Also, any adjustment to heavy benching is likely to lead to progress… for a while. Because you’re very weak given the amount of muscle mass you claim to have. The question is A) whether it’s optimal progress and B) how long it can be maintained. 1-2 weeks of progress and then stalling out won’t be very good.
In any case, as Flipcollar pointed out, 180x7 = a 1RM of 216. 205x3 = a 1RM of 217. So you’ve added exactly 1 lb to your bench press in what, 2-3 weeks?
Aren’t 1rm calculators different for the individual, depending on fast twitch/slow twitch fibres ?
Im pretty sure If I racked 216 the 1rm you suggested, last week when I started the bar would have collapsed on me.
I log everything and the progression so far goes as follows:
Workout 1 180x5 185x3 190x2 (May 25th) (Start of strength becoming priority 1)
Workout 2 185x4 190x3 195x2 (May 27th)
Workout 3 190x4 195x3 200x3 (May 29th)
Workout 4 195x4 200x4 205x3 June 2nd)
Thats the model I have been following, start with the middle weight from the previous workout and beat it by just 1 rep. Increase weight by 5lb and knock out anything over 1 rep. Repeat.
I can do 180x11 reps now. According to a 1rm calculator I should be able to do 240lb as my max, which is a bit farfetched.
your workout 4 is pretty much my numbers when I benched last so your max is around 225. I think that your logs are nice that way, keep being consistent
Let us know how it works out.
Hit:
205 x4
210 x2
215 x 2
I feel like I may have pushed it a bit too much adding weight this workout since I am so near my goal of adding 40lb. In the top right corner of my right pec I feel a little tender if I push hard on it . I didn’t do my usual 2 sets of flyers after just incase, I hope its just a minor strain.
Just make a log in the training log section man, no need to post your workouts daily here.
[quote]TC15 wrote:
I have a feeling I dropped the volume off a bit too much and I am only getting neural gains. [/quote]
Is this a bad thing? For how much muscle mass you have, your bench has a lot of potential to be higher. Neural gains should be able to take you a long way provided you don’t get injured
[quote]Facepalm_Death wrote:
[quote]TC15 wrote:
I have a feeling I dropped the volume off a bit too much and I am only getting neural gains. [/quote]
Is this a bad thing? For how much muscle mass you have, your bench has a lot of potential to be higher. Neural gains should be able to take you a long way provided you don’t get injured
[/quote]
I missed that part the first time.
yes, ‘neural gains’ as you call them are extremely important, along with gains made by adjusting technique, because they allow you to train with a heavier load. Neural and technique gains also allow a lifter to train more safely at any load, and as most of us already know, training longevity is of the utmost importance.
Last year, I benched with very poor form, but still reached about a 335 bench I believe. But over months of benching heavy with poor form, I began to feel absolutely awful, my pecs were getting destroyed, and eventually I tore one. This brought my bench back down to around 300 when I started training it again this year, which was around a month after the incident.
I made HUGE adjustments to form, and have now reached a pain-free 365ish bench. The adjustments in form were difficult at first, and very uncomfortable, but as I grew accustomed to the new movement pattern (this is where the neural gains kick in), I was able to start training heavier, and my bench went through the roof.
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
I believe isolation exercises are important too, especially for a bodybuilder or someone who just wants to have a symmetrical physique. So if someone can’t get their chest to “pop” from just incline and flat bench pressing, then go ahead and add flys Same for everything else. [/quote]
I agree, and I don’t think many would disagree. I don’t see how adding an extra 5 min at the end of your workout getting some blood flowing into a lagging area is either a huge time commitment or substantially changes your training.
I suspect the criticism of isolations has more to do with the tendency of many new guys gloss to over the meat and potatoes of their training in favour of too much isolation.