Programming Question for my Fellow Coaches

[Michael Wolf]

Fellow Coaches,

I am interested in your opinions on my situation and thought it would be a good opportunity for others to learn as well. Some of you already know this story, but I am including everything here for the benefit of readers who do not.

Background:
I managed to rip a partial thickness tear in my rotator on my first bench attempt at my most recent meet, Dec 1, 2012. Prior to this I had recently benched:
1. 320x5x3
2. 335x5
3. 375 for a paused single, after having squatted heavy singles and benched 365 for a touch and go double and then a paused single.

After the injury, I could not bench without pain for quite some time. Once the shoulder was fine in day-to-day activity, I would test it by attempting to bench every 2-3 weeks. After a while, it no longer hurt but still felt weak and “off” at the bottom position until a few weeks ago.

In the absence of bench press, I have been driving up my press steadily by doing 3 sets of 5 across on Mondays and 1 heavy set of 5 on Fridays, followed by a couple heavier singles. After progress nearly stalled, I identified my triceps as a weak point and in absence of heavy work on the bench, at Andy’s suggestion, I have been doing standing overhead tricep extensions with the EZ-Curl bar on Fridays. Using this protocol and slow but steady microloading, I’m pressing more than I ever have before.

I am using a TM set-up:
Monday – Squat 5x5 across, Press 3x5 across, DL/Rack Pull 1x5
Weds – Squat light, test bench press or some variation, chins/weighted chins
Fri – Squat 3 doubles, Press 1x5 & two singles, power cleans, triceps

Question:
As of a couple weeks ago, I can finally bench without pain or any problematic "off" feeling again. How would you suggest working the bench back into my program?

What I have been doing these first two weeks is benching Wednesday, using ramping sets to a top set of 5 and then a triple. The first week back, I ramped to 285x5, and then 315x3. This past Wednesday, I ramped to 300x5 and 325x3. It was much more difficult this second week.

What I’m weighing is the following: I’m going to need to start doing sets across very soon to regain my bench press strength, but doing so on Wednesday at the necessary weights threatens to intrude on Friday’s presses. On the other hand, if I alternate weeks focused on Press/Bench like I would normally do on the standard TM template, I'm concerned about stalling on the press. Due to the relatively lighter weights I’d be benching while regaining strength, I’m not sure it’ll be enough to stimulate progress on my press, in the absence of actually pressing heavy for 10 days (Fri to the following Monday).

I have some thoughts of my own, but would love to hear feedback & suggestions from my fellow coaches on how to re-introduce heavy benching back into the TM 3 day template in this situation.

PS - Yes, I know Callador, I should consider a four day split that includes some pressing every week.

[Steve Hill]

Matt is probably going to have the best advice on this. I have nothing.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I like the 4 day split as well. I think you lose nothing by switching from Texas method to a split routine.

Possible considerations:

Mon - Heavy Bench (intensity), Press - sets across
Tues - Squats/pulls
Thurs - Heavy Press (intensity), Bench - sets across
Fri - Squats/Pulls

Matt's gonna agree with me by the way. Maybe not on the exact programming, but on the split routine.

[Les Hahn]

Heh, yes indeed! :-)

I hope your bench gets back to normal and continues to improve.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Yes. Another 4 day TM template might look like:

1) A) Bench volume, press x 6-8 x 2-3
2) Squat volume, power cleans
3) Bench intensity, press intensity
4) Squat intensity, deadlifts

A Matt-Approved 4 day-er
A) Bench priority, bench/press supplemental work
B) squat priority, pull supplemental work
C) Press priority, press/bench supplemental work
D) Dead priority, squat supplemental work

[Subsistence]

I like the 4 day split as well. I think you lose nothing by switching from Texas method to a split routine.

Possible considerations:

Mon - Heavy Bench (intensity), Press - sets across
Tues - Squats/pulls
Thurs - Heavy Press (intensity), Bench - sets across
Fri - Squats/Pulls

Matt's gonna agree with me by the way. Maybe not on the exact programming, but on the split routine.

Do you think you'd still aim for 5x5 as a starting point for the bench/press volume days, or would 5x5 of both presses weekly likely end up being overkill?

[Matt Reynolds]

Andy and Jordan are correct...

I'd advocate:
1) a heavy bench day with supplemental press work
2) a heavy squat day with supplement pull work
3) a heavy press day with supplemental bench work
4) a heavy deadlift day with supplemental squat work

On the heavy lift I keep the volume relatively low, and the supplemental work is lighter but for more volume.

If you are opposed to 4 days per week, you can still follow this layout, but just put the 4 day rotation training 3x/week. (Or maybe some weeks you get in 4 sessions and some weeks you get in 3 sessions. Just train whatever is the next day in the rotation.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Andy and Jordan are correct...

I'd advocate:
1) a heavy bench day with supplemental press work
2) a heavy squat day with supplement pull work
3) a heavy press day with supplemental bench work
4) a heavy deadlift day with supplemental squat work

On the heavy lift I keep the volume relatively low, and the supplemental work is lighter but for more volume. .

This is pretty cool. Saved for future reference.

I really don't have anything to add to this discussion. Hope the bench recovers smoothly, Wolfman.

[Clay Simczyk]

There seems to be a lot of variety of supplemental work. Can anyone elaborate on what you found particularly effective?

[Michael Wolf]

Thanks all for your responses. I have a lot of good food for thought and will decide how to proceed much enriched by your answers.

Hopefully our readers learned something useful from this as well.

Do you think you'd still aim for 5x5 as a starting point for the bench/press volume days, or would 5x5 of both presses weekly likely end up being overkill?

Starting with 3x5 and titrating up if necessary is how I would begin. Andy may have a different take.