A tale as old as the written word, a young lad wanders into a weight room for the first time and quickly makes his way to the bench press. The allure is almost innate, he has no chance fighting its magnetism. With some twisting and squirming he awkwardly attempts to not get pinned under the meager weight of his first attempt. Surviving this brief, initial bout with the iron, he manages to rack the weight successfully, maintaining life function. It feels good. And in this fight, he now knows where he stands. His starting point has been established and his mandate is a simple one—get stronger. For some of us, that urge never fades and a lifelong journey begins.
For a good decade, approximately from the age of 27 to 37, I benched at least 405 lb for a conservative minimum of 45 weeks per year. Impressive to some, sure, relatively speaking (“heavy” and “strong” are relative terms). But that kind of relentless wear and tear leaves a mark. Mileage, as I affectionately call it. The intricate, delicate human shoulder joint, upon reflection, perhaps was not built to do that. As such, I feel it sometimes. And that fact, has caused me, for the past few years, while still training chest religiously, to abandon really heavy, low rep benching. But that doesn’t mean the lust for the heavy iron has dissipated. Quite the contrary. It has grown in intensity. I want it back.
The concept of “Big Friday” was born at the turn of the millennium. As a college junior, I began working as a bouncer at the Casbah Nightclub at the former Trump Taj Mahal, in the next town over—Atlantic City, New Jersey. At the same time, I maintained my high school gig at the front desk of the Brigantine Fitness Center. There, for years, I crafted dreams and conjured schemes to get huge. Both in the gym and in life. Sipping a Ripped Force, reading Flex Magazine, writing up programs for myself and others. It was a special place. And it was the gift of the BFC that I shared with my fellow “crowd control specialists” every weekend. Because there was no greater power than that of the pump before your afterhours shift in the AC nightlife. It was then and there, that Big Friday was born. The Friday chest workout is a tradition that I carry on to this day.
These days, my training is as important as ever. But less to merely look yoked at the club, and much more to raise my game in every aspect of my life—mind, body and soul. It is in that spirit, that I am taking an opportunity here, to apply a personal life philosophy directly to the iron game. I have found that slow and steady progress is surprisingly enough, the fastest route to sustainable, enduring gains. And it occurred to me, that nothing in the realm of the gym embodies marginal, incremental improvement, like the nearly imperceptible and seemingly innocent 2.5 lb plate. So much so, that I decided to build an entire chest day, powerbuilding bench program around it. It is a metaphor for life, one dude from Jersey’s religion, and also a method to baby step our way to a big bench.
This is the #BigFriday Bench Program, and it is a simple one. For twenty weeks, you will blast your chest slowly and strategically, by simply adding the equivalent of a 2.5 lb plate to the bar every week. Seems like nothing, until you realize that in twenty weeks your bench will have progressed 100 lbs. Now, before you scream heresy or call bullshit, realize I’m not selling you a hundred lb PR (personal record), which would be ludicrous. But I do believe an individual can hit a personal target bench or a reasonable PR utilizing this approach. The first part is the easiest of the process, pick your goal weight.
Next, understand that this is not a typical powerlifting style bench program. It still places a priority on building muscle. But does so while balancing both goals, serving both masters, if you will. So what emphasis is placed on growing stronger on the bench, will be complemented by a couple additional movements utilizing higher reps. But all of it is done with purpose and intent. No wasted or unnecessary sets or reps. Just targeted efficiency that strikes the delicate balance between frequency, volume and intensity—promoting both hypertrophy and strength, a big bench and a big chest.
A couple of notes before we get started…
- Warm It Up: The shoulders were not designed to hoist and hold hundreds of pounds week after week, workout after workout, for years on end. They’re the only pair you get, so be kind to them. Rotator cuff exercises, mobility movements and a dozen or so reps of lateral raises with the lightest weights you can find, just before your workout will literally take seconds and can go a really long way toward ensuring longevity and mitigating minor injury. Also, on your first bench set, start with just the bar for several reps to wake up your joints and connective tissue and to find your groove. Learn from your OGs and dedicate the tiniest amount of time to doing it right. It will pay off in the long run.
- Tri Harder: There are no big benchers with weak triceps. So train yours accordingly. Depending on whether your split allows its own arm day, or if your triceps work comes with chest and/or shoulders as part of a modern “push day”. Keep it focused and simple, picking a compound multi-joint movement and a contraction burnout, keeping reps in the 6-20 range, over no more than 6 sets, once per week. Most benches fail in the upper “lockout” portion where you finish the movement, because weak triceps fail under pressure. Let’s endeavor to not to let that be us.
