The #1 SECRET To Blowing Up Your Bench...

Summary

In this motivational powerlifting tutorial, Blake shares his personal strategy for maximizing bench press progress. Emphasizing consistency and gradual progression through 5x5 workouts, he advises against changing a routine until it fails twice. Blake stresses the importance of learning from failure, reviewing all variables, and understanding that occasional setbacks are part of long-term success. His key takeaway is to 'trust the process' and only change what's proven ineffective, advocating for a methodical approach to strength training.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ Consistency is key: Blake emphasizes the importance of sticking with a training program until it stops yielding progress.
• 📈 The pyramid approach: Similar to Westside Barbell's method, gradually increasing the weight over a set number of workouts before testing maxes.
• 🔄 Adaptation over time: If a training method works, continue it until it no longer provides gains, rather than changing it prematurely.
• 📊 Testing and repetition: After a successful training cycle, repeat the process to continue making gains, but be prepared to reassess if progress stalls.
• 🔍 Analyze when it fails: When progress stops, look back at what was different in the initial successful weeks compared to the unsuccessful ones.
• 🚫 Don't change for the sake of it: Avoid making changes to your training routine without clear evidence that the current method is no longer effective.
• 🤔 Reflect on lifestyle factors: Consider how external factors like diet, sleep, and stress might be affecting your performance.
• 💡 Learn from failure: Embrace the idea that failure can be a stepping stone to success, providing valuable lessons for improvement.
• 🛠️ Flip the right switch: When making adjustments, ensure that you address the root cause of the issue and not just symptoms.
• 🔄 Trust the process: Small, incremental changes over time are more effective than drastic changes in an attempt to force progress.
• 👍 Embrace the journey: Recognize that building strength is a long-term endeavor that requires patience and a commitment to continuous learning.

Q & A

What is the key secret to improving your bench press according to the speaker?

The key secret to improving your bench press is to stick with a method until it stops working. The speaker emphasizes repeating a successful routine like the 5x5 workout until it no longer yields results before considering any changes.

How does the speaker suggest handling a workout routine that stops providing results?

If a workout routine stops providing results, the speaker suggests continuing the routine for one more cycle to confirm the lack of progress. If it still doesn't work, analyze variables like diet, rest, and intensity. If adjustments don't help, then switch to a new routine.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of failure in training?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of failure as a learning tool. Failing during training helps you understand your limits and prepares you for real competition scenarios. It’s important for long-term success because each failure teaches valuable lessons.

What does the speaker mean by 'building the pyramid' in the context of strength training?

'Building the pyramid' refers to gradually increasing the intensity of workouts over time. This method is akin to progressive overload, where the body is continuously challenged by ramping up the difficulty of the exercises.

How does the speaker view the concept of changing a training routine?

The speaker believes that you should only change a training routine when it’s proven ineffective over multiple attempts. He advises against making changes too quickly, emphasizing the importance of consistency and fully exploring a routine before deciding to switch.

What role do external factors like diet and rest play in the speaker's training philosophy?

External factors like diet and rest are crucial in the speaker's training philosophy. He advises closely monitoring these variables because they can significantly impact the effectiveness of a workout routine. If progress stalls, these factors should be the first things to adjust.

What is the speaker’s stance on frequent form changes during training?

The speaker advises against frequent changes in form during training. He believes that making small, incremental adjustments is more effective than overhauling technique, which can disrupt progress and lead to confusion.

Why does the speaker discourage making quick changes to a workout routine?

The speaker discourages making quick changes because he believes that progress requires time and consistency. Quick changes can prevent you from fully realizing the benefits of a routine, leading to setbacks rather than improvements.

How does the speaker suggest you evaluate a failed training attempt?

After a failed training attempt, the speaker suggests reviewing all relevant variables, such as energy levels, diet, and rest, to determine whether the failure was due to the program or personal factors. This evaluation helps decide whether to adjust the routine or other aspects of your lifestyle.

What mindset does the speaker recommend adopting towards training and failure?

