need help to INCREASE MAX on bench i have peaked

bryguy007 · Post by **bryguy007** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:49 pm

i currently bench ONLY 285 lbs and i weight 230 lbs i have been working out for years
i do 3 sets of 8 reps then 6 reps then 4 reps (heavy weight) i switch up the route from dumbbells to bar bells normal chest routine is incline decline then flat then machine flys and i am STILL stuck at only 285 i have been at 285 lbs for about 3 or 4 months i take plently of protein and supplements can someone please tell me how to bust that peak i would like to be able to do 300lbs I have always been strugling with bench

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:41 am

lift heavier, decrease your reps

do singles at 92% of your max is probabyl the best way to train heavy and manage fatigue...adding countless fly and other presses is not

www.uponlinetraining.com

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 3:28 pm

agree with swanso, get rid of the 3x8's lift singles for 2-5 minute rest intervals until fatigued. Try different rest periods. Try 5x5's.

Drop the flies! Why do all three planes in one workout, do flat, then perhaps decline the next time and incline the time after that. It sounds more like you've plateaued do to consistant routine, you're body has adapted to what you put it through so now it will just stay there.

Challenge yourself, change what you do every 4 weeks and change little things from workout to workout, ie increase weight, decrease recovery time, increase recovery time to increase sets, etc. Change you're "routine every 4 weeks"

Sometimes its as simple as changing what days you do what exercise! ie, if you do say chest on day one, back day 2, legs day 3 then try legs day one then chest then back. Its as much mental as physical! Alternate between full body and split body workouts, and check your diet, perhaps it's become to routine as well!...this can and will happen!

cheers

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:15 pm

Here's another possibility. Change diet in some way, and see how that pans out for 2-4 weeks. Don't necessarily do routine to begin with. I've heard of people, and been one myself before now, that wasted time, doing training changes for a month at a time, that yield nothing and might also be crap as well, when it's diet that's at fault.

You realise 4 meals a day won't cut it, or more protein is key or something like that.

It did teach me that Pyramid Training doesn't do it for me though.

If diet changes didn't kickstart the training again after 2-4 weeks, then change routine, but probably keep the diet changes as well.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:06 am

List all your exercises along with which days of the week you execute them. We need to take a look at the recovery time you are allowing yourself between workouts.

bryguy007 · Post by **bryguy007** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:09 am

well monday is leg day, tues= chest i start with incline then decline the flat bench then i do some flys i use all dumbells and i did do 3 sets of 8rep, 6 rep, then 4 bbut now reading all this good advise i will start doing singles

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:51 am

From experience more injuries happen doing singles than at any other time.

I think that triples are safer and will grow your bench just as well.

A good bench workout: (poundage is for reference only)

Warm up 1 set, 10 reps (very strict form) 135 lbs.
1 set 8 reps, 155 lbs
1 set 6 reps, 185 lbs
1 set 3 reps 205 lbs
1 set 3 reps 225 lbs
1 set 3 reps 245 lbs
1 set 3 reps 265 lbs
(every 3rd week you can try a max lift if desired.)
1 set 10 reps 135 lbs with full pause at top (lockout) and bottom (on chest)

If you bench 2 x per week, then the 2nd workout should be much lighter.

If you are quite tall then your arms are going to be longer and they will have a distinct disadvantage in bench pressing. But it should be noted that Tiger Woods, who is pretty tall, is reputed to have a 300 pound bench. So even tall guys can get a decent bench.

bryguy007 · Post by **bryguy007** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:41 am

hey thanks for the tip i will try that, and tiger woods lift weights thats pretty cool

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:57 am

bryguy007 wrote:hey thanks for the tip i will try that, and tiger woods lift weights thats pretty cool

The source of this information is a bit vague, but here is an article:

http://www.mangoboss.com/TigerWoodsWorkout

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:17 pm

the singles are performed with a 2 - 3 rep wt, no injury at all if done properly

www.uponlinetraining.com

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:55 pm

swanso5 wrote:the singles are performed with a 2 - 3 rep wt, no injury at all if done properly

AGREED... never injured personally by doing singles nor have others I've worked with.

Cheers

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:34 am

vamp wrote:
swanso5 wrote:the singles are performed with a 2 - 3 rep wt, no injury at all if done properly
AGREED... never injured personally by doing singles nor have others I've worked with.

Cheers

The "singles" I was referring to was max weight attempts. Otherwise singles are fine.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:08 pm

definately, no not max at all...no point in that

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:43 am

swanso5 wrote:definately, no not max at all...no point in that

The point is ego. And I think that is a very real driving force in heavy lifting.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:04 pm

i'd rather progress every workout then increase ego every 10th

www.uponlinetraining.com