Critical Bench -The Review

Today was the only light day of the program..

Flat Bench Press: 1/2 reps lower
225 x 10; 245 x 10; 225 x 10

Flat Bench Press: 1/2 reps upper:
225 x 10; 245 x 10; 225 x 10

Dumbbell Pullovers:
80x10;80x10;80x10

Summary:

I could tell immediately when doing the 1/2 reps where my weak spot was. Lower. My triceps are strong. When I did the 1/2 reps for the upper movement it was cake. Granted, my triceps are really sore because it put all the weight on them. Great triceps exercise. The bottom movement was difficult. Doing a full rep is not as when I get past my sticking point, a lot of the push comes from my triceps. However, my weak spot is obviously the bottom movement.

1/2 reps were an interesting switch up.

Dumbbell pullovers were nice for a good stretch.

It's all about the chest!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

thats usually where I stick too.......actually where MOST people stick!!!! i had a BAD experience on chest workout for week 2 mda, i used the outdoor bench and the highest i got by myself was 240 for 1.....im supposed to get 260 for 1......it was sad but we now got a new gym with 2 good benches and im lookin foward to week 3 although its a low weight day......................good progress MDA

is this an ok thing for a 14/15 year old to do.. i really wanna up my bench press weight because i've never had good chest strength... rigth now i bench 110/115 for 8 sets.. but what i really have to do is work on the lower part of my press.. its by far the hardest part of it for me... i could easily add more weight if it weren't for that part... thanks for ne info on that

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"Sprinting is tough. In fact, it's so tough, many people actually fear doing it, which is exactly why I Reccomend it"

AIM Name = CharlesMonroe736

110/115 for 8 sets

If you can do that weight for 8 sets, then the weight is by far too light.

I wouldn't suggest Critical Bench until you really have an idea of what is heavy, what you can handle and maybe get out of the growing phase. I've read a few places that teens (young teens not 18) doing really heavy weights can be tough on the growth plates.

Anyway, if you are doing 8 sets at that weight, you probably have no idea what you could reasonable handle at 1-2 reps.

Or negatives for that matter.

So I'd say no. This program probably isn't for you just yet. I like it a lot and the principles are sound. But from the sounds of it, you are still in the beginning stages and a little more experience would get you on track to tackle a program like this and make super gains.

Just up the weight you are doing now and drop the sets. Doing 8 sets at the same weight.. it's no wonder you are sort of stuck. If you always do what you always do, then you'll always get what you always get. Bump the weight up.. drop the sets. Go heavier.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Interesting system. My friend is running Max-OT right now and loving it. I was going to try it, but this system may be the way I go. Not sure.

Keep up the good work.

Laser

Showing up is half the battle.

My Bowling Business!!! H & E Bowling Supply
http://www.hebowlingsupply.com

Current Max Weights:
Bench 325
Squat 550
Deadlift 505

My goal is to get to 1400 total for the 3 lifts

BIG incline today.. phew.. it was heavy. I'm not gonna lie.

Flat Bench Press:
270 x 4; 280 x 4; 305 x 2

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press:
80 x 8; 75 x 8; 70 x 10

Cable Crossovers:
70x8; 70x8; 80x7

Summary:

I'm not gonna lie. 305 lbs on a flat bench. I know I crapped out at the bottom. But I didn't feel like I couldn't handle it. Of course I had a spotter and granted, I'm sure he 'assisted' but in order to keep moving, I've got to push myself. This by far was the heaviest I've benched in my life. I'm 10 lbs away from 315 lbs. I should have been at 310 lbs today but I mis-calculated the weight. Does not matter. 305 lbs was my max.

When I did my burn out set at 185 lbs it was the oddest feeling. I swear, I did 15 solid reps with ease. Like it was nothing. 15 reps! To many that is chump change. But to me.. that felt like a warm-up set. It was amazing.