The speaker recommends adopting a mindset that embraces failure as a natural and necessary part of the training process. He advises using failures as learning opportunities to refine your approach and ultimately achieve long-term success.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ The Power of Consistency in Strength Training

In this paragraph, Blake introduces his personal training secret for increasing bench press strength. He emphasizes the importance of building a pyramid training structure, similar to the Westside Barbell method, which involves changing the training approach when the body adapts. Blake suggests repeating effective training cycles until they no longer yield progress, and then only changing the program after two consecutive failures. He stresses the need to analyze all variables, including diet and lifestyle, to determine what might be hindering progress when a plateau is reached. The key takeaway is to trust the process and not to change a training program until it has proven ineffective.

05:01

🤔 Embracing Failure as a Catalyst for Success

The second paragraph delves into the psychological aspect of training, discussing the fear of failure that many lifters face. Blake argues that failure is an integral part of success and that lifters should not be afraid to miss reps in training, as it can prepare them for the unpredictability of competition. He advises that when failure occurs, one should analyze every variable and learn from the experience, using it as a stepping stone towards long-term success. Blake also warns against making hasty changes to a training program without proof of its ineffectiveness, advocating for a gradual and methodical approach to adjustments. The paragraph concludes with a call to trust the process and to make deliberate, informed changes rather than impulsive ones.

Keywords

💡Bench Press

The bench press is a fundamental upper body strength exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In the video's context, it's the main focus for increasing strength and muscle mass. The speaker, Blake, discusses his method for improving bench press performance, emphasizing the importance of consistency and repetition in training.

💡Pyramid Training

Pyramid training is a method where the weight lifted is progressively increased or decreased within a set, or across multiple sets, to target different aspects of strength and muscle development. In the script, Blake mentions building a pyramid as a key strategy for enhancing bench press strength, suggesting a structured approach to increasing weights over a series of sets.

💡West Side Barbell

West Side Barbell is a training methodology developed by Louie Simmons that emphasizes the principle of 'change the question when your body has the answer.' Blake references this philosophy, indicating that he has taken inspiration from it to develop his own training approach, which involves varying training methods to keep the body from adapting and plateauing.

💡Maxes

In powerlifting, 'maxes' refers to maximum lifts, where athletes test their one-rep max (1RM) for a given exercise. Blake talks about testing his maxes after a period of structured training to measure progress and adjust his training program accordingly.

💡5x5

The term '5x5' refers to a training routine where an athlete performs an exercise for 5 sets of 5 repetitions. Blake uses this as a core part of his training strategy, suggesting that after an initial period of gains, the same routine can be repeated to continue making progress.

💡PR (Personal Record)

A personal record is the highest weight an athlete has successfully lifted for a given exercise. In the script, Blake discusses the importance of striving for new PRs and using them as a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of his training methods.

💡Failure

In the context of the video, failure refers to not achieving a new personal record or not seeing progress in training. Blake emphasizes that failure is a part of the learning process and should be used as an opportunity to analyze and adjust training variables to improve performance.

💡Lifestyle Variables

Lifestyle variables include factors such as diet, sleep, and stress management that can impact athletic performance. Blake suggests that when progress stalls, it's important to review these variables to identify potential issues that may be hindering performance gains.

💡Consistency

Consistency in training refers to the regular and continuous practice of a routine or exercise. Blake stresses the importance of sticking with a training program until it ceases to yield results, rather than changing it prematurely due to impatience or perceived lack of progress.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in this context is the body's response to a training stimulus, leading to increased strength or muscle growth. Blake warns against changing a training program too soon before the body has had a chance to fully adapt and respond to the stimulus.

💡Trust the Process

Trusting the process means having faith in the training program and allowing time for gradual improvement rather than seeking quick fixes or drastic changes. Blake advises against making sudden changes to training techniques and emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence.

Highlights

Blake shares a personal training secret for increasing bench press weight.

The importance of building a pyramid in training, similar to Westside Barbell's method.

The concept of changing the training approach when the body adapts to a certain routine.

