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Young&Hungry
01-27-07, 2:14 pm
Alright, I've been stuck at the 225x1 mark on my bench for about a month and a half. Recently with my chest training, I've been incorporating several machines (since I usually stuck to pure free weights in my past training) and I've been flipping the order and exercises every week.

I was wondering if any of you guys had other ideas to help me get out of this rut, as they would definatly be appreciated.

Buckeye
01-27-07, 2:26 pm
Hey bro, i"m doing animal's training plan #6 I think. The mass building one. I was also stuck at 225lbs. It's been about a month since I started but I'm also taking m stack, animal pak, protein shakes, and animal stak 2 I I'm now at 245. Try that maybe it'll help. Good luck bro

bobbyj654
01-27-07, 2:30 pm
you may wanna try lightening up the weight for a session and try to create some more muscular endurance, like try 185 for as many as you can do

make sure you are warming up properly, do not, i repeat , DO NOT pre fatigue you muscles in the warmup, you wont have enough for your real work sets

cope_man
01-27-07, 2:31 pm
whats your current routine look like? you say you are using machines to train chest, might want to try using db for a while, then bar presses from week to week. also could try drop sets or compound sets. just kick up the intensity and use variety. and dont forget to beely up to the table

gsb239
01-27-07, 2:42 pm
If you're struggling with the top half of the press (lockout), you can do lockouts in a power rack or smith machine. Do them after your normal benchpress exercise as a part of your routine for a month or so. Use about 20% more weight than you typically do, set the support bars about 5-6 inches under where you would lockout. That'll be your start position. Press up from there and touch (don't bounce or rest) the bar on every rep. Do 1-2 sets of 4-6 reps. This helped me increase my bench and works for a lotta other ppl too. You can also perform partials for the bottom part of your bench in the same manner. Starting with the bar on your chest and going up 6 inches off your chest. Do 1 set of these after the top partials. Hope that works for you. Be sure to get the techniques for each down pat before loading up the bar with massive weight.

Young&Hungry
01-27-07, 3:43 pm
whats your current routine look like? you say you are using machines to train chest, might want to try using db for a while, then bar presses from week to week. also could try drop sets or compound sets. just kick up the intensity and use variety. and dont forget to beely up to the table

Last week was:
Flat Bench Press (5x15,10,8,6,4)
Incline Bench Press (4x10,8,6,8)
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes (4x10,8,6,10)
Incline Dumbbell Presses (4x10,8,6,4)
Decline Cable Crossovers (3x10)

Today is:
Incline Bench Press (5x15,10,8,6,4)
Pre Exhaust - Cable Crossovers (4x10)
Machined Vertical Presses (4x15, then three drop sets starting off at 180, then running the stack)
Incline Dumbbell Flyes (4x12,10,8,10)
Dumbbell Pullovers (4x10)

LOFT
01-27-07, 5:08 pm
All I've got to say is our bodies are highly adaptable. Especially us bodybuilders. I'd try and stick with the same routine for a month and then switch.....not switch every week. PRIORITIZE that routine.....then when your not seeing anymore results...change it up. And always increase weight.

If your in the 8-12 rep range for size........try a powerlifting cycle for a couple + weeks. Oh....lets say about the 4-6 range for strength. But this is even better--> "Progressive Overload" is the ultimate way to gain strength and size. For example........try 210 for a rep range goal of 12 reps. Keep a workout log for ALL workouts. First workout you get 6 reps. Write it down...keep a record. Next week....go to the gym wanting to DO BETTER....IMPROVE. This time you get 7 reps. Next week you get 7 1/2 reps....DAMN! almost 8! Next week.....you acheive 8 reps! Every week you improve yourself until you reach your goal of 12 reps. After you reach your goal...bump up to 215. This is the ultimate way to build muscle and increase strength.

Madcat
01-27-07, 5:25 pm
I had the same problem for about 4mos. I was stuck with a max of about 275. Everyweek I would change my reps. sometimes doing light weight high reps, sometimes doing high weight low reps. I never was able to get past my plateau with this work routine, so I changed things up bigtime the last 2 mos. I started lifting again hardcore in May and just in Sept/Nov. I decided I wasnt happy being stuck at 275 so I changed it up. The last 2 months I changed to doing different lifts for my chest and changed it up weekly. Basically I would go between smith machine decline heavy one week, dumbell bench heavy one week, and barbell heavy one week. But I would still do the other 2 lifts, just perform them after my heavy lifts.
I did this for 2mos and monday I will be shooting for my 305 or atleast 300. So basically I added atleast 20lbs in 2 mos to my bench as 2 weeks ago I was able for the first time to get my 295 a dream I had always had.
Now its time to hit my next dream, breaking into the 300's.

Good luck!

Built
01-27-07, 5:35 pm
Ian King has a word or two that might help you.

From The Wave Loading Manifesto (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=579577) -

I've had success using a double wave. This is the setup:

Intermediate/medium level double wave:

1 x 5 @ 87.5kg
1 x 4@ 92.5kg
1 x 3 @ 97.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 90.0kg
1 x 4@ 95.0kg
1 x 3 @ 100 kg

big H
01-27-07, 5:39 pm
yeh man 225,275,315 all big platue spots. try doing most of your workouts with dumbells and heavy, do a bit more upper chest too. and not alot of people think about it but you may want to switch up your shoulder routine too because almost everyone out there presses with there shoulders to some extent, that combo helped me out . but platues are bastards lol it could be anything includeing diet. hope it hepls



later

JCon
02-12-07, 7:40 pm
Hey guys, I need Help. Seens like i've hit a wall when it comes to bench press...anybody have any tips to get past it?

never_2_big
02-12-07, 7:51 pm
what have u tried to do to push past it so far. there are so many techniques u can try...

negative reps, x-reps, ive used dips to push through a bench press plateau.

amp up ur tricep woorkouts with some really heavy close grip presses...

maybe have a week or 2 off from bench all together, rest a bit and come back stronger

Jon
02-12-07, 7:52 pm
switch up your routine and come back to it in a month or 2

TheNaturalG
02-12-07, 8:31 pm
Treat it like any other exercise and drop it for a few weeks and use other excercises until you feel you need something new again and switch back to it. Too many times guys get stuck to the bench press even when they plateau. Meanwhile with other exercises they will switch it right away if they plateau on them.

Tom
02-12-07, 9:12 pm
I had the same problem for a real long time trying various things and nothing seemed to work. I also knew that different people respond to different things so that would explain my problem as well as I was low carbing as well. I found this routine that yielded the most amzing gains for me ever though. I can't type the whole thing but you can see it here http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/triverson and checking my blogs. I got it from the pages of FLEX magazine called the H.U.G.E program. I went form a 160lb bench press too 300lb in a year with 75% of those gains realized in 1- weeks the first time round. I had such great results I did it twice!

Good luck man, we're pulling for ya'!

Shark
02-13-07, 12:04 am
When I seem to hit a plateau I do a lot of drop sets, negative reps and "half" reps. I do this for a few weeks and then rest a week. When I come back to it I blow it away.

Kish
02-13-07, 12:09 am
Hey man,
Try weighted dip, heavy close grips...front shoulders very important...abs also very important...also depends on where you get stuck in the bench movement...let me know ...Kish

BigTruck
02-13-07, 12:16 am
i too think the key to a plateau is to not find a way through it, but around it. try working in some db's -- like most everyone else in this thread said, throw in some negatives or x-reps. maybe go heavy on dips or hit the cables hard. whatever the choice, i think a change is in order.

deeder
02-13-07, 12:20 am
Are the rest of your compound lifts progressing? If not the problem could be unrelated to training and due to other factors such as lack of sleep, diet, stress, etc.

Hollywood
02-13-07, 12:24 am
Try working with resistance bands on your bench to get a different style of pressing into your routine.

JCon
02-13-07, 2:16 pm
Thanks Guys for the help. I'll let ya know on any progress I make!

IronLeague
02-13-07, 2:32 pm
Take your cals up, carb up before you do chest. Then throw on that extra weight and break that fucking limit you THINK you have.

Respect,
IronLeague

squat
02-25-07, 11:15 pm
I need some help of advice. Ive been lifting for about 4 years now and I cant seem to bench any higher. Im 18 yrs old and i bench around 375. Ive been here for like 2 fuckin years. I workout like a madman and nothing happends. Ive tried everything i can think of. I have mixed my workouts up, thought i was over training so took it easier, went harder. Everything. Needs some help brothers.

focused
02-25-07, 11:35 pm
http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=3081&highlight=plateau

there you go bro, try to put in a search. same thread as what you got with some responses. we don't want to fill up the FORVM with the multiple threads.

only work each major muscle group once a week or twice if you have adequate rest (min 48 hrs).

peace

Steve7m
02-25-07, 11:36 pm
I need some help of advice. Ive been lifting for about 4 years now and I cant seem to bench any higher. Im 18 yrs old and i bench around 375. Ive been here for like 2 fuckin years. I workout like a madman and nothing happends. Ive tried everything i can think of. I have mixed my workouts up, thought i was over training so took it easier, went harder. Everything. Needs some help brothers.

you're only 18 here. 375 clean is very respectable. Give it more time. If nothing happens, maybe your body is trying to tell you something. Hows your diet? Try varying your intakes.

squat
02-25-07, 11:46 pm
I eat like crazy. At least four big meals a day. Three protein shakes a day. Morning, Lunch, and one at night. I just need some advice from people who have been there and done that.

focused
02-25-07, 11:48 pm
check out the thread i posted, theres plenty of good info on here, ya gotta find and read brother, you'll learn more than you think, thats whats so good about the FORVM

Maccabee
02-26-07, 4:57 pm
there is supposed to be an article called bench like an animal. Follow it, as far as I here it is very good. If you have trouble finding it go on bodybuilding.com and just type in the search bench like an animal and it will appear

invictus1
02-26-07, 5:01 pm
last time i got stuck i added alternating dumbbell presses on a swiss ball to exhaustion for 4 sets. it hurt like all of hell but after 2 weeks i added 10 lbs to my flat and my incline. i dont do it all the time though, just when if i get stuck or i feel a bit murderous.
enjoy
peace

Ruis67
02-26-07, 5:02 pm
First of all don't get frustrated. We have all hit plateaus in lifting. This is the workout I use when I get stuck.

First 10 days 6 sets 8 reps
Second 10 days 5 set 6 reps
Third 10 days 4 sets 5 reps

Do this in a 90 day cycle increasing the weights 2.5lbs to 5lbs on each successive rep/10 day cycle. Lets say you do 210 on bench 8 times 1st rep next rep would be 215 8 times and so on till you got six sets in. Then on your second 10 day cycle you start at 215 for the 1st set and then move on in the same fashion. Ensure that you are completing all reps and the last rep should put some strain on you in each set. At the end of the 90 days you check your max to see if you have a gain or not. Remember it is important to listen to your body if it hurts back-off.

Another thing I have found that works for me is varying the exercises I do. I will rarely do the same exercise for the same body part twice in a row. I may use a pecdeck on week and then the next time I do pecs I will use dumb bells and do flys. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't give up and two try out new routines till you find exercises that work for you.

Good luck
Myk

squat
02-26-07, 8:11 pm
thanks fellas appreciate your input. ill let you know how it turns out.

The_Dude
03-06-07, 10:10 am
Dudes, I have hit a brick wall on my bench. It does not go past 215lb. I can barely get my one rep max on 225. This is what my bench day normally looks like:

Bench: warm up 135 1x10, 165 1x10, 185 1x8, 205 1x6

Incline Bench: 135 1x10, 155 1x10, 185 1x6, 195 1x5

Incline Pec dec fly's: 37lb DB 3x10

DB Pullovers: 45lb DB 3x10

I'm into powerlifting and any suggestions, comments would greatly be appreciated.

brewer
03-06-07, 10:40 am
K there are two options:
*First take a week off from chest

OPTION ONE:
-Seated Bench @ end of workout for chest, what nice about seated bench is you can add alot of weight and focus it entirely on your chest. If you have a pin/plate load it up and use the heaviest weight u can manage for 6-8 reps, do that weight and move up still using the 6-8 rep method for 3-4 sets.

*Along with the extra bench tool you have to make sure your diet is in check and gettin the quality protein and rest your body needs to make these gains work.

OPTION TWO:
-DB Bench, drop the bar for a couple of weeks, or a whole month really - focus on doing free weight benching for the entire chest, by overloading the chest and activating stabilizer muscles your chest will "shock" it self into growth. Again replace your "benching" with free weight presses, and dont fuck around, grab the weight you fear, get a spotter and start pumping.

