Bench press woes
 

I've been lifting every other day (for the first time in my life) since August and have improved dramatically in all exercises that I do until recently. I started at 75lbs and now have plateaued at 165lbs on the bench press. I was increasing about 5-10lbs every week but now 165 is always a struggle. Is it normal to plateau at such a low weight? How can I get around this? I'd really like to be able to bench 225 at some point.

I really love the bench press -- it is probably my 2nd favorite exercise I do next to pull-ups. Is proper form to have the bar go all the way down to my chest? I try this but sometimes towards the end of my set I notice that I start to go back up with the bar 4" or so from my chest. Without a spotter it seems like I have to do this. Is it better to do proper form on a lower weight than do half-proper-half-cheat on a higher weight?

Also, what is the right number of sets/reps if I want to improve in this exercise? Right now I do 2 sets of 8 reps towards the beginnings and ends of my routine.

Thanks

Re: Bench press woes
 

Look around this site for workouts...your workout doesnt look like its any good and thats why you plateaued.

Re: Bench press woes
 

Which part of your body is exhausted first when you're benching? Shoulders/Chest/Triceps? There are ways to fix this depending on which it is (different grips etc.)

Re: Bench press woes
 

My workout probably isn't great. I do the same one every other day. I should probably mix up my routine. I run on the days I don't lift.

Here it is:

weight reps
Pull-ups 0 x20
Bench Press 165 2x8
Bent-over Rows 90 2x12
Standing Flyes 30 2x12
Seated Military Press 55 2x12
Standing Curls 40 2x12
45 degree Obliques 25 50 on each side
Bench Press 165 2x8
Triceps - ez-curl bar 60 2x12
Decline Bench Press 125 2x12
Butterfly Machine 190 2x12

Re: Bench press woes
 

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Which part of your body is exhausted first when you're benching? Shoulders/Chest/Triceps? There are ways to fix this depending on which it is (different grips etc.)

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Hard to say. I'd say shoulders. Definitely not chest. Triceps doesn't seem right either.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
My workout probably isn't great. I do the same one every other day. I should probably mix up my routine. I run on the days I don't lift.

Here it is:

weight reps
Pull-ups 0 x20
Bench Press 165 2x8
Bent-over Rows 90 2x12
Standing Flyes 30 2x12
Seated Military Press 55 2x12
Standing Curls 40 2x12
45 degree Obliques 25 50 on each side
Bench Press 165 2x8
Triceps - ez-curl bar 60 2x12
Decline Bench Press 125 2x12
Butterfly Machine 190 2x12

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have legs?

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My workout probably isn't great. I do the same one every other day. I should probably mix up my routine. I run on the days I don't lift.

Here it is:

weight reps
Pull-ups 0 x20
Bench Press 165 2x8
Bent-over Rows 90 2x12
Standing Flyes 30 2x12
Seated Military Press 55 2x12
Standing Curls 40 2x12
45 degree Obliques 25 50 on each side
Bench Press 165 2x8
Triceps - ez-curl bar 60 2x12
Decline Bench Press 125 2x12
Butterfly Machine 190 2x12

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have legs?

[/ QUOTE ]

zomg I run though!!

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My workout probably isn't great. I do the same one every other day. I should probably mix up my routine. I run on the days I don't lift.

Here it is:

weight reps
Pull-ups 0 x20
Bench Press 165 2x8
Bent-over Rows 90 2x12
Standing Flyes 30 2x12
Seated Military Press 55 2x12
Standing Curls 40 2x12
45 degree Obliques 25 50 on each side
Bench Press 165 2x8
Triceps - ez-curl bar 60 2x12
Decline Bench Press 125 2x12
Butterfly Machine 190 2x12

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have legs?

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zomg I run though!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically, yeah, that's how I feel about legs. I'm not against it, but just haven't ever gotten around to incorporating them into my routine. Perhaps I need to start splitting up my routine into A and B days, and adding legs to one? If so, what should I do?

Re: Bench press woes
 

search for some of my workouts on here.

fwiw, i plateaud @ 225, 305, 425, and 475. a lot of times it was my caloric intake/rest that got me through a plataeu.

Re: Bench press woes
 

you're doing bench press twice in a workout?

Re: Bench press woes
 

id suggust 3 sets one after another, with a minute break in between. Something like for you, 150x 10, 160x 8, 165-170x 5-6 or until failure. Also you could try Static lifting which on the 4th set drop your weight 25%, do 8 reps or so, then lift right below to top so your arms are slightly bent, and hold for as long as you can. Try for 20-30 seconds. But you need a spotter for this.

Re: Bench press woes
 

You've been improving despite an absolutely godawful routine because you were a beginner. Now it's catching up to you.

