My bench is weak and also at a standstill! HELP!

[Dominik]

I'd never laugh at your bench, that's not what we are here for I too am a tall guy, I'm 6'4"

Just my 2 cents but the "I'm tall so my bench sucks" excuse is way overused on here.

The world's strongest bench pressers are over 6ft. Most pro strongmen are over 6ft and they shoulder press insane amounts of weight. I'll speak for myself: my wingspan is almost 6'4" and I've never felt weak on pressing movements for my size/weight. Sure shorter guys with stumpy arms have an advantage but it doesn't automatically mean tall guys have an excuse to suck at presses.

/rant

[spirit3530]

Just my 2 cents but the "I'm tall so my bench sucks" excuse is way overused on here.

The world's strongest bench pressers are over 6ft. Most pro strongmen are over 6ft and they shoulder press insane amounts of weight. I'll speak for myself: my wingspan is almost 6'4" and I've never felt weak on pressing movements for my size/weight. Sure shorter guys with stumpy arms have an advantage but it doesn't automatically mean tall guys have an excuse to suck at presses.

/rant

They never learn to lift weights properly... lift "heavy" weights by any means necessary goes but so far. If your form sucks you get hurt and or don't progress.

[ThickAsABrick]

blah

stfu noob

[blackthursday]

stfu noob

okay i won't say anymore, i'll let more respected members speak for me

The reason most (some fail purely because of diet) never get this so very important strength base is they always train doing too many lifts, using many techniques that are more specific to size instead of strength. Pure hypertrophy training is well and good IF it works for you, but it's time and place is AFTER you have dedicated yourself to building the foundation. I recently had a couple of personal training clients that were disappointed that the routine I wrote was not geared for towards "size" gains. They wanted less rest between lifts and more sets so they could focus on getting bigger. The problem was both these guys were beginner level weak (after training for years). In fact, 5 out of the 8 girls I currently train have a bigger squat and dead than these guys do. I don't care how many fast "pump" sets you do with girl weights. The truth is, you will still look like a girl if that is all the weight you use.

[spirit3530]

okay i won't say anymore, i'll let more respected members speak for me

When did we say pump sets. We said a balanced routine. Did we say do


30 sets of bench from 10-12 reps only? I remember saying from 5-12 rep range with moderate volume. Which is the range that even DC trainees use. Who teh F#ck said do pump sets and drop sets and sh!t. NONE of us.


You are unarmed in here. In the old Aqua days we discussed this till we were blue in the face. We aren't the typical bb.com trainees and most of us understand getting stronger. Again SHOW me all the 5x5 guys that look like bodybuilders.

[SDFlip]

okay i won't say anymore, i'll let more respected members speak for me

you're taking IA's post out of context

[SDFlip]

Again SHOW me all the 5x5 guys that look like bodybuilders.

like i said before - most bbers here are stronger than all these 5x5 rippetoe parrots.

[SilverSpork]

I think the bottom line here is to get strong first, then move onto high volume/rep work to grow more with your new found strength.

[Defiant1]

Ah...the famous bb.com/web guru straw-man.....

if you don't believe in doing "compounds only", you don't believe in any compounds. And if you don't SPECIFICALLY focus on strength, then you don't care about progression.




weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

[Drekkor]

I think the bottom line here is to get strong first, then move onto high volume/rep work to grow more with your new found strength.

You can do both at the same time - you realize this yes?

[SquatTilYouDrop]

I think the bottom line here is to get strong first, then move onto high volume/rep work to grow more with your new found strength.

Why can't one get progressively stronger and bigger using a balanced body building program that include both compounds and isolation exercises from the start? Just use lighter weights and progress from there. I don't understand this philosophy of strength first and body building 2nd?

[XXX666]

Why can't one get progressively stronger and bigger using a balanced body building program that include both compounds and isolation exercises from the start? Just use lighter weights and progress from there. I don't understand this philosophy of strength first and body building 2nd?

agreed, the ideas/beliefs around here are off

[spirit3530]

agreed, the ideas/beliefs around here are off

Thats what we have been saying the whole time. What IA is talking about doesn't apply to the way we train. He is talking about the volume guy thats been pumping away 5 sets 12-15 reps 5 different exercises training the bodyparts 3 times per week and not interested in moving more weight. Of course if a numb nuts squating 135 for 10 reps at jan 07 and still squating 135 for 10 reps jan 08 isn't growing. What kind of rocket science degree do you need to figure this sh!t out.


