5x5 Bench Press is Hard! @126lb-(BW 185lb)

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

hey all

guys i started 5x5 about 3-4 weeks ago , as i hadnt really trained for so long i said id kinda build myself back up that way , as it looks a good program and i needed some sort of structure to what i was doing, i am eating well and training every other day tue-thur-sat with other days being rest days, altough cos weight was so low at start i was doing the odd walking cardio on treadmill and some days was doing some additional arm stuff (bi’s tri etc)

anyways now that the weight is a little more challenging i have noticed the last 3 bench days that i really struggle on it even tho its only at 57.5kg/126lbs

my bodyweight started at 200lb and now im 185lb *(which im happy about i want to get to 170 or so then re build)

altough i havnt failed a set yet and complete the 5x5 betweeen 35-40mins including warm ups.

im wandering does anyone have any tips/been here done that/ type info for me pls as i dont want to stall on my bench.

the two exercises id say i struggle on are the bench press and the row, i have watched multiple vids on form etc and feel my form is probably ok, altough could probably do with tweaking.

anyways any info appreciated on what i should do or should i just wait til i actually miss a set before worrying.

thanks

2

Which 5x5 in particular are you running? There are a ton of them.

3

The weight getting hard is the point.

If your eating and rest is right (post what you’re doing) then Do the program… Keep increasing the weight until you can’t get 5x5 (don’t kill yourself to get it, keep form in check). If you don’t get the 5 reps:

  • lower the weight 10% and build back again, or
  • keep working on the weight until you hit 5

I think the first works best.

Biggest mistake people make is believing the issue is what’s happening in the gym rather than outside it. Be honest with yourself.

That said, how long are you resting between sets?

4

[quote]michaelmi5 wrote:

anyways now that the weight is a little more challenging i have noticed the last 3 bench days that i really struggle on it even tho its only at 57.5kg/126lbs

my bodyweight started at 200lb and now im 185lb *(which im happy about i want to get to 170 or so then re build)

altough i havnt failed a set yet and complete the 5x5 betweeen 35-40mins including warm ups.

[/quote]

Read this over and over until you understand that you are progressing.

Also, you WILL stall eventually. Deal with it when it happens by following the programs recommendations (all 5x5 programs are similar when dealing with stalls). You cannot keep loosing weight and progressing on lifts eternally. You will eventually plateau.

Looking at your diet at that point will be #1.

Height?

5

hi sorry is it called stronglifts 5x5

squat - bench - row

squat - overhead press- deadlift (dead lift one set 1x5)

6

thanks for responses

height 5-8 to 5-9 age 38 weight 185lbs

my diet for last several weeks is this

7am oats and cup of tea
10am banana and apple
12:30pm tuna salad or chick salad (spinach leaves)- or a spinach chicken/tuna on wholemeal bread
4:3-to5pm a chicken or tuna or lean beef or turkey lean mince with a lot of broccoli and either mixed wild grain rice one cup of cooked or one medium jacket potato.

i try have less carb on rest days so would ditch the bread on them days.

7pm- workout- i take bcaa amino acid ON nutirtion and sometimes jack3d preworkout and creatine before workout

20minutes or so after workout i drink protein shake while making lunch for next day.

evening i eat 2 hard boiled eggs (only one yolk)

7

maybe i just worry too much :smiley: i always read how guys like 170lb benching 380lbs and it always seems so far out of my realm i worry im doing it all wrong.

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[quote]michaelmi5 wrote:
maybe i just worry too much :smiley: i always read how guys like 170lb benching 380lbs and it always seems so far out of my realm i worry im doing it all wrong.[/quote]

It’s a process. The guys weighing 170 benching 380 measure their training in decades, not months. Stick with it and you’ll get there.

9

[quote]michaelmi5 wrote:
thanks for responses

height 5-8 to 5-9 age 38 weight 185lbs

my diet for last several weeks is this

7am oats and cup of tea
10am banana and apple
12:30pm tuna salad or chick salad (spinach leaves)- or a spinach chicken/tuna on wholemeal bread
4:3-to5pm a chicken or tuna or lean beef or turkey lean mince with a lot of broccoli and either mixed wild grain rice one cup of cooked or one medium jacket potato.

i try have less carb on rest days so would ditch the bread on them days.

7pm- workout- i take bcaa amino acid ON nutirtion and sometimes jack3d preworkout and creatine before workout

20minutes or so after workout i drink protein shake while making lunch for next day.

evening i eat 2 hard boiled eggs (only one yolk)[/quote]
First thing that stands out is not enough fats. You need fats to build the hormones to help build muscle.

Second thing is not enough protein, especially while dieting.

10

i forgot to add in last two weeks i have added mackerel to my diet as i had posted in the test forum etc

should i be eating more?

about the protein i have unlimited supply of eggs and can buy meat or fish ,where should i fit it in etc? i actually thouht i was doing ok on the protein side of it and maybe too much carb? should i do macros and folow that? the macros thing always confused me tbh

11

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

[quote]michaelmi5 wrote:
maybe i just worry too much :smiley: i always read how guys like 170lb benching 380lbs and it always seems so far out of my realm i worry im doing it all wrong.[/quote]

It’s a process. The guys weighing 170 benching 380 measure their training in decades, not months. Stick with it and you’ll get there.[/quote]

thanks i think i kinda knew that already and just needed it saying to me i think i try to rush too much.

will take my time and do it right

thanks again.

