[Shwitt88]

Hey guys,
Im new here, but reading in all of these threads you guys really seem to know what youre talking about, so maybe yall can help me out with my bench. Lately Ive hit a platue and I cant seem to break through it. I tried incoporating a lot more DB excercises into my routine and did not really see any new gains in strength or size. Recently I decided to try lockouts in the powerrack to see if that would help me break through my platue. Ive only done them one time so far so its hard to say if theyve helped me out much, but I was wondering if lockouts will help me or if they are just a waste of time.

[anthk]

a platue indicates you have a weak point.
it could be your mind. antagonistic muscles who knows, but only yourself.
flat bench - drop the weight to 50% of what you normally and perform 50 reps x5 5 min break. do another chest exercise different to the ones you do at a much lighter weight @ higher reps. then to dumbless fly and cable cross overs really slow and tense and squeeze your chest muscles as much as possibel. do high reps again at a lighter weight. Perform all this 2x a week for 2 weeks then take a week of and hit flat bench again at 8 reps - higher weight.. you know what i mean and perform those exercises do did but lower reps now and up the weight. train your shoulders and tri's better too.
Good Luck!!!! is your diet in check? sleep well?

[Shwitt88]

Thanks for the help man,
I def. get enough sleep. My diet isnt as good as it probably could be, but its kind of at the mercy of my dining hall. Its definitly not bad though, it hasnt kept me from seeing gains in the rest of my body. How would I want to work my tri's- reps, sets, etc. cause I gain some size and strength in my arms.

[anthk]

if your gain size in your arms then continue what you are doing

[Shwitt88]

ha whoops
i meant to say i COULD gain some size/strength in my arms

[ZackKnight]

It depends what part of your bench you're sticking on.

Lockouts help with that last little bit.

If you wanna get that lower part of your bench, then you could do what i did and put like 135 or so on the bar and bring it down to your chest and only bench up to about 4 inches off your chest. it helped me a lot. this could also be done easy on a smith for fear of not being able to get it back up.

[miggitymags]

As Zack referred to - it depends on what your sticking point is.. If its the top 1/3 of your movement, you need to work on your tricep strength.. For that I would first recommend heavy close grip.. You don't need to go all the way to your chest b/c the lower portion is hard on your wrists and really doesnt incorporate your tris - keep the tension on your tris and stop short of touching your chest...
You could also do board workouts - where 1 partner places 1, 2, or 3 boards on your chest and 1 partner spots - you can go heavier, obviously, b/c you don't have to go all the way to your chest..
If your sticking point is the lower 2/3 of your movement, you need to improve chest strength. Zack offered a suggestion that helped him bust through.. Other suggestions would be negatives - load the bar with 30% more weight than your 1 rep max and lower it as slow as you can to your chest, then have a partner help you return it to the top of the movement and repeat for 5 - 6 reps.. You could also do dropsets or supersets - just be sure not to overuse these techniques..

I think the key to busting plateaus is mixing up your workout which confuses and shocks your muscles causing growth..

[Shwitt88]

my sticking point is the lower 2/3rds of my lift. I can get the bar up about 4 inches and then i get stuck. Once Im past that though its no problem. Thanks for the feedback.

[ZackKnight]

try using resistance bands and a lower weight that you can get like 8 reps out of. it's should help

[ZiR RED]

Originally Posted by ZackKnight

try using resistance bands and a lower weight that you can get like 8 reps out of. it's should help

You beat me to it!! I love resistance bands.

Also, try explosive concentrics. Bring the weight down, rest it for 3 seconds, then drive it up as fast as you can. When your speed slows, rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat. Use a weight you can normally do for 10, and do 6.

Also, explosive eccentrics for maximal type IIX recruitment. Bring the weight down as fast as you can and "catch" it about 2-3 inches off your chest.

Br

[Shwitt88]

where can i get some resistance bands?

[ZackKnight]

type in "powerlifting bands" or something similar into google. you'll find some good ones. Mine are rated for 25 to 90lbs of resistance.

[anthk]

i would never try to go heavy if you have a weak point you will only return to a platue. you need to break through it and blast your fibers into something then havn't experienced then switch it back up again.
work on close crip bench when you work tris.