How do you find the slight incline DB press? I never really do any incline stuff as I like to do shoulder presses more often than most. Everytime I put an incline in I end up taking it out. The problem I found with the slight incline is I’m not disciplined enough to not arch a bit to grind out another rep, essentially making it a flat db bench.
Not sure why but a slight incline (the first hole up on the bench), always feels more of a contraction on my chest than flat DB press. I’m really liking it but don’t arch too much (as I’m not even sure I’ve got the flexibility to arch if I wanted to).
I ran a meadows programme with decline DB press which I hadn’t done in years and really enjoyed that for a change but a slight incline seems to work the best for me.
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I know you didn’t ask me, but i enjoy incline and slight incline pressing tremendously. It is my ideal movement for pecs, and i still do direct overhead pressing. Neither can effectively replace the other.
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Yeah, I understand that neither effectively replace the other. I just like doing 2 x compound overhead pressing movements a week as well as flat barbell and flat dumbell (on different days). I’m not sure if I “need” another free weight press. The obvious solution is making the flat db a slight incline. Just trying to figure out my programming as I’ll be re-entering a bulk soon. Doing some over analysis.
I did do a slight incline in place of it for a 4-6 week period. My ego just kept thinking “I’m lifting less weight and I can’t stop cheating the rep”.
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I find most flat bench variants to be subpar for targeting and growth. I’m actually starting to favor a combination of incline and decline, and I’ve neglected decline the entirety of my 16 years of training.
FWIW, i think the exercise is fairly irrelevant so long as it effectively targets the muscle and you’re going to failure. I change exercises constantly, so does my coach - the main idea is failure in every set, with progress over time.
3 Likes
15th March 2024 Week 7 Bulk - Legs and arms
-
BB RDL
102.5kg
x 8
x 8
x 8 -
BB Squats
85kg
x 8
x 8
x 8 -
Bicep SS
BB curls & Hammer curls
BB Curls 30kg
x 8 x 8 x 6
Hammer curls 14kg DBs
x 8 x 6 x 4
- Tricep SS
Dips & Skull Crushers SS
Dips
x 10
x 9
x 8
French Press 14kg DBs
x 10 x 9 x 8
- Cable Abs - 2 sets ran out of time.
Pushed really hard this week and feeling it. Got to paint my whole extension this week (whole back of the house) so that’s going to keep me busy.
4 Likes
18th March 2024 Week 8 Bulk - Upper Body
-
Incline BB Press
72.5kg
X 8
X 8
X 8 -
Chins
Chins – 40 seconds rest between sets
Rack Chins -2m rest
X 10
X 8 -
HS Machine Press
47.5KG Each side
X 6
X 6
X 6
25kg each side x 17 reps
-
Seated Row
84kg
X 8
X 8
X 8 -
HS Shoulder press
40kg Each side
X 8
X 8
X 8
Spent the weekend painting the house and feel shattered, painted from Friday until Sunday night and ache all over. Didn’t prep any food for today at work, need a weekend to relax now 
5 Likes
19th March 2024 Week 8 Bulk - Legs and Arms
-
BB RDL
105kg
x 8
x 8
x 8 -
BB Squats
87kg
x 8
x 8
x 8 -
Pinwheel curls SS with Cable Curls
Pinwheel 18kg DBs
x 12 x 10 x 7
Cable Curls 6 on weight rack
x 8 x 8 x 6
- Laying DB Skull Crushers SS with Tricep cable pushdowns
16kg DBs
x 12 x 10 x 7
Cable pushdowns 6 on weight rack
x 12 x 10 x 7
Short session today, ran out out time and just feeling tired.
I’m enjoying adding weight on the Squats and RDLs each session at the moment but funny that my RDL and higher than squats (that won’t last forever).
Need a bit of a plan going forward. I’m getting near to the end of my bulk and need to decide what to do next.
2 Likes
21st March 2024 Week 8 Bulk - Upper Body
-
DB Slight incline Press
40kg DBs
x 8 x 6 x 6 -
Neutral grip pull ups
x 5 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 -
HS Chest Press
42kg Each side x 12
40kg each side x 10
37kg each side x 8
35kg each side x 8 -
HS Seated Row
42kg Each side x 12
40kg each side x 10
37kg each side x 8
35kg each side x 8 -
Pec fly machine
61kg
x 9 x 9 x 9 -
DB Lat riases
10kg DBs
x 12 x 12 x 10
I did some abs on Wednesday, cable ab crunch and V ups. I’m playing rugby this Saturday so didn’t smash the reps today but also find it hard not to push hard. Lifts still going up which is the main thing i wanted at the moment.
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Is it just the 8 weeks you’ve been bulking for?
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Yeah just 8 weeks, i’ve basically tried to do an 8 week focus on my arms giving them more volume and training them twice a week in the hope that i add some size to them.
Whether i have or not i can’t really tell, i need to measure them but they have a good pump most days of the week now and its not until Sunday that the pump goes.
This bulk i’ve tried not to consume as much bread or cake (and things like that) and been more strict on my carb sources and its made a massive difference in terms of not adding belly fat as well as other weight. I’ve still added a little but its not loads.
I want to focus on getting stronger probably on a programme i make myself (which may or may not be stupid) but don’t know if i need a mini cut beforehand. I’ve also got a rugby tour on the weekend of the 13th April so need to not be cutting at that point so my body is used to burning through alcohol.
This is turning into a bit of a ramble, sorry about that.
