

[spatts]

Like I said, beginners luck. My main concern with "charts" like this is that strength doesn't compound systematically for me. I will go nowhere for 2-3 weeks, then make a 22+ pound jump. I have dealt with this all my life in sprint training. I'd get slower for a couple weeks, then come back and break 2/10 of my 100, etc... I figure my body is smart and it knows what it needs to do. It seems to spend time repairing and recovering, and as long as I let it, I get to reap the benefits a few weeks later.

Like I said, that's just what works for ME. I'm sure there are people out there that swear by charts. Whatever works.

 

[Screwball]

50 lbs. in 10 weeks ain't gonna happen unless you're a beginner. I would be happy to gain 50 lbs. in a year on my bench.

 

[benchmonster]

50 lbs in 10 weeks?

Sign me up. People here who know me know what an insane amount of gains I have made in the last 14 months and I don't gain 50 lbs every 2 1/2 months. I doubt I did, even when I first began powerlifting.

If you took some guy who had not lifted in a really long time, then you might be able to get that kind of gain. But if it was possible to gain 50 lbs every 6 weeks (which is like 450 lbs of gain in one year, by the way), then people would be benching world recprds after less than 2 years training on a regular basis.

Take those 50 lb promises with a grain of salt.

B.

 

[jeremys]

what about coan's periodization program? i heard a lot of good things from people about that...and when you plug your numbers in, the more you bench, the more you gain. if you bench 400 or so i think it's like a 40-45 pound gain.

but everybody who used this said it didnt work the second time they tried this. i believe this is because they tried it twice in a row, without doing something else for a while inbetween. or a person can only use something like this once with much success and then has to search for something else...

thats just what i think..

 

[jeremys]

i'm sure the numbers i just posted are a little off but i heard its good. heres the link. copy and paste


http://www.joeskopec.com/coancalc.html

 

[benchmonster]

What about Coan's periodization plan?

I will give my 2 cents on the subject. I think it is a wonderful program, assuming you happen to be named Ed Coan. Unless you are named Coan, tho, I would personally stay away from it.

I have taken some shit for saying this in the past. People jump on me and say "How can you say that about Coan's program? He is the greatest powerlifter ever!" I totally agree that he is the greatest ever.

But answer this for me? How many people has he trained, with his system who are stronger than he is? Hmm, Oh, I would estimate that number to be about. . . NONE!!!

Now tell me how many people Louie Simmons has trained to become stronger than Louie. I can think of about a dozen right off the top of my head.

Tons of people use western periodization. some of them become insanely strong, Ed Coan, Joe Ladnier, Garry Frank, come to mind, but not everyone who uses it gets to a high level. For most folks, IMO, it is a recipe for disaster. It did not work for me. I spent 10 years doing every workout there was in Western Science, and made gains, to be sure, but not in proportion to the effort that went into it, nor in proportion to the injuries I got out of it.

Since switching to the conjugate method, I continually make out of this world gains. I preach the conjugate method everywhere I go, because for me personally, it was like a light came on after 10 years of darkness. I want that same thing for others as well.

B.

 

[solidj55]

I find it hard to believe that anyone would be dissapointed in a 50lb increase in their bench press in 10 weeks. I realize that you may get 20+pound jumps in ME exercises when using Westside but that doesnt mean you added that much to your actual bench it just means you added it to that certain exercise. Yea it is an exercise that is similar to bench but its not actually your bench. I tried Westside numerous times and got huge jumps in my poundages on my ME exercises but it sure as hell didnt have that same carry over in my bench.