I Followed a Bench Press Program for 6 Weeks: My Transformation Revealed

My chest is one of my weakest muscle groups. I hate to admit it, but it looked like I skipped more chest days than leg workouts. I knew I needed to change and stop the half-hearted sets. This is when I decided to commit to a six-week focused bench press training program.

I took things to the next level by doing three weekly chest workouts with a focus on progressive overload.

In this article, I share my six-week bench press journey, detailing the hurdles I faced and the chest strength, pressing power, and upper body mass gains. I’ll also pull back the curtain on how you can adopt this protocol according to your own lifestyle. We have a lot to unpack, so sit tight and read on.

The Bench Press Program: Structure and Methodology

Doing more of a lift is the best way to get better at it. However, chasing it without a plan can be a disaster as it can lead to joint pains and overuse injuries. I designed my six-week bench press program to maximize strength and hypertrophy.

I bench pressed three times a week to ensure sufficient stimulus while still allowing enough time for recovery. Research shows that doing four to five sets of three to five reps of an exercise is the best way to build strength, so I went with this training regime. (1)

I would highly recommend not doing more than five repetitions of any exercise if you’re training to maximize strength gains.

Progressive Overload

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, but you won’t get strong if you lift the same weights for the entire six weeks. You must gradually increase the training volume and intensity to ensure consistent progress. Increasing the weights and doing more sets and reps is the best way to unlock your maximum training potential.

Each week, I aimed to add a small amount of weight to the bar, even if it was as small as 2.5 pounds. This can make a big difference over time. If I could easily complete the five recommended reps in a set, I immediately increased the weights.

Constantly challenging the body is the most efficient way to shock your muscles into growing bigger and stronger.

Complete Chest Workout

I started each workout with a five to 10-minute warm-up routine comprising dynamic stretches like arm circles and leg swings or light cardio to maximize my training performance and limit injury risk.

Similarly, I ended each session with a cool-down routine to flush out the metabolites from the muscle tissues and promote recovery.

Accessory Lifts

Even though the bench press was the primary objective of this exercise, limiting myself to just one exercise would have been a bad idea. I targeted my chest from different angles using accessory lifts to ensure a balanced, overall development.

Although I constantly varied the accessory lifts during the six weeks to avoid boredom, the incline press, dumbbell flyes, and cable tricep extensions were my go-to.

The incline presses target the upper chest, which is a lagging muscle group for most people. Dumbbell flies bias the inner chest, creating the coveted pectoral separation and definition. Finally, strong triceps can make or break your bench press. I prioritized strong contractions during tricep extensions to build lockout strength.

Program Tracking

Folks serious about their progress should get comfortable tracking their progress. You can’t improve your results unless you’re closely monitoring your progress.

I recorded every workout, including the weight lifted, reps performed, and sets completed. Plus, I added my reactions and how I felt during each session so I could better adjust my training routine.

Contrary to what most people think, tracking your training progress doesn’t have to be a complicated process. I used the Notes app on my iPhone to log all the details.

The Six-Week Journey: Weekly Breakdown

Now that you know about the basics, it is time to get into the week-by-week summary of my experience with this training program:

Week 1: Foundations and Familarization

I prioritized performing each exercise with a picture-perfect form to maximize target muscle stimulation and subsequent adaptations. My chest felt slightly sore after the third workout, signaling that my training approach was working.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	3	3-5	3-5 minutes
Incline Press	3	6-8	2-3 minutes
Dumbbell Flyes	3	10-12	1-2 minutes
Triceps Extensions	3	10-12	1-2 minutes

Week 2: Increasing Intensity

As I got more comfortable with this new training regime, it was time to step on the gas and maximize my gains. I performed four sets of bench presses this week to overload the pecs and ignite new muscle tissue growth.

I felt a deeper burn in my chest and triceps this week, with the decline presses really hitting the lower pecs.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	4	3-5	3-5 minutes
Decline Dumbbell Press	3	6-8	2-3 minutes
Cable Crossovers	3	10-12	1-2 minutes
Close-Grip Push-Ups	3	AMRAP	1-2 minutes

Week 3: The Plateau Push

I always tell my personal training clients that the third week is the most crucial in any program, as your body starts adapting to the new stimuli and you are at a greater risk of hitting a plateau.

To combat this, I increased the overall training volume and focused on a deep mind-muscle connection for optimal target muscle fiber activation. The final two sets of bench presses were real grinders, requiring me to fight for each rep.

Furthermore, I added active recovery techniques like stretching and foam rolling to alleviate the tightness and recover quickly between workouts.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	5	3-5	3-5 minutes
Incline Barbell Press	4	8-10	2-3 minutes
Dumbbell Pullover	4	10-12	1-2 minutes
Dips	3	AMRAP	1-2 minutes

Week 4: Variation and Volume

I introduced new exercise variations this week to introduce new stimuli and keep my muscles guessing.

