Problems with Bench?!?

[Mahargg7715]

Hey, i have been weightlifting for 2 maybe 3 years now but recently this year i have notticed that my bench have stayed close to the same 275. I have done the 5x5 and its one of my favorite workouts and alot of other strenght training stuff. Everything else though squats, cleans, deads, ect., keep going up. I have also changed up my grips, wider cause i heard that over a period of time it can result in greater strenght. Just wondering what it is i can do to help me get past my stopping point. Im eating alot and getting alot of rest, but it just might be a matter of time. Thanks

[Rangerluplow]

everyone hits a wall at some point. Have you tried to change your rep range up a little? If all you do is barbell try dumbell. There a lots of ways to get past sticking points, you just have to stick with it and not get discouraged <--(spell?). Just keep pushing man you will get through it.

[TALO]

Board Presses might help you.

[_Wolf_]

is ur form spot on?

[Eric3237]

I think you'll need to be more specific on where your particular sticking point is on bench, if you have a particular point. What other exercises you do both bench assists and others. Do you do any overhead lifting? Changing it up to dumbells and all that of course is a very good idea but if you can pinpoint a specific weakness either in your bench or your routine then that can help decide the specific things to do.

As a general rule things involving smaller muscle groups are going to make smaller jumps in progress than things involving larger/more muscle groups. Your bench will probably never go up at the rate of those other things you mentioned, and those too will hit a wall at some point, like the others mentioned.

[Mahargg7715]

yeah one weakness may be over head presses but ill try hitting up the dumbells more often and working on the small things that might help, by the way whats a board press?

[Eric3237]

What I meant was at what point in the lift are you having the most trouble? The bottom, the mid-point, or the top? If you can only ask questions instead of answering them it will make it a very long a drawn out process to get help.

[TALO]

http://www.criticalbench.com/board-press.htm

[Kane]

The best advice I can give is to watch your elbows. Thats been my biggest problem with bench, hopefully that helps you a bit. Like Eric said more specific info is definitely needed.

[Darkhorse]

I have also changed up my grips, wider cause i heard that over a period of time it can result in greater strenght.

You can generate more force off your chest, not so much towards lockout. Powerlifters sometimes use wide grip only because they have to pause on their chest before pressing.

My pinkey's stay on the rings, and I can press 405 lbs.. About 20 lbs less if I widen my grip. So it depends.

For a big bench, you need to continue hammering away at your triceps. Period. More chest specific exercises won't do a thing if your triceps are weak.

As everyone else has said, where's your "sticking point"? In other words, where does the bar stop moving? If you're getting stapled on your chest, then you need to incorperate some pause presses, OHP's, closegrip bench, ect. If it's a few inches off your chest, do some 2-3 board presses, pin presses (I don't like them), floor presses, ect.

Or you could do something like changing the sets/reps scheme. If you've been doing 5x5 for so long, try 5x3, 3x3, 6x1, ect.