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On the bench today I wound up with 5/5/4. My rest period is long enough, it was just a little bit too much weight. I don't bench again (Ripps) until Wednesday, should I keep the same weight or drop it down to the last amount that I could complete all reps with?

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Didn't you just start this? If that is the case your really shouldn't be missing any reps. To me, this means you're going to stall out before you know it and have to reset anyway.

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If you act sanctimonious I will just list out your logical fallacies until you get pissed off and spew blasphemous remarks.

Yeah..I have been increasing a little bit each time I bench, sometimes it's a struggle to get through but usually I make it through the next time with more weight. Not so this time. I'll drop it back to the last amount that I could complete without a spotter helping

Yeah dude your not going to progress very long like that. That's why I tell people to start light. With something that's not really a struggle. Because you're better off adding a little time at the beginning to bring up the load than you are stalling out after the first few weeks.

we should start a 5x5 / rippetoe FAQ + Q&A thread out here. really.

^^The whole training forum has almost become one giant rippetoe/5x5 FAQ

Yes but nobody reads anymore. They want sound bites and bullet points.

^^^ we should set up a thread for ask ur questions out here thread. i think ill do it sometime this weekend. they want bullet points? fine. they'll get them! (assuming i have the time to do this hehehe)

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I was sure the writeup said to keep increasing as long as you made it through. Went back and reread it, and it does. But, I also missed this last time- "If you get all 3 sets of 5 with proper technique, but bar speed was exceedingly slow on the last few reps (i.e. you busted a nut trying to complete your reps), then you may end up stalling if you add the full amount. Err on the side of "lower". i.e. don't add 20 lbs to the deadlift, add 15. Don't add 10 lbs to the press, add 5 (or even 2.5), etc."

My dumb mistake

Bar speed...blah, blah....it's too complicated and confusing. If you keep a logbook and take notes you can use your judgement. If the last few reps or the last set is just too darn hard and you barely get the reps up then you can make a decision to keep the same weight or not add as much.

But that's not my point. The point is if you are already missing reps at this point then you are curtailing the overall length of the program. You will end up resetting the weight back sooner rather than later. Keep in mind also that there is a big difference between someone who has never touched a bar and someone who has some lifting behind them.

An absolute novice starting relatively heavy won't stall out as fast as someone who has a bit more experience because relatively heavy for a novice is not really heavy in terms of their potential. The intensity they can muster is not really that much because of the immaturity of the nervous system. At the same time they cannot load as fast (they will likely need smaller increments). So they will progress more slowly but will progress longer.

Another person who has more stength development but could still be considered a beginner could stall out faster with the same starting weight that would advance a novice. A more fit beginner may be able to use bigger loading increments but they will stall out sooner.

The trick is not to stall out TOO soon. Because if you start stalling out too soon then it is already getting time to lower the increments and so on and so forth...much less overall progress is made before you have to reset, and then stall out again, quite possibly never really getting it going again.

There is no reason at this point in the game that you should have to be switching around your loading amounts so much.

You should probably start a journal. How long have you been on program? I would expect steady progress for at least 3 weeks if not 4 before you need to drop the loading amount to half and then continue progression uninterupted for a while before dropping it again, if possible. Stopping and starting early on in the program is bad mojo for the best results.

You should look through Phil's journal.