I can only imagine when I do a set of negatives for 350 lbs that 315 lbs might feel light!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

hello, im rather new to this all, the lifting aspect, and i was wondering if there mght be sme help for me? ive been recentley stuck in a regression, in benching now i can only press 315 for 3, and i am wondering how to implament the critical benchng oprogram with my training. i was using max ot, but i seem to shrink over night, previous bext max was trippling 350, but ill work up eventually, any tips? i really wish i could increast it i suppose ive deocnditioned, but ill grow soemtime soon, for my size, my arms are rather tiny.. any tips on how this can apply? thanks

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~no way as way, no limitation as limitation~
Stats
Age:16
Weight:2??
Height:5'7
bf:13%
squat 499.5x 20 bench 411x 9 dead 385x 20

Work the whole body.. deadlifts, bench.. squats.

And check out Critical Bench

It's just how the program is structured that is nice. Just different. And customized for you. Seems to have helped me somewhat break out of what I was doing.

Welcome to DB!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

thanks for the welcoming comittie, it feels great to find some people who actually know what the are doing, . next workout ill post. pushups seem to be my biggest booster usally, but mostly for me bolster all three deseried gins: strength, size, and a little endurence, when i plauteu, i usally break, but ive heard in max ot to completley stop training?

but ive heard in max ot to completley stop training?

Yeah man. A quick week long break after 2 months gives your body a chance to catch up to your work out program.

(Something Inspirational)!!!

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nice ill most deffinatley take that into consideration in the split, oh by the way, i was flipping through max ot, and was confuzzled, whats the diffrencde between dumbell flies and chest press? is the chest press dont without arms bent or not? im 16 and should be picking up next monday.
ps vitiman c is awesome!

i hope i didnt kill the thread, back to benching, up to 320! w00t! i cant wait for whats next. whoyah!

at 16yrs old, u can push 320.............ill bow down to that if i saw it..............ta ta

I deleted the eBook.. After the 320 bench.. I decided to focus on the TV Shows I Can't Miss...

Alright.. No.. but that is still stinking impressive!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

if all possible i know where to get a digital-video camera at school, can upload when i film, if its able to be loaded on here . might be more depending on when its shot. i just gotta take it one day at a time. after break, should be able to. a lot of things occur that affect. sofar, record, this may be a bit off topic, and id sure would not have any objections to documenting/ taping, but tis around 420 on squats, 325 on deads, and 320ish benching. not a lot, but not a ittly bit. i can not curl more than 135, but i doubt the biceps play a major role in benching. currentley i am 230, with 15%bf, around 5'8". gotta gain some mas for the off season of wrestling... fun times

If you are able to document this.. good lighting.. keep it PG rated.. and it's good..

We can talk. I might be able to put it up somewhere. MPEG file.

PM or E-mail me if you really do this and it's a good shot.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

BIG flat today.. phew.. it was heavy. I'm not gonna lie. Negatives. Stares.

Flat Bench Press:
225 x 8; 315 x 4(negative); 345 x 4(negative); 315 x 4(negative)

Incline Bench Press:
155 x 8; 135 x 9; 135x 10

Cable Crossovers:
70x8; 70x8; 60x8

Summary:

345lbs on a flat bench. Like the book said.. it's gonna be more then you can handle. And it was right. I had a spotter on each side and one in the back. I'm sure I lost all respect as people looked and thought or said "What a moron. There's no way he can handle that."

Point being, it was negatives and I was not trying to handle it.. just keep it controlled on the way down. Going that heavy.. way over the limit I would ever set for myself. But the point was.. 315 lbs seemed a lot lighter.

I think I got 1-2 up on my own the very first set of negatives!

It made me realize that what you see in the gym (minus form) you can't really comment on. The purpose of this program is to be able to do 1 rep at 315 lbs on my own. A new max. Which is 50 lbs over my past max.

So those who are wondering... where is Week 7? I did it. It was light. Nothing major. And nothing really to report on. The mental focus on this was started 2 weeks ago when I wondered how I was going to get anybody to spot me.

