Deads are linear bench is plateaued. Wtf

[cfrs123]

I can bench 225x10 on the smith machine that has a 40 pound bar,

But I can't get past 185 on a regular bench?

I've been able to increase my deads lately by 20 pounds. I did 315 today but I could feel a 365 coming on soon and a 405 coming before summer.

But bench has been the same. I really don't care about bench but it sucks when I can't do two plates and dudes next to me have 3.

My arm span is longer than my height. Could that be the problem?

[jbealsrmt]

I can bench 225x10 on the smith machine that has a 40 pound bar,

But I can't get past 185 on a regular bench?

Benching/pressing on any machine (including a smith machine) is nothing like benching with a barbell. If you want your bench press to improve, you need to bench press. I can't think of a single "good" reason why a person interested in strength training would use a smith machine.

I've been able to increase my deads lately by 20 pounds. I did 315 today but I could feel a 365 coming on soon and a 405 coming before summer.

But bench has been the same. I really don't care about bench but it sucks when I can't do two plates and dudes next to me have 3.

If you don't care, then why are you asking? What kind of program are you on?

[BenchPolkov]

Cue standardised "my bench sucks" response: BENCH MORE.

What do you do for bench at the moment?

[InspecktaDeck]

Your telling me that the lift you will improve the most on is improving, while the lift that will progress the slowest is progressing slowly....this cant be real life. Find a program, follow it, eat & sleep-that simple. Also you should never be using a smith machine for anything. Smith machines are the worst thing since Hitler.

[SouthernSquat]

Hey Man, that's pretty expected. The Bench should be your slowest progressing lift. I will give you some ideas to consider about your training and try to implement them and let's see waht happens.

You can lift more with the Smith machine, but that does you NO good on the platform. The only time you should touch the smith machine is to hold your belt as your loading the plates on a squat rack.

Get a plan and live by it. Westside works, The Cube works, 5x5 works, Starting Strength works, I would recommend Starting Strength.

How's your squat look? Diet?

[cfrs123]

an update.

my program is

Day 1
Bench
pullups
barbell shoulder press
dumbell rows
curls
tricep pushdowns

Day 2
P90x plyometrics

Day 3
Deadlift
Leg Press
calf press
Jump rope 15 min one min on one min off

Repeat No rest days

on a flat bench this is my routine

135x7
155x5
175x5
185x5
135x10

on a smith machine i can do
135x5
185x5
225x5
225x5
135x5

and my diet is worse than your average bear. i eat about 3500 calories a day. pizza, mcdoanlads, burger king, whatever is put in front of my face when im hungry i eat. i eat 4 jars of peanutbutter a week as well. i think i emotionally eat lolll.

[InspecktaDeck]

an update.

my program is

Day 1
Bench
pullups
barbell shoulder press
dumbell rows
curls
tricep pushdowns

Day 2
P90x plyometrics

Day 3
Deadlift
Leg Press
calf press
Jump rope 15 min one min on one min off

Repeat No rest days

on a flat bench this is my routine

135x7
155x5
175x5
185x5
135x10

on a smith machine i can do
135x5
185x5
225x5
225x5
135x5

and my diet is worse than your average bear. i eat about 3500 calories a day. pizza, mcdoanlads, burger king, whatever is put in front of my face when im hungry i eat. i eat 4 jars of peanutbutter a week as well. i think i emotionally eat lolll.

Please tell me your not following that abomination of a program. Run starting strength or madcow, stay away from the smith machines. Also try to eat things with nutritional value, soda/candy/mcdonalds is all garbage. You have to eat alot, but not alot of crap.

[rtm0004]

I think Starting strength is the way to go for somebody with your lifts. The program calls for you to add 5 lbs every bench day so 10 lbs a week. There is similar progression with the other lifts.

The program is super simple and easy to follow as well

You won't feel like doing any accessory work with SS, at least I don't. 3 compound lifts a day is taxing

Please stop with the smith machine. I tweaked my pec minor benching with a smith machine

Good luck, eat lift sleep repeat. Get stronger every time you step in the gym and don't worry about what the guys next to you are doing.

