How High-Reps Entered My Bench Press Training and Why
Here is the story of how it started, how it developed, and why I believe the effect is far greater than most people imagine.
Background to High-Reps
More than fifteen years ago, I started training with more reps than what was considered normal in strength training. In 2010, I was stuck at 130 kg in the bench press for more than six months. For many people this might not seem strange, but for me, training three times a week solely to get stronger in the bench, it was frustrating. My best gym lift was 130 kg without a pause, and in competition I had, at best, managed 125 kg with a pause. Then everything came to a halt.
I had experienced plateaus before. It took me months to go from 96 to 97 kg. Going from 115 to 117.5 kg took almost half a year. I lifted 127.5 kg touch and go in January 2010, and a few months later I managed to press 130 kg a couple of times. It always felt heavy. It wasn’t until October 2010 that I broke that record, and at that point I was lighter in bodyweight than I had been when lifting 130 kg.’
After trying different principles, methods and programs, I eventually settled on doing more reps. My thinking was simple. Everyone agrees that if I can do 4 reps with a weight that used to be my 3RM, I’ve gotten stronger. The same applies if my 3RM goes up by 2.5 kg. It’s not always perfectly exact, but in general the rule holds. If you maintain technique and perform 92.5 kg x 3 with the same control as you previously did 90 kg x 3, you are stronger.
I took that principle further than what was considered reasonable at the time. I figured that if I increased my 10RM by 2.5 kg, or managed 11 reps where I previously managed 10, the same logic should apply. The more reps you do, the smaller the direct impact on your 1RM, but an increase is still an increase, and it can be measured.
The Results of High-Reps
I set a goal of doing 14 to 15 reps with 100 kg. I usually managed at least 10 reps, so I trained almost exclusively around 100 kg and focused on building a tolerance for higher repetitions. After a few weeks of attempts with 97.5 to 100 kg, I hit 14 reps with 100 kg on September 23, 2010. Just ten days later, on October 3, I benched 140 kg and then 135 kg with a pause in training. For me, this was a breakthrough and a huge relief. I had not only passed my 130 kg plateau, I surpassed it by 10 kg.
The development afterward wasn’t as straightforward. I hit 150 kg at the end of December, but the period leading up to October 2011 had both highs and lows. On October 31, 2011, I pressed 175 kg and was satisfied, although in hindsight I can clearly see that the progress could have been better. Shortly after, I became very sick and had a long road back.
Over the years I have tried to build a clear system around these principles. I’ve developed methods and programs that provide good conditions for success. I’ve been successful, but not as successful as I believe the system can be. When I found something that was “good enough,” I didn’t always continue experimenting, even though I probably should have. What started as a personal experiment fifteen years ago is now much more established and used by some of the world’s best bench pressers. I still use it myself, and it took me from 130 kg to 250 kg in the bench press.
How High-Reps Work
The biggest issue many people have with high-rep training is cultural, not physiological. I’ve spoken to people much smarter than I am who still can’t understand how high-reps can transfer to max strength. It has often been almost comical. I went from 10 to 14 reps on 100 kg and increased from 130 to 140 kg in the bench press. A 40 percent increase in reps resulted in a 10 kg increase in max strength. To me, this is perfectly logical. The principle is the same as going from 3 reps to 4 reps with a submax weight.
Over time I’ve realized that what holds people back is culture and “knowledge.” Many have decided to believe in one single truth. I have been told repeatedly, with physiological explanations, that the stimulus from high reps cannot transfer to 1RM strength. This despite the fact that it clearly does. To me, it has felt a bit like the old claim that “bumblebees can’t fly.”
For seventy years, people believed mathematically that bumblebees couldn’t fly. They knew they could, but the models were wrong from the start. Only when researchers filmed the wings with high-speed cameras did they understand how the bumblebee actually flew. I believe there was more interest in solving the bumblebee myth than in investigating high-rep training in strength sports. And honestly, the slogan lift heavy to lift heavier is hard to argue with.
In my experience, high-reps in bench press work the same way as low reps. There are differences, but they are mostly details. After fifteen years with high-reps, more than anyone else I know of, this is my clear conclusion.
Same Same
The biggest reason high-reps don’t work for some people is the way they perform the reps. Every repetition must be done with integrity and intention. No sloppy technique. Treat the weight as if it were heavy. Keep the body stable, maintain contact throughout the entire movement, and press from the bottom to the top with quality. Bouncing the bar off your chest, half-lockouts or wobbling around on the bench will not transfer to max strength.
If you’re training for 15 reps with 100 kg, there is no excuse to let technique slide. The same applies if you’re doing max reps, like when I performed 56 reps with 100 kg. For the work to transfer to your 1RM, the reps must be good reps.
How to Train High-Reps
I have spent fifteen years trying to shape these principles into structured training programs. In my app, Built Strong, you will find several programs based on these methods. For bench press only, I recommend the following programs:
10×10 by J.E
Junk Volume Kings & Queens
If you are a powerlifter who wants to keep squats and deadlifts more traditional while using high-reps in bench press, I recommend these programs:
If you want to try higher reps in squats and deadlifts as well, take a look at these programs:
Built Strong 1.0 – Compound Maxreps
Barbell Built (4 sesions 4 weeks)
Barbell Built (3 sesions 4 weeks)
Barbell Built | All round – Express