Stop thinking about bodyparts and think about your body as a whole. If you want to get strong, you need to squat and deadlift. If you do that, you'll be amazed at how your bench comes along.

I've been recommending Bill Starr's 5x5 routine, which comes comes from an old book by Bill Starr. The basic routine goes like this:

Squat - 5x5
Deadlift - 5x5
Bench or Overhead Press - 5x5

For each movement the weight should start low and progress with each set. In other words, just as an example:

Set 1: 60% of 1 rep max
Set 2: 65% of 1 rep max
Set 3: 70% of 1 rep max
Set 4: 75% of 1 rep max
Set 5: 80% of 1 rep max
Set 6: Cooldown set at 50%.

Monday (Heavy Day): 5th set should be approximately 80% of your 1-rep max.

Wednesday (Light Day): 5th set should be the same as your 3rd set on Monday.

Friday (Medium Day): 5th set should be the same as your 4th set on Monday.

The heavy, light, medium structure helps prevent overtraining. Also, you're not going to failure except on your occasional days when you want to go for a personal record, which would replace your heavy day for that week. Also, these workouts don't take more than about 45 minutes.

I'd really recommend getting the book, which I think is out of print and only available from a few places like Ironmind, but this guy (Madcow) has put together his own little page with his own versions of Starr's 5x5 plan.

Alternatively, Rippetoe's Starting Strength book that everyone is raving about generally keeps with the same basic principals as Bill Starr's program so you might try it instead. Here's a link to an outline of Rippetoe's plan.

Re: Bench press woes
 

dont work to failure

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
id suggust 3 sets one after another, with a minute break in between. Something like for you, 150x 10, 160x 8, 165-170x 5-6 or until failure. Also you could try Static lifting which on the 4th set drop your weight 25%, do 8 reps or so, then lift right below to top so your arms are slightly bent, and hold for as long as you can. Try for 20-30 seconds. But you need a spotter for this.

[/ QUOTE ]

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dont work to failure

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Yeah, that was terrible advice. Take a guy who's doing a completely [censored] routine and tell them to start doing drop sets to failure to fix their bench press? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Re: Bench press woes
 

Alright Colt, I can definitely try something like this. I've never done a squat in my life, but obviously see dudes at the gym doing them nonstop. Can you link me a .gif or something of the proper form that I should be doing?

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
My workout probably isn't great. I do the same one every other day. I should probably mix up my routine. I run on the days I don't lift.

Here it is:

weight reps
Pull-ups 0 x20
Bench Press 165 2x8
Bent-over Rows 90 2x12
Standing Flyes 30 2x12
Seated Military Press 55 2x12
Standing Curls 40 2x12
45 degree Obliques 25 50 on each side
Bench Press 165 2x8
Triceps - ez-curl bar 60 2x12
Decline Bench Press 125 2x12
Butterfly Machine 190 2x12

[/ QUOTE ]

Only 11 different exercises? You need at least 15 per day, 5 of which should be biceps exercises.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
Alright Colt, I can definitely try something like this. I've never done a squat in my life, but obviously see dudes at the gym doing them nonstop. Can you link me a .gif or something of the proper form that I should be doing?

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's a Squat thread. I think blackkeys posted a video in there someplace.

Another squat thread with links to other vids, advice, etc.

Re: Bench press woes
 

Thanks for the links COlt.

If my overall goal is to be lean and toned is this squat/deadlift/bench plan the right fit for me?

Re: Bench press woes
 

to get to your 225 goal u prob have to do a few things.

1. work out your triceps harder and heavier on arm day or whatever day u do them
2. always bench with good form (hit ur chest)and do 4 sets atleast
3. every other week do some close grip or wide grip bench presses
4. and step up ur back and legs workout (this will help a little too)

Re: Bench press woes
 

Diet is goign to make up about 90% of your ability to lose the excess fat you have.

Full body workouts coupled with good cardio will help speed up the process

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
to get to your 225 goal u prob have to do a few things.

1. work out your triceps harder and heavier on arm day or whatever day u do them
2. always bench with good form (hit ur chest)and do 4 sets atleast
3. every other week do some close grip or wide grip bench presses
4. and step up ur back and legs workout (this will help a little too)

[/ QUOTE ]

I noticed that I forgot to mention that I do 2 sets of triceps on the inner grip of the ez-curl bar, then 2 sets on the outer grip. I find that I have to cheat a lot at the end of both of these sets. My first 6 reps will be fine but then my arms will start to wobble and my elbows will flare out and it seems like I am doing more of a bench press than a tricep exercise.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
to get to your 225 goal u prob have to do a few things.

