Bench press: Kaido Leesmann’s workout
Kaido Leesmann is the man who holds the official Estonian bench press record. This article takes you inside the record holder’s heavy chest training — the exercises, the equipment used and the training specifics that the average bodybuilder has probably never seen up close.
Kaido Leesmann and the bench press
Kaido is not a bodybuilder. But the sport Kaido competes in — powerlifting, more specifically the bench press — is sure to interest anyone who works with a barbell. The training philosophy is different: huge weights, precise planning of sets and specialized equipment that may seem foreign to the everyday gym-goer.
The workout took place at Reval-Sport. Fred Antson was the coach and spotter.
Bench press: workout structure
The warm-up consists of gymnastic exercises. Warming up the neck is especially important — a draft can easily leave it stiff. After that, it’s time to get to work on the main exercise.
The bench press starts with a completely empty barbell: 15–20 repetitions. Then the red 25 kg plates go on — Kaido uses neither the yellow nor the blue ones. Up to 150 kg, Kaido presses without a belt or wrist wraps, doing 5–6 repetitions per set to warm up the muscle and find the feel of the bar.
From 150 kg the wrist wraps go on — for safety, not as part of the warm-up. The aim is to lock the wrist in place. The real feeling of relief comes only when you take them off after pressing.
From 185 kg the spotter steps in behind the lifter to simulate a competition situation. From there, Kaido moves on to the bench shirt and the boards.
The bench shirt lets you press heavier weights and keeps training close to competition conditions. A board — in this case a 2-board, i.e. 8 cm — is placed on the chest during the press. It trains the specific phase where the shirt no longer helps: the middle and upper part of the lift. This is usually the phase where presses fail.
Rest between sets is 4–5 minutes — to recover and to mimic a competition situation. In total, 7–8 sets of presses were done. With the thick board (the 2-board), Kaido worked up to 270 kg. The last 2 sets were done with a thin board, and Kaido pressed 250 kg — the first attempt failed, but the second went up.
Accessory exercises: traps, triceps and shoulders
After the main exercise come the accessory exercises — to strengthen the muscle groups that also take part in the press. The movements are brisk and intense, and the rest is shorter: 2–3 minutes.
Traps — barbell shrugs: Brisk movements, heavy weights. The repetitions follow a pyramid of 10, 9, 9, 9 — 4 sets in total. Kaido grips the barbell with one hand overhand and the other underhand. The last set is done with 305 kg.
Triceps — cable pushdown: You stand facing the cable, grab the handle and push the weight down. Weight is added from set to set. 5 sets in total, and the last one fits about 6 repetitions. Bodybuilding-style strictness doesn’t matter here — all the work is aimed at building strength.
Triceps — one-arm cable pushdown: 3 sets. You stand sideways to the cable, grip the handle with an underhand grip and push the weight down.
Shoulders — upright rows with a barbell on the cable: Works the front of the shoulder and the traps. You set the cable to run from the bottom, grab the barbell and pull it up to your chin. Brisk movements, with the weights increasing from set to set.
Dumbbell front raises: An exercise for the front of the shoulder. You stand upright and raise the dumbbells in front of you, alternating arms. Three sets, with heavier weights in each set — 19, 21 and 24 kg.
Rear delt fly on the machine: The last exercise of a long workout that has already lasted over 2 hours. Set the pin at the bottom of the weight stack and add extra plates on top. As much as you can manage. Kaido says: Do the set with anger, don’t grin.
For accessory exercises, Kaido uses 70–80% of the resistance that could be handled — a little is left in reserve, but the workout is still intense and tiring. It ends with 5–10 minutes of stretching.
FAQ: the bench press and frequently asked questions
How many times a week should you train the bench press?
Kaido does the bench press twice a week — one heavy workout and one light one (50–60% weights). Two hard chest workouts a week would hinder muscle recovery and wouldn’t benefit progress.
What are the bench shirt and boards used for?
The bench shirt helps you press heavier weights and keeps training close to competition conditions. The board — available in different thicknesses: 4 cm (1-board), 8 cm (2-board), 12 cm (3-board) — trains the phase where the lifter’s strength is usually at its lowest.
Are wrist wraps necessary?
From 150 kg, Kaido uses wrist wraps. They lock the wrist in place and reduce the risk of injury when the weights get very heavy.
Full training program
Thursday: heavy chest + triceps + shoulders
- Bench press: 20×20 kg; 8×70 kg; 6×120 kg; 6×150 kg; 1×185 kg + shirt and 2-board (8 cm): 2×240 kg; 2×250 kg; 2×260 kg; 2×270 kg; 1-board (4 cm): 0×250 kg; 1×250 kg
- Traps: 4 sets — 10, 9, 9, 9 repetitions (170; 220; 270; 305 kg)
- Cable triceps: 5 sets — 10, 8, 8, 6, 6 repetitions (up to max.)
- One-arm cable triceps: 3×8
- Cable upright rows (standing): 4×8
- Front delts with a dumbbell (alternating arms forward): 3×8 (19; 21; 24 kg)
- Rear delts on the machine: 3×8 (max.)
Weekly plan:
- Monday: light chest + triceps (50–60%), back
- Tuesday: legs, abs
- Wednesday: rest
- Thursday: heavy chest + triceps + shoulders
- Friday: upper back + lower back, biceps, abs
- Saturday: cardio
- Sunday: rest
Author: Joker
Come and train! ArtGym
