Ok so for the last 3-4 weeks I have pretty much been on a plateau regarding flat bench, I start with 175 x 8, then 185 x 8, then 195 x 6, and then on 205 ive been stuck on 3-4.
For the rest of my chest workout I do DB press, Incline Machine Press, Dips, and Pec Fly
Do I need to incorporate some decline activity into my workout or am I simply spending too much time on the warm-up sets for BP (the 175 and 185 specifically), or could it be neither of those and maybe there is some problem I am not thinking of. Any advice would help, thanks for all feedback.
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Thread: Flat Bench Plateau Need Advice
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03-05-2007, 07:09 PM #1
Flat Bench Plateau Need Advice
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03-05-2007, 07:14 PM #2
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Incorporate DB presses (incline, flat, decline). Also, I heard putting chains on the end of the bars weighing 15 lbs each will help with a plataeu.
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03-05-2007, 07:16 PM #3
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03-05-2007, 07:23 PM #4
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Don't do two "flat" exercises. If you want to keep benching, do flat bench, decline, incline, dips, flies, or some of those. You could also try eliminating flat bench for a little bit and go hard on decline, incline, dips and flies. You could transition to dumbbells and do flat dumbbell along with incline and decline dumbbell. Again, dips are always good.. just switch it up. Do some different things.
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03-05-2007, 07:25 PM #5
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03-05-2007, 07:49 PM #6
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03-05-2007, 08:19 PM #7
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03-05-2007, 08:38 PM #8
Same here. I've been stuck on mine for about 3 weeks. But I'm on the rippetoe program and every says to not incorporate your own exercises to the program, and just do it as is.
Also, how big a role does diet play in helping your lifts go up? Im under the impression that eating a lot more is only for those who wants to put on a lot of mass. What if someone wants to stay the same size, but become stronger?
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03-05-2007, 09:02 PM #9
- Join Date: May 2005
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if you expect to keep going up in weights every week your stupid.
My advice, dont add weight until you do 8 reps
175x8
185x8
195x6 and work your way to 8, then add 2.5lbs each side until u get 8 again.
195x whateverIt takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
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03-05-2007, 09:18 PM #10
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03-05-2007, 10:00 PM #11
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03-05-2007, 10:01 PM #12
Eat more
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03-05-2007, 10:11 PM #13
Like everybody said before, You have to keep your body guessing at least a little bit. Change things up every 4 weeks. Don't always go to flat bench first. Also like ITHURTZ said, decide on your reps and keep them. I have never heard of the 8,8,6,3 workout.
Try throwing the lighter weight on and rep 8,8,8,8, then after a couple weeks go down to 5,5,5,5, Obviously if you are doing reps of 5,5,5,5 with heavier weight, after your body gets adjusted to this, the weight you're doing for your reps of 8 will increase.
How are you even determining that your bench is plateaued? Do you have an idea of what your max is? Maybe try maxin' out, and then base it on that.
Another idea is that I would NOT consider 175 a warm up, if 205 is your last set of 3. That is WAY to heavy for you to be warming up with.
I would try something like this, 135x10-15....Dont Exhaust yourself in your warm up... I know guys that are doin' 315x10 on there last set and they do 2 warm ups at 135x15 before they even consider getting into their lifts.
If you cant get 135x15, don't be afraid to go down to 115, its just meant to warm your muscles up....
Thats alot of information, but I think that if you don't want to change your reps, at least conserve some energy during your warm up.
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03-06-2007, 12:09 AM #14
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03-06-2007, 12:51 AM #15
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03-06-2007, 01:13 AM #16
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03-06-2007, 01:17 AM #17
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03-06-2007, 01:31 PM #18
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03-06-2007, 02:08 PM #19
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03-06-2007, 03:37 PM #20
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03-06-2007, 03:43 PM #21
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03-06-2007, 04:01 PM #22
I dont really bench too much but I mostly use dbs and Im kinda stuck at 195 for 8 or 205 for 3-5. Im gonna try 90s for 10 tomorrow which seems much more impressive than 205 for 3-5.
But dumbells do help ALOT.db shoulder press : can get the 115s up
db bench: 125 x 10 x 4.
bulking to 200 even if it kills me.
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03-06-2007, 04:07 PM #23
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03-06-2007, 04:10 PM #24
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03-06-2007, 04:32 PM #25
If you wanna get a stronger bench try training in the low rep (1-3) range. This will be very taxing on your CNS however so do not do it for a long time. Also, make sure you eat enough, sleep enough, conjugate lifts (switch lifts every few weeks or so), eat more, eat more, and eat more !!!
"God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form...The perfect surrender and humiliation was undergone by Christ: perfect because He was God, surrender and humiliation because He was man."
-C.S. Lewis
"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."
-C.S. Lewis
My WS4BB Journal
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1131121
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03-06-2007, 05:04 PM #26
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03-06-2007, 05:13 PM #27
Well, if you have been on a plateau for 4 weeks, you are overtraining and doing the same thing over and over again.
I suggest you take a week break from bench press...then start on a new routine. Try using DB's instead of BB for a little while. Try weighted dips.
Another thing I noticed is that you do too many sets with too similar weights...instead of going up only 10 pounds...start at 135, go to 155, then 185, then 205, then 225.
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03-06-2007, 08:10 PM #28"God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form...The perfect surrender and humiliation was undergone by Christ: perfect because He was God, surrender and humiliation because He was man."
-C.S. Lewis
"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."
-C.S. Lewis
My WS4BB Journal
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1131121
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03-06-2007, 08:11 PM #29
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1715261
^^The Super Thread
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