Okay I am DB benching 100’s and I can crush them pretty easily but for the life of me, I cannot touch the 110’s even with a spot I can’t get them to move, and this is very VERY maddening, they are kicking my butt and I can’t fight back.
Meanwhile my DB flyes are climbing pretty fast for me (80’s), which is more than I have ever done, but the DB bench has been my sticking point for a long time now, I have never been able to break the 100’s.
So any tips or anything would be great.
-Dave
I suspect most of your problem is mental. Most people see 315 or 405 on a barbell and get worried that they cant lift it, even though they are more than capable.
Integrate some barbell bench into your work out temporarily. This should stimulate your chest to grow again. Plus just some time away from the db’s.
good luck,
corey
Why are you bothering with flys?
Have you tried having a spotter help you up on the first rep and then using the stretch reflex to get a few reps? Not the best way, but could help you get your mind right.
How many reps can you get 100s for?
How many reps can you get 110s for?
Does your gym have 105s? What do you get them for?
I’d guess that if you can do flyes with 80s then they’re probably more like presses, esp. considering your apparent 100 lbs. DB ceiling…
The 100’s I can get for 10 but I only do 5, the 110’s I can’t move, I have had a spotter try and help still nothing. Don’t know why.
Dammit I like flyes, and I keep my form tight on everything I do, but I understand the disbelief about the weight because if I am doing that much on flyes I should be doing much more on bench.
And for some reason I just HATE only going up by 5 pounds when I am dealing with anything over 50 lbs, I know it’s stupid, but I went to a gym that had 2.5 lbs increases all the way to like 75 pounds, and it just seemed like an incredible waste of time to jump up 2.5 lbs, so ever since then it was bigger weight increase or stick at the weight I can do. Yeah it’s stupid logic.
ps. why no flyes?
-Dave
If your fly weight is that high with good form, then your problem on the db press is probably with the tricep/shoulder/lat muscles, along with it probably being a mental thing. I agree too that you should incorporate some barbell work to change things up.
Tags
Oh sorry for not commenting on this earlier, I DO barbell work , thats actually the majority of my benching, but every once in a while I like to switch it up and hit those DB’s.
Judging from my pictures, and the comments, it sounds as if my traps may be having alot to do with this, as well as at least a little bit of mental problems(that sounds bad).
-Dave
The same problem that everyone has when the weight gets heavy enough. WEAK TRICEPS.
Adding 20 pounds (2x10) in one go is loads!! thats probably why you’re stuck. “Microloading” works well for me. Can you add a little to be DB’s each workout (even if you have to tape something to it!). Maybe add a pound each workout - progress usually must be more gradual.
Hope this helps.
Lay off the chest workout for a couple of weeks. I know, it is blasphemy. I recently did this and came back to blow my old PR out of the water.
I would suggest some isometric work at the sticking point in the movement. Use 5 second holds at the sticking point on each rep.
“Microloading” is complete bullshit. If you want to go up you have to go up with a minimum of 10lbs at a time on db’s.
A great example of microloading is seen in the guys that go up 2.5lbs a side on barbell bench and bitch because they are not growing. What the hell do they expect. The last time i checked the pectoral muscle was pretty damn big and a 2.5lbs increase will be hard to notice!
As someone else suggested, i suspect your triceps are a little weak.
Great routine:
REMEMBER: Do triceps before biceps, your tricep is 2/3 of your arm.
good luck,
corey
the flyes he is refering to have to be bent arm side presses. no way he does 80lbs with straight arm like in a real flyes. Do them with straight arm with a slight angle. try 40lbs.
as far as your bench goes it has to be all mental because if you can get 100 for 10 clean reps with no spot then you should be able to get 110 for 5 with no spot. warm up properly using 35x10, 55x6, 85x6, 100x3 rest 3 minutes. Psyche yourself up before your 110 set. hit it hard and go for 3 reps. repeat after 3 minutes of rest. Your goal is to get as many sets of 3 as possible. Hit is off again on your next chest workout. train hard, laters pk
How long have you been doing DB benches? It could just be that your CNS is tired out and you are stuck in a rut as a result. If you haven’t done already, take some time off and only do barbell stuff for two or three weeks then come back to the DB movement.
skipping the 105’s because you think its a waste of time IS just dumb! If you can do 100s for 10 but the 110s for 0 then 105s can be the bridge you need to work with to get you to the other side…Plus, it doesn’t make sense that you can’t do 110s at all. Try having someone help you with the first rep so you can start top down instead of chest up.
I thinks flyes are a fine exercise, when done right. If you’re doing 80’s, I’m sure that they are not strict flyes. No offense, but it doesn’t add up.
alright. i do DBs 10-12 reps, and im going up a lot. do the high reps. also, make the DBs your first or second exercise when u life on that day. maybe you are too tired at the end. another thing, like the other guys said, i am assuming you are doing it with palms facing eachother, so you need more tricep. so yeah, do the 10-12 reap sets of 100, 105 and then the 105 again for a week. after a week or two, when u r destroying the 100 on 12 reps, go 100, 105, 110 for 12, minimum 10, and it will happen.
good luck, hope that helped.
I have often tried supporting a weight much great then the one Im trying to go for and then dropping down. A spotter assists in what is basically a negative. Then I go for my goal weight. It’s kind of a medicine ball effect and helps with the mental aspect.
So, in your case, try doing a negative with 120’s, the go back to the 110’s. You should be able to do it.
BullGrap
What Creed said! or microloading.
Microloading is not “crap” it works, if you are really stuck you should be prepared to try anything. Do you want to conquer the 110’s or not?
Old Dax