Blake's personal experience with achieving a 500 natural pound bench press.

The strategy of repeating a successful training routine until it ceases to be effective.

The value of testing max weights after a set period of training to measure progress.

The idea of giving a training program one more try after it initially fails to produce results.

The significance of analyzing lifestyle factors when a training program stops working.

Blake's belief that failure is a part of success and should not be feared in the training process.

The importance of learning from failures and adjusting variables accordingly.

The concept of not changing a training routine until it's proven ineffective.

The idea of trusting the process and not rushing to change things in training.

Blake's advice on focusing on one variable at a time to avoid overwhelming changes.

The emphasis on not changing form without testing it under heavy weights first.

The importance of persistence and not giving up on a training routine too quickly.

Blake's final thoughts on the key to powerlifting success: if it works, don't fix it.

The encouragement to experiment with training methods until finding what works best for the individual.

The reminder to look back on past failures as learning opportunities for long-term success.

Transcripts

the one key secret to blowing up your

bench now this is something that I've

came up with myself over many many five

six seven years of training I would

assume it's been now and this is

something that I've came up with and

generated myself hopefully you guys can

benefit from this and my name is Blake

went some credentials about me is I

currently have five World Records On

openpowerlifting.org credentials about

me or either of the way I've achieved

well one more I've achieved a 500

natural pound bench and I'm looking to

pause it raw very soon a completely raw

no El RP series soon but what is this

one key tip that is going to help you

blow up this bench right and this is

something that I've learned over my many

many years of training in this whole

process right and I think this key tip

is building the pyramid and so this is

something similar to maybe a West Side

method without a W side method if you

don't know Westside barbell their idea

is when your body has the answer we

change the question now that has always

sat in my mind for many years I'm just

like that's very interesting you know do

you ever do you really want to change

the question though if it's the same if

it's going to be the same question on

the meat day so I've always thought

about that and I've came up with my own

somewhat theory on this the one thing

that you can use to blow up your bench

to blow up your whatever your squ Ben

deadlift I think it's the same thing

across lifting but where I've came to

after many years I'm about to explain so

you start doing something on bench press

let's say you're doing a 5x5 you do two

weeks of doing a 5x5 you do four 5x5

total and you ramp ramp ramp that weight

and eventually you're like all right

I've done four of these workouts now I'm

going to test my Maxs to see if it works

and you go ahead after that 5x5 those

four weeks of 5x5 or the four days of

5x5 you test your bench and you're like

I just gained 10 pounds off of this like

shoot dude like that worked my belief is

that you then turn that over and you hit

that again you hit that 5x5 again you do

another four workouts with that 5x5 and

you go ahead and test the results and

you're like huh I only gained 5 lbs this

time but it's still worked so you turn

around and you do it again because if

it's working why change it you know and

that's a very that's a very real thought

I've always had with power lifting

people have always thought like man you

train like an idiot dude like what

you're doing is just not working out but

it was working so why would I change it

so I would say on that third week you

bring it back and you go for four again

you test the results you gain another 5

lbs you go back you do it for four more

days again and then you test it and then

it doesn't work and now this is where

like more my theory really comes into

play so you test your Max and your max

is not there you don't hit this PR for

one time now my theory really is do you

need to just change it once it doesn't

work my idea would be you give it one

more go you give it another two weeks

now this is a lot of 5x5 right in theory

this shouldn't work but you may have

found a glitch to your body you may have

found a way to just keep going your

bench go up and up and up so you try it

again and this time after these four

more workouts it still doesn't work it

may work if it does work you just keep

repeating the process but until you run

into two fails two continuous fails I

don't believe that you stop stop doing

what you're doing but once you get to

this point where it doesn't work anymore

you go back and you look at what did I

do on these first weeks that I didn't do

on these last weeks and you sit down and

you watch every single video from the

gym you look at every video that you

made you look at your energy levels you

say wow like when I was doing the 5x5 on

my second week doing it or or my third

fourth week doing it I noticed that I

was actually eating a lot more and I was

working a lot less so but I was working

