Bench Big the Russian Way

High-Frequency, Grease-the-Groove Training for Building a Big Bench Press

     When it comes to gaining size and strength, I don’t think there is any method better than one that uses high-volume, high-frequency training methods.  I first discovered just how powerful the Russian-style of training was for achieving this over 20 years ago.  At the time, I was dead-set on being the best powerlifter that I could be in the 181-pound class.  I could already squat and deadlift over 500 pounds, and I could bench press a little over three “wheels”—315 pounds.  I reached that level by using, at first, Bill Starr’s 5x5, heavy-light-medium system of training, and then a combination of it and Westside’s methods.  But I decided that if I was going to be capable of squatting and deadlifting more than 600 pounds, and bench pressing somewhere between 350 and 400, I needed to make some changes.  It was at that point that I decided to give the Sheiko system of Russian powerlifting training a go.

     At first, using Sheiko’s methods, I didn’t think it was going to work.  The volume was so high that I didn’t think there was any way that I could recover from the training.  I can still remember that first week of training as if it was yesterday.  I was drained from the workouts—two days of high-volume squatting, two additional days of high-volume deadlifting, and four days of high-volume bench pressing—and struggled to even make it through an entire session by the end of the week.  But I stuck with it.  And somewhere in that 3rd week of training, it was as if my body made a “switch” to being capable of handling the high-volume.  My squats started going up and up…and up.  But I soon noticed a problem.  Not only were my squats going up but so was my bodyweight.  Before long, I was weighing in the mid 190s, despite the fact that I was eating as little food as possible in order to stay in my weight class.  After a couple of training cycles, I had to reduce the volume so that I could manage to stay in my weight class.  But I learned some important lessons.

     For one, if you’re a bodybuilder who struggles to gain muscle mass despite eating as much food as possible, consuming all of the latest “wonder” supplements, and making sure that you’re adequately “recovered” from your workouts, maybe you should look at strength athletes who have the “problem” of gaining weight on their programs even when they don’t want to.  That’s the “issue” that Olympic weightlifting coach John Broz, for example, has with his programs—his lifters struggle not gaining muscle mass.  For another, I discovered that the Russian “way” was fantastic for my squat strength and for hypertrophy, but I didn’t find that my deadlift or bench press were really aided much more than when I utilized Starr’s or Westside’s methods.  In fact, I think my bench press largely increased for the simple fact that I was so much bigger.

     After my Russian experiment, I settled on a “hybrid” approach that utilized high-volume, high-frequency squat workouts, high-volume but moderate-frequency bench press sessions, and infrequent deadlift training (though still high-volume, high-frequency back and “pull” workouts).

     I’ve written about some of this recently in my article on The Russian Way, my The Deadlift Ultimate essay, and in my several articles on the training methods of Anthony Ditillo.  Because of that, I suppose, I received an email the other day from a reader who wanted to know how I would design a Russian-style—high-frequency, grease-the-groove training—bench press program these days.  He asked—knowing that I believe 4 or even 3 days of bench pressing each week to be “too much” for most lifters—what kind of program would I design if I was “forced” to bench press with such frequency.  Basically, this guy likes training with high-frequency, grease-the-groove workouts and wanted to know what I thought would be a “good” bench press program using that approach.  I gave him a fairly brief reply with what I thought would be a “doable” bench press workout training as much as 4 to 5 days weekly (basically, the 4-day routine below).  In this article, however, I want to expand more on what I wrote back to him and outline some other training programs using the Russian methods of bench pressing.  Because not all Russian bench press programs involved a really high frequency of training.  There are some Russian powerlifting coaches and powerlifters who train their bench press infrequently, believe it or not.  The Sheiko and Smolov programs might be more indicative of the “average” Russian approaches, but they’re not the last words on the matter.

     What all Russian programs have in common, I’ve found, are high-volume workouts using multiple sets of low reps centered around primarily just the bench press—sometimes, the only lift they utilize for building their bench presses is, well, the bench press—and cycling training loads.  Some train with high-frequency, some with moderate-frequency, and others with low-frequency.  A lot of it has to do with the technique that the Russians use when bench pressing.  This is, in fact, the key to understanding the difference between the bench pressers who train really frequently and the ones who don’t.  The high-frequency bench pressers, by and large, use what Pavel Tsatsouline describes as a bench push press.  To quote Pavel: “The Russian BP, although 100% legal as it complies with a pause on the chest and the butt touching the bench requirements, is not really a press but a push press.  That’s right, it is the legs that give the Russians their explosive bench press starts!”  Or to quote Igor Derevyanenko, “Distinguished Coach of Russia,” a high-level Russian powerlifting coach: “Our bench press style often seen in competitions—a tortured movement where only the strength of the shoulder girdle is employed—may be compared to two exercises from Olympic weightlifting.  They are the military press and the push press.  We ‘push press’ lying down.”

     Russian powerlifting coach Vladimir Kravstov, in a nutshell, says these are the 3 “musts” of proper Russian bench press form:

1. Speed, speed, and more speed.

2. A maximal arch.

3. A maximal use of the legs.

     Here is a picture of former IPF powerlifter Alexander Gromov’s bench technique.  It gives you an idea of the kind of form used by most Russian powerlifters.

