Bench Press?

[Suspension]

All my core lifts (Deads, Squats, Military, etc) are improving week by week. The only lift stagnating is my bench press. I work out 4-5x/wk, with 20-30 minute sessions, focusing on one bodypart/day. What could I do to improve my bench? I dont hit triceps too hard as I feel they receive enough work from the bench/shoulder days, so i dont think that could be the culpret.

 

[bigpumpdaddy1]

Are you doing BB or DB bench press?

 

[MaxBiceps]

I had this problem too. A friend suggested heavy flat and incline flys on chest day, since all I was doing was pressing movements. Worked for me.

 

[Suspension]

Im alternating between 4 weeks incline/4weeks flat, barbells. I havent used dumbells in a while...

DNP-Could you elaborate on that?

I am on primo, so everything is going up nicely, cept for bench

 

[M.O.D]

when you do your benches, do pauses...about a 2 count then explode out of the hole...

 

[NinjaX]

dumbells will really help your chest develop, the motion uses other muscles and develops them, your explosive power will improve

 

[bigpumpdaddy1]

I do flat and incline bench every week. I try to alternate between DB and BB about every 4 weeks.

 

[machman]

I have one thing to say: 5 X 5

warm up alot, like three sets of 135 X 10-20

I try to not make the spread between first set and last set any more than 50 lbs

example: 300X5, 310X5, 320X5, 330X5, 340X5

wait 2-3 minutes between sets and use your legs for power, by anchoring them in and power from the floor up arching your back with your ass and shoulder blades touching the bench and use a full range of motion.

Like M.O.D. said, use pauses, but on days when you're beat, and other times do negatives with a very trusted spotter and about 20 lbs more than your max.

If you feel like you have alot left after this you didn't lift heavy enough or your weights weren't close enough together, you should do some incline to kill the pecs (like 3 sets of heavy 5) in this case until you get the weights right. If you feel like you could do some flys to finish off, don't, go eat and get strong.

Worked for me. I went from a 315X5 bench to 365X5 in 2-3 months on creatine alone. Trained 1 body part hard, and fast (lots of rest between sets, little time in the gym)/day and used compound exercises whenever possible.

 

[Suspension]

thanks for the info machman!

 

[trial0r]

NONONONO...dont arch your back please. this is coming from someone who has seen enough heavy benching injury from lower back arching to make you sick. use a weight you feel comfortable with, while using good form as well. dont bounce the bar off your chest and do not do not arch your back.

what really helped my bench was staying on incline bench for a while and not doing any flat. back in the day nothing could get my bench up... so i inclined for about 2 months and when i got back to flat, i was crazy strong.