What do you guys suggest to help build my bench to 405lbs on decline?
My current stats are 190lbs, 5’11" and sitting at 385lbs one rep max. I guess what I am looking for is supplemental lifts that will help develop my benching. I have been flat benching with a 4 second pause at the bottom in order to build explosion, standing military press, and doing quite a bit a weighted pullups to strengthen my lats.
Lastly I have also added weighted dips to my routine. Is there anything else that I should be doing? My goal is to hit 405lbs on decline by year end.
well i assume your max is about 370ish, just taking a ballpark guess. If you find that the problem is in the lock out try doing board presses off the chest. I build a custom one so you do not have to try an find one to buy. Also trying Slingshots, but why decline?
[quote]cutt wrote:
What do you guys suggest to help build my bench to 405lbs on decline?
My current stats are 190lbs, 5’11" and sitting at 385lbs one rep max. I guess what I am looking for is supplemental lifts that will help develop my benching. I have been flat benching with a 4 second pause at the bottom in order to build explosion, standing military press, and doing quite a bit a weighted pullups to strengthen my lats.
Lastly I have also added weighted dips to my routine. Is there anything else that I should be doing? My goal is to hit 405lbs on decline by year end.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. [/quote]
Since your goal is do do a decline press you need to really focus on your triceps strength. I’d do 3-5 board presses and really overload those. When you can do a 455 3 board press for a few reps, the 405 will feel light off the chest- etc. Another option is to get some yoga blocks and stick them in your tee shirt. Several places sell the foam ones.If you prefer a more solid feel, they make cork yoga blocks tat are firm. They are the same thickness as a 2 board press and fit in a gym bag. You can double them up and tape / glue them together for a 4 board equivalent. And you can cut them with a bread / steak knife if you wanted a 1 board height. ie to make a 3 board. But I’d just leave them alone and let the bar sink into the foam.
To answer why decline, it is the stronger of my two presses. Once I hit 405lbs on decline, I will work on hitting that on flat bench. My on rep max on flat is only 355lbs vs. 385lbs on decline.
One step at a time I guess. Since I have started declining heavy, my chest has gotten pretty thick, so I just stuck with that is my heavy lift, and practicing improving strength with flat bench pauses at the bottom of the lift.
Gurbob, sorry for been a nexb, when you say heavy triples, could you elaborate there?
RobMoriRB, what are sling shots and board presses? Is the idea of board presses to limit the downward movement of the bar by placing the boards on your chest, and making the press easier?
Gurbob, sorry for been a nexb, when you say heavy triples, could you elaborate there?[/quote]
It’s as simple as it sounds, pick a weight that you can do 3 times and do several sets with that weight. Add or drop weight as necessary.
a sling shot is an elastic device that allows one to use more weight than they otherwise would.
Board presses are literally 2x6’s that you glue, screw together to limit the range of motion. You can handle more weight with these and you can really overload the movement. These help with sticking points and allow one to get used to handling heavier weights than you otherwise would ever do when benching off the chest.
In my experience a decline bench rarely translates to a flat bench carryover. Most big benchers rarely even do them. MOST people can naturally bench more on a decline than flat so you are not alone with your numbers.
Go on youtube and search for board presses to see them in action.
You noticed your chest got thicker because Decline uses more chest fibers (I’m sure you know this obviously) and those more fiber recruitment means more growth. I’m jealous of you, I used to love Decline until I could no longer do it[injury], strangely enough only flat or overhead doesn’t bother me.
I’m surprised NOBODY asked him about his sticking point?
Are you being pinned right on your chest? about midway? or locking out?
I’m assuming since it’s decline, you just can’t move it halfway?
Let everybody know~
Also, confirmed on what the guy above said. Decline literally has no transfer to flat or incline unfortunately because your deltoids always end up becoming the weak link or something like that. If you go from a 350 to 400 decline while your flat is 320, you will come back and your flat will still be ~320 lol. On the other hand, if your flat is 320 and decline is 350, but you make your flat go up to 350, now your decline will be 380
[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
You noticed your chest got thicker because Decline uses more chest fibers (I’m sure you know this obviously) and those more fiber recruitment means more growth. I’m jealous of you, I used to love Decline until I could no longer do it[injury], strangely enough only flat or overhead doesn’t bother me.
I’m surprised NOBODY asked him about his sticking point?
Are you being pinned right on your chest? about midway? or locking out?
I’m assuming since it’s decline, you just can’t move it halfway?
Let everybody know~
Also, confirmed on what the guy above said. Decline literally has no transfer to flat or incline unfortunately because your deltoids always end up becoming the weak link or something like that. If you go from a 350 to 400 decline while your flat is 320, you will come back and your flat will still be ~320 lol. On the other hand, if your flat is 320 and decline is 350, but you make your flat go up to 350, now your decline will be 380
but strength isn’t all people care about tbqh,[/quote]
it’s decline brah
I wasn’t going to say anything, because my flat bench is 315, and I don’t like commenting on people who can lift more than me. That being said… It is my understanding that decline is completely worthless for strength. I’ve heard that it is amazing for aesthetics, but powerlifting-wise, there is no reason to do decline instead of flat bench.
Sounds sort of like you are looking for strength in the bench, not necessarily chest aesthetics. So I would say, save your strength on decline and use it for flat bench, incline, shoulder press, and close grips.
This has been my experience, but like I said, you can bench more than I can, so that may be meaningless to you. Just giving you some food for thought though. Also, Scott Mendelson says so too lol.
I will say this though, once in a blue moon if I am just feeling like garbage on bench, I’ll unload all the weight and go over to the decline bench just to make myself feel better lol. I think I’ve done 315x4 on decline. Good for the spirits!
achilles,do you want to see a 405deadlift from september of last year?your lucky i still have it on my computer lawl.this is about 10 months later so do the math, and stop going in threads bringing in flaming
[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
achilles,do you want to see a 405deadlift from september of last year?your lucky i still have it on my computer lawl.this is about 10 months later so do the math, and stop going in threads bringing in flaming[/quote]
If it’s from Sept of last year, then where the hell are you now? Why are you relying on past feats and footage.
[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
achilles,do you want to see a 405deadlift from september of last year?your lucky i still have it on my computer lawl.this is about 10 months later so do the math, and stop going in threads bringing in flaming[/quote]
If it’s from Sept of last year, then where the hell are you now? Why are you relying on past feats and footage.[/quote]
Enh not to mention that a 405lbs deadlift probably won’t give you a lot of cred in a thread about PRESSING that much weight.
[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
achilles,do you want to see a 405deadlift from september of last year?your lucky i still have it on my computer lawl.this is about 10 months later so do the math, and stop going in threads bringing in flaming[/quote]
Really? A 405 deadlift isn’t even that impressive.
[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
achilles,do you want to see a 405deadlift from september of last year?your lucky i still have it on my computer lawl.this is about 10 months later so do the math, and stop going in threads bringing in flaming[/quote]
Really? A 405 deadlift isn’t even that impressive.
CS[/quote]
Hey what does Ed Coan say about declines? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him doing them.
Thanks for the great advice fellas. To answer my sticking point question, that usually happens around mid point. I can press it off my chest but right between that and lockout, I will have failure.
I will stick with the 405lb decline goal for my now as I am not practicing for any comps, just to reach that magic number. How often do you guys think I should be going for my 1 rep max, once every 3 weeks?
^my only advice would be to make a point of not missing lifts ever if not very rarely. That will set you back more than taking the same weight for a couple weeks in a row.
