Bench Press Progress

Hi Guys

Currently on week 3 of my second run of PB1.

My top set of 5 reps @RPE 8 for weeks 1 and 2 has been 67.5kg which tbh has been more like an RPE 8.5.

Following on from my back of sets last Wednesday and also Incline bench last Friday. I decided to try out 70kg last night to see if I could hit it for an RPE 8, but it actually felt like a 9.

67.5kg - 70kg seems to be a sticking point for me in the 5 rep range and im trying to work out what could be holding me back.

Im watching guys at my gym who are smaller and lighter, and started later, and notice that they are starting to surpass me in bench progress so my competitiveness and ego is creeping back.

I did have a small shoulder/bicep injury for a few weeks where the 2 muscles could barely function, but thats pretty much gone now.

Im wondering if my 2nd bench day is maybe not giving me enough work? (Incline bench on Friday), for some reason it doesnt feel like it hits the spot in comparison to my 2nd squat day (Belt squat, 10s).

Im wondering if there would be any benefit to changing incline touch and go, for Flat Bench touch and go in order to get more practice and volume with slightly higher weights than incline would provide?

Im pretty sure my form is reasonable enough to be able to squeeze out some more progress. And based on the other gym goers form and progress, I kind of thought (albeit naively) that these struggles wouldnt materialise until I was at or near a bodyweight bench.

Whats your thoughts guys? Cheers

I’d like to see a video, if possible. I also don’t think I’d add any more volume or intensity in this context. You can change exercise variations, sure, but I think its benefit would be more attributable to it’s similarity to the bench press movement-wise and not absolute loading.

This video is probably about 6 weeks old. It wasnt a working set, I just did 3 reps for the purpose of seeing what the form was like.

Thinking back to my deadlift…I remember about 4-5 weeks into LP I was at around 140kg and it felt harder than it should, then a read about a simple cue of turning the elbows in to keeo the lats engaged, this was a gamechanger for me and such a simple thing pushed me way past 140kg… same could be said for squats where simple cues I learned on the way, pushed me through what I thought were sticking points.

Im wondering if its the same for bench and im overlooking something very simple…

Cheers

I can’t really tell you much about your form with a set this light. I do think you could do a better job pulling your shoulder blades back into the bench each rep, not bouncing your pauses, and speeding up the eccentric, but I do wonder what a real working set looks like.

It is also possible, if not likely, that the injury is contributory here.

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Thanks for taking the time to look at it. I will try and get a better video on Wednesday of my top set with the corrections you suggested.

one thing I do notice, is that im limited by my right side, I couldnt pin point it in flat bench, but when I was doing inclines on Friday it was the lockout of my right tricep that was the limiting factor, in fact there was no other fatique in any bodyparts I use for bench.

Maybe on my next run through I will do close grip bench for my 2nd bench day to see if it helps iron it out a bit.

Cheers

Yea, I’d really need to see your bench to weigh-in on that.

I don’t think that unilateral lockout is likely to be responsible for holding your bench progress back, but anything is possible!