[cfrs123]

Can anyone link me to these programs? I can't find them in the stickies

[androstan]

Smith machines are the devil

[scorpionsf]

Can anyone link me to these programs? I can't find them in the stickies

you can't be serious

there is no way. maybe click the one that says LINKS and START HERE

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post269107331

[BigJon55]

Your telling me that the lift you will improve the most on is improving, while the lift that will progress the slowest is progressing slowly....this cant be real life. Find a program, follow it, eat & sleep-that simple. Also you should never be using a smith machine for anything. Smith machines are the worst thing since Hitler.

^Basically this

[JacSavage]

Primarily do free weight Bench Presses to improve bench ;machines, body weight exercises , etc can be used as accessory exercises.

[Naeem11]

Don't try to create your own program. Pick a known program and run it. Simple.

[cfrs123]

Don't try to create your own program. Pick a known program and run it. Simple.

yea but like the strength program they just suggested doesnt work out everything i want.

day 1
bench
dead
squat

day 3
powercleans
squat
press

where are the bis, shoulders, tric, delts, traps, and back?

[jbealsrmt]

yea but like the strength program they just suggested doesnt work out everything i want.

day 1
bench
dead
squat

day 3
powercleans
squat
press

where are the bis, shoulders, tric, delts, traps, and back?

Sarcasm or ignorance?

Biceps - Deadlift, Powerclean
Triceps - Press, Bench
Delts/Shoulders - Squat, Press, Bench, Deadlift, Power Clean
Traps - Squat, Deadlift, Press, Power Clean
Back - Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean, Press

Squats and deadlifts could really be in all categories because of their effect on your natural growth hormone levels.

[cfrs123]

Sarcasm or ignorance?

Biceps - Deadlift, Powerclean
Triceps - Press, Bench
Delts/Shoulders - Squat, Press, Bench, Deadlift, Power Clean
Traps - Squat, Deadlift, Press, Power Clean
Back - Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean, Press

Squats and deadlifts could really be in all categories because of their effect on your natural growth hormone levels.

yea but, i like doing curls and tricep push downs for definition. and i also like dead lifting atleast two times a week

[ViciousPsyKol]

da fukk!!! You trolln bruh. Do you not comprehend the programs that are being mentioned by the more experienced.

[AmericanPhysco]

yea but, i like doing curls and tricep push downs for definition. and i also like dead lifting atleast two times a week

Go to a different section ***.

[chrisisjim]

yea but, i like doing curls and tricep push downs for definition. and i also like dead lifting atleast two times a week

yea because the exercise determines if you get definition

sarcasm

pls go to another section

[rtm0004]

Sarcasm or ignorance?

Biceps - Deadlift, Powerclean
Triceps - Press, Bench
Delts/Shoulders - Squat, Press, Bench, Deadlift, Power Clean
Traps - Squat, Deadlift, Press, Power Clean
Back - Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean, Press

Squats and deadlifts could really be in all categories because of their effect on your natural growth hormone levels.

for the love of all that is holy, listen to this right here, write it down and read it every time you think about doing isolation exercises for "definition"
you want to get bigger - powerlift. eat right. sleep. I can't tell you how much powerlifting has improving my size everywhere.

I literally do ZERO isolation arm exercises yet since I've started powerlifting, my arms are somehow getting bigger.

otherwise teen misc ------>

[dillensteeby]

GET OFF THE SMITH MACHINE!! Your bench sucks because your training sucks! Your muscles will do what you train them to do.
You don't need a fancy program. That is just another gym myth that following some sort of algebra equation will get you a certain amount of gain. Your gains are limited only by your will to train and your body's ability to recover which is directly linked to your diet. Doing too much and not feeding your body enough will lead to failure.
Your bench press will improve when you improve your execution of the movement.
Begin every workout with an empty bar and practice perfect form and execution with each rep. one rep at a time for at least 10 reps. Scaps retracted, hips and scaps planted on bench, feet planted on floor, positive grip on the bar, inhaling on a 2-3 second negative, PAUSE ON YOUR CHEST, drive the bar up off your chest, forceful exhale on the way up, fully extend your chest at the top of the movement without locking out your elbows (saves your elbows).
Then start adding weight and repeat the cycle. One rep at a time. If you train your muscles to drive out of the bottom like this then you won't be ruining your lift and blowing your potential gains by using momentum. No slow grinding reps!! if it doesn't blow up then rack it and rest. do the empty bar set, then add weight (20 rm) and do 8-10 reps then add weight (10 rm) and do 4-5 reps. The add weight (5 rm) and do 3 reps, rest for 5 minutes and do 3 reps again for a toatl of 5 sets. On your 5th set do as many reps as you can blow up. if youcan do 5 or more reps on your 5th set then you can add 10 pounds to the work sets the next week. Don't do Flat bench and then decline and then incline on the same day. do 1 bench day once a week and choose one of the bench lifts (decline, flat, incline, military press). you don't need to do a bunch of other stuff. You CAN do other things which will benefit your bench press but nothing will do more for your bench press than doing bench press. You can use the same kind of scheme for squats and the point is the same. you have to pause and drive out of the bottom or you're just cheating yourself.

THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT AND REPS YOU PUSH ARE VARIABLE; THEY WILL CHANGE WITH TIME, BUT THE EXERCISE ISN'T. IT MUST BE DONE PERFECTLY EVERY REP. ONLY GOOD REPS WILL GET YOU RESULTS. BAD REPS WILL DESTROY YOU. SO THE WEIGHT AND REPS ARE JUST A MEASURE OF PROGRESS SO YOU CAN KNOW YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT. IF YOU HIT A WALL THEN IT IS ALWAYS BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG AND YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS. THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE NOTION OF PLATEAUS!!

[dillensteeby]

I must concur! All scientific evidence has proven it!
If i had to choose only one exercise to do it would be squats or deadlifts because they are total body and stimulate the most!

for the love of all that is holy, listen to this right here, write it down and read it every time you think about doing isolation exercises for "definition"
you want to get bigger - powerlift. Eat right. Sleep. I can't tell you how much powerlifting has improving my size everywhere.

I literally do zero isolation arm exercises yet since i've started powerlifting, my arms are somehow getting bigger.

Otherwise teen misc ------>

[TheStrong1997]

This happened to me.

I started to use more dumbbell presses to recruit more fibers to promote muscle and strength growth.

[androstan]

for the love of all that is holy, listen to this right here, write it down and read it every time you think about doing isolation exercises for "definition"
you want to get bigger - powerlift. eat right. sleep. I can't tell you how much powerlifting has improving my size everywhere.

I literally do ZERO isolation arm exercises yet since I've started powerlifting, my arms are somehow getting bigger.

otherwise teen misc ------>

Agreed. I haven't done a single bicep curl in about 4 months. I do some skull crushers to strengthen the tri's for bench. My arms have grown 1.5" in that time.

[scorpionsf]

da fuk is happening here

you don't want to listen to those stronger than you and instead modify programs that have worked forever.

go for it. let the teen misc know how its going because they actually about the shape of their biceps and triceps, because we all know you're going to end up there whining all butt hurt about what we are saying here

[dtaps24]

I would just start saying the Smith Machine Bar weighs 90 lbs. that way you have put 50 lbs. on your bench. It's not like anybody that is impressed by Smith Machine lifting will ever know the difference. You could also start cutting the ROMto basically nothing. I've seen this, there's a guy at my gym who keeps piling plates on the Smith machine until he literally cannot move the bar off of the peg it is hooked to. He never rolls the hooks back so if he wanted to lower the weight more than the inch he moves to lock it out he couldn't. I guarantee he tells people he benches 495 (because he counts the Smith Machine bar as 45 lbs. but none of them weigh that) for reps. So, he's VERY VERY strong. I see no reason why you can't be just as strong as him.

[BigJon55]

This happened to me.

I started to use more dumbbell presses to recruit more fibers to promote muscle and strength growth.

Is this..... sarcasm?

[BigJon55]

yea but, i like doing curls and tricep push downs for definition. and i also like dead lifting atleast two times a week

...........................holy fuk

[cfrs123]

i like working out arms. i do deadlifts and bench but i dont feel a burn in my arms like i do when i do 10 reps of curls. i like being strong. but i also like having arms because they are the glamour muscles.

if you get an AFC and he sees that your arms are big, right away hes gonna be like fuk this im outta here!

i think having sculpted arms are important. why cant i work them out along with powerlifting exercizises for the extra gains?

anyway i went to a different section and was told about this workout and this is what im gonna do.

my ultimate goal is to box so i think if i mix this in with my boxing workouts ill be golden

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/total-training/