Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

A single bench press has low conditioning and coordination demand compared with repeated mixed work. Bracing, a consistent range of motion, and safe attempt selection still matter near a maximum.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (10/10): The heaviest successful bench press is the recorded result, making force production a primary demand.
• Power (6/10): The press requires force through the sticking point, with less explosive demand than an Olympic lift.
• Stamina (2/10): Warm-up and build-up sets create some local fatigue, but the score comes from one successful lift.
• Endurance (1/10): Brief single attempts with full recovery place little demand on sustained aerobic output.
• Flexibility (1/10): The bench setup needs enough shoulder range for a controlled full-range press.
• Speed (1/10): A deliberate setup and controlled repetition matter more than fast cycling.

Movements

• Bench Press

Scaling Options

Build to a controlled heavy triple or use a lighter load with full range of motion.

Scaling Explanation

A submaximal set keeps the pressing focus while reducing the cost of a missed maximum. Record the actual rep count; a triple is not a completed one-rep max.

Intended Stimulus

Test maximum upper-body pressing strength with a controlled descent and complete press. Full recovery keeps the result focused on load rather than repeated-set endurance.

Coach Insight

Use a spotter or correctly set safety arms. Keep your setup stable, lower the bar under control, and avoid a jump that depends on assistance to finish.

Benchmark Notes

Derived from PRzilla's 1RM Back Squat ladder using a 0.82 bench press-to-back-squat ratio from the five male strength-standard tiers, with male boundaries rounded to 5 lb. L5 starts at 195 lb and L10 at 385 lb for men; women reach L5 at 117.5 lb and L10 at 230 lb. The available MoC open Rx female 3RM median is 90 lb, estimated at 99 lb for one rep and placed at L4. Male MoC bench boards are percentage-prescribed, so they do not validate the male max ladder. These are absolute, gender-split loads; bodyweight and age do not change this ladder.

Modality Profile

The only movement is Bench Press, a weightlifting movement: G 0%, M 0%, W 100%.

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