It’s just a legend, but ther… The goal isn’t to have a 10/10 workout every session because that’s not possible. The logic at play is that exposing the body to a stimulus more often will result in faster adaptation, leading to you getting bigger and stronger. But the optimal frequency is still up to you. Manipulating training frequency is really tough, but you need to workout your MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume) so you know how often you need to bench press to increase it. Each group improved their 1-RM strength in the bench press, back squat, and row, but the total body group — those who trained bench more often — saw a slightly greater increase in bench press 1-RM strength. are tried and tested. For this minimalist barbell workout, you need only perform the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift and Bent-Over Row. EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM EQUAL-VOLUME RESISTANCE TRAINING WITH… : The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Benching more frequently is one of only two ways to do it (other than increasing volume), so you need to get accustomed to benching more often as frankly there aren’t many alternatives. It’s important to get accustomed to being trapped under the bar and there’s no other way to train absolute strength unless you bench heavy. Just remember to drop the volume per session slightly when you do! Outside of that study, we can also look at what other athletes suggest for bench press training frequency and strength. Then you can deload and be in peak physical condition for the meet. First, both groups improved their strength over the 12-week time frame, however. From a protein synthesis standpoint, you need to train a muscle group at least twice a week. This is why you can typically increase your frequency as you get more experienced. Figuring out the minimum effective dose is usually the reason people ask about training frequency: the idea of doing just enough of something to facilitate growth without overdoing it and wasting energy. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. If you have a competition in 12 weeks, you’re going to want to (almost) max out after 10 weeks. I have had my most success on bench when my 10-week program involved benching only once every 4 to 6 days. I personally wouldn’t recommend it as you need to accumulate volume before you can actually get stronger. But benching heavy doesn’t necessarily mean maxing out. The exercises you see everyone doing for chest – incline bench, flat bench, dumbbell bench, flies, dips etc. Learn how your comment data is processed. High Resistance-Training Frequency Enhances Muscle Thickness in Resistance-Trained Men. Unlike the deadlift and the squat, the bench press isn’t  too stressful on your CNS, muscles and joints. Bench Press 3 Days per Week - Powerlifting Programs These are bench press programs that call for the athlete to bench 3 days per week. For this article, we’re going to dive into the nitty-gritty details of bench press frequency and discuss ways to think about how much is enough for strength, size, and power. Comparison of 1 Day and 3 Days Per Week of Equal-Volume… : The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. As you become more experienced and accumulate more volume, you can’t just keep increasing the weight. I can tell you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time worked out. If strength is increasing, then generally, muscle thickness will as well. One group trained once a week, while the other group trained three times a week, and volume was equated for both groups to isolate the variable of training frequency. In terms of programming for frequency and adaptations, I think it’s important to rank training variables in a hierarchy fashion once you figure out your ideal training frequency. A taxing leg workout will almost certainly involve squats and could take into account quad and hamstring accessory work. So, you focus all your energy and recovery efforts into the “big money” exercises and only these 3 exercises. Generally speaking, the bench press responds best to higher frequency — certainly more than once a week. Subjects performed a variety of exercises for the upper and lower body (the bench press being one of them) and had multiple metrics recorded before beginning the 12-week testing period, including body density, percent body fat, body part circumferences, and 1-rep maxes. Training Twice a Week Vs. Three Times a Week. 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