Bench Help

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nms4912

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hey, i suck at benching, i need to know how else i can improve. I dont know if this makes a difference, but i broke my arm last year.(humerous snapped in half) im not sure whether im benching my full with my right arm, i know my arms are uneven, bc my left 1 is still recovering. any ideas to help even them out? also, i wana know if anyone knows why i can bench so much more on the decline bench then flat bench?
145lb max on DB
135 on Flat bench
and 95 on i ncline bench
im 6'0 and 185 lbs. i need to be do ing more, any help?
 
Use dumbells for your exercises for a period of time to see if there's a difference.
 
almost everyone i workout with, and including myself is stronger on the decline. Im almost 20 pounds heavier on the decline. The angle of the decline tends to compact all ur muscles into one solid movement. While in flat press, if u dont have good form u can put too much weight on ur front delts and not use enough pec, or tricep and that makes the lift tuffer.
 
Benching

I agree with wacky906. If one arm is significantly weaker use dumbbells. You can do a single single double (2 reps would be right, left, both) style lift if you like. That will allow you to focus on each arm as well as exercising with both arms.

That does not mean stop using the bar. Keep it in your training. Use the dumbbells for assistance exercises.

Your decline can be a bigger lift simply because the range of motion is shorter and you recruit you lats a lot more. The key is learning to use your lats when you are doing a flat bench. If you master this you will be able to lift a lot more weight. My flat and decline were different by over 100lbs until I actually learned how to bench. Then they were almost the same with my flat being bigger some of the time.

Don't neglect your back and lats in training. Most people that I have met who get stuck at the weights you are lifting need to bring up their back and lat strength big time.
 
yea im cleared to work out, but you can easily see m y other arm is almost twice in size when i flex. i think i need to improve on my form, but i dont know how. when i use the flat bench, i dont bring the bar down to my chest i bring it over my nose everytime. i know its weird, but i cant break my habbit. i either bring it over my face or maybe my neck, and i dont think im using my lats when i bench, i have strong lats and i should be able to bench more, i never get sore anywhere except for my deltoids and triceps.. i just keep failing to use my chest and lats when i bench, any ideas to improve my form?
 
nms4912 said:
yea im cleared to work out, but you can easily see m y other arm is almost twice in size when i flex. i think i need to improve on my form, but i dont know how. when i use the flat bench, i dont bring the bar down to my chest i bring it over my nose everytime. i know its weird, but i cant break my habbit. i either bring it over my face or maybe my neck, and i dont think im using my lats when i bench, i have strong lats and i should be able to bench more, i never get sore anywhere except for my deltoids and triceps.. i just keep failing to use my chest and lats when i bench, any ideas to improve my form?
Click to expand...

I would use a relatively light load for a while and concentrate on form. Bringing the bar down by your nose, and at times by your THROAT, is not only less effective than lowering the bar to the nipple region, but is also dangerous.

You may have strong lats, but your deltoids and triceps are used extensively throughout the benching motion. Athletes have different natural pressing inclinations. Some athletes press more with their shoulders and triceps throughout the movement, while others use mainly their chest and deltoids. With this in mind, you could try adding strength to your shoulders and triceps, as well as your back. All of these muscles are utilized when performing the bench press.

As for one arm being stronger than the other, the earlier posts about using db's instead of a barbell are on the right track. You will be forced to use both arms when pressing with db's.
 
I was at a plateou for about 8 months. The thing that took me out of it was 3 weeks of 3 sets of 6 by increasing the weight 5 lbs for one set each time (ex. 145,145,145, next workout- 150,145,145). Then, I started a powerlifting stage for 6 weeks. I worked up to a heavy single (almost at a max if not so) and dropped the weight by 10 lbs and added a rep each time at a 1,2,3,5 rep scheme (ex. 200 x 1 rep, 190 x 2 reps, 180 x 3 reps, 170 x 5 reps).
Also, do not forget to hit your triceps. That was part of my problem. Use a variety of close grip bench and overhead tricep extensions for about 6 sets. You can try my workout, and I do suggest it for increasing in strength, even if some ppl tell you that lifting heavy often is not good.
 
Do you feel stress on certain parts of the muscle when flat bench pressing and what does your workout look like?
 
umm im not really sure what gives out first. i still think alot of this is mental for me. i usually justloose hope and drop it. I really just think i need to work on my form, and have someone correctly show me how to lift. I usually start at 105 n do 10 reps. then i go to 115 8 reps, 125 5 reps, 130 5 reps, 135 1 rep., then i go back down all the way to 95 doing 15 reps. Even if i wait 3 days, then start off with my max i can only do 135 once. it makes no since at all. maybe i just have a weak back and chest.
 
Wait, do you mean from 135 to 95 or slowly go down to 95? Anyway, there's no point to go back to 95 and do 15 reps, its a waste of time and energy. I recommend you do this.

Workout 1 - 5 sets of 5
Workout 2 - 4 sets of 10
Workout 3 - 3 sets of 15

and then back again. This way you're increasing everything.. it should boost your endurance and strength meaning you will be able to do more reps and higher weights after a few workouts.
 
umm im not really sure what gives out first. i still think alot of this is mental for me. i usually justloose hope and drop it. I really just think i need to work on my form, and have someone correctly show me how to lift. I usually start at 105 n do 10 reps. then i go to 115 8 reps, 125 5 reps, 130 5 reps, 135 1 rep., then i go back down all the way to 95 doing 15 reps. Even if i wait 3 days, then start off with my max i can only do 135 once. it makes no since at all. maybe i just have a weak back and chest.
Click to expand...

If it's mental then I suggest doing this very very little, but effective bench workout:
DO 2 times a week
Flat bench: 3 sets of your 10 rep max (with last rep barely making it).

When you do this again, add an extra rep like this:

Flat bench: 3 sets of your 11 rep max

until you get to 12 reps. Once you get at 12 add 5-10 pounds to your bench and start at 10 reps again to repeat. Why will this help you mentally you ask? The rep ranges are safe especially( spelling?) when you want to focus on form and you also feel safe enough to be gutsy when getting in that last rep.:D Don't worry if you think you won't make progress in strength gains because I did that workout and gained 20 pounds in a less than a month. Atleast try it!
 
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