The #1 SECRET To Blowing Up Your Bench...
Summary
TLDRIn 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
- ποΈββοΈ Consistency is key: Blake emphasizes the importance of sticking with a training program until it stops yielding progress.
- π The pyramid approach: Similar to Westside Barbell's method, gradually increasing the weight over a set number of workouts before testing maxes.
- π Adaptation over time: If a training method works, continue it until it no longer provides gains, rather than changing it prematurely.
- π Testing and repetition: After a successful training cycle, repeat the process to continue making gains, but be prepared to reassess if progress stalls.
- π Analyze when it fails: When progress stops, look back at what was different in the initial successful weeks compared to the unsuccessful ones.
- π« 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.
- π€ Reflect on lifestyle factors: Consider how external factors like diet, sleep, and stress might be affecting your performance.
- π‘ Learn from failure: Embrace the idea that failure can be a stepping stone to success, providing valuable lessons for improvement.
- π οΈ Flip the right switch: When making adjustments, ensure that you address the root cause of the issue and not just symptoms.
- π Trust the process: Small, incremental changes over time are more effective than drastic changes in an attempt to force progress.
- π 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. Itβs 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 itβs 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 speakerβs 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
ποΈββοΈ 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.
π€ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Bench Press
π‘Pyramid Training
π‘West Side Barbell
π‘Maxes
π‘5x5
π‘PR (Personal Record)
π‘Failure
π‘Lifestyle Variables
π‘Consistency
π‘Adaptation
π‘Trust the Process
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
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