How do I increase my bench press one rep max (1RM)?

If an athlete is trying to increase their one rep max in a relatively short period of time (e.g. 4 to 8 weeks), then a bench press peaking program is most effective for increasing the 1RM. If the athlete is trying to increase their 1RM gradually over time, then the answer depends more heavily upon the development stage of the athlete. Novice lifters likely do not need to be concerned strictly with the bench press and should progress all lifts on any well designed beginner powerlifting program. An early intermediate should still see regular progress on a linear progression program like Madcow 5x5 or Texas Method . Later stage intermediates will likely need to introduce more variation in rep ranges and intensity, such as with Greg Nuckols Medium Load Intermediate 3x Weekly Bench Press Program .

How many days per week should I bench press?

The bench press uses smaller muscles than other compound movements like the squat or deadlift and therefore can be trained more frequently. Novice lifters should start out benching two or three times per week, while many intermediates respond well to benching three or four times per week. It’s generally best to start on the lower end of these ranges (so if you’re a novice, starting at two bench press sessions per week) and seeing how the movement responds. If plateauing occurs or approaches (i.e. reps become very difficult to complete, even if they are not missed) then adding another bench press session to the training week can be an effective strategy for continued progression.

What are the best bench press accessory exercises?

The best bench press accessories are the ones that help an individual athlete improve their bench press. Often times, simply adding additional volume on the bench press is enough to improve an athlete’s one rep max. Still, accessory movements can be productive more helping work through an athlete’s sticking point (i.e. the point at which they “miss” a rep). Athletes that miss off the chest can benefit from accessories that place additional emphasis on the lower portion of the lift, such as the spoto press, t-shirt press, or pin press. Athletes that miss in the lockout portion of the lift, around midway through the concentric portion of the lift and up, often benefit from close grip bench press and other tricep strengthening movements.

Best Bench Press Programs

A bench press program is a training routine designed to increase an athlete's upper limit strength in the bench press. A typical program will include benching two to four times per week while training the competition bench press and bench press variations.

Below you'll find links to the most effective bench programs on Lift Vault. Most of them feature free spreadsheets that you can make a copy of and use for training.

The 9 Top Recommended Bench Press Programs

Kizen 12 Week Bench Press Program
Candito Advanced Bench Press Program
Kizen 6 Week Bench Peaking Program
Russian 6 Week Bench Press Peaking Program
Brad Gillingham 12 Week Bench Program
Sling Shot Bench Press Program
Mdisbrow Deathbench Program
Greg Nuckols 28 Programs (Recommended: 3x Intermediate Medium Bench Press Program)
Benching the Monolith

Bench Press Resources

Want more? Search the Lift Vault Program Library!

Search the Lift Vault Program Library to find the exact program you're looking for based on many criteria (e.g. experience level, days per week, and much more).

The latest bench press programs are available below.

Brad Gillingham 12 Week Bench Press Program

By Kyle Risley
Last updated July 15, 2021

Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Update: Rounded off weight values to the nearest 5 to clean the spreadsheet up.

Brad Gillingham’s 12 week raw bench program is a no frills bench-only program that incorporates a heavy day and a volume day into a 2x weekly program. [Read more…]

Greg Nuckols 28 Programs Spreadsheet

By Kyle Risley
Last updated June 29, 2026

Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Greg Nuckols released 28 free training programs through his site, Stronger by Science. The bundle covers squat, bench press, and deadlift individually, with templates for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters at 1, 2, or 3 training days per week for each lift. Every program runs on a 4-week cycle, and you test your 1RM at the end of each cycle. The math: 3 lifts x 3 skill levels x 3 frequencies = 27 programs, plus a 4th deadlift variation (low volume, medium volume, and high volume in addition to the standard beginner version) = 28 total.

The design comes from Nuckols’ data-driven approach to strength training. Instead of a single fixed program, the bundle gives you a modular system: pick your lift, your experience level, and how many days per week you can train that lift. You use the squat, bench, and deadlift programs together, each running at whatever frequency fits your schedule. Intermediate and advanced templates add lift variations (front squats alongside back squats, for example), while beginner programs focus on the competition lifts to build the movement pattern first.

These programs are a good fit for intermediate and advanced lifters who want a percentage-based, structured template they can customize by frequency. Beginners can run them too — the 1x per week beginner versions are the most approachable entry point. You’ll need a 1RM estimate for each lift to get started. If you’re brand new to powerlifting, you might get more mileage from a full-body novice program first. See also: Greg Nuckols High Frequency Program (free spreadsheet).

[Read more…]

KIZEN 6 Week Bench Peaking Program Spreadsheet

By Kyle Risley
Last updated August 16, 2021

Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Hot off the presses (ha!), this is the free 6 Week Bench Press Peaking Program spreadsheet by KIZEN Training. I highly recommend signing up for the free course at KIZEN that accompanies this program and guides you every step of the way.

[Read more…]

Mdisbrow Deathbench 10 Week Bench Press Program Spreadsheets (Original + Taper)

By Kyle Risley
Last updated August 24, 2020

Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 10
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Written and popularized by Redditor Matt Disbrow (aka /u/mdisbrow) – the Deathbench program is a disciple of the “if you want a bigger bench press, bench more” church.

[Read more…]

Smolov Program and Smolov Jr Bench and Squat Program Spreadsheets

By Kyle Risley
Last updated June 28, 2026

Experience level: Advanced
Weeks: 13, 3
Periodization: Block Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, Peaking
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Smolov is a Russian squat specialization and peaking cycle created by Sergey Smolov, a Soviet-era weightlifting coach. The full program runs 13 weeks and is built around four phases: a 2-week Introductory Microcycle, a 4-week Base Mesocycle (4 days per week of squatting), a 2-week Switching phase, and a 5-week Intense Mesocycle that ends with a 1RM test. There’s also a separate 3-week version called Smolov Jr that you can run for squat or bench press.

The idea behind Smolov is extreme squat frequency and volume at high percentages. The Base Mesocycle alone has you squatting 4 days per week with loads between 70% and 85% of your 1RM. Your body adapts to a level of squat volume most programs don’t approach. You need to eat, sleep, and recover around the program, not alongside it.

Smolov is for intermediate to advanced lifters with a solid squat base and a specific reason to peak, like a meet or a record attempt. If you’re a beginner, running a caloric deficit, or short on recovery time, skip it. For a less aggressive squat-focused peaking option, check out the Russian Squat Routine or the Hatch Squat Program.

[Read more…]