I have hit 600 lb raw benches in competition in three different weight classes. I have also helped a lot of people hit personal records in the bench press over the years. That equates to two certainties, I know how to bench well and I know how to coach it. I can walk the walk and talk the talk.

Through the years I have implemented a number of different training programs. Personally, I think any program with a little science to back it up is going to work. Now, you better put in the effort. That should go without saying, but I see a lot of lifters who say they want it, but the work doesn't match the words.

So beyond a decent program and indomitable effort, what did it take to bench over 600 lbs raw? I went through a lot of my journals and notes, and there were three common denominators in my success.

SPEED BENCH - Speed work almost seems like swear words in this day and age of raw powerlifting. However, I will tell you I could not get my bench press over 600 lbs without it. Unlike many, I constantly tried to increase the weight and or accommodating resistance of my dynamic bench work. When that weight went up, my competition raw bench went up.

Now you can't just go heavy and throw caution to the wind. The weight must move fast. If you're not sure it's fast enough, then it's not. Early on I felt I wasn't moving fast enough so I brought the weight down to 185 lbs. By the end of my run of 600 lb benches, I was regularly working up to 365 lbs with bands and chains for speed triples.

Practice speed work, hone it, and then exploit it.

INCLINE CLOSE GRIP BENCH - When I was training conjugate, I often used incline bench as a max effort exercise. Coincidentally, when my incline bench went up, so did my raw competition bench. So when I switched from conjugate style training to a more linear approach I knew I had to work incline benching into my program.

Adding incline benching as an assistance exercise made perfect sense to me. However, at the time, my raw bench grip was really wide. I knew following up raw benching with that same width grip would wreak havoc on my pecs and shoulders. The simple solution was to move the grip in. Soon I found performing inclines with a closer grip kept pushing up my raw bench strength. It remained an integral part of training throughout my tenure as a top ten ranked bencher.

JM PRESSES - JM's are the king of all extension exercises and extension exercises are a key to a big bench. If you are trying to find the perfect form on these, give up. Short of training with JM Blakely himself (and I don't think he trains anymore) you will never get a definitive answer on how to do them and JM might not even be sure by the way.

Do a Google search and you will find probably around one trillion videos. Take one you like and run with it. Most importantly, load the weight up and kill them. I was working JM's with 365 lbs for reps at my best.

Some people have trouble with elbow pain and extensions. I have found that reverse grip cable pushdowns with light weight for reps can really help with sore elbows.

There they are, my triumvirate to a massive bench. Add them to your arsenal and watch your bench grow.