a lot more here and I was eating a lot

less and none of the variables were the

same so were the variables making me

weaker or was it the program that wasn't

working anymore right and so for a lot

of times when I go back I look at

something that's failed for me twice a

lot of times it's me that has failed me

it's not what I've been trying to do

it's me that has failed me so then if

you go back try the the same thing three

times now this is your last try because

you you ATT you went back you said okay

it was my lifestyle that that was off it

wasn't the the training it was nothing

else it was me not eating enough

sleeping enough work them tooo much

whatever you go and you you maximize all

your variables you make everything

perfect you go through those four

workouts and then you tests again now

either you succeed and you continue

going with it or you fail and now this

is your third failure and I believe you

do not go back on this now instead of

that you find something new and you can

continue this process with everything

new that you do and I do believe that

failure is a big part of success people

they are lifters and they're scared to

fail I believe that that's just

mindblowing if you never want to fail a

rep what are you going to do when you're

on the on the competition stage and

you're just like wow I feel like I got

like 20 more pounds I might be able to

win this but I've never failed a rep

before I don't know how to fail you know

what if what if you miss a rep

terribly on a bench and you haven't

missed a bench rep in months you know

what are you or not months just like

years or you've never missed a Ben TR

before is it is it just going to fall on

your chest you know what I'm saying how

are you going to react to that how is it

going to change the rest of your day so

I think it's really important that you

do lose occasionally like losing is part

of winning it it's just it's simple so

taking a loss is not the end of the

world you just lose and you learn you

lose you go back and you look at every

single variable and you learn from it

and that's just more to like my one key

tip really you you look back at a loss

and you realize did I completely lose or

did I learn and 99% of the time it's no

I learned I learned from every single

loss I've ever taken I miss this bench

press this day because I didn't give

myself enough time off next time I give

myself more time off you learned that's

simple that's learn you might have lost

it that instant moment but you you still

built yourself up for long-term success

and so that kind of just like goes with

my theory like I said do something until

it doesn't work anymore if it if it's

still working why change it if you've

done the same thing for the past 5

months but for some reason you just keep

getting stronger why change it do it

until it doesn't work if I could just

have one workout that I could just do

for the rest of my life and I know i'

just keep getting stronger I would

hammer I'd be the best at that workout

I'd never quit but unfortunately that's

not the case with all lifters but I find

so many times that when people think

that their body is adapting but they

don't have any proof that their body is

adapting they change things and they set

themselves back so don't change things

until you really have proof and I find

that on form as well so many people want

to just change a form because they think

it looks bad or they think they're

weaker this way or they think this and

that but they've never actually gotten

up to that heavy weight to test it

they've never actually gotten that far

to test it they just want to keep on

changing I really find time has helped

me lift and and just figure things out

you have to trust the time you don't go

into a deadlift session and say I'm

going to change my head my feet and my

my uh my hand position positioning today

you just don't do that you come in and

say okay maybe I'm want to move my feet

a quarter inch out but that's it you

don't move your hand position you work

on one thing a day you don't jump the

process you don't get rich quick you

don't get strong quick you trust the

process and if it's not broken don't fix

it now that's just my two cents on my

one thing to blow up your bench press

blow up your squat blow up your deadlift

whatever the one key secret to power

lift in general I believe it would be is

if it doesn't work why fix it and if

something is

broken you're not just going to flip a

switch and it's going to work you're

probably going to have to flip a lot of

switches but make sure that you flip the

switch all the way and you didn't just

you're you weren't so worried about the

switches above it that this switch might

have been the actual fix and you you

flipped it but you accidentally flipped

it halfway because you were so worried

about this switch and now you've worked

your way to up to all the switches and

you don't know which one as work because

none of them worked make sure that you

flipped every single switch before you

turn it back off you see what I'm saying

so that's it for me today that's just

like my idea of lifting that's my way of

blowing things up if it works why change

it simple go ahead like comment

subscribe let me know what you want to

see next you guys and uh Blake W Sig out

peace