*This too requires that your diet is in check as well, if you move up in weight correctly and follow this to a T, your program when you go back to flat bench - will have results that'll have you giggling like a girl.

Good luck bro

Mr.Totality
03-06-07, 10:46 am
do you have a spotter? If so, have the spotter help you with force reps

The_Dude
03-06-07, 10:53 am
K there are two options:
*First take a week off from chest

OPTION ONE:
-Seated Bench @ end of workout for chest, what nice about seated bench is you can add alot of weight and focus it entirely on your chest. If you have a pin/plate load it up and use the heaviest weight u can manage for 6-8 reps, do that weight and move up still using the 6-8 rep method for 3-4 sets.

*Along with the extra bench tool you have to make sure your diet is in check and gettin the quality protein and rest your body needs to make these gains work.

OPTION TWO:
-DB Bench, drop the bar for a couple of weeks, or a whole month really - focus on doing free weight benching for the entire chest, by overloading the chest and activating stabilizer muscles your chest will "shock" it self into growth. Again replace your "benching" with free weight presses, and dont fuck around, grab the weight you fear, get a spotter and start pumping.

*This too requires that your diet is in check as well, if you move up in weight correctly and follow this to a T, your program when you go back to flat bench - will have results that'll have you giggling like a girl.

Good luck bro

That, my friend, sounds like a plan. A spotter is kind hard to have around since I workout at the gym at work. There are no pins or anything fancy like that. It's just a bench with a rack and a platform for your spotter to stand on. EWveryone looks at me wierd cuz I deadlift and squat massive weight. No one there, and I mean NO ONE, does these like I do. At least there at the gym. I'm gonna go with the DB's theory for say 3-4 weeks. I like DB bench better anyway's for some reason. If anyone else wants to add their 2cents, feel free. Thanks brewer.

Big Wides
03-06-07, 11:32 am
throw in a speed bench day 72 hours before your regular bench day. the speed bench goes like this:

Week One - 9x3 @ 50% of 1RM
Week Two - 9x3 @ 55% of 1RM
Week Three - 9x3 @ 60% of 1RM
Week Four - 9x3 @ 65% of 1RM

when this is being preformed the first three sets wide grip, next three normal bench grip, last three preform close grip. this should help also develop the rear delts, back, and triceps these all help in the bench press

The_Dude
03-06-07, 11:40 am
throw in a speed bench day 72 hours before your regular bench day. the speed bench goes like this:

Week One - 9x3 @ 50% of 1RM
Week Two - 9x3 @ 55% of 1RM
Week Three - 9x3 @ 60% of 1RM
Week Four - 9x3 @ 65% of 1RM

when this is being preformed the first three sets wide grip, next three normal bench grip, last three preform close grip. this should help also develop the rear delts, back, and triceps these all help in the bench press



Thanks big wides, I'm gonna consider this as well.

jadizt
03-06-07, 11:42 am
Don't forget weighted dips though. They give wonders to whom believes in it.

brewer
03-06-07, 11:56 am
Dips YES haha dips are key, esp weighted ... I live by them and they are such a boost, your tri's play a big role as well in your bench, so make sure their routine is up to speed as well.

The DB theory works, every time, as long as the weight is increased (dramatically, i mean why not, take that chance) and movement is right on, you'll have no problem doing it.

jadizt
03-06-07, 12:10 pm
There are roughly 4 suggestions here to break your bench plateau. Working each suggestion twice would be fair and doing chest once, maybe twice a week sounds reasonable. I'd say you'll have to wait for another 4 to 8 weeks before you manage to complete all the suggestions.

Sometimes I get too caught up, asking why am I not breaking plateaus but on the other hand, I've got a new stretch mark somewhere and I didn't notice. Just a friendly reminder. :)

The_Dude
03-06-07, 1:32 pm
You guy's fucking rock. I knew I would get something outta you all. Hopefully within the next 2 months or so you will see the numbers change on my sig. Peace...

Big Wides
03-06-07, 1:50 pm
good luck with breaking the plateau

bluetaz
03-06-07, 3:08 pm
Try going to doing db flat and incline press frist use them as your big lifts then do just bench or incline just one not both in the same work out it helped me move past my dead stops my max last week was 405 on bench

IntensityJT
03-06-07, 3:13 pm
If you want to bench more you need to incoorperate these moves into your training routine

Fast reps on bench (this will help explosiveness-make you sure you go light)
Smith Machine Bench "Shoots" Go to a smith machine-start benching but when you are about to lockout your arms, push the bar up into the air-let go of it, then grap it has it comes back down-repeat (go very light-help explosiveness)
DECLINE BENCH - bc the angle of your back on the decline is similiar to that of a powerlifters

Work on your shoulders--do Military Presses to the FRONT-go heavy!

Make sure you are working on you Lats

Tricep strenght is a must! Do Close Grip Bench, this will help your sticking point during the press movement of the bench

hope this helps!

Rooster
03-06-07, 3:29 pm
do you have a spotter? If so, have the spotter help you with force reps

I didnt even finish reading the post. This is the best help you can ask for. If there isnt anyone to push you past that point then you wont get past it. Get a spotter, someone who knows how to spot, they will push you when you need to be pushed and help when you need help. I can always tell when my buddy needs more reps and when he needs help. It has pushed us both to the point that in the past 4 weeks I have added 25 pounds to my bench and 15 pounds to my straight bar curl. Try it out. It can really help.

Mr.Totality
03-06-07, 3:32 pm
I didnt even finish reading the post. This is the best help you can ask for. If there isnt anyone to push you past that point then you wont get past it. Get a spotter, someone who knows how to spot, they will push you when you need to be pushed and help when you need help. I can always tell when my buddy needs more reps and when he needs help. It has pushed us both to the point that in the past 4 weeks I have added 25 pounds to my bench and 15 pounds to my straight bar curl. Try it out. It can really help.

its 100%. Throughout my years, I have hit more plateaus than I care to remember, however when I have had good spotters who I trust, the forced reps always worked. I felt bad at the time, almost seemed like I was making them do upright rows, but it helped

BigTex
03-06-07, 3:48 pm
Every one here is right spotters are the most important... I would also train a little less maybe only 3 heavy sets of bench for 4-6 reps if you are breaking a plateau.... You have to eat and train for a big lift its that simple.

The_Dude
03-06-07, 4:50 pm
WOW!! I'm gone a few hours and all these replies. Yo JT, I have a problem with the decline bench. The gym I'm at does not have any type of equipment to accomplish what you mentioned. I have been, however, doing military presses. That excersise is the shiet, especially the burn I feel afterwards.

My diet is on point, except for this binges I have on the late night weekends which normally consists of ice cream, bananas and peanuts. Other than that, everything is good. But so many responses here. I'll tell you what, Im gonna write each one's response on seperate pieces of paper, ball them up, throw it in a hat and pick one out. Once I finish that routine, then I'll pick another one out and so on and so fourth for the next few months. Looking at all this, I'm thinking will take me a few months.

iyaoyas247
03-06-07, 8:26 pm
Get your head right before getting to the gym. Think- everything you do geared toward your goal? Eat right, In the gym remember- perfect form = perfect rep = great set = productive workout. Stick to the principle of baby steps. Those little plates in the gym- yeah the ones' no one uses. These are the key. Keep the bench to 3 sets + (2 warm-up). Once you get 3 sets of 6 reps add the 2 1/2 plates to each side next work-out. Keep track in a log book.No assistance on lifts, spotter for safety- NO TOUCH THE BAR- except for safety. 315 by end of summer....

SlickaO
03-07-07, 1:12 am
Yo, I would recommend a few things. One of the guys said to rest, which you may consider. Also changing your routine, and I don't mean substitution of exercises, but hitting it from a different angle. Some oldschoolers might remember century sets (100 reps) which is generally done in sections with little to no rest between them. You could do this to shock your muscles from doing the same old thing over and again. Third concentrated reps are real good and helped my rep weight go up huge. When you get into the geometry of lifting (con and ec -centric), you want to focus on both ends of your reps. For example, benching some guys extend their arms and drop it on their chests, but rather focus on mastering both ends. I started this concentration rep deal where your aim is about 60-90 seconds per set, but your not focusing on reps so the rep number is out. The basis is to focus on extend and retracting 10 sec. each way, and the goal is to get at least 60. You have to cut your weight down, which may hurt the ego and if you aren't disciplined you would need a spotter. You should probably have one anyway. You would need a stop watch too. Anyway, it worked great for me, but you just have to find your niche.

SomeDayI'llBeXL
03-07-07, 11:28 am
If someone has already posted on this, my apologies. I havent seen anything about floor presses yet. I used them for the last few months and they are an excellant choice if you are looking to up the bench. I usually do 4 sets of 5.

Just make sure you dont cheat on these. I slipped up a bit my first time doing them, dropped the weight bit too fast and my elbow still gives me trouble from time to time.

Big Wides
03-07-07, 11:42 am
If someone has already posted on this, my apologies. I havent seen anything about floor presses yet. I used them for the last few months and they are an excellant choice if you are looking to up the bench. I usually do 4 sets of 5.

Just make sure you dont cheat on these. I slipped up a bit my first time doing them, dropped the weight bit too fast and my elbow still gives me trouble from time to time.

good stuff they are great to help the body overcome intertia and are a killer tricep exercise

smath
03-07-07, 4:10 pm
i was at a plateau of 315 for the longest time on my bench, switched over to db for a few weeks and that really helped me blast through it. also when doing regular bench i rotate a 10-8-6-4 with a 5-4-3-2-1, weekly. this has also helped me a great deal building strength in my chest and pushing along to that next level. a heavy tricep regimine is key as well.
im maxing at 365 now and hoping to hit 405 this year.
good luck brother

Toni69
03-07-07, 4:23 pm
do you have a spotter? If so, have the spotter help you with force reps

Is it true that you should do forced reps all the time? For me..I have been stuck at 175 on bench forever..this is my 1 rep max. I have done 4 reps where I get the negative and a spot helps me up...but I have only done 2 reps at 175 once in my life and I think it was a freak day, you know what I mean.

So, should you continue to do forced reps until you can get the weight up yourself? There is a method to the madness right?

envy524
03-07-07, 4:27 pm
do x-reps to. they always help me out alot

TufffGuY
03-07-07, 4:29 pm
lower the reps, do like 4 sets of two reps at 90% also if u have boards and chains and bands they help alot

ghost
03-07-07, 4:34 pm
take a step back, re-evaluate the game plan, and go at it again after re-evaluating things. sometimes it can be something little such as, "my back was too far off the bench."

shit, use the Smith Machine too...i have found that i can bench MORE on the smith, but that is because i am not focusing so much on form and just focusing on raisin the weights.

smath
03-07-07, 6:22 pm
just to add to my prior post, i also started doing around 230 push-ups a day(sometimes more), thats over a thousand a week. i work a 9-5, so every hour i do a set of at least 30 push-ups, this has helped me big time with strength and hardness in my chest.... just something else you can throw in there to kick down that plateau.

Discipline
03-10-07, 8:32 pm
Alright, so i've been going on a steady pace now.

I've been mostly going for power, so the whole deal with high weight low rep.

I'm currently about 160-165 pounds and I max out at 295. Can anyone post their benching schedule so I can try new crap out? I feel like I just hit that plateau for strength

Matoltsy85
03-10-07, 10:14 pm
ur 160 and u can bench 295??? damn ur a monster.....just keep doin what ur doin dude

Liftbig21
03-10-07, 10:16 pm
yeah dude your doin good im 160 6%BF and im only at 235...keep goin

Suleiman
03-11-07, 3:30 pm
one thing you have to understand is that you continue to grow it mean that you have to ry harder to keep gaining basically you hit a platue because your body bored like they say body is very adaptive so you gots to keep tricking/ confusing . a good example would probably be that you do incline then dumbell bench press then finish with flat bench.you see confusing your muscle doesnt have to be complicative sometime it can be simple as changing the weight,reps and order of your exersice...oh plus dont forget patience

matt555
03-11-07, 5:33 pm
I highly suggest Sheiko's training routines, they focus on the main lifts, but are very demanding, as are all Russian routines. But they works beautifully. In short; two training periods, sometimes crazy volume, sometimes crazy intensity, never to failure, benching at least 3-4 times a week. Amazing routines.

Also, you might have a look at Korte. It's much simpler and it totally avoids assistance exercises, but it also works (find it here: http://www.deepsquatter.com/strength/archives/korte.htm). Those 2 routines are both great, yet I prefer Sheiko's. Not because I'm keen on assistance exercises, but because I don't have a problem handling the pain and very long practice sessions.

