Numbers of the Beast: The Bench Program that turned 300 into 315

Forewarning, this is super old,didn't use weight percentages, used instinct,wrote it out back then in

*set#*Amt of reps*weight lifted


My Bench Press Program week 1

(October 13/14/17)2008
Monday

Bench press-2warm up sets 10-12reps 135/185lbs
Set 1- 6reps - 245lbs
Set 2- 6reps - 255lbs
Set 3- 6reps - 260lbs
Set 4- 6reps - 265lbs

Floor press wrm up 135lbs
Set 1- 10reps- 185lbs
Set 2- 7reps 235lbs

1arm cross body elbows out DB extensions on the ground
S1-10reps 25lbs
S2-10reps 30lbs

Narrow Grip Partial Press
s1/20/140lbs
s2/20/140lbs

Db 3 way curl (really wide, medium,close)
S1/3reps each (9)/50lbs
S2/2reps each (6)/55lbs
S3/1rep each (3)/60lbs
S4/3 reps each drop weight 3 reps each (18)/35lbs drop to 30lbs

Tuesday

Military front press Strict
Set 1/10/135lbs
Set 2/10/135lbs
Military Behind the neck press
s1/7reps/135lbs
s2/7reps/135lbs

3 in 1 delts raises* 1minute rest in between all raises for first set/2 minute rest btwn 1st set and second*
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/30lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/35lbs

light Front Squat(Cross grip)
4sets/6reps/225lbs

light ATG* Ass to Ground Squats
2sets/8reps/225lbs

Friday
*sets*reps*weight
Bench press rack lockouts (low)
1/3/275lb
2/3/300lb
3/3/315lb

Incline Bench press(body builder way,very slow and wide)
1/12/140lbs
2/8/190lbs

Narrow grip Partial press
1/20/185lbs
1/12/225lbs


Week 2 October 19/21/23
Sunday

Speed B. Press( I take a slight pause on my chest then explode up)
1/10/180lb
2/10/200lb
3/10/215lbs

Rack Lock outs (high) warm ups 275/315/325/335/345
1/max/365
2/max/385
3/max/405 PR*1st time doing these

Floor Press warm up 135lb
1/10/185
2/10/195
3/10/205
4/10/205

Lying down DB triceps extension
1/10/50lbs
2/8/50lbs

Barbel Bicep Curls (semi Strict)
1/8/105lbs *strict
2/6/135lbs *slight swing on bottom, strict from middle to top phase
3/1/155lbs *swing till upper middle, pause and then strict curl to the top with long hold

Tuesday

Military front press *super strict( I rest the bar on my chest and press slow)
1/10/155
2/9/165

3 in 1 delts* 1minute rest in between all raises for first set/2 minute rest btwn 1st set and second*
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/35lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/35lbs

Db 3 way curl (really wide, medium,close)
S1/3reps each (9)/50lbs
S2/2reps each (6)/55lbs
*S3/5reps/60lbs *just the medium curl

Standing Arnold press
1/7/60lbs
2/6/70lbs

Pull ups
1/5/wide
2/5/reverse grip wide

Thursday

3 Board Press wrm 275/305 *everything with a pause on the board
1/3/315
2/3/325
3/3/335

Narrow Grip Bench press
1/6/225lbs
2/2/265lbs
*partials*
3/12/285lbs
4/10/305lbs

Incline Bench Press wrm 140
1/6/215lbs
2/8/215lbs
3/16/170lbs
4/11/190lbs

light squat SUPER ATG wrm 225/275
1/3/315lbs
2/2/365lbs

One Arm DB SNATCH * I only do one rep with db snatches
1/60
2/70
3/80
4/85* took a 2nd attempt to catch it on my left

Reverse Grip easy bar curls
1/8/105lbs*strict but a little loose
2/7/85lbs*super strict and slow

Week 3
October 26/28/30
Sunday

Speed B. Press( I take a slight pause on my chest then explode up)
1/10/185lb
2/10/205lb
3/10/225lbs

Rack Lock outs (high) warm ups 275/315/325/335/345
1/3/365
2/3/390
3/3/410
Floor Press warm up 135lb
1/8/185
2/8/205
3/8/225
4/6-8/245*2 reps were slightly forced

Cable Triceps extensions on the Lat pull down machine
1/8/130lbs
2/8/140lbs
3/5/160lbs
4/2/180lbs PR

Lying down DB triceps extension *slow and longer pauses*
1/8/50lbs
2/8/50lbs

Bicep Curls
Pump Training on 2 different machines

Tuesday

Military front press *super strict
1/10/135lbs
Behind the neck *standing strict press (right below the ears)
1/10/135lbs
Push Press(if you can call it that its more like a strict press from the chin up I need to develop this better)
1/4.5/225lbs*missed the 5th because of my stupid left arm
2/4/225lbs

3 in 1 delts* 1minute rest in between all raises for first set/2 minute rest btwn 1st set and second*
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs

Db 3 way curl (really wide, medium,close)
S1/2reps each (6)/55lbs
S2/1rep each (3)/60lbs
*S3/2/65lbs *just the medium curl
*4/1rep/70lbss

Db snatch 70/75lb warmup singles
1/80
2/85
3/90
4/95
5/100 *viper press for the left

Pull ups
assorted variations

Super Atg squat singles with pause at bottom done
135/185/225/275/315/365lbs

Thursday

3 Board Press wrm 275/315 *everything with a pause on the board
1/2/320
2/2/325
3/1/330 (felt spent)

Narrow Grip Bench press
1/12/185lbs
2/8+2/225lbs *2 forced
*partials*
3/12/275lbs
4/6/295lbs (getting hard to add a little more each week joints are tired)

