ORNATE STRENGTH

People complicate things way too much so I’m going to keep this short and sweet. If you want to get stronger, fitter and more muscular then read on.

CHOOSING A GYM

There are three questions you should ask yourself before joining a gym

Does this gym have the bare essentials (squat rack, place for deadlifting and bench press)?
Is this gym conveniently located?
Can I reasonably afford to take out a membership at this gym?

If the answer to the three above questions is YES, then you can’t really go wrong.

CHOOSING A ROUTINE

As a beginner, you could choose the most sub-optimal routine and still see significant results. I think the most important thing when selecting a beginner routine is to pick something that you can and will stick to. Three routines I would recommend are: Greyskull LP, Starting Strength, or 5×5 Stronglifts. Of the three, Greyskull LP is the most optimal routine (in my opinion). Learn more about Greyskull LP here. Just pick something that you will stick to.

NUTRITION

Nutrition is perhaps one of the most overcomplicated aspects of fitness. It’s really not hard as a beginner. Not at all. If you’re looking to put on muscle then simply eat ~500 calories above your basal metabolic rate, which can be calculated here. In addition to this, ensure that you consume at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. To calculate this, simply take your bodyweight in lbs and times it by 0.8. The result is how many grams of protein you should seek to consume. You can consume more than this, but try to consume at least this amount.

There is one caveat. If you’re overweight, it is entirely possible to burn fat WHILST building muscle as a beginner. Simply consume around ~500 calories LESS than your BMR and ensure you consume 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (up to a limit of 180g of protein per day). Essentially, drop your calorie consumption below your BMR but ensure that you’re still consuming enough protein to build muscle. Simple.

YOUR FIRST SESSION

It is daunting, but it’s really not a big deal at all. Just ensure you’re going to the gym with a plan (see ‘CHOOSING A ROUTINE’ above), and execute that plan. If you don’t know what the exercises included in the routine entail, simply look them up on YouTube beforehand. There are plenty of videos on there demonstrating how to perform exercises with the correct form. If you have a friend who can guide you through your first session and show you how to perform certain exercises then that’s a bonus, but it is perfectly fine to figure it out yourself. Nobody will sneer at you for not executing each lift perfectly. Just make sure you’re doing your best. Oh, and don’t waste money on bog-standard personal trainers at commercial gyms.

ENJOY YOUR PROGRESS

At no other time in your lifting career will you experience gains like your newbie gains. Enjoy it, relish it, give it time. You will be stronger session-by-session and will start to notice improvements in your physique very quickly. You’re about to embark upon a journey that could potentially change your life forever – if only you allow it.

Finally, I have saved the most important piece of advice until last. BE CONSISTENT. Consistency is the single most important determinant of success. Turn up on schedule. Lift weights. Eat right. That’s it. Enjoy your gains.

If you have reached this web page, you have undoubtedly heard of a man going by the moniker of ‘UFpwrLifter’. His real name is Long Nguyen and he is a powerlifter (or more specifically, a bench press specialist), currently residing in Florida. Nguyen is perhaps most famed for his 410lbs (186kg) bench press – a seriously impressive lift. This lift is made even more impressive by the fact that Nguyen weighed just 154lbs (70kg) at the time, making that 266% of his own bodyweight. Finally, UFpwrLifter has received much credit on social media for his perceived ‘natty’ status, which is something I have full confidence in. There are few men who can press 186kg for whom I can say with almost 100% certainty are natural lifters. Long Nguyen is one of those men.

Nguyen is an undoubtedly gifted individual in terms of genetics, and he was able to bench press 310lbs (141kg) in his senior year at high school. This genetic gift is accentuated by Nguyen’s tireless work ethic, having worked on his bench press for almost two decades at the time of the 410lbs lift, which he accomplished at just over 30 years of age. So, you’re probably wondering just how you can emulate the success of the notorious UFpwrLifter? Well, I can’t guarantee that you will achieve such lofty numbers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it a good shot – and seriously improve your bench press in the process.

Nguyen has divulged the details of the program, which he devised through trial and error and used to help him attain bench press notoriety. It is a basic three-day per week program, which operates on percentages of your current 1RM and incorporates sets of 5 or less, with great emphasis placed upon heavy singles. Nguyen proclaims that this is a ‘keeping’ program as opposed to a ‘peaking’ program. Below I have pasted the program, which was copied from a blog pos t, authored by UFpwrLifter in 2016.

“Monday/ Wednesday
33% x 10 (warm up)
56% x 10 (warm up)
79% x 5
86% x 3
91% x 1
96% x 1
91% x 1
91% x 1
86% x 3
79% x5

Friday
33% x 10 (warm up)
56% x 10 (warm up)
79% x 5
86% x 3
91% x 1
91% x 1
91% x 1
86% x 2
79% x 4
79% x 3

Accessory – M/W/F
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension – 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Bodyweight Pull-Up – 3 sets x 12-15 reps”

I have created a very simple and effective Excel spreadsheet (see bottom of this post), which will calculate all of these numbers for you, as well as rounding to the nearest denominator of your choice. For example, if my current 1RM is 325lbs, my 96% lift would be 312lbs. Given that the lowest plate my gym has is 2.5lbs, I can only lift either 310lbs, or 315lbs. This spreadsheet accounts for this and calculates which of the two aforementioned weights you should use.

Basic rules of the program:

Fridays are usually a lot tougher due to fatigue. If you can repeat the M/W routine on Friday, then do so. However, if you are feeling weak and fatigued, proceed to perform the lighter ‘Friday’ intensity in which the 96% lift is removed, in addition to a few subtle tweaks.
Stick to the program AS OUTLINED for a minimum of 4 weeks, before testing new 1RM’s.
Rest 4 days before testing your 1RM (usually achieved by skipping the Friday session and performing your 1RM attempt on the following Monday).
To progress, simply stick at this program for a MINIMUM of 4 weeks before testing your new 1RM. Progression occurs by deriving your lifting percentages from this new 1RM, thus increasing your lifts after the 4-week (minimum) period.

UFPwrLifter Bench Press Program Excel SpreadsheetDownload

A Beginner’s Guide to Starting the Gym

UFpwrLifter Bench Press Program