Give one of those 2 routines a try and you'll be amazed by your progress.

edit: Then there's also Smolov. It was originally conceived for squatting, but can be arranged for benching. It's my favourite routine, but it's increadibly hard and you'll probably have to give up most of other exercises, because the volume and intensity are INSANE with this routine.

Discipline
03-15-07, 7:28 am
Hmmm...

Suleiman, yeah, i've tried the whole tricking/confusing my muscles thing. Instead of regular bench I concentrated on freeweight presses with 100's, sets of 10 and diminishing. It just doesn't seem to work.

Matt, the way you describe Sheiko's exercises excite me. I basically expect lots of pain when I lift and very VERY long workout sessions (I usually spend 2-3 hours in the gym per workout period). I'm going to look into that right away and see what it can do for me.

I shall be posting my progress at some point. Thanks brothers

jdubkrew
03-15-07, 10:00 am
Discipline,
I am exactly the same as you. Im 165lbs right now, lil more body fat im sure. Im at 295. I felt great, but i cant seem to get passed it. So i started talking to the big guys at the gym. Do negatives every other week. And a guy told me something that made the most sense ever. He said "put on more weight than you know you can push up. (obviously have 3 spotters) But when you do this, your body will know what weight your trying to get up and before you know it, your golden. This upcoming monday, im doing just that. 3 spotters are gonna help me raise and lower 315lbs. 3 reps. Just build up to it. We are in this together, ill try to track your progress! Good luck, and be an animal.

Peace brother,

Jdub

ghost
03-15-07, 10:35 am
Also, another good tip is to use the search feature, there are many threads about benching...different techniques, routines, schedules, all that...just gotta look for it guys.

matt555
03-15-07, 12:45 pm
http://web.archive.org/web/20050505072453/www.zyworld.com/powerlifting/sheikotraining1.htm


This is the most basic Sheiko routine I could find, but it's not just for benching. I have his bench program somewhere on my laptop in Russian, I'll try to find it.

Of course, technique is the key. A bit wider grip, VERY arched (spelling?) back, learning to really use leg power, not lifting in one straight, but rather curved line, ....

I'm sure you'll up your bench by a lot very soon, good luck..

NickSP
03-15-07, 1:03 pm
(I usually spend 2-3 hours in the gym per workout period).

That could be your problem right there - try making your workouts closer to an hour and see what happens.

matt555
03-15-07, 5:04 pm
Well, if he does try Sheiko or any Eastern routine, he's gonna spend LOTS of time practicing.. 2 hours 5 times a week is nothing unusual...

Of course, these routines are not meant for hypertrophy (at least not sarcoplasmic one).

edit: I found the other Sheiko's program, it's perfectly designed for BP. It's hard, but it works. You can find it here: http://www.martygallagher.com/training/training_more/117_0_8_0_M/

Good luck!

Wicked
03-21-07, 6:51 pm
I have a problem with my chest. the fucker will not grow. I did some reseach and I have been tryin out 5x5 traning for my chest and my flat bench will not break 215 for 5 reps. everything else is growing very nicely deads I hit a personal best at 405. I am getting sick of these little high schoolers out benching me I'm running out of ideas here anyone have anything for me?

DRIVEN
03-21-07, 6:55 pm
u might wana change your routine if that is the case....dropset, u know change it up form what you usually do.....also......whats ur diet like?

Brute Strength
03-21-07, 7:14 pm
Driven is right, confuse them. Plataues (how u spell that) suck. Change it up and see if it works.

Ricky P
03-21-07, 7:22 pm
Negatives. I am at the same spot you are. I can rip out 225 7-8 times, but can't get past that. I just incorporated negatives after my sets. Unreal. The stretch is great. I'll put on about 250-275, and do about 5-7 negatives. You'll be sore, I promise. It will work muscles that you aren't working that maybe help you go up in weight and spark new growth. Also if negatives aren't for you, try putting on 2.5 lbs. on your heaviest set each time. So if you're doing 225 5x, try 230 3x. Give it a shot, see what happens.

spartan300
03-21-07, 7:46 pm
You may be predisposed to genetic limitations in this particular area. Don't fret my friend I too lacked that ridiculous, bulbous look that most confuse with having a good chest. It was not until I wisened up and started utilizing my strengths that I realized that A I was never going to have huge numbers in the bench and B the big rounded Arnold pecs were never going to happen for me. Armed with this knowledge I proceeded to work on the "high and wide" look. 9 best chest awards later I believe I had conqered my demons. Bottom line is, there is no need to bust your fanny on stuff that others will have you believe is necessary. The bench (dare I say it) is freakin' overrated. I made a practice out of dispelling traditional lifting methods. If its not working for you, Toss it! But be absolutely certain to give any program ample time before you decide its inferior. Just putting in my lousy 2 cents!

SPARTAN OUT!

Maccabee
03-21-07, 7:51 pm
I have a problem with my chest. the fucker will not grow. I did some reseach and I have been tryin out 5x5 traning for my chest and my flat bench will not break 215 for 5 reps. everything else is growing very nicely deads I hit a personal best at 405. I am getting sick of these little high schoolers out benching me I'm running out of ideas here anyone have anything for me?

I can relate because I have the same problem. No matter what i do the power and strength dont go up. However latly i switched to dumbbells and thats all i do. Dumbbell presses and flys. I am seeing results that i wouldnt of had. Its all about change bro. Always switch it up.

Grantski
03-21-07, 7:54 pm
Do all these things...and forget about what others lift...you lift for you not others. If you have time to watch others lift more then your not lifting enough and maybe thats why they are lifting more in the first place.

never_2_big
03-21-07, 7:56 pm
what everyone has said so far are good points, pokoritel has a good point about the db's. they allow for a greater stretch at the bottom end of the movement and therefore recruit more muscle fibres. try these for a couple of months and you should find that the added strength you gain from the higher ranger of motion will help your flat bench...

Painaholic
03-21-07, 8:05 pm
Maybe you plateaued. When i plateaued using the 5x5 sets i switched to 10x1 8x1 6x1 4x1 2x1 1x1 and blasted through it. add weight each set though but just my thoughts

IRN-NML
03-21-07, 8:43 pm
Chest won't grow or bench won't go up? Genetics will play a big part but you can still shake things up.Maybe don't worry about the bench #s and concentrate on hitting the pecs with a variety of exercises and intensity.

Some random thoughts:
Increase your warmup weight set, & see if subsequent sets aren't in too small an increments.
Change your hand spacing a bit
Pause reps; 2 seconds on chest & then up to lockout
Staggered reps for barbell work, dropsets for dbell work
Pushups; feet on bench, hands on floor or holding a pr of dbells on floor (put 'em in a pair of 10# plates so they don't roll).
Rack presses, Smith presses,
neg. reps with a spotter
Shoulder work; doing heavy seated or standing presses?

One guy in my gym with a thick chest just supersets 135 on the incline fast & to failure & then immediately goes to the squat cage & the pins are set ? 5 high & reps out pushups with the bar on the pins & feet on floor.

Don't think in terms of 'how much ya bench' instead think in terms of 'smokin' the pecs'. to get them to shape up & grow. Shake up your chest routine but don't add too many exercises.
Just my 1c.
Hope you kick start 'em back in progress soon!

Wicked
03-21-07, 8:53 pm
damn thanks guys well I'm going to switch to db's and go with heavy dips and blast my chest, but I have another problem haha my gym (freaking YMCA) only has 100lbs dumbbells right now I can rep out the 90's I feel like I'm outgrew my gym :( I maxed out most of the machines there.

my diet is I think pretty good it's alot of chicken rice oats eggs cottage cheese etc i'm trying to learn the ropes with the diet and it's become cleaner and better as I learn more and more

I know alot of people belive all that genetics crap, I don't with hard work diet you can overcome everything.

I just ending my 3 weeks on m stak and stak 2 and damn this shit works I added 10lbs on my db shoulder presses 70-80lbs and my lifts for my back jumped like 10-20lbs! damn

I have an idea for my problem what do you think about this

monday
flat bench 5x5
incline bench 3x10
shoulder db press 3x10
standing behind neck shoulder press 3x10
sitting side rises 3x10
dips till I pass out

friday
DB bench 5x8
decline bench 3x10
flys 3x10
shoulder db press 3x10
rear delt work
dips till I pass out

and eat like a monstar what do you think?

T_N_Muscle
03-21-07, 8:56 pm
LOL @ "GENETICS CRAP"...... thats funny, keep comin back kiddo, you'll learn.

DRIVEN
03-21-07, 9:09 pm
just keep bustin that weight bro and keep that diet right....good luck!

spartan300
03-21-07, 10:47 pm
LOL @ "GENETICS CRAP"...... thats funny, keep comin back kiddo, you'll learn.

Madame surely you gest

MELTDOWN
03-21-07, 11:16 pm
http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&ID=17

and

http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&ID=285

carry on !!!

Wicked
03-21-07, 11:24 pm
LOL @ "GENETICS CRAP"...... thats funny, keep comin back kiddo, you'll learn.

haha before this gets ugly okok I understand that genetics do come into play for shape and size aka look at Sergio Oliva vs arnolds arms sergio's arms may have been 20 ++ inchs but arnold had an kick as peak were sergio lacked in

but do genetics come into play with power? thats what I don't understand

MELTDOWN
03-21-07, 11:33 pm
i believe there's a code somewhere in all of us. the guy i work out with is actually stronger than me but can't seem to put on size and definition. on the other hand, i seem to be not as strong, but have a better build and can pack on the mass better than him. we basically mirror each other in food and supp's, but the mold is totally different.
shake up your training, keep the diet solid, get tons of rest, and stick with good supplements. you have to find what works for you to know and understand the "science" of your body and system.

Anoby
03-22-07, 12:05 am
eat more

BitterNdThenSome
03-22-07, 12:48 am
I have a problem with my chest. the fucker will not grow. I did some reseach and I have been tryin out 5x5 traning for my chest and my flat bench will not break 215 for 5 reps. everything else is growing very nicely deads I hit a personal best at 405. I am getting sick of these little high schoolers out benching me I'm running out of ideas here anyone have anything for me?

what do you care what a high schooler benches? I take offense at people who scoff at us young guns, cause at 18 yo, I'm 5'7" and tippin the scale at 185 pounds, and I hit the weights with an intensity that rivals a lot of the top pros in the game, so don't put down a group of people because you feel as though you're not where you want to be. first off, focus on YOUR chest, not anyone else's. try hitting inclines or declines first. try new exercises like weighted dips or pullovers, switch from barbells to dumbbells, change your rep range from 5x5 to 4x10-12, try training chest twice a week, dedicate one day to chest (i.e. work only chest, do not include tri's, bi's, back, quads, hams, whatever else you may normally work on chest day), up your calories, change your pre/post workout nutrition, make sure your workin legs and back to help release more growth promoting hormones, build up your tries to assist your chest more, don't train shoulders before chest, cut back on cardio....

if you try all of those (and I'm sure I could come up with more), and still won't grow, then like others said, maybe you're not genetically pre disposed to pushin big plates, but that doesn't mean you can't build a quality chest.

born0withno0soul
03-22-07, 12:50 am
I have a problem with my chest. the fucker will not grow. I did some reseach and I have been tryin out 5x5 traning for my chest and my flat bench will not break 215 for 5 reps. everything else is growing very nicely deads I hit a personal best at 405. I am getting sick of these little high schoolers out benching me I'm running out of ideas here anyone have anything for me?

change your chest routine every time you lift. this will shock the hell out of them. one day try flat bench barbell, incline dumbell, incline dumbell flyes, and dips. then next time do incline barbell, decline dumbell, pec deck flyes, and push ups. keep working hard. time is on your side.

IRN-NML
03-22-07, 9:42 am
Just to clarify, genetics will determine if the pecs are thick, pillow pecs or if they're squared, stretched across the ribcage but not as thick as one might like or somewhere inbetween. Otherwise, agreeing with everyone that good diet and hard, smart training will get the pecs to grow. As for #s going up, takes work too, though unfairly, some progress slower or faster than others. Just my 1c.

mcbeast
03-22-07, 9:55 am
it is commonly said..inclines are for growth..get rid of the 5x5
get in inclines dips...machine fly's for a btter contraction..and pullovers..

i was reading "ironman encyclopedia of bb" last night at a bookstore..
chest had the bigges section..obv..hah
bt pullovers..do em now..how old are u? bones stop growin at 23..they said do em now when ur young..i do em!

but yeah im ramblin..
i know how u feel,my dl keeps goin up up up..but my bench still the same..im doin 6x4 maybe thatll break my plateau..
best of luck..
eat ur wheaties n protein..
also?
are u supping?
if u just got off a cycle..u cud be weaker..so bust at it

sry for the ramblin..hope some of ya read this

lil ox
03-25-07, 9:39 am
new to the forum so bare with me
5' 6" 170 10-12% body fat been lifting 4-6 days a week for little over a year
my flat bench is around 215 for 10-12 reps 3-4 sets been going through a vast range of exercises changing reps,sets,and weights weekly and seems i cant get further on my bench any suggestions would be appreciated

Anoby
03-25-07, 10:51 am
work with DBs?

