Half-Hour Strength: Day C (Bench Lead)
Bench-led half-hour session. Bench paired with the barbell row, a moderate-rep squat paired with the standing press, then a short core block. The week's heaviest pressing exposure.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- Working sets 13
The session
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Priority lift of the session. Shoulder blades retracted, feet planted, touch the same spot every rep. Two feeders, then three working fives. 2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5 · rest 40s | 3 | 5 | 40s |
| 02 | Bent Over Barbell Row Pull half of block 1 and the balance for three pressing days a week. Bar to the lower ribs, no torso heave, controlled eccentric. 3 × 8 · rest 40s | 3 | 8 | 40s |
| 03 | Barbell Squat Second squat exposure of the week at moderate reps — lighter than Day A by design. One feeder, then three sets of seven at full depth. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 7 · rest 35s | 3 | 7 | 35s |
| 04 | Standing Military Press Accessory half of block 2 — higher reps than Day B, strict, no leg drive. First lift cut after the plank when the clock runs out. 2 × 10 · rest 30s | 2 | 10 | 30s |
| 05 | Plank Core block. Ribs down, glutes on, breathe shallow and steady. Stop when the line breaks. 2 × 40s · rest 30s | 2 | 40s | 30s |
Coaching notes
Bench is the priority: give it the full templated ramp and stop a set the moment bar speed collapses, even with reps left. Alternate within each block — bench set, row set, bench set — and treat the listed rest as the gap to the paired lift, which nets about 2:30 per movement. The block-2 squat is deliberately lighter than Day A's: a second exposure, not a second hard session. Cut order: plank first, then the standing press, never the bench or squat. Chin-ups substitute for the row.
Programs that use this template
The training principles
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Aleks · Coach
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