CAN'T BENCH 225? THINK IT'S STUCK? *BENCH 225 in 3-4 MONTHS MAX* READ,PROFIT (NEWBS)

[DerekLove]

WOW.

Every other thread is about:

"My bench is stalled at 80 pounds..90 pounds...125 pounds"
"Should I stay on... can I switch programs...I plateaud"


Before a 1,000th post is made here about Bench Plateau, please read this to save all of us and yourself wasted time.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A 225 BENCH, IT'S NOT A PLATEAU.SOMETHING IS WRONG


Unless you have some 365-400+ bench and have been training 2+ years, 99.9% chances are you don't have a plateau,and you are doing it wrong.

When I say doing it wrong, it means : Your Training, Diet, Overall Program, or Effort SUCKS

Is this your fault?! No,yes,not necessarily,and possibly.

But instead of claiming that you are stalled at your 125 bench,try the following suggestions.
There is no possible way that you are stalled at such low numbers without it being YOU at fault.



1. Higher Bench Frequency
Stop listening to people saying you should bench 1 day a week, or only 2 with a lighter day/heavier day. Your bench is lower than you can possibly imagine. You won't overtrain,the only thing you will do is Profit from higher frequency.

Start Benching 3X a week.

??????

Did I just say 3 ???


Ever bother taking a look at most Stating Strength type programs? Even they say on Monday & Friday you will Bench ( 2X ), and on Wednesday you can Press OR INCLINE BENCH . This is because you are able to Bench 3X a week,and the purpose of the second session is to work more on Deltoids,but you can get good Delt work from Incline type bench,and even Flat work.

Stop underestimating yourself. If you think you are going to burnout Benching 3X a week when your bench is 80 pounds, you are very wrong. You are only taking away from the insane newb gains you readily have available to hit 135 very fast, then 225 in a few months after.

Even the advanced people that have 365+ Bench Presses, who can overtrain 15X faster than you , have programs like Smolov that have them benching with some Real Weight and getting them from 365-405 in 3 week cycles. The human body is capable of amazing things, and right now, it is mostly your neural adaptation allowing you to press that weight higher & higher every session.


2. Check your Form

99% of people have crap form.Despite the fact I have watched this video series on Youtube 10X ( there are 6 parts? ), and put it into practice for a few months, I have a feeling if Dave Tate himself(the maker) watched me bench,he would say I'm not completely doing it right.

You will soon find out why Bench is a COMPOUND exercise.

Have you ever been out of breath from benching?Do you know what arching your back is?Making your Traps very tight?Using your legs in the bench press?The different grips available?

So many factors go into bench press,and if you are not a powerlifter,it will still benefit you to know how to do things properly so you minimize bench injury and keep yourself tight to get through the lift better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byOk4OE_6uI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXvX-...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cskpz...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WonvB...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqws8...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJIQ...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrB8N...feature=relmfu


3. Is your Diet in check

Are you counting your Macros? Do you even know what Macros are? If you weigh 150 pounds, and you are eating 100grams of protein a day,I'm not surprised that your gains are crap.Please go read sticky's about nutrition,and start realizing your diet is harder than the training part.It's day to day,night to night,and has to always be keeping you in a surplus if you want optimal gains. Don't expect a 135-225 bench in 3 months with 2000calories a day and 100grams of protein you eat casually through a few meals,while downing alcohol or spending the rest of your time playing World of Warcraft


4. How is the REST OF YOUR PROGRAM? DOES IT SUCK ??

There are a few reasons why people's training plateaus , especially with BENCH aside from others listed are there inability to properly train other muscle groups.

The main weaknesses people have are:

1- Terrible Deltoids
2- Terrible Triceps
3- Terrible Back/Rear Delts for stabilization
4- Terrible Biceps tying into Forearms for stabilization and moving the weight


You need to make sure you are training these body parts aside from just the Bench Press,and that you are training them at the Correct Time in your Training , with the Correct Frequency, and Optimal Movements


If you are training Triceps with a few Pressdowns a weak,or Delts with some Front Raises,or Back with Dumbbell Pullovers(lol), then you are only shorting yourself.

Accessory work is MANDATORY whether you Bench 715+ like Scott Mendleson, or 85+ like yourself (well,I guess not as mandatory for the 85 bencher,but still good carryover).

We will go into movements that will really help you pack some muscle/mass on those areas,and or help transfer over some serious strength to the bench.

SO HOW SHOULD MY TRAINING LOOK LIKE??

Here is a basic template that I follow that just lists Upper Body work that would be perfect for you at your lower numbers.