The_Beast
03-25-07, 11:28 am
Start to Change it up Bro...Your Body can adapt to any known Exercise in a 2-3 Week Period...Start doing 5x3's, 3x3's, Throw Some Heavy singles somewhere (5x1's), or Even start to do some board presses or workout with Chains. I could tell you, a Few months ago i could Rep 225lbs 14 times, but i couldnt Max but 275lbs, A big fucking diffrence when the Calculator said i was "Sopposed" to be able to Bench 320lbs or so. Now i can rep 225 6-7 times and Max out 295lbs, After two rotator Cuff injuries. Your Body adapts to whatever you put it through, Lift heavy, it will adapt to lifting heavy (Ie:Fast Twitch muscle Fibers) lift for Strength or Stamina (Ie:Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers) you get what you Train for. Just Switch your Main lifts up Bro every 2-3 weeks (flat bench-Board presses-Incline bench), and if you want the best of both worlds so to speak, Do Strength for 2 Weeks 8-12Rep Range, then Power for 2 weeks 1-6Reps (a simple cycle like this) is the best Info i can give.

Maccabee
03-25-07, 12:00 pm
Start to Change it up Bro...Your Body can adapt to any known Exercise in a 2-3 Week Period...Start doing 5x3's, 3x3's, Throw Some Heavy singles somewhere (5x1's), or Even start to do some board presses or workout with Chains. I could tell you, a Few months ago i could Rep 225lbs 14 times, but i couldnt Max but 275lbs, A big fucking diffrence when the Calculator said i was "Sopposed" to be able to Bench 320lbs or so. Now i can rep 225 6-7 times and Max out 295lbs, After two rotator Cuff injuries. Your Body adapts to whatever you put it through, Lift heavy, it will adapt to lifting heavy (Ie:Fast Twitch muscle Fibers) lift for Strength or Stamina (Ie:Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers) you get what you Train for. Just Switch your Main lifts up Bro every 2-3 weeks (flat bench-Board presses-Incline bench), and if you want the best of both worlds so to speak, Do Strength for 2 Weeks 8-12Rep Range, then Power for 2 weeks 1-6Reps (a simple cycle like this) is the best Info i can give.

He is right along with all that make sure you warm up properly. Try doing it with dumbbells. Always switch it up.

The_Beast
03-25-07, 3:23 pm
He is right along with all that make sure you warm up properly. Try doing it with dumbbells. Always switch it up.

Warm up yes, but doing it with Dumbells, maybe depends on Goals, Bodybuilding there important to get a Maximum Range of Motion and development, Powerlifting, its like a Cable Fly machine, not important for gaining Maximum Power. If you want to increase your Barbell Bench there is nothing better than to do it by using the Barbell bench (same as Squat and Deadlift). Dumbell Bench's do not Equate to Barbell Benches, for as Gains go. i say, leave it compound, hit up the Barbells hard and heavy, and Wreak Havoc on anything in your way.-

The_Beast

Ricky P
03-25-07, 3:59 pm
I had the same problem a couple weeks ago, couldn't get above 225 for reps. I just started a 6 week 5x5 routine. Like these guys mentioned, gotta switch up the routine, I used to do everything for 10 reps, now I'm going higher weight and lower reps to get my gains. Going to switch the rep range up every couple of weeks to keep the muscles guessing.

spartan300
03-25-07, 4:36 pm
new to the forum so bare with me
5' 6" 170 10-12% body fat been lifting 4-6 days a week for little over a year
my flat bench is around 215 for 10-12 reps 3-4 sets been going through a vast range of exercises changing reps,sets,and weights weekly and seems i cant get further on my bench any suggestions would be appreciated

Drop the bench as your primary mover start with your inclines. Be sure to include close grips on your tricep day and make a point of incorprating front raises in your delt workouts. In addition weighted dips and plenty of lat work. I'am pretty confident you will bump that bench up at least 20 lbs. in the next 6 weeks.

lil ox
03-27-07, 6:56 pm
in reply to spartan300 i do close grip sometimes on tri day just doesn't seem to do much for me should i be doing for chest or tri's and thanx for all the other advice fellas

The_Beast
03-27-07, 10:16 pm
do something like this once in awhile, Basic Heavy M.E. Chest/Tri template i use. use your own numbers, but you get the idea. (*if your a Bodybuilder at heart, start doing 225lbs, as many times as you can, for your "usual" sets of 215lbs, until you meet the same number of reps, this is how i did it. started off only repping it 4-5times, then went in a matter of two-three months, 14times.)

Heavy Flat Bench.
135x6 (lightweight warmup set, after stretching)
265x3 (get something you can get for 3, do two sets.)
265x3
275x2(add 10lbs so, you drop 1 rep)
300x1(Heavy single, add 15-25lbs or so. if you get it, add another 5lbs.)
305x1

Heavy Incline.
135x10(light warmup)
225x2(heavy double)
225x1(same weight, again)
245x1 (forced rep)

Close Grip Bench.
135x10(light warm-up)
205x3-5(Powerlift, 3-5rep range for two sets)
205x3-5
225x3(Heavy triple)
225x1-3(heavy single to triple, with forced reps used)

Heavy Cable Pushdowns.
*Supersetted with Bench Dips.
~x4-6 (3 sets, powerlift style, you go for 6. but shoot for atleast 4, for 3 sets)
~x4-6
~x4-6
~x~(burnout set, drop set)

Budsbythebeach
03-28-07, 3:33 pm
Last week was:
Flat Bench Press (5x15,10,8,6,4)
Incline Bench Press (4x10,8,6,8)
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes (4x10,8,6,10)
Incline Dumbbell Presses (4x10,8,6,4)
Decline Cable Crossovers (3x10)

Today is:
Incline Bench Press (5x15,10,8,6,4)
Pre Exhaust - Cable Crossovers (4x10)
Machined Vertical Presses (4x15, then three drop sets starting off at 180, then running the stack)
Incline Dumbbell Flyes (4x12,10,8,10)
Dumbbell Pullovers (4x10)


First am i the only one that ready his workout routine? and 2nd am i the only one that sees a problem here? i see guys all the time in the gym bench hours, i mean 20 sets and more just on the bench and always hitting 10 reps, and they wonder why they cant even push 225. Not to talk badly about you at your age your doing great but your overdoing it, on your bench excercises i see you doing 5x15 and so on. personally i never do more then 6-8 sets and with a weight i cant hit more then 6-8 times. Its best to hit so much weight you cant force ten sets. If you try this youll bench will gain. Not to mention diet and rest.
All im trying to say is simply you dont need to be hitting 20 sets on the bench to gain, hit heavier weight for 6-8 sets.

king1
03-28-07, 9:00 pm
I tihnk you misunderstood. Im pretty sure 5x15,10,8,6,4 means a set of 15 a set of 10 a set of 8.... not 5 sets of 15 then a set of 10. That comes out to 18 sets for chest total, only 2 more than recomended. If that was what you were talking about

humanforklift
03-29-07, 9:12 am
try german volume training.... 5 sets x 5 reps. And after about 3-4 weeks, switch to 10 sets x 10 reps. blast through that shit brother.

spartan300
03-29-07, 9:54 am
in reply to spartan300 i do close grip sometimes on tri day just doesn't seem to do much for me should i be doing for chest or tri's and thanx for all the other advice fellas

you don't even know if something works until you give it at least 6 weeks! Oh lill ox so much to learn.

mcbeast
03-29-07, 9:58 am
omg..cg bench is amazing...silly child...i had chest tues,n tri's wed...my inner chest was like tearing with each rep...n my tri's ohhhh the pain i love it

but for breakin plateau.
cut things out..
focus on presses.
do a pl bench routine.
6x4,5x5 work great
heavy dips
low reps.


idk what else to say..i cud go on forever

IronGame033
04-16-07, 7:20 pm
Ive been lifting for a while now. but i have a huge problem, i caint icrease my bench weight watsoever ive tried everything, 5x5, 10-8-6 everything. mybe its my diet i dunno. can anyone help me? any help will be GREATLY appritiated! keep pumpin

mcbeast
04-16-07, 7:22 pm
searchhh!!!!

Budsbythebeach
04-16-07, 7:27 pm
its your diet, other then that all i can say is ive gotten my bench to explode in 7 months all due to surrounding muscle groups, focusing alot on back, front delts, tri's has really helped. Also which some people use to make fun of me for is up until two months ago i never used a flat bench, i always used machines, that way i can stack as much weight as i can handle for one a set of 2 or 3, doing 3 sets like this completely to failure is what helped me.

gnoll5
04-16-07, 8:40 pm
remeber that benching is about a few muscles, not just the chest, and your lift will only be as strong as your weakest part. work on the tri's and delts to really strengthen them, you may find that will help your bench press a lot.

HAWK
04-16-07, 8:46 pm
remeber that benching is about a few muscles, not just the chest, and your lift will only be as strong as your weakest part. work on the tri's and delts to really strengthen them, you may find that will help your bench press a lot.

Amen. Throw in some floor presses, partials, speed reps/explosive reps...and slow negatives. You never know what your body will respond to.

Ricky P
04-16-07, 9:01 pm
I was stuck at 225x8 about a month ago. I started a 5x5 routine, unreal gains since then. I'm creeping up on 275 right now.

Deezy
04-16-07, 9:40 pm
I think u should look into a 5x5 routine, ive been training with Ricky P and we've both made big gains on our benches. i used to have trouble pushin 185, now im hittin 235 on my own.

Deezy
04-16-07, 9:42 pm
U can also try grippin the bar extra wide with a little bit lower weight. This will help really focus on ur pecs and take your arms out of play a little

barnhart14
07-13-07, 12:44 am
ya I also had the exact same problem, I was stuck at about 235 on my max and then I switched up my work out, focused on the muscles that needed to be worked during excercise, and found a diet and supplements that work for me..and before I knew it my bench jumped up to 250 so just keep experimenting man

jonsbsn
07-13-07, 4:21 am
yeh man 225,275,315 all big platue spots.

I've noticed that too... I think its a very psychological thing. Your hit that goal of 2 plates. or 3 plates and then your mind is like alright! I DID IT! then it doesnt' want to work any more. I jumped so fast to 225 while on m-stak then all of a sudden couldnt' go higher. In the last 2 months I've bumped it up around 10lb by doing incline first. I also took out declines and incorperated heavy weighted dips (for 6 or so reps) this helped a lot. Also making sure my shoulder/tri day was as far away in the week from chest. Hope that helps...

gflash77
07-14-07, 10:00 pm
you're only 18 here. 375 clean is very respectable. Give it more time. If nothing happens, maybe your body is trying to tell you something. Hows your diet? Try varying your intakes.

I would have killed for a 375 bench at 18 years old.

gflash77
07-14-07, 10:04 pm
gentlemen, build up your lats and your triceps, and watch your bench numbers increase

The_Beast
07-15-07, 7:41 am
dude's I have no Idea how to put this, but it seems like everyone is nieve and not thinking clearly. The Flat bench contains 3 major muscle's to incorporate in the shove, Triceps/Lats/Front Delts.

Yes, there are other muscle's involved but these are the most crucial.


You want to Bench Heavy, then Lift Heavy.

Heavy Military Shoulder Presses for Delts.
(front laterals Dont work for Power..I've tried with no results)

Heavy Close Grip Benchpress for Triceps.
(Only way to go, shoulders tucked, elbows tight)

Heavy Barbell Rows for Lats.
(heavy, with good form, you dont bench like shit so dont row like shit)


Heavy Lockouts, Heavy weighted Dips, the list is endless, do what you need to do to get it done. in the mean-time dont cry about your 375lb Raw benchpress at 18yrs old, because for most of us thats pretty damn good and you got to know your shit to get there if you are. All in all, I feel there is enough info already in this thread to give all the other insight I could write about.

