Tommy Påhls set a new personal best in the bench press this weekend with 245 kg / 540 lbs at a bodyweight of 124.2 kg / 274 lbs. Tommy achieved this PB at the age of 42, which also made it a Swedish veteran record. Tommy has been strength training for more than half of his life, so setting a personal best at that age and at this level is certainly not something that comes for free.
Tommy has trained for many years using many different models. He is naturally very explosive and has always had a lot of power in his lifts. What has lagged behind for him has been the technical side and his ability to keep everything stable. Because of this, the priority has been to lift in a stable and controlled manner. His explosiveness and power have therefore been held back, which means that his lifts have not necessarily moved as fast as they could have. Instead, they have become smoother and more stable. This has not only increased the weight on the bar, but also raised the level of Tommy’s performances in competition as he has become a more stable lifter. More and more often, Tommy is able to complete all three attempts.
The improvement in technique has not come from doing few reps with heavier weights. Instead, it has come from light weights and a lot of reps. By setting high standards for himself and his execution, combined with keeping the weights light, good conditions are created for developing good technique. Despite pressing heavier weights than ever this year, Tommy has trained lighter than ever. His heaviest training weight has been 73%.
One thing you can see in Tommy’s 245 kg / 540 lbs lift is that his shoulder blades spread out toward the end. This is a weak point for him, just as it is for several other lifters. For Tommy, one solution, in addition to actively working on maintaining his position, has been to train with a slightly narrower grip. His grip has been one or two fingers inside the rings instead of the maximum-width grip he uses in competition. In that setup, his index finger is on the ring.
Tommy’s training in broad terms
Session 1 – Monday:
Several sets of bench press with sets of 10. The weight is often 140-160 kg / 309-353 lbs. Sometimes slightly heavier, but always light enough to be able to perform sets of 10. Each set usually has five or more reps in reserve. The purpose is to build a broad base through volume and high-quality reps. Even if Tommy could press 10 reps with 180 kg / 397 lbs, the weight may stay at 160 kg / 353 lbs or lower because that is already enough weight for the purpose of the session.
Session 2 – Wednesday:
This session can vary. Either light bench press with several sets of 20 reps, or some bench press combined with other chest training, such as push-ups. The purpose here is to provide muscular stimulation and develop other qualities that can help with technique and training.
Session 3 – Friday:
The final session of the week is really the only hard session. Here, there are usually a few sets of max reps with weights between 120-160 kg / 265-353 lbs. The heaviest weight is 180 kg / 397 lbs. This session is the last one of the week, which means that you are not fully rested. At the same time, it is a good session for getting reference points and seeing where you are.
Each session is also usually supplemented with other upper-body training. The purpose is for it to help the bench press. Preferably more complex exercises with a lot of “bang for the buck” and fewer isolation exercises.
The heaviest weight Tommy trained with leading up to the competition where he made 245 kg / 540 lbs was 180 kg / 397 lbs. That is 65 kg / 143 lbs lighter, which comes out to 73%. For many people, this is incomprehensible, but it has been proven to work well over and over again at all levels.
There are no heavy singles or other heavy sets. For most people, this would be a very difficult thing to do psychologically. To go into a competition without even touching 80%, for that matter. At the same time, perhaps this is the best way to get rid of the mental barriers. For someone to be able to do this and handle it, they have to be honest with themselves and strive for the best execution they can achieve. They also have to ignore misconceptions such as the idea that you have to lift a certain weight or build up a specific weight familiarity.
The concept is that you work on the technical aspects and build a motor pattern that becomes deeply ingrained. After that, you learn to develop force and strength in those positions. From there, with training and recovery, you will be able to perform at maximum weights, including singles.
The principle behind this training is the same as the one you find in the bench press program “Junk Volumes Kings & Queens Bench Press”, which you can find in the Built Strong App.
During the fall of 2026, Tommy has been running the program “Built Prodject 2026”, which will be available in the Built Strong App. From there, he will move on to “Fast & Strong”.
All programs are available in the Built Strong App.