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Depending on how satisfied you are with your fat gain, smash a quick 1-2 weeks minicut and go straight back to bulking. Otherwise just continue bulking for another month or two. If you feel like you’re stuffing yourself, the 1-2 weeks can remedy that and resensitize you to the gain phase. If strengths still going up with minimal fat gain though, just ride it out for longer and plan a longer 4-6 week minicut in a couple months.
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Being a 5/3/1 follower I’ve used 3 week diet breaks on 5s pro between my templates to good affect. Once I’ve run the anchor following BBB I’m going to employ the same tact. I personally think that I’ve seen my best gaining results over the past few weeks in the last 10 years but all of that is stemming from months of gaining.
Whilst I wouldn’t call it stupid I think there are plenty of templates/programmes around which are designed by people who really know their shit. Obviously I’d recommend a 5/3/1 template, if you wanted to focus more on strength than size I’d look at Boring But Strong, I had some really good results using it more strength than size but still packed on a bit of size. Other way round I’ve had some good results running BBB.
1 Like
25th March 2024 Week 9 Bulk - Upper Body
-
Incline BB Press
75kg
x 8 x 6 x 6 -
Chins
Chins 4 x 3 x 3 (40 seconds rest)
Rack Chins
x 12
x 9 -
HS machine press
47kg Each side
x 7 x 7 x 6
25kg each side x 14 reps -
Seated Cable Row
91kg
x 6 x 6 x 5
49kg x 20 reps -
DB Hammer Curls
17.5kg DBs
x 10 x 9 x 6 -
DB Skull Crushers
15kg x 12 x 11 x 10 -
BB Curls
20kg x 20 reps -
Seated French press
12.5kg DBs x 12 reps
I played 80 minutes of rugby on Saturday so felt very achy this morning. I normally play lock but played 60 minutes at 7 in the end as my back kept spasming when i scrummed and i was the fastest and best tackler in the back 5 (that’s rare).
So my shoulders and neck are in bits and my legs feel like lead this morning but loved every minute and all the Guinness and vodka after the game!
5 Likes
25th March 2024 Week 9 Bulk - Lower Body
-
BB RDL
107kg
x 8
x 8
x 8 -
Squats
90kg
x 8
x 6
x 6 -
Seated Hamstring Curl
61kg
x 12
x 11
x 10
x 10 -
Leg Extensions
40kg each side
x 12
x 10
x 10
x 9 -
V Ups
x 15
x 10
x 9
x 7
Feel like i’m coming to the end of my gaining due to my waist line being at the end of where i’d like it to be. Will see how i feel by the end of the week.
4 Likes
28th March 2024 Week 9 Bulk - Upper Body
-
DB Slight incline Bench
40kg DBS
x 8 x 7 x 7 -
Chins - palms facing
x 5 x 5 x 4 x 4 x 4 -
Weighted Dips
10kg added
x 10 x 8 x 5 (just had nothing left, when for the 6th rep twice and failed at the bottom) -
HS Seated Row
45kg each side x 10 x 8
last set did 35kg each side x 12 -
HS OHP
42kg each side
x 8 x 8 x 8
The gym opens late tomorrow as its a bank holiday so i won’t be able to get in (as i’ll have the kids), also have next week off work on annual leave so might actually have a week off the gym and just recover a little.
5 Likes
Thats why I go to a gym where I have mt own key.
1 Like
8th April 2024 Week 11 - Upper Body
Week 10 - Had the week off the gym entirely. I spent the week painting the house and also pulled my back while leaning back on a ladder FFS. Glute and lower back are in spasm still
-
Incline BB Press
75kg x 8
67.5kg x 10
60kg x 8 -
Chins - 8 sets in total trying to hit 3 reps to total 24 reps
20 seconds rest between sets - x 3 x 3 x 3
25 seconds rest between sets - x 3 x 3
33 seconds rest between sets - x 2
50 seconds rest between sets - x 3
20 seconds rest between sets - x 2 x 2 -
HS Shoulder Press
42kg each side x 12
42kg each side x 10
37kg each side x 12 -
Seated Cable Row
91kg x 6
84kg x 7
70kg x 10 -
Pec Dec
54kg
x 15 x 10
No real plan or diet strategy right now, just going to plod along while i get some home/ personal stuff cleared. Need to diet but not going to add that stress in yet.
5 Likes
9th April 2024 Week 11 - Lower body and arms
Went in tried to do RDL and they hurt, then tried squats and they hurt, so stretched and foam rolled for 30 minutes, hit some hammer curls, hit some french press and went home. Feeling gutted my back has gone again. Feels like its every 5 months or so. Really need a plan to get it strong, mobile or whatever is currently missing from it to cause constant glute spasms.
2 Likes
11th April 2024 Week 11 - upper body
-
DB slight incline Press
42kg DBs x 8
38kg DBs x 10
32kg DBs x 8 -
Pull ups (palms facing) - trying for 8 sets of 3 reps
20 seconds rest x 3 x 3 x 3 x 2
30 seconds rest x 3
1m rest x 2 x 2 x 1
20 seconds rest x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 -
Weighted Dips
15kg x 6
10kg x 7
5kg x 7 (arms just gave out on the 7th resp on both last sets!) -
HS Row machine
45kg each side x 8
40kg each side x 10
35kg each side x 12 -
lat Raises
12kg DBs x 8
10kg DBs x 10
8kg DBs x 12 -
DB bicep curls - palms up
12kg DBs x 12
10kg DBs x 10
8kg DBs x 12
My training is done for this week, i’m off on rugby tour this Friday to Sunday so will mainly be drinking beer and getting naked.
Need a new plan and need to cut but just muddling on right now.
5 Likes