Stay Strong,
The_Beast

SolidTongan
07-20-07, 5:31 pm
You could always go to the power rack to work on your sticking point. For instance, if you have trouble locking out, set tha bars on the power rack half way...and place tha barbell there...and work through that sticking point...you can add more weight as well. Second, sorta tha same as the power rack...do partials. Third, you would need a partner...do negatives...take 5 seconds to lower the weight then have your partner lift the weight for you. You can go prolly 20lbs heavier that your 1RM on negatives

prowrestler
10-11-07, 5:43 pm
try doing heavy negatives. you'll need a strong spotterfor these. load the bar with about 30% more weight then normal. press it up with the help of your spotter and lower it by yourself. fight it as hard as you can. if it takes more then 5 seconds to lower it, add some weight.also weighted pushups are good to switch for flat bench and i think are a hell of alot better then flat benching.
i never do flat barbell benches, never have! i used dbells for flat and everything else but now i use bb incline presses which helped alot

kingpin83
10-16-07, 11:58 am
Alright, I've been stuck at the 225x1 mark on my bench for about a month and a half. Recently with my chest training, I've been incorporating several machines (since I usually stuck to pure free weights in my past training) and I've been flipping the order and exercises every week.

I was wondering if any of you guys had other ideas to help me get out of this rut, as they would definatly be appreciated. 3 months I was bench pressing 136lbs. Now I can bench press 300lbs. The key to is you have to start small and work yourself up. Don't strain because you will get injured in the process. Start off with 145 with 5 sets x 10. The follwing week try with 205 same reps.You will see the difference in a couple of weeks.

bobbymart
10-21-07, 9:58 am
I busted my 225 plateau with heavy weight low reps barbell and dumbell, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT but it worked for me

Mastrcruse
11-12-07, 10:23 pm
I hope its cool to ask this in here but if not please let me know and I will delete.Thanks

When going through high school, warming up for bench press, we would just slap 45lb weights on each side and do that. I could do that a ton of times and not feel a damn thing.

I decided last year that I thought 135lbs was so easy because we did them every time we worked chest and my muscles came to just know the weight and adjust.

I did an experiment (if you want to call it that) and started warming up with 225lbs. It was bad at first but after about 6 months of warming up I can do about 23 reps of 225. I really follow the saying that I was told that you have to push big weight to get big. I don't want to be big, I want to be FUCKING HUGE! So I thought of things I could do to get my chest back into development. I started do on and off weeks (kinda).

One week I would do dumbell flat bench/barbell incline and then barbell flat/dumbell incline the next week, and am finally doing dips (dips are one of my favorite things to do now). I also decided to start warming up with 315lbs. I think that if it works for 135lbs, 225lbs, it can work for 315. After about 5 weeks, on a cut, I am from 1 rep to 5 reps x 3 sets.

Is my logic off? I just feel like its working and since I have taken everything serious I have gotten a lot wider/thicker...at least thats what the mirror/tape measure/and stretch marks is telling me

Detonator
11-15-07, 12:35 pm
I was stuck at 295 for a couple weeks. To get past the sticking point I start with a 20 rep warm up set and then add weight to get 5 - 8 reps. I then jump it up to 295. I do sets of 3 until I get to 9 - 12 reps, that took me a few weeks to hit that rep range. I hit 305 for 3 reps yesterday. Now I will stick with 305 for reps of 3 until I can get 9 - 12 again. I've put on a lot of upper body thickness working out like this. Works perfectly for me...

mex.i.can
11-16-07, 11:39 am
here is a workout that a friend of mine sent me some time ago. i did this workout and it worked damn good. you have to have a partner since some of the lifts require you to overload just to do 1 negative rep. there's a workout sheet and a progression chart to help you adjust your poundage. good luck. :)

http://www.eas.com/vault/benchpress/index.asp

paintrain69
11-19-07, 7:48 pm
what seems to help me not only with doing more weight is towel bench,which stimulates and focuses a lot on your triceps along with your shoulders and gets you use to that heavier weight so you can get it eventually...this is one of the big things that helps me...

zambula
11-23-07, 4:09 pm
Go to the home page - articles and search for "VAG" do the monster bench routine...that shit 100 % works Bro!!

Kevlar
11-28-07, 12:00 pm
I asked the same thing to a guy in 1998 on how to get my bench up. He suggested a power workout like this: 2 warm ups and 4 working sets. Pyramid the weight up as I go... normal so far. On set one, bang out 12... then do a set where I can barely to 6 or 7. The last set- this is where it happens: Do 3. If you can do more reps, then up the weight. If you cant do 3, reduce the weight. Every chest workout do a 3 rep max. Rasie the weight by 5 pounds each week or 2 weeks if you can. Sometimes I will burn out on light weight afterwards. My 3 rep max went from 225 to 315 in a year. It has gone to 355 with a 370 1 rep max before it hurt my joints too much and I lightened up. ALso by changing workouts... examples: 6 weeks with shoulders on chest day, and 6 weeks where shoulders have their own day.
This plus eating at least 600 cal afterwards of good prot and carbs...
It works for me... Good luck bro

Kevlar

"stop making that silly face and do the fucking exercise"

houseofpain
11-30-07, 11:17 am
i love to alternate between db bench and barbell bench. i usually do db bench for a a month and then switch to barbell. when i went back to barbell, my strength was way up. it could be your chest is lagging a bit. try db bench for a while. its better at isolating the pecs and strengthening them. i usually even pull my feet up on the bench to isolate my chest even more. like with me, your arms might be responsible for pushing most of the weight on barbell bench. the idea is to strengthen your chest even more. this works for me. hope it works for u bro

Kruper
11-30-07, 1:24 pm
I pearsonally like the 5 x 5 method for busting plateaus. You just have to start at a moderate weight and each week or every 5 days increase the weight by 5 or 10 pounds. It may seem easy at first but before you know it 5 sets of 5 becomes pretty hard.

After that give you 1 rep max a try.

T82
12-08-07, 4:11 pm
Good advice here, I've also been stuck on a 245lb plateau on the bench for about 6 or 7 months now, and I just recently started doing a similar routine of starting off with heavy loads and its been working, hoping to max out next week with the hope of breaking that 245lb mark.

T82
12-13-07, 8:13 pm
Wouldn't want to double post, but I come with good news! I beat my 245lb plateau, I put up 265lbs today and it went up pretty easily so next week I am aiming for more, I do have to say i am pretty happy with this.

bullfighter
12-14-07, 3:19 pm
Try this:

Train your triceps; Close grip benches, floor presses, skullcrushers.

Train your back; rows, dbs or bb will support your benching.

Train legs; Leg drive is often overlooked when it comes to benching.

Train abs; Your abs along with your back provides the stabe structure for you to transform power from the legs through.

Of course i don't even have to mention diet and sleep. Thats obvious.

Energizer
12-18-07, 2:07 pm
Steroids! JK bro. Get a spotter when on bench presses. Increase protien intake.

Riesjs
12-18-07, 2:08 pm
Steroids! JK bro. Get a spotter when on bench presses. Increase protien intake.

careful...

MrYates
12-19-07, 7:46 am
How long are you usually plateaued b/c I have been peaked for 4months now and its killin me

MrYates
12-19-07, 7:53 am
I asked the same thing to a guy in 1998 on how to get my bench up. He suggested a power workout like this: 2 warm ups and 4 working sets. Pyramid the weight up as I go... normal so far. On set one, bang out 12... then do a set where I can barely to 6 or 7. The last set- this is where it happens: Do 3. If you can do more reps, then up the weight. If you cant do 3, reduce the weight. Every chest workout do a 3 rep max. Rasie the weight by 5 pounds each week or 2 weeks if you can. Sometimes I will burn out on light weight afterwards. My 3 rep max went from 225 to 315 in a year. It has gone to 355 with a 370 1 rep max before it hurt my joints too much and I lightened up. ALso by changing workouts... examples: 6 weeks with shoulders on chest day, and 6 weeks where shoulders have their own day.
This plus eating at least 600 cal afterwards of good prot and carbs...
It works for me... Good luck bro

Kevlar

"stop making that silly face and do the fucking exercise"Dam Good advice here, and will be taking you up on it. Tell me how many different exercises do you do on the barbell workouts? Just flat,incline,decline?

T82
12-20-07, 9:12 pm
How long are you usually plateaued b/c I have been peaked for 4months now and its killin me

I was at my peak for about six months, and I just broke it last week, so it could take a while, I suggest changing the types of workout you do, or change the order because it really does work. And I did this all without any supplement whatsoever.

harperpj
12-20-07, 9:25 pm
Dam Good advice here, and will be taking you up on it. Tell me how many different exercises do you do on the barbell workouts? Just flat,incline,decline?

if you're looking for info on strictly getting stronger, www.elitefts.com has it all. they have detailed articles about conjugate training methods written by some of the top powerlifters in the world, along with sample workouts and training templates. if you've been stuck for four months at a certain weight, most likely part of your body isnt strong enough to bench a new weight. if your chest can bench 315, but your triceps can only bench 225, you'll be benching 225 until you get your triceps stronger. hope this helped. peace

SolidTongan
12-20-07, 11:41 pm
if you're looking for info on strictly getting stronger, www.elitefts.com has it all. they have detailed articles about conjugate training methods written by some of the top powerlifters in the world, along with sample workouts and training templates. if you've been stuck for four months at a certain weight, most likely part of your body isnt strong enough to bench a new weight. if your chest can bench 315, but your triceps can only bench 225, you'll be benching 225 until you get your triceps stronger. hope this helped. peace

Most certaintly helped me. Thanks

MrYates
12-21-07, 6:33 am
I was at my peak for about six months, and I just broke it last week, so it could take a while, I suggest changing the types of workout you do, or change the order because it really does work. And I did this all without any supplement whatsoever.

Thanks 4 the link and advice. I do shy from my tri exercises abit not goin all out and I think I gotta give em more attention. I am goin to keep at and hopefully get ove this plateau because its a pain in the ass bro, It can be a deterant not able to move up in weight. I am considerig some more deadl weight or exercises such as DIps and Flys more considering I don't do em too much...I dont know I just gotta keep with it

holz
12-21-07, 12:43 pm
a cuple of things that have hepled me in the past to break records(i hope this helps)

record your lifts drop 5lbs for every rep you miss so if your going for 6 at say 175 and only get 4 record your weight as 165 for 6 so you have something to go off next week.

another is to drop your reps and sets ex. 5-5-5 next week 3-3-3 next 5-3-1 next 4-4-2 next max

this next work out i gained 7.5 lbs avg a week in 6 weeks 3-2-1-3-3-3 push your self hard all the way through and try to get one of your final 3sets of 3 higher than or equal to your first set of three or your set of 2.

weighted dips and more weighted dips (if you can get 15 with out weight if not just use your body weight.

you keep working hard and beliving in your program at it will come.

mcbeast
12-21-07, 1:29 pm
(example weight i used,currently)

4x4

1x10x135 (explosive)
4x245
4x245
4x260
4x275

2 static sets,1 working set,1 fail set (have a spotter handy)

btw,my current max is 315,i expertise in deads =)

T82
12-21-07, 7:47 pm
Thanks 4 the link and advice. I do shy from my tri exercises abit not goin all out and I think I gotta give em more attention. I am goin to keep at and hopefully get ove this plateau because its a pain in the ass bro, It can be a deterant not able to move up in weight. I am considerig some more deadl weight or exercises such as DIps and Flys more considering I don't do em too much...I dont know I just gotta keep with it


Definitely do flyes, they help a lot, also do you max out close or wide grip, because that makes a hell of a difference.

tank08
12-24-07, 11:31 am
i always do a pushup burnout after my workout...amazing pump...
Decline Pushups till failure (feet on bench, hands on ground)
Regular pushups till failure
Girl Pushups till failure (knees on floor)
Pussy Pushups till failure (knees on floor and hands against bench)


Do these back to back with 0 rest.. PUSH YOURSELF!!!! try it and message me how it worked...

Squat_Heavy
12-24-07, 11:35 am
Those methods of 5's and 3's ar so old its almost pathetic.

Look up westside-barbell dot com and read there. And starting benching how its supposed to be done.

I have had great success using the conjugate method and the lightened method.

Wa1shy
12-28-07, 10:01 am
Hi Guys,

i am in need of some advice, i have been training for a few years now and have noticed strenght increases in almost every exercises i do. the problem is i seem to be stuck on the same weight for both flat bench and shoulder press. i have been trying to pin point the problem but dont seem to be having much luck. does anyone out there know of anything i can so to start seeing the weight move again.

Best Regards,

Darren

Serrated Path
12-28-07, 12:28 pm
keep wokin

pmug0000
12-28-07, 12:30 pm
Hi Guys,

i am in need of some advice, i have been training for a few years now and have noticed strenght increases in almost every exercises i do. the problem is i seem to be stuck on the same weight for both flat bench and shoulder press. i have been trying to pin point the problem but dont seem to be having much luck. does anyone out there know of anything i can so to start seeing the weight move again.

