I’m currently suffering through a bench plateau and hoping for some pointers to break it.
I’m getting stuck a few inches off the chest and can hit partials off the pins higher up.
I’m currently including more dumbbell work for hypertrophy, static holds and band suspended kettlebells on a loaded barbell, as well as t-rows, pendlay rows and dumbell rows at a higher frequency than normal.
Typical accessory work for me would be dips, incline presses and close grip.
Curious about speed training for explosiveness specifically and any other tips.
Two second pause at the chest for each rep on your primary bench movement. You’ll have to drop training weight initially but it will help that exact sticking point.
I’m reading Josh Bryant’s book on the bench press and the first section is all about Speed Training (or CAT) and Plyometric Pushups for the bench.
Bryant says that this type of work trains the stretch/shortening cycle, or the “turnaround” between lowering and lifting, so it might be perfect for your problems at the bottom.
Here are a couple T-Nation articles. And if you search, he’s written tons more other places too.
Thanks everyone, helpful tips throughout the replies.
@FlatsFarmer the info you posted is exactly what I’m looking for. I’m at a point where a little extra work on a weak link isn’t necessarily the answer anymore.
I’ve been experimenting with pauses, isometrics and pins and especially believe the dynamism of speed training will unlock bigger lifts at this point. The initial force for a little momentum is what I’m looking for so I will definitely be diving in to this guys videos
I would advise you to first improve your upper back positioning , simultaneously rising as high as possible onto your traps and arching your lower back maximally ( in the lumbar area).
I personally visualize an imaginary encounter between my scapulae and my hips, feeling their connection during movement.
Also pulling the bar apart with both the triceps and the upper back helps a lot in achieving the proper amount of upper body rigidity.
In regards to programming I would advise you to rotate 1 high-intensity (85-90%) moderate to high volume bench press session based on straight low-rep sets with 2 moderate volume , moderate (70-85%) intensity bench sessions , based on the ascending pyramid set/rep scheme.
Here is my current bench press 1RM of 65 kg/143lbs at 44kg/99lbs bodyweight , about 10 weeks after briefly experiencing a plateau at 60kg/131lbs at the same bodyweight.
There is also bar path, speed changes, precise sticking spot, how fast the bar stops at your sticking point, your structural limitations as to optimal form for you, etc.
Just curious, does your lift require a pause, i.e., for competition. Then the question becomes gear or raw.
All great points. I sincerely appreciate the questions and critique offer.
Raw. Bar path is off the sternum and up, I don’t arc. Precise sticking point is about 2” off the chest and there is no speed as I get stuck.
For what it’s worth, the gym i go to is a limited membership powerlifting gym owned by a ranked lifter who helps with basic things like form and general programming as part of membership. A good buddy is about to break the national bench record in April for his class and age and trains at the gym and we share tips as well.
The owner charges for specialized training outside of form checks and initial programming and his rates are more serious than my pursuit. I’m confident in my form, just looking for the plateau buster, specifically speed work tips for explosiveness to expand beyond my knowledge base bubble.
You have plenty of help, especially if they are taking your skeletal structure into account.
But just my 2 cents, I’d be most concerned with my 5 or 8 rep max. (unless you are planning on a bench press or powerlifting meet.)
We started at a 10 rep and have been progressively closing in to a peak for a meet on 12/9.
You’re right on the mark for where I’m at programming and even form wise, I’m just stuck in my progression on bench and the old weak link accessory route isn’t cutting it. I think it’s going to be speed training.
Edit: we did have a scheduling hiccup. The meet was supposed to be the last weekend of Nov initially but there was an issue with the hosting gym but programming is still on track.
Do you happen to have any long armed bench pressers getting over 400lbs? Bench Press record makers are usually genetically structured for a strong bench press.
If you are benching raw, I would watch his bar path, grip width, elbow path, and where his sticking point is. Consider his method a reasonable possibility for you to mimic.
Yeah. If you haven’t used this yet there is gold to mined in explosive/speed training and reducing the ssc. Or even if you have, some changes to how you implement compensatory acceleration can make a good difference.
Theres good reason it was a staple to Louie Simmons and the people he coached.
To make arguments opinionated and people angry - I would say an emphasize on slow negatives would be the easiest way of breaking a plateau. Just add a 4-5 sec negative to each rep. Not much of a change, but obviously you need to reduce weight, volume and maybe frequency a little - as you will need more recovery to reap the benefits of it.
Another one is applying ladders, which may be the best strength progressing tool I have yet to discover.
That said, you may be far ahead of my league in experience and know your stuff. For myself, being an intermediate lifter, the above strategies made a huge difference (still progressing).
