Bench Press

[Sixguns]

About 2 months ago I was able to move my bench up to 205lbs ( my body weight). Since than, Ive been stuck big time. I was first making slow progress, doing 3 sets which would be 7-5 reps each. But over the last month those numbers have dropped to my lowest of 5,4, and then 3. I dont know if I should drop my weight a little or what but I dont know whats up with it. All of my other workouts have been solid so I dont understand. Any tips on what to do?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You can use lighter weights and go with higher reps. You can go with heavier weights and lower reps. You just need to mix things up. Some people like transitioning to dumbbells for a period of time to challenge their body in a different way. Even stuff like ballistic or clapping push-ups, weighted dips, skull-crushers, etc can help get you out of a stall.

 

[Sixguns]

You can use lighter weights and go with higher reps. You can go with heavier weights and lower reps. You just need to mix things up. Some people like transitioning to dumbbells for a period of time to challenge their body in a different way. Even stuff like ballistic or clapping push-ups, weighted dips, skull-crushers, etc can help get you out of a stall.

I do dumbbells along with my benching. I like to get them both in a workout. I know I have been pushing my tri's a lot lately but dont think that would cause issues like this.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I do dumbbells along with my benching. I like to get them both in a workout. I know I have been pushing my tri's a lot lately but dont think that would cause issues like this.

Why do you do both? Commit to one during a given workout and push it pretty hard. Doing both is a bit much and 1) you may not be pushing yourself entirely on the one because you're saving up to perform on the other or 2) you're out of energy. You can alternate dumbbell vs barbell every other workout, but just focus on one on a given day. Give it your all. See how it goes. And as I said, mess with the rep scheme of each. Maybe you just need to get a little bit more excited/pumped to do it so you can push yourself a bit more.

 

[melchoir]

Drop back to 185-190lbs and then each week re-introduce 5lbs. When you get back to 205 you'll likely push through it.

 

[z1ggy]

Drop back to 185-190lbs and then each week re-introduce 5lbs. When you get back to 205 you'll likely push through it.

Agreed. Drop your weight and do more reps for a while, then try to break though 205 after a few weeks. Also, you could try varying degree of difficult pushups (plyo, clapper, on a med ball, etc).

 

[Sixguns]

Why do you do both? Commit to one during a given workout and push it pretty hard. Doing both is a bit much and 1) you may not be pushing yourself entirely on the one because you're saving up to perform on the other or 2) you're out of energy. You can alternate dumbbell vs barbell every other workout, but just focus on one on a given day. Give it your all. See how it goes. And as I said, mess with the rep scheme of each. Maybe you just need to get a little bit more excited/pumped to do it so you can push yourself a bit more.

When I do get to dumbbells, it is at the very end of my workout. I do a light weight for a quick burnout of my chest before I leave.

I think I might drop it a bit for a few weeks. Thanks guys.

 

[surfsatwerk]

There's always dead bench to help you get stronger off the chest.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/bring-your-bench-press-alive-with-the-dead-bench/

 

[SociallyChallenged]

When I do get to dumbbells, it is at the very end of my workout. I do a light weight for a quick burnout of my chest before I leave.

I think I might drop it a bit for a few weeks. Thanks guys.

A burn-out is typically frowned upon if you're actually going for strength. Research has shown that the burn typically means you're stressing yourself to fatigue, which creates excess oxidative stress. That oxidative stress has been shown to increase the amount of AKT (an enzyme) that actually minimizes muscle hypertrophy. That could be contributing to your lack of strength gains. Stick with a 3x5 or 5x5 only - don't add the burnout. See if that changes anything.

 

[Sixguns]

A burn-out is typically frowned upon if you're actually going for strength. Research has shown that the burn typically means you're stressing yourself to fatigue, which creates excess oxidative stress. That oxidative stress has been shown to increase the amount of AKT (an enzyme) that actually minimizes muscle hypertrophy. That could be contributing to your lack of strength gains. Stick with a 3x5 or 5x5 only - don't add the burnout. See if that changes anything.