Luckily there were 3 guys in there.. old timers.. who all happened to be there at the same time. And I knew them. And it wasn't a crowded day.

I got all the comments of.. doing this is gonna wreck you.

But the point again.. I just want to do 315 lbs 1x under my own power. And in order to get there, I'm doing this 12 week program.

I have to say, Week 8 is the hardest of them all.

(1) Finding 3 spotters would have been impossible. I got lucky.
(2) That was an incredible amount of weight. 345 lbs.. was like.. HOLY CRAP!! I had to work hard just to control the bar and not let it smash me.

I think by Week 11, 315 lbs is gonna be something I can certainly do.

And if so, the program was a success!

Very good day today. I'm sure nobody respects me now. Except maybe Powerhaus.. maybe....

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Whoa. 345? itbrings back memories of the benching i dd when in wrestling. nothing to sneeze at. i know exactly what you mean, people around, helping if you need it. varies, although they kept saying, get angry! lol it might have worked if i had not been warming up for the tourney. i felt it for a week after, could barley reech cross my torso, it was defieled.. go you, youll probally be pulling 400 plus by years end. as for me ive tried, only at 325 for 6 at a friends house. btw, any recomendations for size? i consider myself to be tiny, although im a bit over 200. keep it up man, iyoull be pushing a chunk in no time.

In all honestly, 345 lbs was way more then I could handle right now. I was just keeping focused enough to keep the bar from squishing me.

I think my goal was on this program to hit 315 lbs. And I believe at Week 11 I will be able to do that. For reps at some point.

Don't get the impression I did 345 lbs. It was negatives from rep 1. There was no way.. I could have pushed it up under my own strength.

I'm 184 lbs now. Critical Bench is a great program. You want size? Try the Max-OT program.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Can I get a couple tips to build up my chest? I'm pretty weak on the bench, on my second rep do I have to go up that far in weight or just move up to a comfortable that I can push?

ORIGINAL: colombian369

Can I get a couple tips to build up my chest? I'm pretty weak on the bench, on my second rep do I have to go up that far in weight or just move up to a comfortable that I can push?

Then use nothing but dumbell's for several weeks. My recommendation is to not use a barbell and perform the following exercises at a minimum.

Flat Bench DB press
Incline DB Press

Now a major point to remember is that bench is not just pecs, it's shoulders (Delts) and Triceps also.

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

Flat Bench Press:
270 x 5; 290 x 4;325x2; 225 x 8

Incline Bench Press:
155 x 8; 185 x 6; 205x 5

Decline Dumbbell Flyes:
40x8;45x8;50x6

Summary:

Doing 325 lbs for 2 reps was not bad! Hard as hell and I had to push 100% but my spotter didn't seem phased. I've noticed that many people if they have to help too much will say something.

Pretty sore the next whole week. I missed posting this right after I did it. But overall, another great workout.

These weights are way over what I would normally handle so I'm feeling pretty good about the program after week 9. 8 weeks ago there was no way I could do 315 lbs on my own.. Now I'm pretty confident that I'm going to be able to do it a few times. Maybe 1 or 2 times but that is above my record when I started and most certainly shows me this particular program has worked for my training style and needs.

Week 10 is right around the corner. Nothing nearly as crazy as week 8. But It's above the 300 mark for sure.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

ORIGINAL: mda1125

Week 9 of Critical Bench

Flat Bench Press:
270 x 5; 290 x 4;325x2; 225 x 8

Damn dude, I'm feeling pretty weak right now looking at these numbers

And Laser is really starting to kick my ass too, man this is just not good

Time to chuck it all and become a hermit

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

No. Time to take a week break. Get motivated and figure out a program that is gonna work for you.

So far, this program and Max-OT have been great. But I think it's because it fits my training style. Warm-up, go heavy, go home.

The longer the workout is.. the more fatigued I am and the less motivated I am in the long run. Could be the program you are on.. just does not fit you?

