Bench Plateu (Advice Needed)

BrendanLacey wrote: »

So when I first started I was able to increase weight by 5 pounds until I get to about 135-140. For the past month and a half I have not been able to get past that 135-140 for 4-5 rep range. I feel as Im getting weaker as last week I got 140 for 4 then got 4 with 135 my first set. I just need some advice on how I can break this plateu and can start seeing progress. My push routine usually consists of Bench, Flat DB, Incline DB, hammer strength, Cable flys, Overhead tricep, Tricep pushdowns, Shoulder DB press as well as some Lateral raises and rear dets

VERY generally speaking here are a few things to consider:

1) Bench pressing is a skill. Doing it more often can potentially make you better at the skill of bench pressing.
2) When you are stalled on a particular lift it is often caused by either not enough volume (you need to do more benching) or not enough recovery (you are doing too much).

If you constantly feel fresh and not beat up by your training, and your other gym performance is good in other areas (other lifts are going UP, you feel good) then I would add more bench press volume and in your case I'd probably increase the frequency (bench 3+ times per week).

If you constantly feel beat up then it's possible you're doing too much volume and you need more recovery to progress. One way to test this is to deload for a week and see if your bench goes up the week after the deload.

Finally, it's also possible that your programming needs work.

BrendanLacey wrote: »

So when I first started I was able to increase weight by 5 pounds until I get to about 135-140. For the past month and a half I have not been able to get past that 135-140 for 4-5 rep range. I feel as Im getting weaker as last week I got 140 for 4 then got 4 with 135 my first set. I just need some advice on how I can break this plateu and can start seeing progress. My push routine usually consists of Bench, Flat DB, Incline DB, hammer strength, Cable flys, Overhead tricep, Tricep pushdowns, Shoulder DB press as well as some Lateral raises and rear dets

You didn't say what your set and rep range for your other exercises are. Your muscles get accustomed to the sane weight and reps so you need to confuse them by changing and mixing your routine. You might try doing incline bench first for awhile. Also look at six pack smackdiwn they have a bench pyramid calculator that will set up a pyramid routine for you. I used something simular when I was powerlifting.

I haven't tried this yet, but I recently read that gripping the bar harder can help with your power. Not sure it would be enough to help you break your plateau, but it can't hurt to try it.

So... I plateaued a couple years ago. Then I got some great advice: Bench technique is about engaging your lats. It's not just an arm/chest exercise. The lats are huge muscles, and you have to learn how to engage them to really push your bench up. That was REALLY difficult for me to do, and it took nearly a year of constant work on the technique before it became natural to me. There's a lot of videos on YouTube about this. Google phrases like "Bend the Bar" or "Breaking the Bar", for technique hints on how to get the form right.

It may take lighter weight for you to figure this out, but you have to engage your lats. Over time, if you practice it enough, you'll get it. I think bench is the most technical lift out of the big three. It's the one I struggled with the most.

The other thing is: fuel your workouts man. Make sure you're eating right. And I don't mean on just days you lift. Your whole week of food has to be built around your workouts. Make sure you're getting enough to eat, and the right kinds of food.

Good luck.

Some great advice already but one more thing you might consider. Has your food intake changed at all recently? I know that when I'm eating at more of a deficit over time that I struggle to lift the same weights or it just plain feels more difficult.