Powerlifting Bench Press

Contents:

• Basic 6 week Russian Cycle
• Applying it to the bench and deadlift
• Peaking for Powerlifting Competitions
• The Extended Russian Routine
• Sumo and Traditional Deadlifting Peaking Cycle

Basic 6 week Russian Cycle

The notation used is 6*2@80% = 6 sets of 2 reps at 80% of your 1RM.

          Day 1                   Day 2                   Day 3
Week 1   6*2@80%                 6*3@80%                 6*2@80%
Week 2   6*4@80%                 6*2@80%                 6*5@80%
Week 3   6*2@80%                 6*6@80%                 6*2@80%
Week 4   5*5@85%                 6*2@80%                 4*4@90%
Week 5   6*2@80%                 3*3@95%                 6*2@80%
Week 6   2*2@100%                6*2@80%                 1*1@105%

This cycle is hard work and novices would be advised to try a less intense peaking cycle first. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Another thing is not to stick religiously to the same routine - you can't keep doing the Russian routine year after year and expect to keep on gaining. Your body needs some variety.

Applying it to the bench and deadlift

Example: For me personally, the deadlift percentages remain the same, but the bench percentages change slightly to:

80% becomes 83%
85% becomes 88%
90% becomes 92%
95% becomes 96%
100% stays at 100%
105% becomes 103%

Peaking for Powerlifting Competitions

Example: My personal preference when peaking for a competition is to use just a belt upto sets of four, then I use light wraps and super-suit bottoms (i.e. straps down) for the sets of three reps, and use everything for the doubles and singles. So based on my 1RM of 160 kg (with just a belt), and 1RM of 185 kg (with everything), my percentages would be:

upto 6*6@80%  = 128 kg
     5*5@85%  = 136 kg
     4*4@90%  = 144 kg, all based on the 160 kg 1RM
     3*3@95%  = 162 kg, based on an est. 170 kg 1RM with wraps/suit bottoms
     2*2@100% = 185 kg
     1*1@105% = 194 kg, based on the 185 kg 1RM

Another point is that some lifters peaking for a competitions prefer to do the singles (the 105% day) at the competition, however I like to do the squat and bench singles in the gym for two reasons:

• since you will have done the new maximum in the gym you will be confident when you go and do it in the competition

• and, it allows you to "fine tune" your last attempt in the competition to be right on the limit, ensuring that you get your third attempt and maximise your total. The key to a maximal total is nine lifts out of nine - but not by being over cautious on the third attempts.

The Extended Russian Routine

It is very difficult to do the Russian routine for all three lifts concurrently, I would actually say impossible on the really hard days. One way you can fit all three lifts in the same peaking cycle is to stretch the routine over nine weeks, squat/benching and deadlifting on alternate days. That is, insert the heavy deadlifts between the light (ie 6*2@80%) and heavy squat days. This means no light deadlifting, but the squats hit the back pretty well. The benching days are opposite to the squat days, so Day 1 is light squat/heavy bench and Day 3 is heavy squat/light bench. Therefore:

Day 1 - Light Squat/Heavy Bench
Day 2 - Heavy Deadlift
Day 3 - Heavy Squat/Light Bench

          Day 1                   Day 2                   Day 3
Week 1  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:6*3@80%              SQ:6*3@80%
        BP:6*3@80%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 2  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:6*4@80%              SQ:6*4@80%
        BP:6*4@80%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 3  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:6*5@80%              SQ:6*5@80%
        BP:6*5@80%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 4  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:6*6@80%              SQ:6*6@80%
        BP:6*6@80%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 5  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:5*5@85%              SQ:5*5@85%
        BP:5*5@85%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 6  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:4*4@90%              SQ:4*4@90%
        BP:4*4@90%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 7  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:3*3@95%              SQ:3*3@95%
        BP:3*3@95%                                      BP:6*2@80%
Week 8  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:2*2@100%             SQ:2*2@100%
        BP:2*2@100%                                     BP:6*2@80%
Week 9  SQ:6*2@80%              DL:1*1@105%             SQ:1*1@105%
        BP:1*1@105%                                     BP:6*2@80%

The actual day of the week you do the lifts on is also quite important. Since a week has seven days (!), there will be three rest days between two of the sessions. These two sessions should be used for the heavy deadlifts and heavy squats, to maximise the time you have to recover before working the legs again. This is particularly important if you use the sumo deadlift style

Example: Say you train on Mon/Wed/Fri, then you should arrange the days as follows:

Mon - Heavy Squat/Light Bench
Wed - Light Squat/Heavy Bench
Fri - Heavy Deadlift

Sumo and Traditional Deadlifting Peaking Cycle

Also, I personally do not like atempting maximum deadlifts in the gym (as generally I can only pull them in competition), so I change the deadlift part of the cycle to:

          Day 2
Week 1  Trad DL:6*3@80%
Week 2  Trad DL:6*4@80%
Week 3  Trad DL:6*5@80%
Week 4  Trad DL:6*6@80%
Week 5  Trad DL:4*5@85%, Sumo DL:1*6@80%
Week 6  Trad DL:2*4@90%, Sumo DL:2*5@85%
Week 7  Trad DL:1*3@95%, Sumo DL:2*4@90%
Week 8  Sumo DL:3*3@95%
Week 9  Sumo DL:2*2@100%

My 1RM for traditional deadlift is about 190 kg, whereas my 1RM for sumo deadlift is 220 kg. So using the above cycle, on the days where I do both traditional and sumo styles, there isn't such a big jump in poundages when I switch from one style to another - just a few kgs more and an extra rep.