Hey so I am planning on Spoto Pressing 2 times a week for 12 weeks as part of a self modified Starting Strength. My Bench is fairly advanced compared to Squat, so I thought doing some Spoto pressing would help increase my bench through linear progression. I have hit a plateau on my bench so I did want to try something new. So has anyone tried Spoto Pressing for a bit to get their max up on their standard bench press ? I will put my bench stats, programming for the spoto press and body stats below
Current Bench Press max- ~215 lbs
Tested rep max- 185 lbs for 6 reps
I have not tested my Spoto Press max, but from feeling it out for 5 reps at 145 I feel like 175 would be towards my max.
Stats:
Age- 15
Height-70.5 in
Weight- 272 lbs
Prorgamming:
Day A- Spoto Press 3x5 starting at 73% ( 135 lbs ) current 5-6 rep max 185 lbs
Day B- Spoto Press 3x3 starting at 75% ( 160 lbs ) of current 1 rep max
I am going to progress it 5 lbs every workout until I can no longer and deload 15 lbs or so.
Do SS exactly as written if you’re going to do it. If you’re using percentages, use a training max to calculate them (90% of your actual max). That’ll let you eke out even more from the program.
If your one rep max is around 200-220 at 272lbs, you don’t have a weak point in the lift and absolutely no reason to do Spoto press as your main bench exercise. Focus on getting your form straight and milk a good novice program until you can’t progress on it anymore.
Also there’s zero reason for even an advanced lifter to even consider maxing out on Spoto press since it’s basically a variation of the board press and mainly an assistance movement. You don’t max out on DB benching either.
As you get closer to your performance goals, you need more specificity not less. Its the principle behind why you can get good bench press progress by using dips and chins only with a beginner but at some point you’re going to need to bench to continue to progress. It’s also why the absolute elite do very little outside of their actual activity.
Sadly, you have picked a program with very high specificity to your goals - assuming that youre trying to bench as much as you can for 1 rep.
If you want to continue, you’re only left with increasing specificity even more by lowering reps or take the more traditional approach of deloading and letting some of the fatigue you built up dissipate Ie. You basically end up running a very long peak.
I encourage you first become strong by finding a set of principles to guide you instead of getting as good as you can at 3 lifts using patchwork ideas to get you past sticking points. It will make your decsion making far more robust and sensible.
Most people at your strength level that are weak off the chest usually have poor form
Training 12 weeks with a partial movement to improve your bench is stupid imo
First off identify your weakness.Post a video in here and more experienced lifters will help you on this one
Secondly,although fixing that weakness is a priority working on your bench form is important too.So have at least one day per week where you do full rom bench press