Best Regards,

Darren

Dude read this thread. There are 8 pages right here of different ideas to help solve your problem, but you actually have to read through it.

C MOnSTER
12-28-07, 12:34 pm
Hi Guys,

i am in need of some advice, i have been training for a few years now and have noticed strenght increases in almost every exercises i do. the problem is i seem to be stuck on the same weight for both flat bench and shoulder press. i have been trying to pin point the problem but dont seem to be having much luck. does anyone out there know of anything i can so to start seeing the weight move again.

Best Regards,

Darren

Work on ur shoulders first den da next day work on ur chest, i have tried it and it worked well for me. Pe@ce C

Wa1shy
12-28-07, 1:21 pm
cheers for all your replies guys i originally started a new thread before i had seen this one i will read all of it and go from there

Squat_Heavy
12-28-07, 4:38 pm
First of all, you have to identify HOW you bench. Then you have to identify WHERE you stick. THEN you ca nfind out what muscle-group is lagging and what exercises are needed. Thats called critical thinking, something 90% of the training population today has forgotten to do.

HardcoreBB
01-14-08, 5:01 pm
I Was Stuck In A Plateau Too A While Back. Have U Tried 5sets Of 5 That Always Works It Has Worked For Alot Of Pros Too!

Mr.Hardcore98
01-16-08, 3:04 pm
lockouts

Young&Hungry
01-16-08, 3:26 pm
Damn, only a year later and I can't believe how much I've learned. My old workouts look retarded!

pmug0000
01-18-08, 1:18 am
Sometimes I just completely omit Barbell benching for a few weeks and do all dumbbell work. Then when I go back to barbell BP I often notice that the same weight feels a little lighter.

Retrorocket
01-23-08, 4:53 pm
January 22nd 2008, I benched 225 (94% of my bodyweight) a set of 17, 14 and 11. According to a 1-rep max calc. that I use (225 X 17 reps), my max should be 405. I seem to be stuck at 365. Any words of wisdom? I've been blasting my tri's, working on forearms more and back has always been extremely important. Open to suggestions here.

norrim1
01-23-08, 4:57 pm
January 22nd 2008, I benched 225 (94% of my bodyweight) a set of 17, 14 and 11. According to a 1-rep max calc. that I use (225 X 17 reps), my max should be 405. I seem to be stuck at 365. Any words of wisdom? I've been blasting my tri's, working on forearms more and back has always been extremely important. Open to suggestions here.

What's your routine look like that you've been using? Those 1RM calculators are accurate to an extent. 225x17 equating to 365 sounds about right. When I could do 365 that was pretty close. I can now do 225x21 and I'm right around 405.

shutthefuckup
01-23-08, 9:31 pm
Kill the calculators and keep moving bro. Start hitting the rear delts hard.
Some people don't realize how important the rear delts are when it come to the bench press.

lifterkid17
01-23-08, 10:12 pm
What's your routine look like that you've been using? Those 1RM calculators are accurate to an extent. 225x17 equating to 365 sounds about right. When I could do 365 that was pretty close. I can now do 225x21 and I'm right around 405.


Yeah Mike and jeremy gave me another good tip... just hop on a smith machine or sumtin like that and really pack on the weight just to get your body used to it... I dunno if it would work, just a little tip, but it has helped a lot for me the past 3 weeks, but everyone is different, just keep pushin man!

Maccabee
01-23-08, 11:25 pm
When I get stuck on the flat bench for a little while I just switch to incline dumbbells or barbells and that usually does the trick.

pmug0000
01-23-08, 11:48 pm
There are 8 pages of recommendations in the thread 'bench plateau busting tips'. I'd take a look there, I'm sure something in that thread could be useful for you.

Lickdem89
01-23-08, 11:48 pm
All my maxes slowly go up its a constant battle BUT my damn bench wont its fuckn ridictulous my dumbell bench is going and going up but not my regular bench and i mix it up all the time I dont do the same chest workouts everyweek hell my dumbell bench is only 35 lbs less then my actual bench!!!!! i hate all my maxes the are in my mind bitch status but i know i gotta start somewhere im 510 182 pounds
Bench only 235 Dumbell 100's
Incline bench 215 dumbell 90's-95's
Squat 260 hurts when i squat messed up lower back crap
Dead lift 305 same as above
12 dead hang palms facing me pullups (need that up to 20 for marines)

pmug0000
01-23-08, 11:58 pm
All my maxes slowly go up its a constant battle BUT my damn bench wont its fuckn ridictulous my dumbell bench is going and going up but not my regular bench and i mix it up all the time I dont do the same chest workouts everyweek hell my dumbell bench is only 35 lbs less then my actual bench!!!!! its gay i hate all my maxes the are in my mind bitch status but i know i gotta start somewhere im 510 182 pounds
Bench only 235 Dumbell 100's
Incline bench 215 dumbell 90's-95's
Squat 260 hurts when i squat messed up lower back crap
Dead lift 305 same as above
12 dead hang palms facing me pullups (need that up to 20 for marines)

How long have you been stuck at 235? It seems like 100lb DB press and 235 BB press is actually about the right ratio - I don't think there is any problem. And your max bench is also a pretty good ratio to your other max lifts - I think this looks pretty normal.
But you say you are getting stronger with DBs, but not the barbell? That makes no sense. If your form on both lifts is right, then as your chest gets stronger both lifts will increase.

Just stick with it - if all your other max's are increasing I'm sure your bench will follow. Try benching for reps for a while, just to mix things up, and then go back after a couple months and try out the max again.

Dozer
01-24-08, 12:07 am
Maybe your rotator cuffs aren't as strong--I knew a bunch of guys who did competitive bench and said that they had to work their rotators to strengthen the support. Also, you could try changing up your chest routine, shock it into some new growth. Also, BB bench just isn't for everyone--maybe your delts or tri's aren't as strong for the movement, etc.

IRBS
01-24-08, 8:32 am
Your 1RM is not what some internet calculator says....it is what you CAN push for 1 rep. I am hitting 225 for 27 reps and my 1RM is a little over 400 now. Ditch the calculators and train heavy, that is the only way to find out what your true 1RM is. If its 365, its 365. Train heavy triples for a while and you will see progress. Benching 225 for reps is not going to make your 1RM go up that much, if at all. You need to focus your training on getting the bench up...the way to do that is with heavy weight.

By the way, a 365 raw bench is very good. As long as you continue to creep up I'd say youre doing good,
IRBS

ghost
01-24-08, 8:34 am
There are 8 pages of recommendations in the thread 'bench plateau busting tips'. I'd take a look there, I'm sure something in that thread could be useful for you.

there, and read this one too.

http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&ID=364

patrick
01-27-08, 4:01 pm
I have found during my 20+ years of competive bench pressing/personal training that cycling will prevent stagnation. set aside 12 weeks for a cycle. the first 4 weeks are sets of 8. the next four are sets of 5. next are triples. then, 1 week off. no training at all. keep track of your poundages,especially your pers. records during each month. you will find that week off will serve you well. resume doing 8's again. you'll see poundages you were doing for 5's last cycle, you'll be doing for 6,7,(hopefully) 8 reps! when you start doing 5's it'l be w/ poundages you were doing triples w/ last cycle. each month you need to establish your personal best for those reps. theres something about those weeks of heavy 3's that when you take a week off following-the poundages you'll be handling for 8 seem really light! Hope this helps, PK

WeeMan
01-31-08, 5:05 pm
when i plateau i just take a week off training, then when i go back i REALLY bust my ass and charge thru it! its worked a couple of times, but its just me.

Ricky P
01-31-08, 5:17 pm
Look at changing up your routine if you get stuck. Look to use DB's, trying a new program, changing rep ranges, use negatives. Throw a change-up at your muscles every once in a while to spark some new growth.

MELTDOWN
01-31-08, 5:36 pm
http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&id=370

Maccabee
03-17-08, 10:14 am
Heavy Ass Inclines Dumbbells will help a lot in improving your bench...it has for me.

MassMan
03-17-08, 11:05 am
Speed bench days helped me a lot.

ryan10
05-14-08, 6:23 am
Hey, ive been going real heavy on the bench for about the last month and have made some great gains, but now they are starting to slow down. I was thinking of maybe lightening it up and going for some high reps for the next week or two. What do you guys think?
thanks

sanga
05-14-08, 6:35 am
I think that is a good idea, then return back again.

hardhit71
05-14-08, 6:49 am
switching to dumbbells for a little while might be able to help you out too.

mritter3
05-14-08, 7:50 am
i would mix it up for sure, and switch to db's, then high reps, then go back to it, and i bet you will be surprised.

Big Wides
05-14-08, 9:38 am
http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=1412&highlight=bench+plateau+tips

Give that thread a whril

mdh84
05-14-08, 10:04 am
DB's, negatives, forced reps. Switch to incline work for a few weeks and see how that goes. Good luck

InkdMuscle
05-14-08, 11:02 am
DB's, negatives, forced reps. Switch to incline work for a few weeks and see how that goes. Good luck

This is almost exactly what i did when i switched up my bench routine. After 3 weeks I went back and i surprised my plateau by 15 lbs. just switch it bro you will get passed it.

prowrestler
05-14-08, 9:49 pm
try doing lighter sets, include maxing out but only do 1 set of it.

try doing this: warm up then 1 set of 6 reps, max set, 2-3 rep set,2-3 rep set, higher rep set. i use the bar and 1 plate on a side and try to get as many reps as possible in 90 seconds. like a strong man event almost lol! the higher reps are used for bar speed and perfectring form. make you form perfect on these lighter sets. form is important in all powerlifting lifts, makes or breaks you. make sure to accelerate the bar as fast as possible.

you dont set records by benching slow. west side is big on this for squats i know.

Mizzarler
05-15-08, 3:45 am
Im not a powerlifter but ive heard of powerlifters taking every 4th week and going light to give their body a break from all the heavy lifting, just change it up a little youll be fine

BiG in NYC 823
05-15-08, 1:13 pm
DB's, negatives, forced reps. Switch to incline work for a few weeks and see how that goes. Good luck

This will DEF work!
Worked for me!
Simply, just switch it up. A switch up is always good and needed to grow!

Tork
05-15-08, 2:21 pm
I agree, go a little lighter, but don't go super light, like 20 reps or anything, I think that will be counter productive for ya. I like the dumbbell idea.

Here is another idea, make one week a fly week, fly it every way you can. I do this on a regular basis, once or twice a month, I haven't hit any plateu's either. This could be due to the fly's or due to bench being my weakest lift. Oh, on the fly's, do incline first, then flat, I have never done decline fly's, i usually do a cable machine, because I think that would be to much stress for the shoulders. I have a bad shoulder, so decline fly's is probably a no, atleast for me anyways. See what this does for ya if you don't want to go to the high rep thing. Don't forget to squeeze the fuck out of em'!

mark
05-15-08, 4:12 pm
Go lighter next week. DBs for sets of 20+ reps and 1 assistance exercise. The following week start back with the heavy work again, but this time go with close grip bench vice your regular grip.

-mark

Toni69
05-15-08, 4:13 pm
Go lighter next week. DBs for sets of 20+ reps and 1 assistance exercise. The following week start back with the heavy work again, but this time go with close grip bench vice your regular grip.

-mark

good advice...I do something like this as well when my bench gets a bit stale...or weak, LOL.

LiftBig315
05-15-08, 7:02 pm
That;s why we switch it up week to week.

Example would be like this:

Week 1 (10-12 reps)
Week 2 (3-5 reps)
Week 3 (6-8 with forced reps, negatives)
Then keep repeating the cycle...I have been making steady gains, even while in a calorie deficit.

DEADn
06-28-08, 8:34 pm
This is so aggrivating to me. I am just getting back into weightlifting after about 4 months off . So I took a couple of weeks to warm up before I do what I did before. I did rest pause before but right now I am just doing straight sets. Well, I am finding that my bench press has really taken a hit.

When I had to stop weightlifting my incline bench was up around 190-200lbs doing 3 sets for a total of about 10 reps. So when getting back into the routine I dropped it down to about 170lbs and it is all I can do to even get 10 reps in over the course of 3 sets. I tried doing the dbs and those are going good but the incline bench sucks.

I think my chest is probably my weakest part of my system. I have not looked at my decline to see how that is measuring up. It is my thinking that I probably should start with my back area first and then work my way back to chest and see if it will be stimulated. What do you guys think?

shizz702
06-28-08, 8:37 pm
I don't know bro, pick a movement and stick with it. It's gonna take time to get it back where it was and even longer to surpass it. Just do the best you can, use good form, add weight to bar whenever possible and you'll progress.

