Stuck on Bench?

[jason2483]

Well, I'm 31, but I have more in common with the 35 and up crowd

Long story short, ever since I was in high school I have never been able to bench 300lbs. I could do 260 8 or 10 times, but if I put 300 on I would have instant failure in my left shoulder and drop the weight. I can do negatives or isometrics with 300 just fine, I just can't push upwards. I have a similar issue when doing military press where I cannot do a lot of weight due to that same shoulder. Has anyone else experienced something like this?

I'm assuming that once a certain force is applied in a certain direction something in my shoulder gives out. It isn't painful, just extremely annoying. Any ideas to get past this?

[ptrmull]

if you cant do it then dont...go as heavy as possible for you

[Korr]

I'm assuming that once a certain force is applied in a certain direction something in my shoulder gives out. It isn't painful, just extremely annoying. Any ideas to get past this?

1. If the shoulders are hurting then stop. If you force the issue it could lead to serious injury.

2. Can't really give advise without seeing videos.

[Zeke5]

1. If the shoulders are hurting then stop. If you force the issue it could lead to serious injury.

DID that! Spent weeks away from lifting as a result. I would say, don't do it.

If you can do 260 for reps, then work on doing 270 for reps.

When 270 for reps is easy, go for 280, etc.

One of the great progress tricks I learned here on BB.com was to 'nickel and dime' your way to your goals.

If you can't do more weight, then focus on more reps. When you are doing 10+ reps then add more weight.

IT WORKS!

Zeke

[BankWalker]

This doesn't make much sense at all. If you can press 260 for 10 reps...you should be close to 350 on your 1 rep max.

[jayluk4600]

This doesn't make much sense at all. If you can press 260 for 10 reps...you should be close to 350 on your 1 rep max.

This lol, maybe not quite 350 but 300 for sure easy.

[eomrat]

Well, I'm 31, but I have more in common with the 35 and up crowd

Long story short, ever since I was in high school I have never been able to bench 300lbs. I could do 260 8 or 10 times, but if I put 300 on I would have instant failure in my left shoulder and drop the weight. I can do negatives or isometrics with 300 just fine, I just can't push upwards. I have a similar issue when doing military press where I cannot do a lot of weight due to that same shoulder. Has anyone else experienced something like this?

I'm assuming that once a certain force is applied in a certain direction something in my shoulder gives out. It isn't painful, just extremely annoying. Any ideas to get past this?

Odd that it is not painful. I would go see a Sports Medicine Dr if its an option. To put weight up that your shoulder wont support is dangerous. In the meantime, why not just focus on increasing youe reps at 260 or 270. Its still progress right?

[FlexinMike]

Step away from the flat bench for awhile and work on warming up your shoulders before every workout. Try using the hammer strength machines for awhile for chest along with dumbbells. I have issues with my left shoulder(years of not warming up shoulders before heavy bench
) so I have given up on flat bench. I find the dumbbells to cause less of a strain on my shoulders. Don't push the heavy weight on your shoulders right now.Work them but with lighter weight.Just my 2 cents.

[Whiskeyjack]

Looks like one of 2 things: either medical (incipient injury) or mental (you 'choke' at the mental barrier).

If it's the former, stop. If the latter, follow Zeke's advice. If both, step back and try dumbbells or inclines.

[jason2483]

Thanks for the input. Guess it won't hurt to ask the doc. I can make that shoulder hurt by doing crawl stroke in the pool, but it generally seems to cut out in self defense before I can really hurt it. It's really weird and annoying. I've been doing lots of shoulder stabilizing exercises as well as TRX but haven't been able to convince that shoulder to get the job done. I'll try the smaller increments as suggested.

[Karl_Hungus]

If you are stuck on the bench, I suggest laundering your gym shirt every once in awhile.

j/k

Long story short, ever since I was in high school I have never been able to bench 300lbs. I could do 260 8 or 10 times, but if I put 300 on I would have instant failure in my left shoulder and drop the weight.

Try working in the lower rep ranges for awhile. If you are getting 260 for 10 reps, but can't get 300, that suggests to me that you've spent too much time in the higher rep ranges, and your strength curve falls off very rapidly.

Is your shoulder injured? Or just weak? If you have an injury, I would suggest not pushing the heavier weights.

[ironwill2008]

Guess it won't hurt to ask the doc.

^^^^This.

Other than that urologist dude whose participation in this forum is likely to be short-lived, there aren't any doctors posting in here.

[skiboy1955]

If you are stuck on the bench, I suggest laundering your gym shirt every once in awhile.

j/k



Try working in the lower rep ranges for awhile. If you are getting 260 for 10 reps, but can't get 300, that suggests to me that you've spent too much time in the higher rep ranges, and your strength curve falls off very rapidly.

This ^^

If you want strength and power then train for strength and power, Lower reps 3 to 5 for 5 sets at one weight.
If have boards then use them for benching if not use a power rack and do 2 inch lock outs at 300, 310, and 330, again 5 reps each.
Do more bent over rows, and I mean bent over and use an over hand grip. Your back is to parallel to the floor and you pull up to were the bar is supposed to hit the chest a stadard grip width. Again 5 set heavy and 10 reps each. Same for lat pull downs and sitting cable rows.
The fact that you can take 300lbs to the chest and not push it off the chest states that youare weak in the lats and shoulders so the above would help a lot.
Last but not least and don't get offended but I'm sure your form is bad too. With out a video I cannot say for certain but most, who do not powerlift, have bad bench form. Shoulders need to be down,slight arch or more, feet planted, butt on the bench. Your traps is what is on the bench, and head stays down, and butt stays on the bench while you bench. You HOLD your breath for ALL reps, YES ALL and it takes practice but I can do it for 8 reps at 315, it can be done. When you bench if you breath inbetween the reps you loose your tightness, arch and foot drive no powerlifter ever breaths when doing benching, one deep breath in and hold it. There is much much more that could get you to where you want to be.

[silverlightning]

something like this happened to me last wed. i was doing decline cgbp and was fine until i went up to 205 which is a weight i've done before. suddenly my left shoulder, part closer to the chest so sort of the RC(possibly the hummerous) all of a sudden started to give out. I did have a spot, but it just hurt. dropped to 135 and same pain. felt it somewhat on push ups, but other than that no pain until toda for a couple sets on incline dumbell press, only went up to 95lb dumbells.

I have no idea whats going on. my left side of my arm is injured, radius, wrist(part parrellel with the thumb side). my anatomy and self diagnosis may be wrong, but I'm injured and it sucks.

its painful to do hammer curls, reverse curls, upright rows.

I need an ice bath lol