My Bench Press is Pants!

[Pete102]

PH Collective!

I'm a pretty keen gym goer and generally train 4 - 5 days per week as per the following:

Monday - Legs / Triceps (volume)
Tuesday - Chest / Biceps (volume)
Wednesday - Back / Triceps (weight)
Thursday - Shoulders / Biceps (weight)
Friday - option cardio or circuits

Now, the problem. Whilst I've seen good progress in 2 of the 3 big lifts - Squat @ 165kg, Deadlift @ 207.5kg I seem to be struggling to make any real progress on my chest press which is a rather low 100kg 1RM. I'm not a particularly light guy weighing in at 97kg so as you can probably guess this bothers me somewhat, only just being able to bench my weight and then not for much.

I was hoping someone might be able to take a look over my typical chest day routine and make a couple of suggestions? I'm also open to doubling up on chest if need be throughout the week.

Typical chest day:

Pyramid set Bench Press 10 @ 60kg, 8 @ 70kg, 6 @ 80kg, 4 @ 90kg then 1/2 @ 100kg, set then finished off with a 5 increment drop set down to bar weight.
Cable fly's (4 sets)
Machine Fly's (4 sets)
Dumbell Bench Press, 3/4 sets 32kg up to 40kg each arm
Weighted Chest dips (tricep dips in a leant forward position)

It may be a case that I just need to be patient and keep chipping away at the higher weights / reps and accept my chest is going to take alot more work but as always any advice and comments are welcome.

For info I've also tried to work as much as possible on my technique and set up, slight arch in the back, feet planted, elbows in towards the body and core tight but I never really feel like my chest is working *that* hard, more drive appears to originate in my shoulders/triceps.

[944fan]

You are doing triceps either directly (or indirectly via shoulders & chest exercises) 4 days in a row. Whilst chest muscles are the prime mover for bench your triceps must be knackered and impacting your gain there. I would try and rest them a bit.

You are also only hitting your chest once per week, which considering the volume of your lifting otherwise seems low.

[TurboHatchback]

Pete102 said:

For info I've also tried to work as much as possible on my technique and set up, slight arch in the back, feet planted, elbows in towards the body and core tight but I never really feel like my chest is working *that* hard, more drive appears to originate in my shoulders/triceps.

I stuggled to feel it for a while too, the key for me was concentrating on pulling the shoulders as far back as possible and squeezing the shoulder blades really hard together right through the lift. Doing that should feel like you're puffing your chest out as far as it'll go and seems to activate my chest much more.

Only other things I would suggest are bench press at least twice a week and do less light sets before the heavy weight. I do 10 with just the bar to feel the form and wake up the muscle, ~10 @ 60kg (nowhere near failure), ~6 @ 80kg (close to failure) then straight to 100kg for nearly 3 reps currently. That way I'm not already knackered by the time I get to the heavy weight. I'm around 95kg so similar to you, I'm fairly tall and lanky though which doesn't help move big weight .

[OllyMo]

Do more bench.

Go to twice a week, and do more reps, you're not doing an awful lot. My bench was crap as well when doing it once a week, but hitting it more often and for more reps made it shoot up.

ETA - I'll echo the above. Start bar and work up to get more volume. I usually do:

20 x bar
16 x 40kg
12 x 60 kg
8 x 80kg
5 x 100kg

Only then do I start working sets at 110/120/130kg. On the way back down, I'll do the same, but at 60kg do 2/3 sets max reps.

[hajaba123]

If you want to improve your bench press then bench twice a week tops, I day 5x5, other day 3x8. Get rid of all the other chest and triceps stuff and increase the weight by 2.5 kilos every session. Should sort it in a few weeks.
Make sure your shoulders are stable/ healthy and balance out the pushing to pulling

[pimpchez]

When i was 19-20 and 15 stone i was stuck on 100kg for over a year.Changed to monday -heavy / thursday -medium (10reps+) chest training and i soon got out of that.

Youre squat and dead-lift are very good though. I am the other way round , very good on bench and mediocre on the other lifts . 160 chest , 200 dead , 140 squat @ 18.5 stone ish.

[willisit]

Interesting numbers - certainly the rest of your weights are great. I can even get 140kg deadlift in the air (I weigh 70kg) but I can press 100kg chest (once.. just once at the moment). You're definitely doing arms too much; they'll get a workout doing chest, legs, back.. there is almost no need to do them. Double chest, back off arms. Make sure you rest.

[didelydoo]

Look up a proper bench program for powerlifting- stick with it. They're usually very simple rep schemes and based on periodization.

To reiterate- stick with it, do not chop and change.

[didelydoo]

willisit said:

Interesting numbers - certainly the rest of your weights are great. I can even get 140kg deadlift in the air (I weigh 70kg) but I can press 100kg chest (once.. just once at the moment). You're definitely doing arms too much; they'll get a workout doing chest, legs, back.. there is almost no need to do them. Double chest, back off arms. Make sure you rest.

if you want big arms, that's a great reason to train them.

[ikarl]

Everyone's slightly different (as this thread highlights) but maybe worth buddying up with someone that is pressing over 100kg for a few months.
You'll normally see someone training on their own and I'm sure if you get talking to them, training with a partner will help!

Personally, I used to do a 6x60 4x80 just to get the chest moving then straight into 100kg bench... built up over time to the point my 1RM was 160kg (adjusted my start position accordingly)