But the numbers I've seen from you are impressive and you've come a long way dude. You are just getting to the good parts!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Hang on a second MDA...I am a little confused. Your goal is to max out at 315 at the end of the program but last week you did 325 X 2....so arent you already at your goal??

And would you reccommend critical bench to a teen?

but last week you did 325 X 2

With help.

My goal is 315 lbs.. without help. I think I can do that.. I'll know next week when I try.

The program puts you over the top.. negatives.. more weight then you can handle in order to get you to your goal. I think I did 325 lbs pretty good last week. But yesterday, I tried 335 lbs.. NO WAY.

Would I recommend it to a teen? Good question. It's much like Max-OT. Some of the weeks you are way way over your max. When I tried for 355 lbs.. 4 negatives. I am glad I had 3 spotters. So I guess the question is.. if a teen has been working out for a long time, knows the form well, has good qualified help and understands what HEAVY is.. it might not be bad. But I'm still stuck under the impression (maybe false) that if you are still growing, doing extremely heavy weights puts stress on joints and such when you are still growing.

I'll say, I recommend it to anybody who wants to increase their bench. But I think those who are not growing, who have years of experience working out, will probably get the best benefits. But it's not like you can never do the program later on. So you can always try it.. and come back to it if it isn't for you at this time.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Marc,

I know that CB is all about the bench but how has the rest of your body responded? I'm seriously toying with CB next but I would like to at least maintain what I have acheived in other areas. I know that Shoulders and Triceps are gonna be pounded as part of the bench routines but how has YOUR body responded in the areas that have NOT be a main focus?

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

Just maintenance really. I've not noticed any loss of strength in areas. But I don't think I've broken any records lately either.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Flat Bench Press:
270 x 5; 290 x 4;315x2; 225 x 10

Incline Dumbbell Press:
85 x 8; 90 x 6; 100 x 5

Cable Flyes:
80x7;70x8;70x8

Summary:

When I put up 290 lbs for 5 reps.. 4 of those being pretty strong.. I knew I could hit the 315 lbs mark. It was lighter then I'd done the previous Week 10 (which I know I'm missing a post! But it was just Week 10.. I was stoked about this week).

So rather then talk about my summary because this workout was good.. I'm gonna drop into the conclusion.

Conclusion:

Critical Bench was a customized program that set me back $37. At the end of the program, I went from my very first workout of a new max of 285 lbs to my current new max of 315 lbs. That's 30 lbs on my bench. And when I was already at what I thought was my max, 30 lbs isn't so bad!

Although I felt in Week 10 when I put up 325 lbs for 2 reps, pretty much ME.. at least 1 by myself, that was really my new max. Today seemed easier. But I did it.

So after 11 weeks on this program, I figured that my bench has gone up by 30-50 lbs. I went from thinking 225 lbs was heavy and barely got 1 rep out 2 years ago, to getting 2 reps out at 325 lbs.

My feelings were that at 265 lbs, I was at my max. After starting this program, I finally got to my personal goal of 3 plates a side. Which is exactly what I want to do.

So to keep this short, I felt Critical Bench was a good program, well worth the money for something different and took me out of my plateau and onto new levels. No longer will I look at 315 lbs and wonder "What if." I know I can now go into the gym and do it. Granted, it's heavy. A max lift for sure. But it does not scare me to think about it.

I would recommend the Critical Bench program to anybody who is experienced. Has benched for some time. Free weights. Is stuck at some weight. And wants to break out of it and isn't afraid to lift heavy and hard. Having a consistent partner to help and having good spotters on Week 8 was critical. But the program was about improving the bench. Strength. And it worked for me.

Recommend.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

good stuff mda....glad to hear u hit ur goals........I on the other hand didnt do well with CB....the enviornment was bad....so was sleep..so i decided to start it up all over again.......now that im in the states workin 8 hours a day, NOT 12...lol i never quite hit the 275 mark........the one time i THOUGHT i did, the spotter help the bar the whole time so i didnt count it......he says it was all me, who knows!!!!