Again Parrots gtfo because your weak game is not going to work here.

[Defiant1]

agreed, the ideas/beliefs around here are off

sig worthy.

[Defiant1]

Again Parrots gtfo because your weak game is not going to work here.

also sig worthy.

[mjw8204]

People could support their positions much better by providing examples of their own success rather than continually quoting the "experts" every time an argument like this comes up. It's one thing to add someone else's ideas to compliment your own position, but if it's the only ammo you've got, you really have no business being in the argument to begin with.

[XXX666]

Thats what we have been saying the whole time. What IA is talking about doesn't apply to the way we train. He is talking about the volume guy thats been pumping away 5 sets 12-15 reps 5 different exercises training the bodyparts 3 times per week and not interested in moving more weight. Of course if a numb nuts squating 135 for 10 reps at jan 07 and still squating 135 for 10 reps jan 08 isn't growing. What kind of rocket science degree do you need to figure this sh!t out.


Again Parrots gtfo because your weak game is not going to work here.

Bro, i've completely agreed with you the entire time.

The concepts around here baffle me.

[Mundy]

He wants to increases his bench, but his main goal is overall hypertrophy.

Why do some people think that because you want to increase strength in one movement, that you have to switch your whole routine to a strength orientated program?

Surely it would be logical to think that one could perform a hypertrophy based routine, and just add some heavy lifting for the movement and a couple of it's auxiliary movements. This is exactly what spirit3530 was saying, and I don't understand how some people found a way to disagree.

[XXX666]

He wants to increases his bench, but his main goal is overall hypertrophy.

Why do some people think that because you want to increase strength in one movement, that you have to switch your whole routine to a strength orientated program?

Surely it would be logical to think that one could perform a hypertrophy based routine, and just add some heavy lifting for the movement and a couple of it's auxiliary movements. This is exactly what spirit3530 was saying, and I don't understand how some people found a way to disagree.

I don't either.

[spirit3530]

Bro, i've completely agreed with you the entire time.

The concepts around here baffle me.

I know man I am pretty sick of the misimformation that goes on around here. A lot of the people that don't post on bb.com sit on their high horse and bash bb.com memebers in general about not knowing what to do in the gym but we sit here as a beacon on the most popular fitness website and give what we can about the bodybuilding routines. We are willing to learn knew stuff and not be ridged but others think their way is the only way and completely bastadize what other guys like IA, Daunte etc are saying.

You can't grow without getting stronger in the rep range you are aiming for. They ALL say this. BB.com is so big its hard to get out the truth but the fact of the matter is if you visit journals you could see whats up.


All is not lost though. Instead off running of to another board and talking sh!t with my nose in the air I continue to do research and bring it back here to help others. Those other insecure bastards can do what they want. Meanwhile the parrots are gonna catch it anytime they come here with some weak sh!t. Especially when they don't have an avatar and weak for what they are trying to do.

[Jtrain71]

lol

Of course you'll look different after a few months of 5x5. Do you really think that if he manages to add 50lbs to his bench press and has a sufficient diet he won't get thicker pecs and delts?

OP, the stupidity and wrong information is strong in this thread. Do not go onto an advanced bodybuilding programme when you can only bench 110lbs for 5 reps. Do not listen to people here that say strength is irrelevant for mass. Most guys with competition physiques do shift quite a lot of weight and are quite strong. Ronnie benches 500lbs and squats 800lbs. Natural pro Layne Norton (on this site) is also immensely strong. You won't get very far in terms of mass gains if you only bench 110lbs.

Do go onto iroanaddicts.com because they have much better advice than here.

Totally agree with you. I don't understand why people think that you dont have to lift heavy to get mass and strength is irrelevant, Ronnie Coleman once quoted " everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but no one wants to lift this heavy ass weight"

[iSkinny]

everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but no one wants to lift moderate ass weights for moderate to high ass volume

^^^

[Paumen]

Jft?