     If you want to know more about the bench technique of elite Russian powerlifters who also utilize HFT, get your hands on a copy of Pavel’s Power to the People Professional.  It has detailed information on the form used by the Russian bench pressers.

     Since the high-frequency bench pressers are using this “push press” technique, they are capable of bench pressing with such frequency.  If you don’t use such a “tortured” form on your bench press, you may risk injury, particularly a pec tear, by training 3 or more days each week.  I advise caution when attempting any of the ultra high-frequency programs that follow.  But to start with, let’s just look at what a basic but highly effective program might look like.

Just the Basics the Russian Way

     A lot of lifters start using advanced strength and power techniques for their bench presses, along with an assortment of bands, chains, or whatever, when what they really need to do is focus on a good, basic program.  If you’re looking for an effective program for building your bench, try something like this program for the next 16 weeks, which is similar to what a lot of Russian lifters utilize:

Weeks 1-4:

Twice a week, such as Monday and Thursday:

Bench presses: 10 sets of 3 reps with 60% of your 1-rep max

Weeks 5-8:

Twice a week:

Bench presses: 8 sets of 3 reps with 70%

Weeks 9-12:

Twice a week:

Bench presses: 6 sets of 2 reps with 80%

Weeks 13-16:

Twice a week:

Bench presses: 5 sets of singles with 90%

     On week 17, test your 1-rep max.  You can just bench press at each session or you can add a little bit of assistance work, but don’t overdo it.  Three to 4 sets of triceps work, lat work, and front shoulder training should be plenty.

     If you want to train your squats and deadlifts, for a full powerlifting program, using this schedule, then try this program:

Weeks 1-4:

Monday and Friday: BP and squats: 10x3 with 60%

Wednesday: deadlifts: 10x3 60%

Weeks 5-8:

Monday and Friday: BP and squats: 8x3 70%

Wednesday: deadlifts: 8x3 70%

Weeks 9-12:

Monday and Friday: BP and squats: 6x2 80%

Wednesday: deadlifts: 6x2 80%

Weeks 13-16:

Monday and Friday: BP and squats: 5x1  90%

Wednesday: deadlifts: 5x1  90%

     Sure, this program is just about as simple as they come, but I bet it’s better than 90% of the crap you’d see most guys do in today’s gyms who are looking to increase their powerlifts.  But since I know you’re probably still looking for some fancier, shinier programs for the almighty bench, let’s look at some of those next.

4-Day Program

     The program above uses a “macro-periodization” scheme where you stay with a percentage for a longer period of time, but the program below uses a “micro-periodization” approach, more common to Russian training.

Weeks 1-3:

Monday - bench presses: 5 sets of 2 reps using 95% of your 5-rep max.  It’s important to not start too heavy when beginning this program.  So, if your 5-rep max on the bench press is 225 pounds you would use approximately 215 pounds here at your first session.

Tuesday - bench presses: 2 sets of 5 reps with 80% of your 5-rep max

Thursday - bench presses: 4 sets of 3 reps using 90% of your 5-rep max

Saturday - bench presses: 3 sets of 4 reps using 85% of your 5-rep max

Weeks 4-6:

For your next 3 weeks, add 5 pounds to all of the weights used at each workout in the first 3 weeks, but follow the same format.  The weights listed below after each session would show what our hypothetical bench presser with a 5-rep max of 225 pounds would use at each workout:

Monday - BP: 5x2 (220 pounds)

Tuesday - BP: 2x5 (185)

Thursday - BP: 4x3 (205)

Saturday - BP: 3x4 (195)

Weeks 7-9:

Monday - BP: 5x2 (225 - our lifter is now at his 5-rep max to start the program)

Tuesday - BP: 2x5 (190)

Thursday - BP: 4x3 (210)

Saturday - BP: 3x4 (200)

Weeks 10-12:

Monday - BP: 5x2 (230)

Tuesday - BP: 2x5 (195)

Thursday - BP: 4x3 (215)

Saturday - BP: 3x4 (205)

Weeks 13-15:

Monday - BP: 5x2 (235)

Tuesday - BP: 2x5 (200)

Thursday - BP: 4x3 (220)

Saturday - BP: 3x4 (210)

     None of the workouts throughout the program should be hard.  This is a straight-up “easy strength” grease-the-groove program where you allow the total volume throughout the program, rather than the volume or “intensity” in a single workout, to build up your strength.  No screaming, taking pre-workout stimulants, getting psyched up for your sessions, or eating chalk.  Just show up and do the thing.

     In week 16, you could now test your bench press max.  If you find that the program is working—you will probably already know that by how easy the weights seem to go up the several previous weeks—you can then continue the program another 6 to 9 weeks by adding 5 pounds again to each of the workouts.  By that point, however, the program will probably have run its course and it’s time to move on to something else.

     Although I think you make better long-term gains by sticking with the same weight over a 3 to 4 week period while training in this manner, you could also reduce each 3-week cycle down to just 2 weeks, meaning that the program would only last 10 weeks instead of 15.  Keep this in mind: When reducing the weeks spent at each phase, you won’t be able to stay on the program as long before burning out or the program simply coming to a “halt” in strength gains.

