Stoopid question of the day!

[Gonzomedic]

TweetI apologize if this is in the wrong area.My question is in regards to overall strength.I have been lifting "seriously" for a number of yr's but I can't seem to move my bench higher than 335! I'm now down from that pr to 305 x2.I think I should be more patient with myself,I am doing considerably better overall with total amt of weight used in all lifts.I will be changing my routine to a 2 a wk routine, with a total of 10 exercises.I'm hoping this will spur another growth spurt.lol I also do an improvised GPP with weight ranging from 50-100 lbs in a duffel bag, walking 0.53 mile x2 a wk.My diet is not "clean" I have been on a "if it ain't movin, eat it!" diet for about 25-30 yr's! Any advice the elder's can impart would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

[daved150]

Tweetok...moved thread for ya. is it time to change it up? get away from the bench press for awhile (4-6weeks) then go back and test again. maybe focus on moving your dumbell presses up the rack!!

[TheChosen1]

TweetI was there in your shoes for a while, bro. Only I couldn't get any higher than 240. Check out CriticalBench.com . I've been using their workout eversince and it's pretty much helped me.

[Doink the clown]

TweetI broke the 400 pound barrier using Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 routine. It hurts but works,i found it best to pay the $20.00 for the e-book which he gives you all the percentages and other goodies to use. I think you can find it over at westside barbell.com
It isn't a pretty program but it does work well.

[Gym_Tigress]

TweetI remember talking with someone about that because I had the same problem. I couldn't seem to get 185 on a max for a long time. I did some additional research and found that sometimes when we reach a certain point, the lack of progression could be genetic. Because of this genetic predisposition, it can hinder muscle fiber recruitment due to our DNA. Of course I refuse to believe this, but it makes sense to some extent. Instead of doing heavy and keep trying to go above the weight I wanted, I changed up my routine to work on endurance and used a negative phase followed by a power out with additional reps. Every other week I did supersets to recruit more muscle fibers in a quicker manner. I'm now back on the strength phase again and am doing more than 1 rep on 185. I think doing a slow 6 count in the negative phase with the power up in the positive phase really helped.

[Gonzomedic]

TweetThanks gang! I think I'll lay off the bench for a bit get my other number's up.

[jamescb77]

TweetBench is one of the easiest lift to increase numbers on if you have proper form and proper training techniques. Also im willing to bet that your diet is off. You say you eat everything that doesn't move, that doesn't equal good muscle growth. the difference between a cutting diet and a bulking is simple the amount you eat and nothing else. It should still be made up of clean healthy food just lots of it. If you eat crap how can you expect your body to give you full output. On the form side i am willing to bet that your form is off and that you aren't recruiting any where near all of your pec in the lift. Each person has a slightly different arc to there natural bench movement. However it should never be elbows at 90 degrees to your chest. I like elbows at about 45 degrees from my chest as this gives me a good feel everywhere. You should think about lowering the weight with your lats, and then exploding with your chest and tri's once you reach the bottom of the lift. There should be a small arch in your back but nothing stupid looking. Also i prefer my feet to be as far back under me as i can still comfortably put my foot flat on the ground, as you need to be able to explode with your whole body on huge lifts. As far as the actual training goes i am constantly changing my workout up. my sets and reps on bench are constantly changing and this way my chest can never figure out what is going on. I never exceed 10 reps even on a light day, no day is light just lighter than heavy if that makes sense. but on a heavy day i will often do sets of 3. I never do incline bench as i feel it's a waste if you look at muscle recruitment and it hurts my shoulder pretty bad. Another thing that you can do is start using speed bench at the end of your working bench sets. use about 50 percent of your max and really focuse on exploding off the bottom of the lift. I have been over 600 raw before i hurt my shoulder and im back in the low 500's right now. If you have anymore question i would be glad to help you get your bench moving.