MONDAY -
*BENCH
*INCLINE (optional,but imo you should do it)
*ROW
*FACE PULL
*BI/TRI ACCESSORY


WED-
*BENCH
*PRESS
*SIDE RAISE
*FACE PULL
*SHRUGS



FRI-
*BENCH
*INCLINE (optional,but imo you should do it)
*ROW
*FACE PULL
*BI/TRI ACCESSORY


That's 5 kinds of exercises for all 3 days. That's it. Most will not necessarily have to add Incline work on Monday or Friday, it's really optional and up to you. I really feel that it should be done, because you will get better gains just adding a few incline sets after your normal benching since it will keep strengthening delts, as well as many other things I don't want to invest time discussing.


It comes down to this :
-Bench 3X
-Row 2X
-Press 1X
-Bi/Tri/Face Pull & Side Raise to avoid imbalances,for therapy purpose,some strength/mass, rotator cuffs,etc.
-Incline Optional, but will help transfer a bit to your Flat & Strengthen Delts more




**** DO NOT DO ANY OTHER UPPER BODY WORK ON ANY OTHER DAY *****
**** DO NOT DO 1000 sets of EXTRA CRAP THAT YOU DON'T NEED *******

I'll give you a basic training routine in depth below that will get you going following whatever type of Starting Strength Program,StrongLifts,etc. you are following


Monday
-Bench
-Row 5 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of your 1RM (you can do the generic 5X5,I just prefer this)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Chin Ups 3 sets & Barbell curl 3 sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM (assisted Chins if you can't B/W)
-Dips 3 sets & [French Press or Skullcrushers] 3sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM
- Incline Optional 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of 1RM

WED
-Bench
-Press
-Side Raise 3-5X 8-20 reps (these should not be too easy,it should be burning a lot near end of sets)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Shrugs 5X 8-12-20 reps (should not be easy,the reps are more for building thick traps,so don't go too low)



FRI-
-Bench
-Row 5 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of your 1RM (you can do the generic 5X5,I just prefer this)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Chin Ups 3 sets; Barbell curl 3 sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM (assisted Chins if you can't B/W);Hammer Curl 3sets
-Dips 3 sets;[French Press or Skullcrushers] 3sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM;Pressdowns 3sets 8-12 reps
- Incline Optional 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of 1RM


------------------------------
A few things I want to say

1) You don't have to do the 9 sets for Biceps/Triceps at the end of your work. I feel that there is Way too much Hype and B/S on the internet with people flaming that 9 sets on your arms is blasphemy . Get real with yourself, and throw the ego out the window, 9 sets is not going to kill anybody, especially at the end of the week. The Dips + French Press/Skullcrushers or Chins + BB CURL will be fine, but I like to add 3 sets to make sure they got full stimulation to grow,get mass,and muscle size. Especially at the end of the week where you will have MORE than enough recovery time for Monday. So for all the people like me, that god forbid don't mind doing 9 sets at the end of the week,go ahead and choose a good third exercise(pressdowns for tri's,incline db curl or hammer curl) on Friday after everything else. Like I said, the DIPS/CHINS + BB CURL/SKULLCRUSHER will be fine, but it's up to you

-The Benching / Press etc. should be followed according to your Start Strength style program. If you aren't on any kind of starters program, just know your Flat Bench will go up 2.5-5 pounds every single session basically. You can expect 10-15 pounds a week,then 5-10. Your Press will go up anywhere between 2.5-10 pounds a week depending on how much of a newb you are, and if you add the Incline or not. If you are adding the Incline Bench to your sessions,I can guarantee your Press will go up a little more than if you didn't because your Front Delts are learning to be used more and are getting stronger than if you didn't.

-Like I said 100 times,the Incline is optional.I really feel you should do it,but if not,it's FINE!!!

-Don't add another 5 sets of Incline...or 5 sets of Flyes...or make it 12 sets for arms...or this b/s or that b/s. One of the #1 reasons for Failure in New Trainers is they add so much worthless CRAP. NO THE HAMMER STRENGTH MACHINE IS NOT FOR YOU TO USE RIGHT NOW WHEN TRYING TO GET YOUR BENCH UP!

- If you are stalling at all before 225, there is something wrong with your training/diet/form. There is nothing wrong with the beginner programs. If you legitimately feel you are stalling, post your training including weights being used, your macros, and where you are stalling on bench .

- * THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES *. My friend was at a 225 1RM bench about 3 months ago. He can do 295 now. Did I give him this program? No...I gave him another. He went from 225 to 260 in under 1 month, and 260-295 in another 2 months. There are many bench programs out there that give you incredible results at these levels. But you will benefit the BEST FROM LINEAR PROGRESSION at this point.

You can send me a message, or post on this thread,and I'll help you out , I know how to help newbs at this level because I did it myself.



Ok. Tienes Preguntas...Have Questions?
Let me know, but try out the program listed above, follow all the principles given, and continue with your Starting Strength training program adding the few modifications this possibly gave you.


