Need a good bench program

[andrew]

Im at a plateu in my bench I can do around 335, lately when I go to bench on mondays I feel fatigued in my upper corner of my pecs, maybe from being natural and going heavy all the time, what besides 5x5 will get this up?  any help will do, some of my stats are 5'11 225 bout 16% bodyfat......please help eat alot half clean half a little dirty

[Ledd]

I feel you about the plateau man, I have had that problem lately.  I just changed my bench to DB's a couple weeks ago.  I really think this change is going to boost me up, I have been sore as hell and for longer.  My strength as well as my appetite both seem to have elevated quite a bit.  So maybe you should try using DB's instead of the bar.  But then a 335lb bench is impressive, just remember that your body gets used to your routine and you have to stimulate it through change.  Good luck.

[brianX]

You may need to do more max singles on the bench. It worked for me.

Do these exercises after your bench press sets:

Upright Rows - 5x5
Weighted Dips - 8x3

Do these exercises three times a week on non bench days:

Standing Military Press - 5x5
Barbell Curls - 5x5
Machine Curls - 5x12
Tricep Pressdown - 5x15

[sli]

Im at a plateu in my bench I can do around 335, lately when I go to bench on mondays I feel fatigued in my upper corner of my pecs, maybe from being natural and going heavy all the time, what besides 5x5 will get this up?  any help will do, some of my stats are 5'11 225 bout 16% bodyfat......please help eat alot half clean half a little dirty

Can you tell me a little about your 5x5 bench program. I remember coming across that program many years ago and it really improved my bench. Unfortunatly I can't remember a damn thing about it anymore!

[triple_pickle]

i would do singles for 4 weeks.  5 sets once a week, going from 90%MR to 100-105%MR, from 4 reps to 1 rep.  and this is it, no dumbbell presses, flyes, etc.  then give your chest a one-week break, eat well, and watch....

[candidate2025]

if all your worried about is strenght...just do tons of negatives. duh.

load up like 4-5 platesa side and lower the bar to your chest very slowly, then have someone pick it up for you...repeat.

itll shock your uscles to get used to woriking with a much heavier weight than its used to...so your bench will sky rocket in no time.  but your mass gains wont.

[darksol]

I feel for you, I am about at the same place you are with bench.  I used to be stuck under 300, but then I tried to focus my workouts on the individual muscles required for bench.  Most likely if you are having trouble with bench its because one muscle group is the week link.  I changed up my workout and did alot of flies, skull crushers, and incline dumbell presses.  I took a couple weeks off bench doing these other exercises.  when I returned to bench I easily broke 315.  now I do 315 for 6-8 reps, and I am getting ready to do the cycle again.

[kicker]

I feel for you, I am about at the same place you are with bench.  I used to be stuck under 300, but then I tried to focus my workouts on the individual muscles required for bench.  Most likely if you are having trouble with bench its because one muscle group is the week link.  I changed up my workout and did alot of flies, skull crushers, and incline dumbell presses.  I took a couple weeks off bench doing these other exercises.  when I returned to bench I easily broke 315.  now I do 315 for 6-8 reps, and I am getting ready to do the cycle again.

How long did it take to get from a 315 max to 315 for 6-8?

[andrew]

appreciate the comments and the suggestoins I started doing the 5x5 for 2 weeks then 3x3 for one week and im now up to 350 so its starting to work, figured out what the pain was in my upper corners of my pecs it was from doing standing behind the neck heavy on fridays, I cut that out and now I feel alot better.

[darksol]

It took me about 4 weeks.  I am not sure if it was just mental or what.  Being able to put 315 up for one rep for the first time definately gave me a boost of confidence.  Also keep in mind that I am not touching my chest.  I bring the bar down til my elbows hit 90 degrees, and then go back up.  This may be thought as easier or harder to do since I don't bounce it off my chest.  I stopped doing the chest touch after I tore my left Pectorial.  It took me 2 months to recover from that injury. 

How long did it take to get from a 315 max to 315 for 6-8?

[Eric2]

What worked well for me was the following.
   I maxed once per week every week for 12 weeks.
   I benched on mondays and only mondays. I did a good warm up which started with the barbell row to ram blood into the upper body back and to pre-stretch the chest.
  I then warmed up on the bench and went after it with some 7-10 sets. The set where small however.
  Then on a wed I worked legs/squats.
   Then Friday I did close grip bench with barbell rows first.
    Like this:
               Barbell rows 1x8-135#
                                1x8-#225
                                1x8-#275
                                1x5-#315
 
               Bench Press  1x12-#225(warm-up)
                                 1X6-8-#275
                                  1X8-#315
                                 1x5-#365
                                  1x2-#405
                                   1x1-#445
                Wed         Just a basic squat routine here as
                               this is a bench routine

                Friday          same back workout
                                  Close grip bench
                                        2x8-#225
                                        1x6-8-#315
oh yeah this routine allowed me to increase my bench max 5 pounds pper week for 12 weeks straight! I was stuck at 385 and this brought me to 445 max.

[kicker]

What worked well for me was the following.
   I maxed once per week every week for 12 weeks.
   I benched on mondays and only mondays. I did a good warm up which started with the barbell row to ram blood into the upper body back and to pre-stretch the chest.
  I then warmed up on the bench and went after it with some 7-10 sets. The set where small however.
  Then on a wed I worked legs/squats.
   Then Friday I did close grip bench with barbell rows first.
    Like this:
               Barbell rows 1x8-135#
                                1x8-#225
                                1x8-#275
                                1x5-#315
 
               Bench Press  1x12-#225(warm-up)
                                 1X6-8-#275
                                  1X8-#315
                                 1x5-#365
                                  1x2-#405
                                   1x1-#445
                Wed         Just a basic squat routine here as
                               this is a bench routine

                Friday          same back workout
                                  Close grip bench
                                        2x8-#225
                                        1x6-8-#315
oh yeah this routine allowed me to increase my bench max 5 pounds pper week for 12 weeks straight! I was stuck at 385 and this brought me to 445 max.

Why the barbell rows before your bench presses?  Wouldn't that affect your strength?

[Eric2]

Barbell rows are a great primer for the bench. working the back will pre-stretch the pecs and ram blood in the entire upper body, hence pre-warming the whole shoulder girdle,pecs,arms thus eliminating some of the warm up for the bench.
   Also once one has attained some degree of muscle mass to the back you can get a pump and create a great platform for stability to the heavy pressing.
   I never did these in this fashion before, once I started the gains just kept coming.