3-Day Routine, Higher Volume

     If you prefer a slightly less frequent workout routine but also one that utilizes more volume, then this is your program.  For this one, you will still use a micro-periodization approach, albeit one with more volume at each session.  This one should also build muscle along with the concomitant strength gains due to the larger number of sets per bench press session.

Weeks 1-3:

Monday - BP: 10 sets of 3 reps using 90% of your 5-rep max

Wednesday - BP: 6 sets of 5 reps using 80%

Friday - BP: 10 sets of singles using 95%

Weeks 4-6:

As with our previous program, you will add 5 pounds to each training day from the first 3 weeks, and will do the same thing for the weeks to follow.  For our example here, I have once again used a lifter with a 5-rep max of 225 pounds to demonstrate what the weight increase might look like over 15 weeks.

Monday: 10x3 (205)

Wednesday: 6x5 (185)

Friday: 10x1 (220)

Weeks 7-9:

Monday: 10x3 (210)

Wednesday: 6x5 (190)

Friday: 10x1 (225)

Weeks 10-12:

Monday: 10x3 (215)

Wednesday: 6x5 (195)

Friday: 10x1 (230)

Weeks 13-15:

Monday: 10x3 (220)

Wednesday: 6x5 (200)

Friday: 10x1 (235)

     As with our previous program, don’t get psyched up for your workouts, take pre-workout drinks, or any of that other nonsense.  Just allow the volume, frequency, and total workload throughout the program to build your strength (and your muscle).

3-Day Program but More Intuitive

     Most Russian programs, as with the ones above, all have pre-determined weights for every single workout that you do throughout the training cycle.  That can be good and bad, in my book.  It’s good for many lifters because they stay “in their heads” too much or are always trying to figure out what weights they need to use.  Sometimes they go too heavy, and sometimes they go too light.  The “beauty” of the Russian approach is that it takes all of the thinking out of it.  Show up, do the damn workout, get out of dodge, and just don’t think about it, any of it.  That, as said, can be good.  But the problem is that some days are good and some days are bad.  Some days you feel great and some you don’t.  Heck, sometimes when you feel “great,” you have a crappy workout.  Other days, you feel like pure hell, only to have the best workout of your life, or close to it.  The key to using pre-determined weights is to always err on the side of “too light” when starting the program.

     You need to decide for yourself which approach will be best for you.  And if you’ve never utilized a routine that uses such pre-determined weights, it’s a good thing to do so on occasion.  It will teach you a lot about how you respond to different programs.  Besides, you may just discover that not only do you enjoy that approach but you make fantastic gains from it.  But the following routine takes more of a Bill Starr, or even a “Bulgarian,” approach, where you just work up to however heavy you feel like it at each training day.  It’s still a HFT model, but one ideal for more intuitive lifters.

Monday:

Bench presses: 5x5, 3x3, 2x1.  At the first workout of the week, start off by doing 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps, working up to a near max set of 5 reps but not completely all-out.  After that, do 3 progressively heavier triples—once again, working up to a near-max triple—followed by 2 progressively heavier singles.  The last single should be tough but you should always get it.

Wednesday:

Bench presses: 7x3.  On Wednesday, show back up for 7 progressively heavier triples.  Work up to a weight no heavier than your first triple from Monday.  Take your time in doing these sets, and make sure that the weights used as you ascend upwards are evenly spaced out.  The first 5 triples, for instance, might be the same weights used for your 5x5 on Monday, followed by another triple just a little heavier and then finish off with that weight used for your first triple at the prior session.

Friday:

Bench presses: 5x5, 5x1.  Do 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps, the same as Monday.  After that, start doing progressively heavier singles.  Work up to a single just below the top single from Monday.  Your first three singles might be the same weights used for your triples on Monday followed by two singles with the weight used for your first single on Monday; something such as that.

     This program is deceptively simple.  Don’t let its simplicity fool you.  Each week, try to add just a little bit of weight to your top 5, triple, and single on Monday, then adapt your weights on the other training days accordingly.

     If you want to try some high-frequency training, Russian-style, for your bench press, then give any of these programs a run or look over them and then come up with something yourself that’s based on their principles.  The most important thing, of course, is actually being on a program instead of just going to the gym and “working out” in the manner of the average gym-goer.  And when it comes to “being on a program,” the Russian methods are time-tested and have proven to create some of the world’s greatest powerlifters.

     I have really just scratched the surface as far as Russian bench press training in this article.  If you want to do a deep dive into all things Russian—well, as far as lifting goes—then do a search at the top of the blog for “Russian training” and you should find a veritable gold mine of various training ideas, methods, workout routines, and powerlifting programs.

     As always, if you have any comments or questions about the Russian methods discussed here, then leave them in the “comments” section below or shoot me an email if you prefer a private discussion.  I usually get around to answering my emails every couple days or so.

     And if you enjoy reading the blog, or want even more training information, you can’t go wrong by purchasing one of my several books.  Click on the link HERE for detailed information on all of my books currently available to buy.