Frustrated with bench. Help?

[Perrin Aybara]

Also, this is just my own opinion/theory, but I think for our purposes these bodybuilding type triceps exercises are mostly useless. If it was part of a high volume arm routine it would probably be effective to spark some hypertrophy. For the strength athlete just doing a few sets here and there I don't think it's doing much of anything at all. Dips or weighted dips are a better choice here. Much better carryover and just a few sets can still be effective. I'm not a fan of lying triceps extensions myself because of elbow issues, but I think they could make an okay alternative to dips.

 

[JC456]

Also, this is just my own opinion/theory, but I think for our purposes these bodybuilding type triceps exercises are mostly useless. If it was part of a high volume arm routine it would probably be effective to spark some hypertrophy. For the strength athlete just doing a few sets here and there I don't think it's doing much of anything at all. Dips or weighted dips are a better choice here. Much better carryover and just a few sets can still be effective. I'm not a fan of lying triceps extensions myself because of elbow issues, but I think they could make an okay alternative to dips.

I tend to agree. Assuming the OP is enhanced (I'm assuming most people here are) the need for specific hypertrophy work is very over played in a Powerlifting routine. We take hormones and eat a lot of food for that.

More Bench, more frequently, more volume is almost inevitably the answer at the OPs stage of development.

Variations can be useful if the lift cannot be performed so frequently. Variations aimed at weak areas can be useful for a short period, to get some mileage out of it before you switch to another variation. However this idea that hypertrophy work for weak areas will work, is spurious in my experience.

 

[Brandaddy]

Looking at your workouts, at least I know for myself, I wouldn't really be seeing strength gains either.

Things that seem to really help increase my bench when I'm trying to increase it are,

1. Specializing in bench and not flies

2. I usually leave a couple reps in reserve and just focus on always executing every rep with perfect form.

3. I try to maximize volume on bench specifically and frequency. I might start out doing 2 sets of bench 3x a week. All with a couple reps in reserve. Every week I'll add a set to each workout until I'm doing something like a 6x8, 6x5, and 6x3 all in one week. Then right before fatigue really sets in I'll deload.

Those are my general guidelines I follow and had decent success

 

[Ironlord]

I'm right on the verge of a 2x bodyweight bench, too. You also a follower of RTS principles?

Nice!
I've followed RTS at times in the past but I always switch it up when I get stale. Done Westside, Russian programs, German volume... Anything that gets me unstuck mentally and physically. I've never really seen the point in grinding with a weight for weeks or months in order to hit a new max.
I'll just switch my programming, and take a step back in order to go forward two steps, you know?

 

[Ironlord]

I find doing a lot of board presses, chains, bands and reverse bands help a lot too..

 

[Demondosage]

Thanks MP, I'll post up a vid tonight, since I'm benching today.

@ DD what's wrong with the slingshot? It's helped me dramatically improve my form and keep my elbows tucked. However, added strength, not so much. But for $50 I'll take the form improvement lol.

U may be right about higher reps. In fact, I think you are. I've been doing mostly -6 for the better part of a year and haven't grown much at all.


@ PA I feel like I should know this, buts what's RTS?

All the slingshot does is creates another form of force like a spring. You can achieve the form by just lightening the load and practicing keeping your elbows close to your ribcage. The slingshot is an egomaniacs tool to me. Just my opinion though, if it works then keep using it. I think the entire concept is a crock though

 

[johntt44]

I'll tell you something odd that helped me. I flare my lats as I come down with the load and contract my lats hard to help launch off my chest. I went from 435 to 470 in 6 months from doing this. Doing triceps 4x a week might be overdoing it also.

 

[Ironlord]

I'll tell you something odd that helped me. I flare my lats as I come down with the load and contract my lats hard to help launch off my chest. I went from 435 to 470 in 6 months from doing this. Doing triceps 4x a week might be overdoing it also.

Yep. It's classic. What you're describing is an often used term "Hardening the armpit". It causes you to focus on contracting your lats in the bottom position, which helps to fire the bar off the chest. The triceps don't actually come into play until you've got that bar a couple inches off the chest, for most people.
Lats and rear delts are important for bottom position power, triceps and delts are important for lockout.

 

[theprodgicalson]

All the slingshot does is creates another form of force like a spring. You can achieve the form by just lightening the load and practicing keeping your elbows close to your ribcage. The slingshot is an egomaniacs tool to me. Just my opinion though, if it works then keep using it. I think the entire concept is a crock though

Have you personally used the slingshot? If so for how long?