Did not know that. Ill get rid of that and drop my bench back down to 195 for a few weeks and build up by five. I was adding my weight by 10lbs which worked at the lower weights but now I guess I should be doing smaller gains due to the weight starting to get high.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Did not know that. Ill get rid of that and drop my bench back down to 195 for a few weeks and build up by five. I was adding my weight by 10lbs which worked at the lower weights but now I guess I should be doing smaller gains due to the weight starting to get high.

Yeah, definitely add by 5lbs too. Sometimes I just assess how the weight feels. If I typically work out 3x per week and increase 5lbs each time, that's 15lbs per week. If I'm just not feeling it, I'll just go for higher reps and wait to increase the weight at the next session. I don't feel so bad about it because I'm still increasing my weights by 10lbs weekly. Not too shabby. And if that gets to be too much, you can buy some micro plates (http://www.amazon.com/PlateMate-Micr.../dp/B0006UABIU). They're way more expensive than they're worth though so if I were you, I'd just put a soup can in a grocery bag and put one of those on each side of the bar to increase the weight by ~2-2.5lbs. A lower jump is sometimes all you need to keep going.

 

[classy]

How often do you bench?

 

[Sixguns]

How often do you bench?

Once a week. My routine is
Monday-Chest/Tri
Tuesday-Back/Bi
Wed-OFF
Thrusday-Shoulder/Tri
Friday-Leg/Bi

I change the days every few months to keep myself from falling into a rut.

 

[goog40]

Do you incline bench? I just started doing it a couple months ago and found it helped my flat bench, as well as my DB shoulder press. I had pretty much stalled on both of those lifts for awhile before adding the incline to my routine.

 

[Sixguns]

Do you incline bench? I just started doing it a couple months ago and found it helped my flat bench, as well as my DB shoulder press. I had pretty much stalled on both of those lifts for awhile before adding the incline to my routine.

I do but my incline has always been really far behind my flat bench on weight. I also have to be careful because my shoulder gives me issues sometimes on the incline.

 

[classy]

More than likely you over trained. I would do one of the following. The first one would be bench every 10 days. Or split your chest routine into twice a week. Flat bench one day, incline the next. Or substitute dips for flat bench for a couple of weeks. Without seeing you, it could also be mental as well. So a breakup or increase in time between bench sessions would help in that area as well.

Going with a heavier weight as suggested could also benefit as well and not a bad approach. You could also drop one or two sets from your routine as well. I wouldn't go with lighter weight higher reps. The problem is if your over trained, you will only further the recession. But I think splitting you chest routine will also help your incline.

Also if you are newcomer, less than 3 years steady, training your arms twice a week like that also will retard growth or cause sticking points to happen more often. It sounds like to me you have a typical case of being over trained. Rest and doing a little less for a bit can do wonders all around .

 

[Sixguns]

Not sure if I am overtrained since my flat bench is the only thing suffering. As for training my arms twice. I dont really push them hard on chest and back day. I really only push them hard on my shoulder and leg day. I also take a week off every eight to relax and rest. I think a lot of it may be mental for some reason. At first I was pumped that I could move 205 but now its like I should be doing more.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

More than likely you over trained. I would do one of the following. The first one would be bench every 10 days. Or split your chest routine into twice a week. Flat bench one day, incline the next. Or substitute dips for flat bench for a couple of weeks. Without seeing you, it could also be mental as well. So a breakup or increase in time between bench sessions would help in that area as well.

Going with a heavier weight as suggested could also benefit as well and not a bad approach. You could also drop one or two sets from your routine as well. I wouldn't go with lighter weight higher reps. The problem is if your over trained, you will only further the recession. But I think splitting you chest routine will also help your incline.

Also if you are newcomer, less than 3 years steady, training your arms twice a week like that also will retard growth or cause sticking points to happen more often. It sounds like to me you have a typical case of being over trained. Rest and doing a little less for a bit can do wonders all around .

You don't magically overtrain by working your arms heavily a few times per week. Beginners can withstand a fairly good amount of volume, especially early on. What you're saying just doesn't stand up. Many serious lifters train bench three times per week and are clearly fine. If he's been training seriously for over 8-12 weeks, then he may be experiencing some central nervous system fatigue. But I definitely don't support reducing the bench frequency to once every 10 days. That's just unreasonable.

