Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
napsgear
genezapharmateuticals
domestic-supply
puritysourcelabs
UGL OZ
UGFREAK
napsgeargenezapharmateuticals domestic-supplypuritysourcelabsUGL OZUGFREAK

Bench Help

I

IronLion

New member
I suck at bench. Most of my life it has lagged pathetically behind my squat, clean, snatch ect. I started using a conjugate training style in college about three years ago but mostly focused on olimpyc lifts. About two months ago i started using a westide program and my bench has gone up about 65 lbs which is amazing to me because it didn'y go up that much all through college...

here is the question today I maxed out and I got 405 for three really easy then I got 425 for 1 easy then 450 came up with a struggle 465 didn't come off my chest, my problem is that I feel like my tris and shoulders are a lot stronger than 450. What can I do to work the bottom or reversal of my bench? Is there me bench lift that targets this. Also I lift for sports not for powerlifting meets although someday I will compete, should I use a shirt does it benefit me to bench more with a shirt or less and do it raw?
 
Do you do partials on your bench? Like floor press, 2 board, 3 board, 4 board, 5 board, lockouts, etc...? My total raw 1 rep max bench has never been more than the LOWEST of the above lifts.

Just wondering exactly WHERE your weakness is. Probably not shoulders AND tris if you're getting pinned at the bottom. Could be a combo of form, lats, shoulders, SPEED...and just plain strength. Maybe next week, that 465 will move. :)
 
for the last three weeks I did floor press for me work and I hit 425 the last time, i did close grip 2 board before that and got 415, I am thinking my lats may be the weakpoint b/c I have never missed a press that I could get more than a couple inches off my chest. As far as speed goes, how do I know if this is a problem?
 
Well, IMHO, you can never be too fast. I rely on speed to generate momentum out of a pause. I have rehabbing shoulders, but between a bench shirt and some speed, I can usually get out of the hole.

Helps to make the hole higher too...that's why I mentioned form.

What's your grip? Are your traps tucked? Do you arch at all? Where are your feet? Leg drive?
 
most of that is greek to me, I focus on squeezing my scapula and making my chest as big as possible, I was using a wide grip today but my normal grip is with ring fingers on the lines...my feet are on the ground I don't worry with them at all, and yah I arch a little
 
I think the answers you are looking for can be found in your own questions. You say that you have never missed a weight that you have gotten to move more than 3 or 4 inches...so you are weak off your chest/sternum. So yes lats could be the problem. Also like spatts said speed could be a problem. The faster you can fire at the bottom the farther you can move the bar, and break through your sticking point before it starts to slow down.

Sounds like leg drive is a key component that you are missing. It is what helps you get the bar started from the bottom.

Feet out in front of you..and drive back. You feet and legs should be as stable when you bench as they are when you squat. When you are warming up...have someone lean against your legs..or bump you tryin to through you off...you should be solid enough that it doesnt even phase you.

Have to say it one more time...DRIVE BACK not UP. You dont want your ass coming off the bench because then you lose all the force that you have generated. The best way that benching has ever been decribed to me is as a CONTROLLED SHOVE....use your whole body.

http://www.testosterone.net/articles/180press.html
 
thanks for all the tips, I really tried to focus on my leg drive for the first time today and it made a huge difference...I got 475 raw. I didn't die at the bottom I was able to get it started and it took me about three seconds to lock out, but that was good I feel like that was my true max today...anyway thanks for the help
 
you floor press 425 but you only 2 board press 415. thats a pretty good floor press, but your two board should be higher, which makes me think you need more triceps. oh yeah a 475 raw bench is pretty good. get your boards up and maybe you could do 500 raw.
 
i know. im just saying from my experiance boards are typically higher then benches off the chest, any grip. just trying to help you out bro.
 
yah, I agree my triceps could definately be stronger and I work my triceps as hard as I can but I have a lot of elbow pain doing most tricep work especially skull crushers...it's some type of nerve entrapment from years of repetative jamming, if you know any good strength work for the tri's that doesn't aggrevate this type of injury I would love to hear about it cause at this point I'll try just about anything, right now I do a lot of cambered skull crushers with a wide grip and my elbows flared out wide as well as pushdowns...
 
Also...if you don't have much arch or aren't pinched tight in the traps, and you have really long arms (especially from elbow to hand), then it's possible for the floor press to be higher than the 2 board. Mine is.
 
Hell your bench ain't that bad man, I don't ever remember doing more than 435 on flat bench and that was with a 4" cambered bar so the range was plus 4", imo flat bench is stressful as hell on your shoulders.
 
some of my favorite triceps exersises are 4 and 5 boards( with or without bands) rolling DB extensions and elbows out extensions. these are the core of my triceps training. i do other exercises too but these are what i do the most. on the 4 and 5 boards i work up to a 3 or 5 rep max. and on the db extensioins i usually do high reps like 10-15 but sometimes i will work up really heavy for for 6-10. elbow pain is just part of the game imo but there are some things you can do to help, i wear neoprene elbow warmers in every bench workout and whenever i squat witht he straight bar. before i put them on i put some type of liniment on them. together with the warmers it heats the elbows up pretty good and i dont feel much during the workout. i also take alot of ibuprofen before a workout if they are particuraly hurting that day. i used to do alot of skull crushers and pushdowns but i rarely do skull crushers now and never for heavy weight they just hurt to much for the rest the week, and pushdowsn i only do for high reps to flush my arms, i dont think the pushdowns make me as strong as the board and DB's
 
One quick thing you can do is get a bench shirt. They will make alot of difference in getting the weight started. Focus on your speed work too. I know alot of people shy away from cambered bar bench but they can really help. I'm totally the opposite of you, I'm strong off my chest but I lift with a couple guys that have strong tris. The cambered bar has drapatically helped them. One thing though, just know what your body can hold, it can be an easy lift to get hurt on.
 
I have two more questions...first, when I am doing speed work what should the eccentric phase of the rep look like? Karma to anyone who can find me a video of someone doing it right.

Second, I was thinking about getting an Inzer Heavy Duty blast shirt for my first bench shirt, is this a good choice? I was thinking about entering a meet at the end of May, will that be enough time to learn to use a shirt if I get it in the next 2 weeks? Oh and how do I go about learning to bench in a shirt?
 
for me: just incline work, press and dumb bells. With dumbells usaully want to burn out. I mean really burn out, work the chest so hard that pecs are twiching even when your not moving. usally do around 6 sets starting 80 or 80, then incresing 5 pounds every set doing 10 reps. works for me. But everyone is diffrent.

Might want to try decline--helps a littel bit
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
benching 3 plates but can’t get to 4
Replies
6
Views
959
Ulter
Ulter
U
best way to use trenbolone for strength
Replies
10
Views
524
Master Chief 117
M
T
shorter women who wants to get stronger
Replies
12
Views
1K
zedhed
zedhed
H
my geneza pharma anavar experience
Replies
13
Views
2K
jasonhill800
jasonhill800
Tentatum
How much progress "should" I have after training for around 6 months?
Replies
23
Views
3K
Noah Wixx
Noah Wixx
Top Bottom