The Average Increase of Bench Pressing Per Month

Bench pressing more weight is always a good ego boost, and strength gains on the bench can indicate an increase in muscle size too. The amount you can increase your bench press by depends on a number of different factors, particularly how long you've been training and what type of program you're following. Whatever your level, you should be able to make consistent progress on the bench press each month.

  1. Beginners

    • As a new trainer you should be able to increase your bench press every workout. In "Starting Strength," coach Mark Rippetoe recommends starting out by benching just the barbell on its own, which weighs 45 pounds, performing five sets of five bench presses each workout and aiming to add 5 pounds to the bar every session. Following this method, and bench pressing twice one week and once the next, you should be able to add 30 pounds to your bench press every month.

    Intermediates

    • The longer you train, the more your gains slow, though you can still make steady strength increases as an intermediate lifter. Adding weight each session is known as linear progression, and it only really works for beginners. As an intermediate lifter with around six months training under your belt, you need to vary the loads you use each workout. In the intermediate powerlifting program "5/3/1" coach Jim Wendler recommends cycling the weight you use each workout. In the first week of the month, perform a maximum set with 85 percent of your single repetition max, take this up to 90 percent the next week and 95 percent in week three. Take week four off, then begin the cycle again but adding 5 pounds each week. This will give you a 5-pound bench press gain each month.

    Advanced Lifters

    • Once you've been training for several years, strength gains are harder to come by. Most elite lifters will use a form of training known as the conjugate system, where you rotate exercise each workout. So, rather than always bench pressing once a week, you switch between bench press variations such as regular bench presses, presses against bands or lifting chains, paused bench presses or partial range benches. Your aim is to hit a new personal record on your lift every session, but you may only perform regular bench presses once every five or six weeks, giving you a yearly gain of around 40 pounds or an average gain of around 3 1/2 pounds per month.

    Considerations

    • If you particularly want to increase your bench press, engage in a specialization routine. This involves focusing on bench pressing while simply trying to maintain your other lifts. Bench pressing twice a week for a period of three months can help more advanced lifters add extra weight to the bench press, according to elite powerlifter Chuck Miller. You may find, however, that putting so much effort into your bench presses means your other lifts, such as squats and deadlifts, don't increase as much as you'd like.