Would you then say benching with bands or chains is a a flawed concept? They are very similar concepts. Less of a load at the bottom of the lift, higher of a load at the top of the lift.

 

[Burrr]

Great discussion.
Im so uniformed on power and strength.
Had no idea lats even engage during bench

 

[ickyrica]

Great discussion.
Im so uniformed on power and strength.
Had no idea lats even engage during bench

The past year has been an eye opener for myself dude. I've learned so many little things like that, never would have known otherwise. Power lifting is awesome.

 

[Gain Train]

First of all make sure each week you bench that you're implementing progressive overload, if you aren't then you're not going to get stronger. Period. Try starting out workouts by just hitting two heavy sets like 80% (increase percentage each week) for about 3 reps then drop it down to 65% for 3 sets of 5-6 and make a fourth set for an AMRAP with that 65% . Implement board presses to strengthen your lockout. Try out dead benching, if you benched paused then this will help with power off the chest too. And as others have pointed out use heavy tricep accessories and there's only going to be like two because there's no need to hit a bunch just go hard on those two and dedicate every bit you got to those workouts, so choose your favorites. Either paused Lying dumbbell tricep extension, weighted dips like 6x6, heavy close grip bench. I bench once a week and also have a heavy OHP day, sometimes high frequency won't help.

 

[DonQKong]

Try pause benching and focus on flexing the lats, or hardening the arm pit, with each press

Good tip. Press "from the armpit". How about leg drive?

 

[Ironlord]

Leg drive is good. I arch, do my legs are pulled back as far as possible under me.
Push into the floor, drive your ass into the bench...

 

[Mayne]

Echoin' paused bench definitely if there is a problem in your form just pause, think about flexing the entire body in that second and push. I have found the best way to activate your back in the bench is to imagine that you row the weight on the way down not drop it on your chest, just do it slow at 1st. You also could think of bending the bar sideways on the way down and force your triceps into your lats as if you are doing the posedown if you are into bb this should be easy to do and pull the bar apart on the way up. In order to have proper leg drive you should always keep your feet as far behind your knees as possible. Distance between your hands can also come into play if you have done lots of db a close grip position can transition better to your bench. As others have said above the main factor is actually incorporating strength programming more than anything firsthand.

 

[ickyrica]

Another thing that will greatly improve your efforts would be to not worry about cutting when trying to add power.

 

[Wunderpus]

Hey guys, getting really frustrated over here.

Since January my squat and DL have shot up from 405x2 to 475, nearing 500 for squat... and 495 struggling, to 550 for DL... that's all well and good, except m bench has gone from 265 to 275 in a year...

This makes no sense to me. My reps with 225 have gone up from 2 to 8 in the same time. I can do 4x5 with 225, but can't max more than 275.

I throw in heavy tricep work after EVERY workout. (4x a week).. I do DB flyes in all weight ranges. I've corrected my bar path, bracing, leg drive, etc. realistically, I should be reping 315 for at least 2-3 by now.

My only thought is that my right tendon is weak, because it aches for DAYS after I go over 245ish with any sort of rep work.



Any advice on this? I feel like 3 plates is forever away.

The Juggernaut method helped me SO much, man. I strained the fuck outta my pec last year, black and blue shit.... I could barely do 135.... Had my back at repping 315 within 2 months! Lemme know if you want me to PM you the program.

 

[nkosibaas]

Accommodating resistance speed-work (low percentages of 1rm with chains or bands) did big things for my bench. My squat and deadlift are similar to yours (nearly identical) but my bench is juuuuust shy of 400 pounds.

Just glancing over the way you said you train I'd do a couple things differently:

ditch the flyes and other aesthetic exercises - they will do next to nothing for your strength and they often put your shoulders in vulnerable positions.

Don't go heavy on your triceps that much. You should be putting enough workload on them with your main movements (specifically I liked close grip floor presses with chains when I felt like I needed to bring my triceps up) that your CNS is shocked. If you do tricep accessories make them accessory movements - save the intensity for your main lift variations.

Make sure you incorporate high intensity work with speed and force generation work. Get used to moving the bar fast with submaximal weights and your body will move the heavy stuff more explosively too.

Try to rotate in some overhead tricep movements


Anyways those are just my thoughts. I have a decent bench but that's about it. Nothing special

 

[nkosibaas]

Another thing that will greatly improve your efforts would be to not worry about cutting when trying to add power.

This x100. Embrace #strongfat life.