On your rotating core exercises, when you say you attempted 3 lifts at 90% or more, is this 90% of your bench max? So say you do 200 on bench and on this particular max day you were using incline, would you still use 180 for the incline or would it be your incline max? If the 90% max is your max for that specific core ecercise, when do you test for this max? I know you max out about every 8 weeks on bench, but when do you max out on core exercises to see what percentages you will use for your core exercises? And are you still using this program? To be honest, ironically I also bench 225 2RM. YOu can see why I’m so interested.
Here is how it goes for the base program I recommend: Hopefully you understood the splits using light heavy days Mon Tues Thur Fri
If not read my other posts. Use the 8-5-4-3-2-1 rep skeem for the exercises and on heavy day when I say do incline 4sets of six reps you should be able to do no more or less than six reps for each set. the first 2 maybe easy but by the 3and4th set should be to failure. You would not use max’s on incline using the formula 8-5-4-3-2-1 ending at your appropriate percentage either light 85% or Heavy 95% I’m not havying you attempt three lifts at 90% Lets say its heavy day and you bench 200lbs do Pnf Stretching and warm up. Than do a 8rep warm up. go 5 to failure at 175 4 at 180 3at 185 2at 190 1at195 which equals 95% of max, Your 95% should be very difficult but not forced repitition, when that becomes easy in 2to 3 weeks test for a new max, and then your percentages change on 85% day you use the same formula except you end at 85% max, not sets to failure on this day! and don’t go over 85%. You will be maxing more than every 8 weeks probablly ever 2to3weeks.
It’s 90%of the max effort exercise. So it would be each specific exercise, inclines, floor press, etc. You will have to see which max effort exercises work for you. They will also change as you increase in strength and bodyweight.