Bench press stuck

MDC2957

Does anyone else here have a weight that they just get stuck at, that does not seem to get easier week after week?? Because I can't seem to progress, I'll try and add more volume at a lower weight, hoping the next time I train my plateau weight ill be able to break through, but it doesn't seem to happen. How to overcome? I should mention that I am eating at a deficit right now, but it doesn't seem to be affecting other exercises as much as bench press.

edickson76

Plateau is normal in a beginner program. First option is deload for a week. Then come back the next week with a lighter weight and build again.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

The thing that helped me was microloading... to stop trying to make the typical 5lb jumps - my gym has 1lb and half lb plates, I utilize them. I realize not every gym has these but you could always throw some clips on a scale to get thier weight and use them to micro-load.

Chieflrg

Fairly common especially with bench and eating in a deficit.

Please post your template, e1rm, along with the percentage of intensity you are working with along with how you added volume and I can come up with some suggestions.

Also you might want to post a video of you benching and I can review that as well and see if there are suggestions there as well.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/44226347#Comment_44226347

wiigelec

Are you missing reps or are you just waiting for it to feel “easier” before you add weight to the bar?

wiigelec

Are you attempting reps and failing to complete them?

If so how many sets/reps?

How many sets reps do you get at -5# from your “rep wall?”

How many sets/reps can you get if you add 1-5# to your rep wall?

wiigelec

So what happens when you put 180# on the bar?

Chieflrg

MDC2957 wrote: »

The most I can pull off on the flat bench is 5-6 reps at 175. Here's a couple videos I tried to make this morning on the incline bench (not 175)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l81qn8NPihg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cCx7SZjZGo

I have pretty long arms, so it's quite difficult for me to find a bar position that feels like it gives me power, and concentration on the chest. Beginning to wonder if bench just isn't a good exercise for me. I don't get shoulder pain like a lot of people seem to. I dunno

There are things we can adjust technique wise for the incline.

I would like you post a vid of your flat bench at the link I gave so I definitely notified when you do. One angle directly from the side and one from front please. Please use landscape view and vid your entire body so I can give you more solid options.

What is your current rep/set scheme on flat for the week including all variations including inc or DB work?

I highly suggest not putting 180 on the bar as you would hit two good reps and fail more than likely at four reps and it's not beneficial at this time to add weight to correct issues especially going to failure.

wiigelec

how do you know you are stalled if you haven’t attempted to lift a heavier weight?

wiigelec

Just because it “feels” heavy doesn’t mean you will not be able to complete the reps.

You also don’t have to increase by 5# at a time. If you have the right equipment ie microplates you can increase 1# at a time.

If you want to lift more than 175# at some point your going to have to lift more than 175# and it’s going to feel heavier than 175#...

wiigelec

Chieflrg wrote: »

I highly suggest not putting 180 on the bar as you would hit two good reps and fail more than likely at four reps and it's not beneficial at this time to add weight to correct issues especially going to failure.

Why would this be not beneficial?

What if he hits it x5 @8?

wiigelec

Plenty of ways to solve this problem.

Here is just one potential solution for your consideration. Keep in mind I don't know what your weekly split looks like so there may need to be some modifications to make it fit:

Start at say 165 and do 5 sets of 3 reps (5sx3r). Then next session add 2-3# and do 5x3 (168x5sx3r). Then next session add 2-3# and do 5x3 (171x5sx3r). Keep doing this until it either gets really grindy (RPE 9+) or preferably you start to miss reps (sets look something like 3,3,3,2,1).

When you get to that point start splitting up into two sessions. Session 1 is a heavy session and you will do 2-3 sets of 2-3 reps. Start at the last successful 5x3 weight. So say you got up to 183x5sx3r do 183x2sx3r. Add 2-3# each time.

Session 2 will be a volume session with 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps. Take somewhere between 70-85% of the weight you did in session 1, so for 183 somewhere between 125-155#. So you could do say 130 for 4 sets of 6 or 140 for 5 sets of 5 or 150 for 4 sets of 4. Plenty of wiggle room to make it work for you. The most important part here is getting all your reps so if it is too heavy take some weight off the bar so you don't miss. Add weight as necessary.

Then alternate between these two so it will look something like this:

Workout 1 - 183 x 2s x 3r
Workout 2 - 140 x 5s x 4r
Workout 3 - 186 x 2s x 3r
Workout 4 - 140 x 5s x 5r
Workout 5 - 189 x 2s x 3r
Workout 6 - 145 x 5s x 4r
Workout 7 - 191 x 3s x 2r
etc...

When you get to the point on the heavy day when your down to say 2 sets of 1 then you can start cycling.

Workout 1 - 2s x 3r
Workout 2 - 4s x 6r
Workout 3 - 2s x 2r
Workout 4 - 5s x 5r
Workout 5 - 2s x 1r
Workout 6 - 6s x 4r
add weight and repeat...

If you feel like you need more volume on the heavy day add a backoff set or 2 of 5-8 reps.

This should keep you progressing for a few months. You can also easily add autoregulation into the scheme if desired. That is not really my bailiwick so I won't comment on that part.

If you are really interested in learning more about training variables and how to manipulate them I highly recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-Rippetoe/dp/0982522754/

Also lots of good material out there from Andy Baker, Jim Wendler, RTS, Juggernaut, Barbell Medicine, Greg Nuckols...

The more you study the more overlap you see in all the methodologies and the more you learn to incorporate those methods in a way that works for you.

Good luck and let us know how you're progressing!

Chieflrg

wiigelec wrote: »

Chieflrg wrote: »

I highly suggest not putting 180 on the bar as you would hit two good reps and fail more than likely at four reps and it's not beneficial at this time to add weight to correct issues especially going to failure.

Why would this be not beneficial?

What if he hits it x5 @8?

Going to or very near failure(>RPE9)doesn't get you stronger. That would be more beneficial for hypertrophy. It fatigues you to the point that recovery will more than likely be comprimised for strength gains.

Near impossible in best situation to hit 175x5 reps at RPE9.5 and then hit 180×5 at RPE8 the following session/week. Perhaps if he was geared and tapered his volume dramatically. That still wouldn't make him stronger per sae at 5 rep scheme.

Those numbers don't add up.

If he could do 180×5@RPE8...then he would be close to 175×5 @RPE7 the week before, not RPE 9.5.

That equated to a 17lb e1rm jump which is highly unlikely without technique adjustments. Which isn't a strength gain, just more efficient.

175x5 @RPE 9.5= 205 e1rm

180×5 @RPE 8. =222 e1rm
175×5 @RPE 7. =222 e1rm

wiigelec

Sorry, I missed the part where 175x5 was @9.5?

wiigelec

MDC2957 wrote: »

Holy crap. I didn't know this would become rocket science!! 😂

Only needs to be as complex as your progress requires. Since what you have been doing up to this point isn't working for you (which we still don't know what that is anyway)...

Erik8484

wiigelec wrote: »

Sorry, I missed the part where 175x5 was @9.5?

OP said "the most I can pull off on the flat bench is 5-6 reps at 175".

If this is interpreted as OP can definitely do 5 reps @ 175, maybe 6 reps @ 175, then in RPE terms 5 reps @ 175 is RPE 9.5 (could maybe do 1 more rep i.e. 6 total).

wiigelec

Ah yes but he never said he tried 7 and failed so perhaps he did indeed have more than maybe one or two reps left...

Of course it is all relatively pointless speculation the only way for the op to know for sure he is stuck at 175 is to put 176 on the bar and give it a whirl!