Testpolska
06-29-08, 2:59 pm
Are you a powerlifter? Are you a bodybuilder? If your a PL then you need to get some work in on the flat bench brotha. If you are a bodybuilder does the incline give your chest the best stimulation out of any movement? Weight does not matter to a BB. If you feel it in the chest and not the shoulders then you are moving the weight correctly and the amount on the bar is meaningless.

simpleguy
06-29-08, 3:05 pm
ever thought about using a powerlifting routine? if increasing your bench is your number 1 goal, you could... but as Testpolska said, if you're a bb, focus on feeling the muscle work and not so much on the weight used

bobbymart
06-29-08, 3:09 pm
Are you a powerlifter? Are you a bodybuilder? If your a PL then you need to get some work in on the flat bench brotha. If you are a bodybuilder does the incline give your chest the best stimulation out of any movement? Weight does not matter to a BB. If you feel it in the chest and not the shoulders then you are moving the weight correctly and the amount on the bar is meaningless.


ever thought about using a powerlifting routine? if increasing your bench is your number 1 goal, you could... but as Testpolska said, if you're a bb, focus on feeling the muscle work and not so much on the weight used

true but lifting big weight = big muscles and if his numbers are not going up over time he need's to re evaluate how he is hitting said muscle group

DEADn
06-29-08, 3:48 pm
I am more of a bber. The incline bench has been neglected by myself for a while. I have only been doing it for a year or so. I had been doing more flat and decline more. I stopped doing the flat because of the safety hazard of it.

I think what I am going to do it lower the weight another 10lbs and go from there. It is hard to tell whether my shoulders and back are involved in the lifting vs just my chest. I think maybe because it is an awkward angle and maybe seemingly new to my system? THe last 2 times I have worked out my chest I did not feel very sore which in the end doesn't mean much though I did have somewhat of a burn in them. My shoulders were pretty sore though.

bobbymart
06-29-08, 3:49 pm
I stopped doing the flat because of the safety hazard of it.




you'r going to have to explain this one to me.

Matt Dickerson
06-29-08, 3:54 pm
I am more of a bber. The incline bench has been neglected by myself for a while. I have only been doing it for a year or so. I had been doing more flat and decline more. I stopped doing the flat because of the safety hazard of it.

I think what I am going to do it lower the weight another 10lbs and go from there. It is hard to tell whether my shoulders and back are involved in the lifting vs just my chest. I think maybe because it is an awkward angle and maybe seemingly new to my system? THe last 2 times I have worked out my chest I did not feel very sore which in the end doesn't mean much though I did have somewhat of a burn in them. My shoulders were pretty sore though.

The flat bench or incline isn't a chest isolation exercise and shouldn't be thought of as one. It is a compound movement that utilizes the triceps, shoulders, chest, lats some, rear delts, heck everything. Use other movements that are more precise to target your pecs. (Flies)

If you are a bodybuilder it really doesn't matter what you can bench as long as you have a good looking physique, right?

futilekyle
06-29-08, 4:02 pm
Working out takes consistency, your going to have to accept the fact that you took 4 months off and that you have to learn the biomechanics of the movement again

InkdMuscle
06-29-08, 5:28 pm
http://thefitshow.com/week3/milos_chest_med.htm


bro another animal posted this link for chest on another thread. It has helped me out tremendous. Not only to increase my strength but muscle size as well. Check it out hope it helps you out as well.

Wet and Squirmy
06-29-08, 7:04 pm
http://thefitshow.com/week3/milos_chest_med.htm


bro another animal posted this link for chest on another thread. It has helped me out tremendous. Not only to increase my strength but muscle size as well. Check it out hope it helps you out as well.

A little OT but, I laughed pretty hard around 20 mins when the guy was on his cell doing ab crunches in the background.

The video is really informative though. It really helps remind that when training it's all about just being completely focused on your movement and contractions, rather than how much weight you're putting up.

Try not to stress yourself out about losing weight off your bench, time off will do that to anyone. The same happened to me when I had a work related injury and couldn't train legs for several months. All my weight dropped quite a lot, and it took me about 3 months to return to my max weight for squat and leg press.

DEADn
06-29-08, 7:22 pm
Bobbymart, I hope this might answer your question in part. Apparently A certain bber injured his pecs in doing flat bench. I have learned that if one were to do flat bench you should do them in higher reps and not lowe reps.
------------------------------------------


Quote:
Originally Posted by Superman55
i have a serious question. what is it about BBP that injures people? is it the person doing it? lack of warm ups, technique, form, weight too heavy ?

Its the plane of motion you put your shoulders into when you flare your elbows out.


Quote:
Originally Posted by bluto
I always feel more vunerable on the incline and even the decline(as usually you use more weight that flat) than the Flat Bench.

Which is the safer Chest Execise then?

My rep range for my heaviest bench set is 6-10.

Incline or decline are both 10x better then flat bench as far as safety goes. If your heaviest set goes that now on flat bench then your just asking for a pec tear/shoulder injury

DEADn
06-29-08, 7:24 pm
Wet and squirmy

Good video there with Milos. That actually helped me yet what I find amusing with it is that the guy is doing the exercises slow and controlled. How many guys do you see doing exerciseses that slow? It does help you to focus on the mind/muscle connection though.

I am just keeping to my straight sets right now. Eventually I want to get into rest pause stuff but not enough I get my stuff down first.

Thanks for the input!

HardGainer369
06-30-08, 7:21 am
im not being a dick but did you seriously think after taking 4 months off you would still be able to push out 200 x 10 on incline?

CMChristich
06-30-08, 8:27 am
Ok with Incline, and I don't know if anyone will agree with me on this, but you gotta take it easy on Incline, focus more on form then weight, the big weight will come, but for you I would recommend using the Smith Machine, it gives you more control over the weight, just becareful with Incline, because it's easy to screw your shoulder up. Or like this morning, stupid me, I sprained my neck doing it, shit happens. lol

Bigchrome
12-15-08, 5:49 pm
This isn't your usual thread where someone's not gaining from not having the right food or rest or whatever.. I've gone from 148-172 in 6 months and my bench hasn't increased much if at all. I got 10lbs over two seperate weeks and then stalled out again. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, I going heavy, doing 5 reps for 4-5 sets and just at the point of failing all the time with a spotter to help me get it up but I've gotten nothing and I'm pissed off. I'd love some help here..!

71bbo455
12-15-08, 6:11 pm
I've had similar problems with other exercises. Mine was doing dips. Could never do them. Pushed myself until I was ready to die. Frustrating as hell. Then one day I got my specified number of reps and I took off from there. I went from not being able to do 15 reps with just my body weight to being able to do 15 reps with 25 lbs all within a 3 week period of time. All I can say is keep with it. It's frustrating but hell it will be that much more of an awesome feeling when you blast through it.
As far as things to try I would try switching to dumbells or doing inclines first in your workout. Dumbells are hard as hell and you actually have to use stabilizing muscles to keep them steady. Also you can push your tri's harder and that may help. Good luck and never give up.

norrim1
12-15-08, 6:24 pm
What's your training split look like? Maybe you need to try a few different variations to your training. For example, switch your rep ranges up from time to time. Trying hitting some doubles or singles.

In Flames
12-15-08, 7:41 pm
Try Hatfield's style.

2 x 4-6 Flat BB Bench
2 x 6-12 Incline Bench
2 x 6-12 Dips
2 x 12-15 Incline Fly's
2 x 15-20 Cable Crossovers

Cellerator65
12-15-08, 9:58 pm
if u do BB bench all the time, switch to DB for a few weeks

mark
12-16-08, 1:01 am
Do you have a plan laid out on how you're going to train to ensure progress?

Aggression
12-16-08, 11:43 am
Do you have a plan laid out on how you're going to train to ensure progress?

True. If you're just going in there to bench big numbers, chances are you won't hit the big numbers.

prowrestler
12-16-08, 11:53 am
agree with mark and agression.

you probably overtrained the cns doing bench continually.

id say try this? i dont know hwat your weak points areb ut ill try given what i can judge from you.

-tuck the elbows
- use an arch and keep tight. picture what youd do to brace yourslef from a punch to the stomach, stay that tight when you lift.
- get your feet planted in the floor.
- grab the bar in a powerful grip. not too wide,not too close. whats good for you.
- fill you self up with air before lift off.
- press the bar as fast as possible.

try this routine

weeks 1-2, flat bench, work up to a 3 rep max, try to beat it the next week.
weeks 3-4, floor press, work up to a 3 rep max, beat it on week 4
weeks 5-6, close grip bench, work up to a 3 rep max again beat weeks 5's pr on week 6.
week 7, delaod with dumbell presses for rep work.

restart this on week 8. see if you didnt get stronger or not on the flat bench.

Bigchrome
12-20-08, 10:36 am
Sorry I haven't been able to get on in a little while I've got exams atm..

Training style is changing alot since I wasn't getting progress I've tried a lot of different things! Last session I did:
5x5 Incline DB presses with 22.5kg and last set 25kg (felt real good)
4x5 CGBP two sets with 65kg and two with 55kg, felt very controlled and tight again.
3x6 cable crossovers

This felt really good and I'm hoping I'll get some more out of it next week but if not I'll try the routine below! I have some really bad pain at the top left of my sternum from an injury flare up after this but hopefully it'll leave me by next week.

So far in my journey I've tried 3x8 flat/incline/cgbp, 5x5, 5x5 with DBs, and adding flys to both the 5x5 programs with no results. only thing that worked at all was between the first and second week of DBs and the first 3 weeks of 5x5 but after that it just stalled out again.

I think I may be going too heavy on my first 5x5 set and this is causing problems because I end up having to drop down a lot!

mark
12-20-08, 2:31 pm
Take your max and subtract 5-10% or 20-30lbs and recalculate your percents.

Also, are you actually following the 5x5 program, or just doing 5x5 haphazardly? If you want to get stronger, you need a plan to get you where you want to be.

prowrestler
12-20-08, 2:34 pm
yes, rule number one is have a plan. dave tate said so and louie and wendler and well, anyone who made it somewhere

Bigchrome
12-20-08, 6:10 pm
Take your max and subtract 5-10% or 20-30lbs and recalculate your percents.

Also, are you actually following the 5x5 program, or just doing 5x5 haphazardly? If you want to get stronger, you need a plan to get you where you want to be.

I'm just doing it haphazardly tbh.. I still kill it on every set though. If my max is 85kg what kind of lifts should I be doing?

mark
12-20-08, 6:43 pm
My suggestion would be to find a 5x5 program... or do some research into how to properly control volume and intensity to ensure a positive training effect...

staudt
04-05-09, 9:55 pm
I just turned 17 and i'm 5'9'' 215lbs maxes on my lifts are bench 300lbs squat 435lbs deadlift 425lbs but anyways I have been stuck at 295-300 on flat bench for a long time, i switch up my exercises and i've been working on my lockout by using bands and doing lockout exercises but I was wondering if anyone had anything that they do when they are stuck at a plateau.

stumblin54
04-05-09, 9:56 pm
Heavy negative dips and flat bench always helps me out.

Stumblin

T82
05-05-09, 7:33 pm
What helped me recently bust my plateau was to take a rest for a week. I went from 275 on my bench and 205 on my power clean, to 300lbs and 215lbs. I'm 17, 198lbs and 5'10. Take a rest it helps.

BeastCook
05-05-09, 8:38 pm
Ok with Incline, and I don't know if anyone will agree with me on this, but you gotta take it easy on Incline, focus more on form then weight, the big weight will come, but for you I would recommend using the Smith Machine, it gives you more control over the weight, just becareful with Incline, because it's easy to screw your shoulder up. Or like this morning, stupid me, I sprained my neck doing it, shit happens. lol

are you fucking serious?

J Wong
05-05-09, 10:52 pm
What helped me recently bust my plateau was to take a rest for a week. I went from 275 on my bench and 205 on my power clean, to 300lbs and 215lbs. I'm 17, 198lbs and 5'10. Take a rest it helps.

I don't mean to call you out or anything.. but I just don't find that possible. The clean I can understand because it could be a form issue. But 25 lbs on your bench press from just coming back off of a week of rest doesn't seem likely at all. Do you mean you took a week off and then 3-4 weeks later you hit 300?


are you fucking serious?

Some people are just misinformed, no need to be uptight about it haha.

T82
05-06-09, 11:04 pm
I don't mean to call you out or anything.. but I just don't find that possible. The clean I can understand because it could be a form issue. But 25 lbs on your bench press from just coming back off of a week of rest doesn't seem likely at all. Do you mean you took a week off and then 3-4 weeks later you hit 300?