Employing advanced training techniques like paused reps, which involves controlling the weights in the fully lengthened position, paid off as it strengthened my muscle stabilizers and improved stability. I am now more confident while handling heavier weights.

Training in a fully loaded commercial gym has its own benefits as you have ample equipment to play with. The Hammer Strength machine delivers a unique line of pull, helping with overall development.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	5	3-5	3-5 minutes
Hammer Strength Chest Press	3	10-12	2-3 minutes
Single-Arm Dumbbell Flyes	3	12-15	1-2 minutes
Tricep Pushdowns	3	15	1-2 minutes

Week 5: Peak Intensity

My chest felt pumped, and I felt a bit of soreness in my shoulders from the previous week, but that couldn’t stop me from pushing myself in this peak week.

I loaded up on complex carbs pre-workout to ensure I had enough fuel in my system to fire on all cylinders during this high-volume session.

The higher weights on the barbell bench press were both physically and mentally challenging. I focused on staying tight and explosive during each repetition.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	5	3-5	3-5 minutes
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	10-12	2-3 minutes
Cable Flyes (High to Low)	3	12-15	1-2 minutes
Overhead Tricep Extensions	3	15	1-2 minutes

Week 6: Deload and Assessment

Instead of going full-send in this final phase, I decided to use it as a deload week as I had been training hard for five weeks, and it was now time to pull back the training volume and intensity to allow the body more time to rest and recover.

The reduced weight felt light, but I focused on performing each exercise with total control and contracted my muscles with each rep. Nonetheless, I felt a noticeable improvement in my overall strength and size, and the light cable work improved the blood flow to the target muscles, enhancing nutrition transportation and growth.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Duration
Bench Press	2	10-12	3-5 minutes
Dumbbell Bench Press	2	10-12	2-3 minutes
Any Light Cable Chest Exercise	2	12-15	1-2 minutes
Any Light Cable Tricep Exercise	2	10-12	1-2 minutes

Nutritional Support and Recovery During This 6-Week Bench Press Program

As they say, you can’t outtrain a bad diet. Irrespective of how hard you train in the gym, you can’t build a bigger and stronger physique unless you are meeting your daily nutrition goals and giving your body enough time to rest and recuperate.

You can’t overlook the importance of protein if you are looking to build strength or muscle tissue. I aimed for one gram of protein per pound of body weight to ensure my body had all the raw materials it needed to grow during this six-week bench press program. Chicken breast, fish, lentils, and protein shakes were my go-to lean protein sources during this challenge.

I used this TDEE calculator to determine my ideal daily calorie and macronutrient intake goals; you should do the same.

Since I was aiming to build strength and muscle mass, I increased my calorie intake slightly above maintenance levels. While I prioritize nutrient-dense whole foods, I use supplements to plug the gaps in my diet.

It didn’t end there, I ensured I was sleeping for at least eight hours each night to allow my body enough time to recover from my demanding training sessions. Plus, I employed dynamic stretching and mobility exercises before and after workouts to improve my flexibility and overall functionality.

Final Assessment: The Results

Let’s now talk about the final results of this grueling six-week bench press experiment.

Chest Circumference 

My chest measured 42 inches at the beginning of this challenge. Although it wasn’t bad, I was hungry for more. After six weeks, I wrapped the tape around again and clocked in at 43.5 inches. Honestly, these were much better results than what I had hoped for.

This 1.5-inch gain significantly improved my physique aesthetics, as you can now see my muscles popping under a T-shirt.

Bench Press 1RM

There is no better way to assess your bench press strength gains than to track your one-rep max (1RM).

Day One, my 1RM sat at 275 pounds. By the sixth week, I hoisted 295 pounds with relative ease. I must also add that I felt much more confident during this lift, making the 20-pound jump much more meaningful.

One and a half inches and 20 pounds is significant progress. The strength boost traces back to neuromuscular adaptation as my body learned to recruit more muscle fibers and fire them up in sync.

I am also very satisfied with my new bar speed and control, as it added to my overall confidence, resulting in better overall performance.

Finally, all the pressing action helped improve my posture as keeping my shoulders pulled back and chest proud became second nature.

Conclusion

I was stoked to start this program, as 18 high-volume workouts can lead to noticeable improvements. This bench press program delivered in every way imaginable as I gained upper body strength, muscle mass, and pressing power.

Like any other training program, consistency, discipline, and patience are vital factors to achieve your fitness objectives during this six-week bench press program. Start small and gradually increase the training volume and intensity as you gain more experience. Best of luck!

If you have any questions about this six-week bench press program or need help implementing it into your own routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.

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