Maconi Modified Pressing Routine
Specialization program to increase your maximal strength in the bench press or overhead press.
Overview
As with almost all routines, this routine is heavily influenced by others. Pavel Tsatsouline, Kelly Baggett, and Greg Nuckols all have content that influenced this set up. It is a routine I’ve used several times for both bench press and overhead press. While I have long arms and don’t have the greatest genetics for pressing strength it has helped me to reach a ~365lb bench and ~2x225lb overhead press.
This can be incorporated into a hypertrophy based program as well, but I would not add much pressing volume. In most instances this does not have to affect your upper body pulling or lower body work much but it can and should change your upper body pressing. If you are interested in hypertrophy of your chest, delts, and triceps during this time I would recommend sticking with higher rep ranges (12+) with exercises that are generally less taxing and I would do it after the pressing work on Day 1 and Day 2.
If using this for bench press I would subsequently drop 4-5 sets from your typical chest work and focus more on isolation and machine work for the time being. Similarly, if using this for overhead press I would drop 4-5 sets from your typical delt work and, again, would focus more on isolation and machine work.
The idea, of course, is to expose oneself to high frequencies with a heavy load, and to do so at an RPE that allows one to maintain proper form. You should not be failing any reps, and only the 1RM on Day 4 should be a true 0RIR set.
Day 1: 4 sets of 3 with a 5RM
Day 2: 3 sets of 2 with a 3RM
Day 3: 5 sets of 1 with 80% of most recent 1RM
Day 4: 1 set of 1 with a 1RM (hopefully a new max), 3 sets of 1 with a 3RM
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
This can be repeated as long as desired, with 12+ weeks being common. As always, nutrition will impact one’s results and strength is going to go up faster in a slight surplus compared to a deficit. I would not recommend this routine to someone in a deficit.
About Dr. Dave Maconi
Dr. Dave Maconi is a fitness coach and educator. On the Brains and Gains podcast, Dave discusses all things exercise science, nutrition, health, and personal development. Every week, he invites health experts and thought leaders to share their expertise. Each episode ends with a charity donation to the charity of the guest's choice.
Having a full time job outside of the fitness industry allows Dave to coach individuals at a very reasonable price. Additionally, it ensures he's doing so because he loves coaching and want to help. If you're interested in 1 on 1 coaching, email Dave at [email protected] or visit his website here.
Who it's for
Reviews
My benchpress isn't improving
Great program. I started week 1 being conservator with 175lbs pr knowing that I could hit that. End week 1 I hit 175, week 2 fail 180 so yeah 175 was my previous pr, by week 11 I hit 190, in week 12 fail 195 so 15lbs in 12 weeks or 8.5% improvement which I consider is great, I run it again and hope I get 205 long term goal 225 for solid 3 or 5 reps
Still in the early stages but enjoying the simplicity, “get it done” nature of the program. Its pretty linear do I will just have to see where I hit the wall. Sleep and nutrition could be more optimal but other than that I’m going ride this b#tch till the weels fall off. To be continued 😉🫡
Week 1 review: (I'll be updating as I go along). Just finished my first week on the program. I PR'd my bench on the 4th day as it instructs you to do. This is most likely not due to the program as much as it's due to just expressing some strength I had built previously. I am, at the moment, quite dubious of benching 4 days in a row for this many weeks, but I'm willing to try as I've had a hard time increasing it. Like the author, I'm long armed and struggle with pressing, but I am hopeful the increased frequency can help me push past plateaus. Will update weekly if I remember. Week 3: I've PR'd twice now with tomorrow, hopefully being the 3rd. Definitely benefiting from "greasing the groove." Weirdly, it's my forearms that feel the most beat up 🤔. Final update (for now), week 4: I failed my pr at the end of week 3, my forearms and delts felt pretty fatigued. Going to take a layoff for a week and come back and try to PR one more time. Not sure how anyone could run this program for 12 weeks straight unless you're on gear. 😐
Variations
12 weeks · 4 days/wk
- Bench press 4 day per week specialization
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press (Barbell) | 4 | 3 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press (Barbell) | 3 | 2 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press (Barbell) | 5 | 1 rep |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press (Barbell) | 4 | 1 rep |
Weeks 2–12 are in the app
Download Boostcamp to follow the full program with auto-progression and built-in coaching notes.
The coach
Dr. Dave Maconi is a fitness coach and educator. On the Brains and Gains podcast, Dave discusses all things exercise science, nutrition, health, and personal development. Every week, he invites health experts and thought leaders to share their expertise. Each episode ends with a charity donation to the charity of the guest's choice.
Having a full time job outside of the fitness industry allows Dave to coach individuals at a very reasonable price. Additionally, it ensures he's doing so because he loves coaching and want to help. If you're interested in 1 on 1 coaching email Dave at [email protected] or visit his website at https://brainsandgainspodcast.com
Common questions
Yes, Maconi Modified Pressing Routine is completely free to follow on Boostcamp. There's no subscription or payment required. Download the app on iOS or Android, search for the program, and you can start your first workout immediately. All 12 weeks are fully unlocked.
This program is built around a garage gym. Make sure you have consistent access before starting, since the progression model assumes you can perform the same movements week over week. If you're missing something, the Boostcamp app includes substitution suggestions inside each workout.
Each session typically takes around 45 minutes to complete. That estimate covers your working sets but doesn't account for warm-up or rest between sets, so budget a little extra time when you're first learning the movements. As you get familiar with the program, sessions tend to move faster.
Maconi Modified Pressing Routine is structured around 4 training days per week, with rest days built in to allow for recovery. Consistent rest is as important as the training itself. Skipping rest days can stall your progress. The app lets you reschedule sessions if your week doesn't go to plan.
The program runs for 12 weeks. The structure is designed so that each week builds on the last, with weights, volume, or intensity progressively increasing as you go. Many athletes choose to repeat the program after finishing, either at a higher starting weight or with a different variation.
Maconi Modified Pressing Routine is available inside the Boostcamp app, free on iOS and Android. Once you download the app, you can search for the program by name or find it on the coach's profile. The app tracks all your sets and weights automatically, so you always know exactly what to do next session.
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