5x5 Hold Up

[OfimNedu]

I'm come to a sticking point in my 5x5 program. I'm 3 weeks in and I'm not sure what to do for chest anymore. Due to shoulder problems I can't bench anymore. I can only use dumbbells comfortably. Problem is the dumbbells only go up to 120lbs. in my gym which I can do comfortably for 5 sets of 5 reps with good, slow form. Should I pre-fatigue, switch to another exercise, or increase the reps/sets. I can't press anything with a barbell. I use dumbbells for flat, incline, and overhead press.

 

[Lord_Suston]

then try doiing Incline first and then flat bench second.

 

[OfimNedu]

I can do that. It doesn't help solve the problem really. I can do the 120s 5x5 on incline too. Or did you mean do incline in a normal rep range and then do flat 5x5?

 

[Zander1983]

If you're stuck at a certain weight for 5x5, bring it down to 5x3 and keep progressing until you hit a flat spot again. Then maybe take a week/few days off, scale back your poundages and start with the 5x5s again.

 

[OfimNedu]

If you're stuck at a certain weight for 5x5, bring it down to 5x3 and keep progressing until you hit a flat spot again. Then maybe take a week/few days off, scale back your poundages and start with the 5x5s again.

Did you read my initial post? I'm stuck at a certain weight bc the dumbbells in my gym only go up to 120s.

 

[mediocre lifter]

exercise ball

Some guys I know had that problem and they used an exercise ball as the bench. since it is so unstable it cut their reps in half intitially. Might be worth a try

 

[hellboy]

Mebbe do 5x8's or 5x10's? Could that work?

I hope that someday I can complain about 120lb dumbells being too light. Damn 120's. They just don't do anything for me anymore. Heh. ;-)

 

[Backlash]

If you can't do any bb exercises, maybe you should focus on rehabbing your shoulder for awhile, depending on what exactly is wrong with your shoulder. That would benefit you the most in the long run, though it is tough to give up lifting heavy.

 

[ffknight84]

If you can't do any bb exercises, maybe you should focus on rehabbing your shoulder for awhile, depending on what exactly is wrong with your shoulder. That would benefit you the most in the long run, though it is tough to give up lifting heavy.

excellent advice IMO

 

[athlete0185]

you can rehab your shoulder till your blue in the face but with injuries like a seperation its the tendons that seperate in the ac joint. my shoulder is stronger than ever but i cant touch a barbell to do flat bench. there are just some things you can't do, and i dont think any amount of rehab will fix that. besides being costly, why would you take that much time out of the gym for rehab when certain exercises can be substituted.