Breaking a 'plateau'

WHIP IT!

I know it's been mentioned a bit before in other threads, but I'm having trouble breaking a bit of a glass ceiling on the bench...

What are teh usual little methods that are usd to eek out another 5kg when ya think ya can't progress any more? DB presses? Flyes? Pullups?

Thanks

rubadub

What helped me was doing 50 pushups every morning as soon as I got up.

WHIP IT!

rubadub wrote: »

What helped me was doing 50 pushups every morning as soon as I got up.

Nexxxxxttt......!

Thanks Rub

Saabdub

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I know it's been mentioned a bit before in other threads, but I'm having trouble breaking a bit of a glass ceiling on the bench...

What are teh usual little methods that are usd to eek out another 5kg when ya think ya can't progress any more? DB presses? Flyes? Pullups?

Thanks

Do you mean adding 5k to a strength routine of 5-6 reps, or to an 8-10 muscle building routine? And what percentage increase is that on what you're doing now?

Saabdub

aye

If you have a spotter you could do some negative lifts.
You could pre exhaust the muscle for a few weeks, so doing a chest flye before a bench press.
and increaseing your anterior deltiod and tricep strength will also help.

arybvtcw0eolkf

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I know it's been mentioned a bit before in other threads, but I'm having trouble breaking a bit of a glass ceiling on the bench...

What are teh usual little methods that are usd to eek out another 5kg when ya think ya can't progress any more? DB presses? Flyes? Pullups?

Thanks

The 'usual' methods aren't always the best methods.

I'd suggest you rest, get proper rest

But without knowing what else your doing in the gym its hard to give a definitive answer - but usually a short rest away from the gym will get your over this. But its hard to convince a novice of this.

Maybe look at your pre-work out diet. Are you fueling yourself for a workout?.


Any for anyone lifting weights I'd suggest you read and re-read Arnies 'Education of a bodybuilder'.

Hanley

Do something different.

It'd be helpful to know what you're doing now....

WHIP IT!

Hanley wrote: »

Do something different.
It'd be helpful to know what you're doing now....

I think this could be the solution... at the minute, wit the GAA season well up and running, I can only get to the gym a max of twice a week, but usually only once.

I generally dedicate that to benching to my 3/5Rep Max and then following a fairly similiar routine. Will usually put in a good workout for the best part of two hours or near enough.

DB presses - for example, last night after I "opened" with the bench press, I did DB presses (flat bench) 25kg x 10, 35kg x 10 then 40kgx5 twice. (EDIT: That's 25, 35 and 40kg in each hand btw)

Followed this up with Squats as I've rarely been getting to do em lately with all the running we've been put through in training.

BB rows... Then did ten of these http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/CleanAndJerk.html for the first time - pretty cool, will be doin em again....

Then, as usual, rounded things off with a little mini-circuit of dips, pull-ups and chins (would usually throw press-ups and leg-raises in there too but didn't last night)..

That's generally what my one night a week would be like at this time of year - with some small variations. Bare in mind, I'll have two tough GAA sessiosn and a GAA match in the week as well.

The Elite Rings are permanently in situ on my landing (thanks Rubadub for the idea!) and I'll usually throw out some dips, pulls n chins on em most days.. 10 here, ten there kinda thing - like a tax every time I go upstairs!

rubadub

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The Elite Rings are permanently in situ on my landing

You could try the greasing the groove technique so, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55112536

It is supposed to work by developing your CNS. I think that is what happened with my 50 pushups routine. It is just like you were saying, just do half your max dips on the stairs each time you pass. I think doing it with the rings flat to your front would work best, i.e. hands out infront, like a reverse curl with a barbell.

I havent done benchpressing in months. I did a few sets of weighted negatives dips on the rings last night, and my chest is feeling it a little today- I didnt want to go overboard as I hear it is easy to over do it on negatives. Must see what I can bench these days.

Tricep pushups are a killer on the rings too, and flyes.

