How do I improve my presses?

[Semidevil]

I'm working on improving my Dumbell incline presses and I have been stuck on 40lbs per hand for a while now. I do full body 3x per week and I usually do 5x5. I can do 35 at 5x5, but when I try 40, I can do 2 sets at most and have to back down. Should I just keep trying as before until I am able to do 5x5, or is there a more efficient method?

 

[VulgarDisplay]

How's your diet? At those weights it's likely because you aren't eating enough for your body to grow more muscle, or it's psychological in nature. Eat more, or just increase the weight and don't think about not being able to do it.

 

[Phanuel]

Just stick with 3x5, 5x5 is way overkill for basically an accessory workout.

 

[brad310]

I'm working on improving my Dumbell incline presses and I have been stuck on 40lbs per hand for a while now. I do full body 3x per week and I usually do 5x5. I can do 35 at 5x5, but when I try 40, I can do 2 sets at most and have to back down. Should I just keep trying as before until I am able to do 5x5, or is there a more efficient method?

2 suggestions...

1- increase your barbell bench and overhead presses. Those you can increase at a more consistant rate and the gains there will probably transfer to this assistance exercise.

2- increase the volume of a lower weight before putting 40 in your hands. check your ego, and get to where you can do sets of 10 w/ 35 first. WHen you can do multiple sets of 10 of 35lbs, then move on to 40. It sounds like 40lbs is too close to your maximum to use it to make gains.

3- form. roll your shoulders back, make sure u have yourself stabilized with your chest arched to give you a better mechanical advantage

4- triceps. incline DB press is heavy on tricips, for me anyway. Do more Tri assistance work like dips and lying triceps extensions.

 

[brad310]

I should also say that incline DB bench is probably being done when you are done closer to the end of your chest work...so you have probably already done your barbell bench and incline barbell bench. If so, you are already fatigued and now using this assistance exercise to just spur some muscle growth. Maybe you need more rest between sets.

You should probably also be rotating this exercise through with other assistance work every few weeks. Incline db bench gives variety and helps you in that when you rotate it, it gives your body a different stress to react to...but its not a main lift or one you should be beating yourself up over. Your time would be better spend doing drop sets of bench or OHP, or dips. Or just resting and eating. Focus on the regular bench...no one will every say 'Hey buddy, how much ya' incline db bench?'

 

[SociallyChallenged]

2 suggestions...

1- increase your barbell bench and overhead presses. Those you can increase at a more consistant rate and the gains there will probably transfer to this assistance exercise.

2- increase the volume of a lower weight before putting 40 in your hands. check your ego, and get to where you can do sets of 10 w/ 35 first. WHen you can do multiple sets of 10 of 35lbs, then move on to 40. It sounds like 40lbs is too close to your maximum to use it to make gains.

3- form. roll your shoulders back, make sure u have yourself stabilized with your chest arched to give you a better mechanical advantage

4- triceps. incline DB press is heavy on tricips, for me anyway. Do more Tri assistance work like dips and lying triceps extensions.

Good advice. My suggestions were the same but in this priority order: 1) make sure your form is perfect. If it's off, then your potential is much less due to suboptimal muscle length (which affects ability to generate force). 2) Change the volume - mix it up. Instead of doing your typical rep scheme, increase the weight and do fewer reps. If you feel that's not for you, reduce the weight and do more reps. Either way, you should be to the point that you are very challenged (almost failure). 3) Work on your other presses as well - DBs are more difficult to move up in weight than BB weight work. Maybe do BB versions of all the presses for a month and come back to it. 4) accessory work - at the end of your workout do some extra work for the serratus anterior, pecs, and triceps. Higher volume, lower weight, only a set or two.