[Gym_Tigress]

TweetHey James, someone told me that you should use your quads to push the weight up in addition to arching the back and of course breathing. When you say explode with your whole body, do you feel yourself using your quads more than other parts of your body? I know chest and tri's will be used moreso than even the quads, but do you think quads are used as an initial weight mover in bench?

[jamescb77]

Tweeti would say as an initial weight mover no. What you should do is press threw your legs almost pushing your hips up off the bench. There should be no way that your legs would ever get tired from benching. The legs more help a whole body muscle contraction that causes a strong push off the bottom. It's hard to explain and much easier to demonstrate.

[Gym_Tigress]

Tweetso from my understanding of what I was told it DOES help with correct form. The energy moves from the bottom up until the weight has been lifted. BUT as you said it's through the correct form of contraction??? makes sense... and yes i'm sure is much easier to explain visually than through words but I gotcha for the most part... thanks =)

[Gonzomedic]

Tweet

Bench is one of the easiest lift to increase numbers on if you have proper form and proper training techniques. Also im willing to bet that your diet is off. You say you eat everything that doesn't move, that doesn't equal good muscle growth. the difference between a cutting diet and a bulking is simple the amount you eat and nothing else. It should still be made up of clean healthy food just lots of it. If you eat crap how can you expect your body to give you full output. On the form side i am willing to bet that your form is off and that you aren't recruiting any where near all of your pec in the lift. Each person has a slightly different arc to there natural bench movement. However it should never be elbows at 90 degrees to your chest. I like elbows at about 45 degrees from my chest as this gives me a good feel everywhere. You should think about lowering the weight with your lats, and then exploding with your chest and tri's once you reach the bottom of the lift. There should be a small arch in your back but nothing stupid looking. Also i prefer my feet to be as far back under me as i can still comfortably put my foot flat on the ground, as you need to be able to explode with your whole body on huge lifts. As far as the actual training goes i am constantly changing my workout up. my sets and reps on bench are constantly changing and this way my chest can never figure out what is going on. I never exceed 10 reps even on a light day, no day is light just lighter than heavy if that makes sense. but on a heavy day i will often do sets of 3. I never do incline bench as i feel it's a waste if you look at muscle recruitment and it hurts my shoulder pretty bad. Another thing that you can do is start using speed bench at the end of your working bench sets. use about 50 percent of your max and really focuse on exploding off the bottom of the lift. I have been over 600 raw before i hurt my shoulder and im back in the low 500's right now. If you have anymore question i would be glad to help you get your bench moving.

"SPOT ON JAMES!" I have terrible form, my feet can't get under me,yet,due to tightness in my low back.My arms stay at 90 deg,from a mental block I have,too many M&F mags!lol I will heed your advice on my diet as well! I'm currently 245lbs give or take.Thanks again James!

[FUZO]

TweetWork on your triceps big time. Do alot of heavy tricep work. Dips are great for strengthing your triceps.Pushdowns,rope,close grip press.ect,also do alot of push ups with your hands far apart and then close together. Also use a medicine ball when doing a push up. keep both hands on the ball and push down then just use 1 ball and rotate the ball with each hand while you do a push up that will help.I tend to keep both feet on the bench when I do a press to increase my strength just be careful you dont dump the weight.Its going to take time so dont rush it you will get more strength. Oh just a side note I know james said he doesnt incline I think incline is a must to get that upper chest work out so your chest looks rock solid when flexing.also you said you have been dieting for 25+ years dont think your gong to press 500lbs or something. age is a factor and if your on the heavier you press all the time you can get some serious injuries

[Gonzomedic]

TweetThanks FUZO! Great tips! Yeah I'm not too concerned if I can't hit the big 500 mark, 400? maybe? Heck at this stage I'd be happy with a strong 350!! I do the incline bench press pretty frequently, some db work,skullcrushers I ABSOLUTELY LOVE! Currently I use 100x10x2 I keep my elbows in pretty well and come down to the top of the forehead area.Tricep pushdowns I use 120-140x6-8x2 I'll definately incorporate the other tips you advised! Thanks!!