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Bench Press 1 Day per Week

Below you'll find powerlifting and strength programs that include bench pressing 1 day per training week.

Some of these are bench press specialty programs, while others program for all lifts.

Search the Lift Vault Program Library for more program ideas.

Shortcut to Shred Reviews

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Here are reviews of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Shred strength building and weight loss program from people that have run the program. Overall, Shortcut to Shred reviews are positive and show that the program can be effective for building muscle and leaning out. [Read more…]

Jeff Seid Workout Routine Spreadsheet

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Jeff Seid’s workout routine is a 5 day or 6 day split program focused on hypertrophy and bodybuilding aesthetics. The routine hits most muscle groups once per week, but has an optional sixth day where you can work on any muscle groups you think need extra attention. [Read more…]

Boring But Big: 5/3/1 BBB Spreadsheets

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Boring But Big (BBB) is a template built on top of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1. You train 4 days per week, one main lift per day (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press) using the standard 5/3/1 loading scheme, then follow it up with 5 sets of 10 reps (at 50% of your training max) on the same or a paired lift. Each session also includes one accessory movement, typically lat work or abs.

The idea behind BBB is straightforward: use the 5/3/1 main work to build strength, then pile on the volume with 5×10 to force hypertrophy. You’re not switching programs or adding complexity. You’re just bolting on more work after the strength sets. Wendler originally detailed this template in his 5/3/1 Second Edition, and it’s also covered in 5/3/1 Forever.

BBB is best for intermediate lifters who’ve already run base 5/3/1 and want to add size without abandoning their strength base. If you’re still in beginner territory, start with 5/3/1 for Beginners first. The volume in BBB is real, and jumping straight into 5×10 when you’re still adapting to the main work is going to beat you up. Even experienced lifters should start the supplemental sets at 50% and resist going heavier for the first few cycles.

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5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding Spreadsheet

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5/3/1 BBB for bodybuilding is a hypertrophy-focused interpretation of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Boring But Big. It runs a 7-week cycle (two 5/3/1 waves plus a deload) across 4 training days per week. The twist that sets it apart: leg extensions and leg curls run as the main 5/3/1 lift, the squat and deadlift get demoted to supplemental slots, and you stack 5 supplemental movements at 5×10 behind every main lift. Every exercise is swappable through dropdown menus in the sheet.

It’s a high-volume bodybuilding spin on Wendler’s Boring But Big. Instead of squatting and deadlifting heavy off the 5/3/1 percentages, you push the legs with isolation work on the main slot and chase size with a wall of 5×10 accessory volume. The GriefandHoz deviations are deliberate: leg-ext/leg-curl as the main lift (the creator’s personal preference, not a Wendler prescription), 5 supplemental movements instead of 2, and the BBB 5×10 rep scheme on everything. The author describes it as a “bastardization of BBB which is a leader, with the accessory volume of an anchor.”

This one’s for lifters who like the 5/3/1 structure but want it aimed at size, not a 1RM. You should be comfortable customizing a template, because the default exercise selection reflects one person’s preferences and you’ll likely want to tweak it. If you’d rather keep squat/bench/deadlift/OHP as your main lifts, you can swap them back in a couple of clicks. Newer lifters are better served by a leaner program first, since the accessory volume here runs well past what most beginners can recover from.

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5 Day Body Part Split Workout (4 Week Mesocycle)

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Program Overview

This is a 5 day body part split focused on hypertrophy, not strength or powerlifting. It uses the principle of maximum adaptive volume (MAV) to help guide the number of sets each muscle group performs in a training week. This makes it somewhat similar to the hypertrophy workout program based on Mike Israetel’s training volume landmarks article. [Read more…]

Dexter Jackson Workout Routine Spreadsheet

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Dexter Jackson’s workout routine is a four day body part split focused on developing maximum muscular hypertrophy. It uses 3 to 4 sets per exercise, often increasing the weight for each set. The routine programs anywhere from 5 to 8 different exercise movements per training session. [Read more…]

Dorian Yates Workout Routine [1987-1992] Spreadsheet

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The Dorian Yates 1987-1992 workout routine is an advanced bodybuilding split built around a single rotating sequence of 4 training days: Chest/Biceps/Triceps, Legs/Calves (Heavy), Back/Shoulders, and Legs/Calves (Light). After warm-ups, every exercise is taken for 2 working sets to failure. Dorian Yates, the six-time Mr. Olympia who reshaped the sport in the early 1990s, ran this exact structure during the build toward his first Olympia title and treated each working set as a true all-out effort.

This is the earlier version of Yates’ training, and the distinction matters. From 1987 to 1992 he performed 2 working sets to failure per exercise, often finishing the second set with a drop set or forced reps. His later training style (i.e. Blood n Guts style training) used just 1 intense working set per exercise. The routine on this page is the 2-set era, not the single-set Blood and Guts era. The intensity is the same brutal train-past-failure approach that defined Yates, but the working-set volume is higher.

This routine is built for advanced bodybuilders who are comfortable training to failure and recovering from it. The volume is low on paper but the effort per set is maximal, so it rewards lifters who can push genuine all-out sets and manage the recovery that follows. If you want a more conventional bodybuilding split, see the PHAT workout routine or the PHUL workout routine before committing to this one.