 

[matt3D]

You are either overtraining which I doubt, you are not eating enough, or you aren't changing around your workout routine. More than likely, if you are staying at the same weight and strength you aren't eating enough. I found out that my diet is more important than the training itself.

 

[Whisper]

Going to agree with most other posters--avoid the burn outs and stick with 3x5 and/or 5x5 for exercises, and/or vary the routine a bit (either by reducing the weight and increasing the reps for a little while, or swapping out exercises, such as the suggested DB rather than BB press for flat).

Anytime I hit a plateau, I'll run through a six-week flat bench routine that essentially does most of what I just typed out above: the first week begins with a significant increase in volume and decrease in weight compared to my normal workout, but by week six, the final couple sets are in the 1-3 rep range. I've yet to go through that routine and not have it increase my bench by at least a few pounds (which, when you've been lifting for a while and would like to maintain a set body weight, can be tough to do).

Also, sometimes it's as simple as finding a spotter (I typically workout alone), throwing an extra 5 lbs. on regardless of how many reps I've been doing at my previously-max set weight, and just seeing what happens for a couple weeks. Anytime I change gyms, I have a (probably mostly mental) adjustment period during which I lift a good 5% less on pretty much every compound exercise. My current funk actually stuck around for about 6 months, but essentially forcing myself to go back to my previously-normal weight amounts helped pull me out of it.

 

[z1ggy]

Once a week. My routine is
Monday-Chest/Tri
Tuesday-Back/Bi
Wed-OFF
Thrusday-Shoulder/Tri
Friday-Leg/Bi

I change the days every few months to keep myself from falling into a rut.

You need to be doing more legs.

 

[z1ggy]

You are either overtraining which I doubt, you are not eating enough, or you aren't changing around your workout routine. More than likely, if you are staying at the same weight and strength you aren't eating enough. I found out that my diet is more important than the training itself.

This, too. I just read some articles last night about how many people actually aren't eating enough when they are working out. For somebody trying to gain mass and strength with a BMR of 2000kcal, I think it was suggested to eat somewhere around 2800-3200kcal a day I believe. It also said that many pro lifters eat between 40-50% lipids per day. Not that you or any of us are pro..it gives insight that diet is just as important, if not more important than the gym routine itself. It also suggested that your total work out routine should not consist of more than 20-22 total sets. Over training is going to hinder results.

 

[classy]

You don't magically overtrain by working your arms heavily a few times per week. Beginners can withstand a fairly good amount of volume, especially early on. What you're saying just doesn't stand up. Many serious lifters train bench three times per week and are clearly fine. If he's been training seriously for over 8-12 weeks, then he may be experiencing some central nervous system fatigue. But I definitely don't support reducing the bench frequency to once every 10 days. That's just unreasonable.

Well having 25 years of experience I would disgaree with much of this. I am willing to bet he is overtrained. The amount of volume is different for beginners. If he is light or trying to gain weight, he could easily be overtrained. If he is a bigger man, trying to lose maybe not so much and he could be at a mental block. No offense but I could not possibly believe any good bodybuilder especially not any powerlifter worth a grain a salt will ever tell you benching 3 times a week is good to gain size or strength.

That once every ten days is an old time trick. Its not a permament one, but it would definately help if its a mental one. I gave some advice based on many many years of training. I am in my 40s with the body of man 30. I have had the good fortunate to train with a couple state level bobybuilding champions, several top east coast powerlifters as well over the years.

Its hard to give good training advice when you don't know the person face to face. As I said I wouldn't lighten the weight, I would suggest a couple less sets or change in routine to get away from a possible mental block.

Let me also add this one note, I could see a bodybuilder benching 3 times a week getting ready for show, but he won't trying to move more weight like this young man here is trying to do.

 

[classy]

Here is a good website that you should be able to find some stuff to help you. http://www.criticalbench.com/

Its tough, because everyone is truly different. So lots of times its trial and error.

Happy training and never give up

 

[Sixguns]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will drop the weight just a bit. I believe its mostly a mental block for me since the only thing suffering is my flat bench. Everything else in the gym is working out great, just the bench is all. I had goals for the end of the year also and my goal was to be doing 225lbs by the end of the year and it doesnt look like that will be happening. So maybe I am coming down on myself or something. I just push really hard because I dont ever want to be the fattie I was two years ago.