Incline Db Press 60/80 wrm up
1/8/90lbs
2/6/100lbs

Db Rows wrm up 100/120/140 *done with slight momentum but controlled
1/6/150lbs pr
2/3/180lbs pr

Deadlifts * felt easy no belt, no chalk just fixing up my form a little
1/3/320
2/3/410
3/3/460



Week 4 Nov 2/4/6

Sunday

Rack Lock outs (high) warm ups 315/365/385
1/3/410
2/2/430
3/1/5/440 * these kill my elbows, started wrapping up as of this day
Floor Press warm up 135lb/185lb
1/6/205
2/6/225
3/6/245
4/6/265pr

Incline Db Press 60/80 wrm up
1/10/90lbs
2/10/90lbs

Short partial narrow Presses
1/10/225lbs
2/10/225lbs (just tired)


Lying down DB triceps extension
1/8/50lbs
2/8/50lbs

Deadlift form check, no belt
1/430lbs
2/450lbs
3/470lbs

Pull ups Assortment

Tuesday

Military front press *strict
1/10/135lbs
2/10/135lbs
Push Press(if you can call it that its more like a strict press from the chin up I need to develop this better)
1/4/225lbs
2/0/245lbs * stupid 4 attempts and couldn't lock out all near misses cuz my stupid weaker left arm

3 in 1 delts* 1minute rest in between all raises for first set/2 minute rest btwn 1st set and second*
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs

Adding in High Pulls and Snatch grip dl jump shrugs for more explosion
High Pulls
1/5/185lbs
2/3/205lbs
3/3/215lbs
SGDJS*(Snatch grip dl jump shrugs)
1/5/225
2/5/255
3/5/275

Sumo Deadlifts
1/6/315
2/3/365
3/2/405
4/1/455

Thursday

*Found a bunch of phone books so I went crazy 1st time attempting them
4 books ripped in like an 1 total between them all, learned a good trick and later in the night ripped the 5th in 1 minute




Speed B. Press( I take a long pause on my chest then explode up)
1/10/155
2/10/175
3/10/205

Narrow Grip Bench partials off the rack
1/1/275
2/1/315
3/1/335

Triceps Db overhead extension * very low
1/10/110
2/10/110 felt super easy

Toyed with some 50's for 2 sets of db curls

some chin ups and

for some odd reason 110lb incline db press for 2 reps because someone else said i couldn't do it


Week 5 nov/9/11/13
Sunday

Rack Lock outs (high) used a way better bench in the power rack
1/3/450
2/2/460
3/1/480 *PR these still kill my elbows, only less with wraps

Floor Press warm up 135lb/185lb
1/4/225
2/4/245
3/4/265
4/4/275pr

Incline Bench press
1/12/185
2/8/205

Elbows outwards db tri. ext. burn outs
1/12+/45lbs
2/12+/50lbs

Tuesday *tired from Sunday's pr's

3 in 1 delts* 1minute rest in between all raises for first set/2 minute rest btwn 1st set and second*
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/40lbs

High Pulls
1/5/135
2/5/155
3/5/185
SGDLS
1/5/205
2/5/225
3/3/245

Pull up/chin ups

Thursday

Speed B. Press *Super fast
1/10/140lb
2/10/160lb
3/10/180lbs

2 board press
1/6/275
2/6/295
3/3/315

100lb db snatch on the left arm with some warms ups had to get it somewhat even took me 2 attempts

Week 6 Novemeber 16/18/20
Sunday

2 board press with longer pause
1/3/295
2/3/305
3/1/315

Floor Press warm up 135lb/185lb all with slight pauses
1/6/205
2/6/215
3/6/225
4/6/235 felt nice and light

light narrow partial b press
1/12/225
2/12/225

db tri ext burnouts
1/20/50lbs
2/20/50lbs

db rows explosive but controlled meaning I can contract at the top of the rep,straps used after 150lbs
Just did singles warming up from 100/130/150/170/180*was at new gym that had past 180 190/ and then ended off with

200lbs for 4 reps pr

Tuesday

3 in 1 delts* This time did 1 arm at a time
set 1 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/45lbs
set 2 of Db Front raise/Bent Over Db raise/Db Side raise=10reps/50lbs

High Pulls
1/5/185
2/5/205
3/5/225 FELT HEAVY
SGDLS
1/5/225
2/5/275 added on straps after 2nd rep
3/5/295 FELT HEAVY

pulls up


Thursday

Speed b press * felt like it was flying off my chest
1/10/135
2/10/155
310/185

1board bench press with pause
1/3/275
2/3/295
3/3/315

WENT FOR 2 sets of TOUCH AND GO 315
1/1/315 ugly-bro bench
2/1/315 PR no one touched the bar at all but not clean enough for my liking.

End of program Sunday Nov 23
1 set speed bench 6 reps 225

3 second Pause Bench
1/1/275
2/1/295
3/0/305 near miss too long a pause
1/1/315 touch and go came up cleaner then last time, now quite perfected

Decided to deadlift today

Added a belt,straps since I haven't done them for a while

warmed up then did
1/max/470
2/max/500
3/max/520
4/max/530 *PR vid felt great about it, needed to refine my form a bit more and work from my take off from ground but lock out was almost to easy

Notes:
I didn't have boards back then so I used phone books, and duct taped them together. That is the meaning of Hardcore. I don't recommend any follow anything except the training principals. I did everything possible at my disposable at the time to do what I could to get my bench press stronger.

Done with no tricks, no belt, no arch,with medium grip, no air holding.No belly benching. I wasn't a smart lifter back then, I relied on brute force, but hey, it worked for me. Remember the 3D's Dedication,Determination,and Destruction!