Why the bench likes frequency
It’s a smaller lift with a big skill element. It recovers quickly and gets better with practice. Three sessions a week means three chances to groove it.
Three days, three jobs
| Day | Job | For a 100 kg bench |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Heavy | 4 × 4 at 85 kg |
| Wednesday | Volume | 4 × 8 at 70 kg |
| Friday | Technique | 5 × 3 at 77.5 kg, paused |
None of these is a max. Every set ends with a rep or two left. Monday’s weight goes up by 2.5 kg when every rep looks the same.
Four rules
- 01
Don’t add volume, spread it
If you did 12 hard sets on Monday, do 4 on each day, not 12 on each.
- 02
Vary the grip or the pause
Small changes spread the stress around your shoulders and elbows.
- 03
Mind the shoulders
If they ache, drop Wednesday back to a lighter day, not the whole plan.
- 04
Be patient
Four weeks before you judge it.
If your bench has already stopped, read Why your bench stopped going up.
From the Compound founder. Notes on training, not medical advice.