I'm sorry I wasn't too clear in what I said. I meant to say some time after that I hit 300, but it wasn't in 3-4 weeks it was more like in 1-2. I didn't believe it when I did it either, and neither did my buddy who was spotting me.

This isn't anything new to me though because I've had this happen to me before. I've jumped from 250 to 275 in a month's time last year. I know it seems weird and impossible, and I agree at that but it happened.

Powerboy93
05-25-09, 9:02 pm
hello bros, I am 15 156 lbs and 5'7-'8. i was benching 155x5 barely last year in august(weighing: 148). i was doing a hvy day(mon) and light(tues) the idea was to increase by 5 lbs each time i hit my goal. this did me loads and loads of good. i got up to 210x5(my hvy weight) and 200x8(light weight). around march sometime a week after i hit my 200x8 goal i put up 205. i repped it x6. the next week i repped it x5 and then went back up x6 then down to x4.... its been a rollercoster. my deadlifts,oh press,...ect even curls! are getting bigger. idk what the hell to do. I tried doing chest once a week(its been 3 weeks now and still no results). i tried doing Close gribs for tris and still no improvements of benchpress. wtf should i do brothers? DB press for a couple weeks? i am a bodybuilder and i know i shouldnt worry about the amount of weight but still it really annoying and i rlly wana blast through this and also even though i am not increasing in weight or reps i still get good pumps and sore the next day...idk.

thanks.

Menace
05-25-09, 9:22 pm
not a single mention of your diet. sounds like your not eating enough judging by your body weight. post up your diet/supps

mritter3
05-25-09, 10:27 pm
take a month away from the bench focus on working your shoulders, and tris, and yeah if your gaining...if you are.....than you got eat more to lift more,but being a bodybuilder you already knew that.

deadlifts
05-25-09, 10:54 pm
take a month away from the bench focus on working your shoulders, and tris, and yeah if your gaining...if you are.....than you got eat more to lift more,but being a bodybuilder you already knew that.

Yeah maybe try weighted dips instead of bench

J Wong
05-25-09, 11:01 pm
If you are focusing on getting your lifts up, find a good strength program and stick to it. Look up Jim Wendler's 5/3/1, Macdow's 5x5, or Mark Rippetoes Starting Strength. Study these programs, learn everything about them, follow them to the tee, and break through any plateau you might have.

prowrestler
05-26-09, 1:32 am
gain bodyweight.

1 week delaod, addin sauna time and ice baths, foam rolling and whater rehab shit u like.

no barbell exercises, just try light bodyweight lifts that week, very low volume, pump up and get out.


and gain weight. add the calories that are needed. it will help alot

TheDarkHalf
05-26-09, 12:03 pm
I'd also look into what's known as the rest-pause technique

t_mh
05-26-09, 1:47 pm
take a month away from the bench focus on working your shoulders, and tris, and yeah if your gaining...if you are.....than you got eat more to lift more,but being a bodybuilder you already knew that.

I second this. If you're not working tri's and shoulder's you should focus on them. Skullcrushers, military presses... That's probably obvious advice, but at 15 I didn't know it too well.

ghost
05-26-09, 3:16 pm
use boards, chains, bands, different grips, build up your delts and tri's and traps and abs... drive harder with your legs... the bench is an entire body involved lift.

Muscleguy93
05-26-09, 9:40 pm
I got the same prob. I was recommeded by a trainer to do inclines 1st then flat 2nd? Would this help? also do u guys recommend dumbells for 2 weeks then bbs again?

Thanks

Muscleguy93
05-26-09, 9:44 pm
I have also noticed and increase in pec size even though I'm not increasing in weight on the bar for flat bench... Idk maybe it's the flies or inclines?

J Wong
05-26-09, 10:53 pm
http://www.joeskopec.com/edcoanbench.html

jeff00z28
05-27-09, 12:01 am
i started doing higher reps like sets of 8-10 to help bench. like not pyramids just warm up then do 3x10 or 8

BeastCook
05-27-09, 12:31 am
I got the same prob. I was recommeded by a trainer to do inclines 1st then flat 2nd? Would this help? also do u guys recommend dumbells for 2 weeks then bbs again?

Thanks

thats the right idea, i would alt each week with bars and dumbbells

Ir0nClad
05-27-09, 12:35 am
Do a strength program, squat more, and eat more. Linear progression doesn't work forever, and if your an advanced lifter your going to have to periodize your workouts.

Muscleguy93
08-03-09, 5:47 pm
Sup guys... I have had a platue on the Flat bench, for 5 months. And a few weeks ago i swtiched up my routine.( I asked "house" and a trainer as well as a few ppl on these fourms) they all recommneded to foucus more on inclines so I can get a change of pace. so now i do inclines first and flat second, it was a good change i got +40 lbs on my inclines in a few short weeks aswell as awesome pec gains. But My platue is still here, (200x8). My flat bench just never wants to go up... and I am a 5 or 10 lbs away from catching up to my flat on inclines. Yes I do eat like a beast, I've gained 10 lbs... this month(mostly july, since its now aug 3) plus take Nitro G pre/post WO.

If I am fresh(warm up set then straight into the 200) i can bust out 8 reps of 200. but after inclines and a set of 185(this is getting easier each workout) on flat I can only get 205x1(this never seems to increase). What can i do to start getting like 205x6 as my last set? alternate between inc/flat?

thanks, you bros dont even know how much this bothers me... I lose sleep over solutions to breaking this platue.

SQUAT or DIE!
08-03-09, 5:51 pm
lower the rep range, 3-5 for strength
if there is a particular area where you cant lock out after rep 8 try boards...

whosnexttt
08-03-09, 6:36 pm
Sup guys... I have had a platue on the Flat bench, for 5 months. And a few weeks ago i swtiched up my routine.( I asked "house" and a trainer as well as a few ppl on these fourms) they all recommneded to foucus more on inclines so I can get a change of pace. so now i do inclines first and flat second, it was a good change i got +40 lbs on my inclines in a few short weeks aswell as awesome pec gains. But My platue is still here, (200x8). My flat bench just never wants to go up... and I am a 5 or 10 lbs away from catching up to my flat on inclines. Yes I do eat like a beast, I've gained 10 lbs... this month(mostly july, since its now aug 3) plus take Nitro G pre/post WO.

If I am fresh(warm up set then straight into the 200) i can bust out 8 reps of 200. but after inclines and a set of 185(this is getting easier each workout) on flat I can only get 205x1(this never seems to increase). What can i do to start getting like 205x6 as my last set? alternate between inc/flat?

thanks, you bros dont even know how much this bothers me... I lose sleep over solutions to breaking this platue.

to tell you the truth, you can try doing lower reps but actually there really is no way for us to figure out how to bust the plateau on YOUR bench press, if you care about numbers i suggest doing powerlifting for awhile, or if you are truly a bodybuilder set your ego aside and go in front of the mirror and do this......head up, confident look and say "I dont care about weight!!"

it doesnt matter how much your lift bro its how you do it, do you want to gain muscle or just gain numbers?

gaining numbers is cool dont get me wrong because you can tell all your friends how much you can bench, but when it comes down to reality, a strong bench press dont mean a thing! who cares bout the bench bro, just start with inclines then flats and flys or dips to finish off, switch equipment and rep range every week

here like this

week 1

incline bench press 3x8-10
dumbbell bench press 3x6-8
dumbbell fly 3x8-12
pec deck 3x10-15

week 2

incline dumbbell bench press 3x10-12
smith machine bench press 3x8-10
incline dumbbell fly 3x8-12
cable crossover 3x10-15

week 3

smith machine incline bench press 3x8-10
bench press 3x10-15
pec deck 3x15-20
dips 2xfailure

and so on and so on, just keep switching things up bro and eventually when your not even paying attention to your chest itl grow, ive had that problem so many times and when i stopped caring about my bench and chest i started focusing and building a big back and a couple months passed by quick and i noticed my chest got huge over time, it just takes time bro

Muscleguy93
08-03-09, 8:43 pm
to tell you the truth, you can try doing lower reps but actually there really is no way for us to figure out how to bust the plateau on YOUR bench press, if you care about numbers i suggest doing powerlifting for awhile, or if you are truly a bodybuilder set your ego aside and go in front of the mirror and do this......head up, confident look and say "I dont care about weight!!"

it doesnt matter how much your lift bro its how you do it, do you want to gain muscle or just gain numbers?

gaining numbers is cool dont get me wrong because you can tell all your friends how much you can bench, but when it comes down to reality, a strong bench press dont mean a thing! who cares bout the bench bro, just start with inclines then flats and flys or dips to finish off, switch equipment and rep range every week

here like this

week 1

incline bench press 3x8-10
dumbbell bench press 3x6-8
dumbbell fly 3x8-12
pec deck 3x10-15

week 2

incline dumbbell bench press 3x10-12
smith machine bench press 3x8-10
incline dumbbell fly 3x8-12
cable crossover 3x10-15

week 3

smith machine incline bench press 3x8-10
bench press 3x10-15
pec deck 3x15-20
dips 2xfailure

and so on and so on, just keep switching things up bro and eventually when your not even paying attention to your chest itl grow, ive had that problem so many times and when i stopped caring about my bench and chest i started focusing and building a big back and a couple months passed by quick and i noticed my chest got huge over time, it just takes time bro


haha bro you nailed it! i dont rlly care about numbers... I have a genetically gifted chest, freaking thing looks like i can bench atleast 300 thats what kills me! those inclines + flys and pull overs have built me a pretty big chest.thanks for the response bro, ur right, it does take time. Thanks for the help.

GregK
08-04-09, 2:37 am
try doin heavy close grips.. like shoulder width grip or slightly narrower, and heavy military presses and standing overhead presses. Dips, heavy skullcrushers.

whosnexttt
08-04-09, 3:09 am
haha bro you nailed it! i dont rlly care about numbers... I have a genetically gifted chest, freaking thing looks like i can bench atleast 300 thats what kills me! those inclines + flys and pull overs have built me a pretty big chest.thanks for the response bro, ur right, it does take time. Thanks for the help.

Glad I can help bro, remember thats what im here for, any questions?

Muscleguy93
08-04-09, 11:03 am
Glad I can help bro, remember thats what im here for, any questions?

none for now, bro. But if I had any I will make sure to ask U.

thanks again

The_Beast
08-23-09, 8:53 pm
My Best Advice,
WWW.Westside-barbell.COM

If Louie Simmons can't help you out, your out of luck brothers.

But for my personal Advice, I started working out Triceps Twice per week. I hit Heavy Chest and Heavy Triceps on thursdays, and Heavy Triceps and Speed work on mondays.

72 hours recovery between, Speed work and Heavy work. It was a major improvement, I mean Drastic Improvement over my standard routine that included a Single day devoted to "Arms" and another to the coveted "Chest" that alot of us fall under. Results Wise, it has promoted me the Highest gains I have ever achieved. 40 Pounds on my Benchpress, in less than 5 workouts, being deployed. That weight being 355 pounds that was very, very easy. Its a small change, but could possibly mean the diffrence from a good lift to a lift sending you home with your tail between your legs.

Altered Beast
09-11-09, 9:41 am
Any advice would help

Altered Beast
09-11-09, 10:16 am
Am I posting this in the wrong place?

ghost
09-11-09, 10:25 am
What is your current split?

one big thing to remember, is when training for the bench, your accessory muscles do more of the work than you may realize. so if your delts or Tri's are weak, your bench is going no where...

BubbyLight
09-11-09, 10:26 am
What is your current split?

one big thing to remember, is when training for the bench, your accessory muscles do more of the work than you may realize. so if your delts or Tri's are weak, your bench is going no where...

good point. so yea if we got to see what you were doing. like post your split and we will help you. or see what u need to change

theharjmann
09-11-09, 11:05 am
Any advice would help

dont do flat bench press with the bar for 6 weeks.

focus on shifting more weight in all the other chest exercises over those 6 weeks

also be sure to:

1) Sleep well
2) eat enough calories
3) eat enough protein
4) dont overtrain
5) dont drink alcohol

after 6 weeks, if you cant bench more then you can come and shoot me.

Altered Beast
09-11-09, 11:13 am
My supportive muscles are very strong, which is why I can't figure out how my BP is stuck. I also hate the fact that my squat and deadlift are each almost double my bench!

I read that I should do partials and stop at the sticking point with weight 120% of my one rep max after my flat bench. I've also switched to standing barbell push presses and will implement the 5 rep/pyramid strategy.

What do ya'll think?