Enjoy your 225 bench! You should be there in 2.5-4.5 months whether you are at a 45x1 Bench , 85x1, or 135x1 !

[tunaHELPER69]

My bench has been stuck around 205lbsx4 or about 215-220lbs 1RM.

It's been stuck here for about 2 months, and I can't seem to break out of it.

I've upped caloric intake by about 700cals a day, try and sleep 8 hours a day, and tinker around
with different rep/progression schemes. I use to bench 2-3x a week but I've noticed regression so I started benching once every 5-6 days. This has helped me improve slightly but I'm still stuck.

Any tips around this stage?

My press day looks like this:

Flat BB Bench 10x155, 7x185lbs, 6x195lbs, 4-5x205lbs
Incline BB Bench 6x3, 145lbs-175lbs
Cable Flies 70lbs 3x10
Military Press 135lbs 5x5
Dips

[DerekLove]

My bench has been stuck around 205lbsx4 or about 215-220lbs 1RM.

It's been stuck here for about 2 months, and I can't seem to break out of it.

I've upped caloric intake by about 700cals a day, try and sleep 8 hours a day, and tinker around
with different rep/progression schemes. I use to bench 2-3x a week but I've noticed regression so I started benching once every 5-6 days. This has helped me improve slightly but I'm still stuck.

Any tips around this stage?

My press day looks like this:

Flat BB Bench 10x155, 7x185lbs, 6x195lbs, 4-5x205lbs
Incline BB Bench 6x3, 145lbs-175lbs
Cable Flies 70lbs 3x10
Military Press 135lbs 5x5
Dips

Yeah I can already see why you are not progressing.




I would go ahead and give the routine I posted a try, and progress it just like you would any 5X5 / starting strength. In fact, go ahead and start your bench with a SS template, except do it 3X a week.

[thejoke007]

My bench has been stuck around 205lbsx4 or about 215-220lbs 1RM.

It's been stuck here for about 2 months, and I can't seem to break out of it.

I've upped caloric intake by about 700cals a day, try and sleep 8 hours a day, and tinker around
with different rep/progression schemes. I use to bench 2-3x a week but I've noticed regression so I started benching once every 5-6 days. This has helped me improve slightly but I'm still stuck.

Any tips around this stage?

My press day looks like this:

Flat BB Bench 10x155, 7x185lbs, 6x195lbs, 4-5x205lbs
Incline BB Bench 6x3, 145lbs-175lbs
Cable Flies 70lbs 3x10
Military Press 135lbs 5x5
Dips

Do listen to this fat blob he is the ethan7x multi account troll.

OOPS he might see this............
Oh well
HUHAUAAHAUAHAHHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[YEHUMIRIN]

just eat more kids

[dmuskubasteve]

Please forgive me as for the nooby question, and thanks for the information, it really helps dummies like me.

Im writing up my plans according to your template and it doesnt say sets/reps after bench like it does all the other lifts...

Thanks in advance for any help..

Monday
-Bench- ????? Do I do 5x5 70% of 1MR or what?
-Row 5 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of your 1RM (you can do the generic 5X5,I just prefer this)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Chin Ups 3 sets & Barbell curl 3 sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM (assisted Chins if you can't B/W)
-Dips 3 sets & [French Press or Skullcrushers] 3sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM
- Incline Optional 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of 1RM

WED
-Bench SAME? 5x5 70% of 1MR?
-Press Whats press? Is this a typo or it this shoulder press or what?
-Side Raise 3-5X 8-20 reps (these should not be too easy,it should be burning a lot near end of sets)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Shrugs 5X 8-12-20 reps (should not be easy,the reps are more for building thick traps,so don't go too low)



FRI-
-Bench
-Row 5 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of your 1RM (you can do the generic 5X5,I just prefer this)
-Face Pull 5-7 sets 12-20 reps (these shouldn't be too easy,but it's more for Deltoid health than anything)
-Chin Ups 3 sets; Barbell curl 3 sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM (assisted Chins if you can't B/W);Hammer Curl 3sets
-Dips 3 sets;[French Press or Skullcrushers] 3sets 8-12 reps 70% 1RM;Pressdowns 3sets 8-12 reps
- Incline Optional 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 70% of 1RM

[fr0ng]

why not just 5x5 incline/flat/decline bench where once you can do all 25 reps at the same weight, you go up 5 pounds?

[OPBeast]

Hey man, much respect to you. You know your stuff very well. My 1RM's are below...will this program still work for me?

***HOW MANY SETS AND REPS FOR BENCHING 3X PER WEEK?***

Weight: 165lbs
Height: 6'2"
Body fat: 5%
Lifting Experince: 2 Years consistenly

BB Bench: 200lbs
BB Strict press: 140lbs
BB Row: 270lbs
Deadlift: 355lbs
Squat: 300lbs