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Vince Gironda 8×8 + 6×6 Workout Routine Spreadsheets

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Vince Gironda’s 8×8 workout routine is an advanced bodybuilding routines designed to shock your muscles into growth. It is a high volume, old school bodybuilding program that has become the stuff of legend. The related 6×6 workout routine is an intermediate version of the same program.

I will be sharing spreadsheets for a few different variations of Vince Gironda’s workout routines, along with links where you can do some additional reading.

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Kai Greene Workout Routine Spreadsheet

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Kai Greene’s workout routine is a 5 day intermediate to advanced level bodybuilding program. It is a body part split that targets a different muscle group each day: chest & calves, shoulders & forearms, back, legs, and arms.

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Jay Cutler Workout Program Spreadsheet

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Below you’ll find a spreadsheet, overview, and training videos for Jay Cutler’s workout program. [Read more…]

Sling Shot Bench Press Program Spreadsheet – 5 Week

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This is Mark Bell’s 5 week Sling Shot bench press program, also known as the “Stronger in 30 Days” program. It’s a relatively straightforward bench-only program that gradually decreases volume while increasing intensity before attempting a new PR on week 5. Pretty classic linear periodization leading into a peak. [Read more…]

“Next Level” Linear Progression Strength Program (Brian Alsruhe)

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This is a linear progression strength program from Brian Alsruhe. It is the “next level” continuation of the linear progression programming video that he originally published in 2016 (video below). [Read more…]

Deep Water Program Spreadsheet (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

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Deep Water is a high-volume strength program from strongman and pro wrestler Jon Andersen. It’s actually three separate 6-week programs run back to back – Beginner, then Intermediate, then Advanced – and each one is a complete 6-week, 5-day block (4 lifting days plus a recommended active recovery day). The whole thing is built around its infamous “100 reps in as few sets as possible” work for squat, deadlift, and push press, with the base level running 10×10 on the main lifts.

The idea behind Deep Water is to build strength and conditioning at the same time by burying you in volume. Andersen calls it training in “deep water” – you keep your head above the surface by getting fitter and stronger, week after week, as the program shortens your rest and tightens the sets. It’s closer to a brutal work-capacity builder than a peaking plan, which is why it shows up in the squat program and deadlift program collections, and why I’d file it under general strength training more than powerlifting.

Despite the name, the “Beginner” level is not a true-novice program. It assumes you already have roughly a year or more of barbell training and know your squat, deadlift, and press maxes. If you’re brand new to lifting, you’ll get more out of a real novice program first – the 10×10 volume here will flatten you otherwise. If you’ve got a base of training under you and you want your work capacity tested, Deep Water delivers.

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Shortcut to Shred Reviews

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Here are reviews of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Shred strength building and weight loss program from people that have run the program. Overall, Shortcut to Shred reviews are positive and show that the program can be effective for building muscle and leaning out. [Read more…]

Shortcut to SIZE Reviews

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Shortcut to Size is a 4 day body part split program by Jim Stoppani (who also created Shortcut to Shred). It is best suited for athletes with aesthetic or hypertrophy goals. It is a 12 week bodybuilding program broken down into three 4 week phases. [Read more…]

Thinner Leaner Stronger Workout Program Spreadsheets

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Thinner Leaner Stronger is Michael Matthews’ strength and physique program for women, and the female counterpart to Bigger Leaner Stronger. It runs on 3-day or 4-day splits built around heavy compound work in the 4-6 rep range, with accessories in the 8-12 rep range. The training is organized into 8-week phases followed by a deload week, and the cycle repeats indefinitely as you progress.

The program’s core idea is that women build strength and shape the same way men do: progressive overload on the big lifts. Matthews pushes back on the “light weights for toning” myth. Each session starts with a primary compound lift (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, or hip thrust depending on the day), then moves into 3-4 accessory exercises. The 3-day version runs a push/pull/legs structure; the 4-day version splits into chest and triceps, back and biceps and glutes, shoulders, and legs.

TLS is a good fit for beginner to early intermediate women who want to get stronger and change their body composition. You do need access to a barbell and a rack. If you’re looking for a program that doesn’t require a full gym setup, Strong Curves is worth a look since it works well with dumbbells and a hip thrust setup. The full TLS book and bonus materials (including official Excel and Google Sheets versions) are available at legionathletics.com via Michael Matthews and Legion Athletics.

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8 Week Powerbuilding Program (Seba Kot)

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This is an 8 week powerbuilding program designed by Seba Kot, Polish lifter (YouTube channel). This is a lightly translated version. [Read more…]

10 Week Powerbuilding Program

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This 10 week powerbuilding program is modeled off of basic 5/3/1 with inspiration from GZCL and BBB for accessories. On this program you’ll hit a major compound movement (for powerlifters, likely your competition movement plus one additional) for one top set of an AMRAP before moving on to accessory exercises.

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Inverted Juggernaut Method Spreadsheet (3 Versions, + 5/3/1)

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Background on the Juggernaut Method

The Inverted Juggernaut Method (aka Inverse Juggernaut Method) is a popular variation of the well known Juggernaut Method.

As a refresher, here is the basic breakdown of the 4 weekly phases of the Juggernaut Method: [Read more…]

Fierce 5 Workout Program

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The Fierce 5 workout is a great beginner bodybuilding program. It is a 2x weekly program that incorporates compound lifts and accessory movements to stimulate strength improvements and muscle growth.

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