- Spread It Out: Make sure to divide your shoulder and triceps training at least 2-3 days apart from your bench workout (assuming you don’t typically train them all together—if you do, this chest program should come first in the session). This allows for maximum recovery, allowing you to be at your strongest when Big Friday rolls around again. Even better yet, I’ve manipulated my schedule for years and years now, to put leg day in front of chest day, breaking up the upper body workouts and while nonetheless executing a demanding workout, my chest, shoulders and arms get a “day of rest” from direct stimulation.
- Eat to Win: High performance machines require fuel. Line up your “periworkout” supps properly, pre-, intra-, and post. Eat a substantial snack before training to power you through your workout. Get your proper postworkout “super shake” in, loaded with ample, high quality protein and carbs. Follow that with a legitimate, balanced, high protein muscle building whole food meal. The more meticulous you are with your nutrition and the more seriously you take eating like an athlete, the better the results you’ll get. No way around it.
- Patience Pays Off: Rome was not built in a day. And neither is a big bench. Buy into the process and pick a target number that challenges you but doesn’t get you in over your head. This is a long road of twenty weeks. And an even longer trail for the entire lifting life to follow. Plan accordingly—both push yourself and pace yourself.
Starting with a sample goal of a 300 lbs bench, we will open week 1, phase 1 with our heaviest working set of 200 lbs and slowly grow from there. Literally 100 lbs away from your target. Be patient, and know the early weeks will be on the “easier” side with multiple reps of the prescribed reps. Resist the urge to stray from your programming and go heavier. We are building this bench one brick at a time… One week and workout at a time. So trust the process. We will get there in due time. You’re in for the long haul. The following are the bench priority chest workouts for the first three four-week #BigFriday phases…
#BigFriday Phase One
Week 1
Flat Barbell Bench Press
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 200 x 5 reps
- 200 x 5 reps
- 200 x 5 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your first choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 8-10 reps
Isolation Movement (Your first choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 2
Flat Barbell Bench Press
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 205 x 5 reps
- 205 x 5 reps
- 205 x 5 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your second choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your second choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 3
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 210 x 5 reps
- 210 x 5 reps
- 210 x 5 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your third choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your third choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 4
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 215 x 5 reps
- 215 x 5 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your first choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
- 1 set x 6-8 reps
Isolation Movement (Your first choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Bodyweight Burnout (Your choice: Pushups/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set to Failure
#BigFriday Phase Two
Week 5
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 200 x 5 reps
- 220 x 4 reps
- 220 x 4 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your second choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your second choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 6
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 200 x 5 reps
- 225 x 4 reps
- 225 x 4 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your third choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your third choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 7
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 205 x 5 reps
- 230 x 4 reps
- 230 x 4 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your first choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
- 1 set x 6-8 reps
Isolation Movement (Your first choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 8
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 210 x 5 reps
- 235 x 4 reps
- 235 x 4 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your second choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
- 1 set x 6-8 reps
Isolation Movement (Your second choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Bodyweight Burnout (Your choice: Pushups or Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set to failure
#BigFriday Phase Three
Week 9
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 210 x 4 reps
- 240 x 3 reps
- 240 x 3 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your first choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your first choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 10
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 215 x 4 reps
- 245 x 3 reps
- 245 x 3 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your second choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
- 1 set x 6-8 reps
Isolation Movement (Your second choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 11
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 220 x 4 reps
- 250 x 3 reps
- 250 x 3 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your third choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your third choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Week 12
Flat Barbell Bench Press:
- Bar Warmup x 15 reps
- 135 x 10 reps
- 155 x 8 reps
- 185 x 6 reps
- 220 x 4 reps
- 255 x 3 reps
- 255 x 3 reps
Compound Movement #2 (Your first choice: Incline DB Press/Flat DB Press/Machine Press)
- 1 set x 12-15 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Isolation Movement (Your first choice: Cable Crossovers, DB Flyes, Pec Deck)
- 1 set x 15-20 reps
- 1 set x 10-12 reps
Bodyweight Burnout (Your choice: Pushups or Parallel Bar Dips)
- 1 set to failure
So that’s three months of big bench #BigFriday workouts, hard in the paint. Use this methodical approach to inform every goal in your life, facilitating a process focused on incremental progress and watch the gains roll in. We’ll return soon with part two–#BigFriday phases four and five, as we come down the homestretch and start to handle the heavy weights, like the heavyweight champions we’re working daily to become.