12

[quote]michaelmi5 wrote:
i forgot to add in last two weeks i have added mackerel to my diet as i had posted in the test forum etc [/quote]
That sounds like a good start. You can also use olive oil, butter or coconut oil in cooking.

I’d also suggest eating your egg yolks unless you have actual evidence that eating egg yolks is actually a problem for you. Many people (but not all) have had experiences where increased dietary cholesterol doesn’t lead to increased serum cholesterol, per lab tests. If you don’t currently have issues with high cholesterol, I wouldn’t avoid the egg yolks.

Maybe. How quickly are you gaining or losing bodyweight right now?

The weights are feeling heavy and that’s fine. As far as diet and lifting, if you’re stalling on a weight, and you’re not getting enough protein, you generally see benefits from more protein. If you ARE getting enough protein, it’s time to start adding more carbs.

That was just a quick estimate from what you mentioned, but it doesn’t look like you’re hitting at least 185 grams of protein a day.

As a general rule of thumb, most people under most conditions will do well with at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. So, in your case, 185 grams a day.

However, when losing weight, it’s often recommended to get more than that, somewhere in the range of 1.2 to 1.5 grams a day. The idea behind this is that by flooding your body with extra protein, it will choose to burn fat instead of muscle for fuel. Exactly how or why this happens isn’t really clear, but 1.2g/lb is 222g for you and 1.5g/lb is 277g a day. I would shoot for something in that range.

Since you’re trying to lose weight, and you already have protein shakes, I’d just add a protein shake before breakfast, and your second protein shake before dinner. The liquid will keep you from eating as much solid food.

However, if you’re hungry because you haven’t eaten enough food, convert one or more of those shakes into actual solid food so you’re not hungry. Or eat more vegetables so you’re not hungry.

If you’re gaining weight and not losing it, cut back on the total quantity of food. In general, keep the fats, reduce the carbs.

Just some basic direction, but you’ll need to tweak and adjust based on what actually works for you.

13

To put things in perspective, protein wise:

30 large eggs is ~180 grams of protein
2 pounds of chicken breasts is ~200 grams of protein
3 12oz ribeye steaks is ~180 grams of protein

Unless you really like eating, protein shakes make it much easier to reach those numbers.

14

Also, congrats on losing 15 lbs.

15

keep pushing stronglifts for a few more weeks/until you have one hard stall ,then move on to madcow 5x5 or texas method

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  1. You aren’t eating enough protein.

  2. You aren’t eating enough for that type of program.

By your celebration of losing 15 lbs, I’m assuming being a light weight is more important to you than strength.

That’s OK. Just be honest with yourself about it.

Nobody has lifts, especially the bench which seems to be affected more by overall body weight, go UP when they are dieting to LOSE weight. Pick one or the other.

Frankly, you aren’t overweight. You are underweight. Again, you make the call. If you are dead set on staying underweight, then get used to taking a LOOOOOONG time to get that BP up. And if you ARE going to do that, then you need to ditch 5x5 and find a different program.

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Protip: if it was easy, more people would get past the newb stage.

18

Your diet could use some improvement but overall you can still gain strength while on a cut. Just realize that the gains will come more slowly. Resetting at 80% once you hit a plateau might be a better idea to allow you more time to recover. You can only push as hard as your body can recover. I would only be concerned if you reset multiple times and still couldn’t progress further than 5x5x126 or max at slightly above BW.

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[quote]SevenDragons wrote:

  1. You aren’t eating enough protein.

  2. You aren’t eating enough for that type of program.

By your celebration of losing 15 lbs, I’m assuming being a light weight is more important to you than strength.

That’s OK. Just be honest with yourself about it.

Frankly, you aren’t overweight. You are underweight. Again, you make the call. If you are dead set on staying underweight, then get used to taking a LOOOOOONG time to get that BP up. And if you ARE going to do that, then you need to ditch 5x5 and find a different program.[/quote]

He is not underweight. And he is in his late 30s. Even if he starts gaining weight, you can’t expect him follow the same bulking strategy as someone in his teens or early 20s.

This is completely untrue.

20

[quote]SevenDragons wrote:

  1. You aren’t eating enough protein.

  2. You aren’t eating enough for that type of program.

By your celebration of losing 15 lbs, I’m assuming being a light weight is more important to you than strength.

That’s OK. Just be honest with yourself about it.

Nobody has lifts, especially the bench which seems to be affected more by overall body weight, go UP when they are dieting to LOSE weight. Pick one or the other.

Frankly, you aren’t overweight. You are underweight. Again, you make the call. If you are dead set on staying underweight, then get used to taking a LOOOOOONG time to get that BP up. And if you ARE going to do that, then you need to ditch 5x5 and find a different program.[/quote]

O_O