1. work out your triceps harder and heavier on arm day or whatever day u do them
2. always bench with good form (hit ur chest)and do 4 sets atleast
3. every other week do some close grip or wide grip bench presses
4. and step up ur back and legs workout (this will help a little too)

[/ QUOTE ]

Dear God. Stop already. A plateauing beginner doesn't need to add tricep isolation work. The last thing a beginner needs is to complicate his routine with crap like that. When you plateau, especially a beginner, you're usually much better off further simplifying than your are complicating your routine. Just start training your body as a whole and it will grow as a whole. Work on making your whole body strong, not your chest. It's really difficult to get strong without training your central nervous system, which is done with big compound exercises like the squat and deadlift. You'll also be amazed how much your arms grow w/o any arm-specific work at all.

Re: Bench press woes
 

I find doing weighted dips helped my bench (not really isolation). You should at least be doing bodyweight dips, great exercise.

Re: Bench press woes
 

jesus christ, I just reread the OP. "lifting since August"!!111 holy [censored]. The same routine every other day for 10 months!?!?! My head just exploded.

Re: Bench press woes
 

We really need to get a workout thread stickied...I dont have all my links with me because I am not at home..but does somebody wanna start a Workout thread we can get all of the T-Nation stuff in there with links along with the Rippetoe and the other good ones so that we dont have to keep reposting the same workouts

Re: Bench press woes
 

maybe kyle will upgrade the sticky one day [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Bench press woes
 

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maybe kyle will upgrade the sticky one day [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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not a chance

p.s. what's up morgan

Re: Bench press woes
 

squats and deadlifts.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
jesus christ, I just reread the OP. "lifting since August"!!111 holy [censored]. The same routine every other day for 10 months!?!?! My head just exploded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not the exaaaaaact same, but for the most part it is the same. When I signed up for gold's gym the free personal trainer they gave me suggested this routine for me and I've kept it pretty much the same since.

I'm going to the gym today and I'll do my old routine, but on Monday I'll be starting the squats/deadlift/bench 5x5 that Colt suggested. I'm excited and yet fairly terrified at the same time.

Re: Bench press woes
 

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[ QUOTE ]
maybe kyle will upgrade the sticky one day [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

not a chance

p.s. what's up morgan

[/ QUOTE ]

hey, saw your name before but didn't know it was the same kyleb.

Re: Bench press woes
 

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I'm going to the gym today and I'll do my old routine, but on Monday I'll be starting the squats/deadlift/bench 5x5 that Colt suggested. I'm excited and yet fairly terrified at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

No reason to be terrified. Make sure you know how to do the movement before you go squat. In the beginning start with a very modest weight and think of it as <u>practice</u>, NOT as a workout. Just learn the movement. Same goes for the deadlift.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm going to the gym today and I'll do my old routine, but on Monday I'll be starting the squats/deadlift/bench 5x5 that Colt suggested. I'm excited and yet fairly terrified at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

No reason to be terrified. Make sure you know how to do the movement before you go squat. In the beginning start with a very modest weight and think of it as <u>practice</u>, NOT as a workout. Just learn the movement. Same goes for the deadlift.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, this is my plan. Today I was going to test out some weights for squat/deadlift. I see people squat on the Smith (?) machine sometimes, but it seems weird. I assume you don't suggest this.

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
No reason to be terrified. Make sure you know how to do the movement before you go squat. In the beginning start with a very modest weight and think of it as <u>practice</u>, NOT as a workout. Just learn the movement. Same goes for the deadlift.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, this is my plan. Today I was going to test out some weights for squat/deadlift. I see people squat on the Smith (?) machine sometimes, but it seems weird. I assume you don't suggest this.

[/ QUOTE ]

<u>Absolutely not!</u>

Re: Bench press woes
 

This forum is a disaster...people are so uneducated about workout out/nutrition its scary

Re: Bench press woes
 

So, I did some squats today. They weren't bad. I feel like I'm not going down far enough, however. I saw a diagram online somewhere yesterday that showed the person going down until their thighs were parallel with the floor. I felt pretty uneasy going down that far, but it'll probably be more comfortable the more I do it.

Re: Bench press woes
 

go below parallel. basically just go as far down as you can.

when i squat, it usually takes me quite a few reps before I'm able to get deep. I'll usually do like 10-15 bodyweight squats, 10 reps with the bar, then usually I'm able to go decently deep but I notice the more I do the more flexible I get.

Re: Bench press woes
 

check the dan john video in the faq (i think) to see some techniques for getting deep...goblet squats and prayer squats really work...

Re: Bench press woes
 

[ QUOTE ]
go below parallel. basically just go as far down as you can.

when i squat, it usually takes me quite a few reps before I'm able to get deep. I'll usually do like 10-15 bodyweight squats, 10 reps with the bar, then usually I'm able to go decently deep but I notice the more I do the more flexible I get.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I just saw the thread on squats. Someone mentioned that as well. Well, I need to work on my flexibility I guess.