WHIP IT!

rubadub wrote: »

You could try the greasing the groove technique so, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55112536

It is supposed to work by developing your CNS. I think that is what happened with my 50 pushups routine. It is just like you were saying, just do half your max dips on the stairs each time you pass. I think doing it with the rings flat to your front would work best, i.e. hands out infront, like a reverse curl with a barbell.

I havent done benchpressing in months. I did a few sets of weighted negatives dips on the rings last night, and my chest is feeling it a little today- I didnt want to go overboard as I hear it is easy to over do it on negatives. Must see what I can bench these days.

Tricep pushups are a killer on the rings too, and flyes.

Thanks Rub.. will keep it in mind.

Colm_OReilly

Perhaps, since you're in season, maintenance is more important than gain. Then in the off season, go back to progression - either a novice linear program or something like the Texas Method if you're intermediate.

Is strength your primary concern, or fitness?

Colm
-Just some suggestions

WHIP IT!

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Perhaps, since you're in season, maintenance is more important than gain. Then in the off season, go back to progression - either a novice linear program or something like the Texas Method if you're intermediate.

Is strength your primary concern, or fitness?

Colm
-Just some suggestions

I'd like to keep adding strength little by little - obviously this is alot more difficult when I can only do one full weights session a week, but I don't want to "stand still" either ya know.

I'm not expecting miracles but after progressing fairly quickly with the bench, it's a little frustrating to not be making much progess in last three/four weeks.

Colm_OReilly

Up until GAA season what other demands had you placed on your body? You're now potentially training 3 sessions more per week (including the match) that you need to recover from.

You may have reached a plateau anyway, so maybe drop back the weight to a few weeks back, and build up again.

How are your other lifts coming on? Squat, Dead, etc? Are you power cleaning? I can see a benefit for GAA in PC.

Saabdub

It looks like your going for a c.6% increase on a dumbell benchpress. Personally, I'd switch to a bar for the heavy lifts and do the dumbell presses afterwards. Then I'd increase the weight on the bar incrementally giving my nervous system time to adjust to the recuitment of more muscle fibres (it's not the size of the muscle that determines strength but the abilty of the nervous system to get the fibres to do work). I wouldn't go to failure on more than one set (the last one). A trick I sometimes use is to go very heavy (say 103k) for 1 rep then rest 3 miutes before I try my final set of 5-6 reps. This tricks the body into thinking there's a similarly heavy set coming so when you do the set with say 100k it feels "lighter" than it otherwise would. Heavy negatives can get your muscles used to a new weight. But of course remember that pushing your body faster than it can cope can result in injury and a painful shoulder or wrist will impair your ability to lift heavy and can set you back months, so in the long run a slow approach can actually be faster:)


Saabdub

WHIP IT!

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Up until GAA season what other demands had you placed on your body? You're now potentially training 3 sessions more per week (including the match) that you need to recover from.

You may have reached a plateau anyway, so maybe drop back the weight to a few weeks back, and build up again.

How are your other lifts coming on? Squat, Dead, etc? Are you power cleaning? I can see a benefit for GAA in PC.

I did a set of Power Cleans last night for the first time ever and thought they seemed like a great exercise so will be incorporating them into my regular routine... I'm always looking for new "hit everywhere" exercises cos, as I said, I can't get to the gym much at this time of year and try to knock the b*llox out of myself while I'm there!

Saab - I prob didn't make it clear in my earlier post, but it's my barbell bench press that I'm trying to improve, I always do DB presses after the barbell... Just, got the bench up to 110kg (x3/5) three sessions ago and haven't progressed passed it since - and it aint gettin any easier to lift that weight either.

aye

this article might give ya some ideas you could try.

http://www.mensfitness.com/fitness/strength_training/198?page=1

Hanley

I have some thoughts I'll throw down later on when I get home from college. Basically, it's drop back and build up again.

Degsy

Hanley wrote: »

I have some thoughts I'll throw down later on when I get home from college. Basically, it's drop back and build up again.

I've been following this advice for a while now and it seems to be doing the trick..nobody likes having to drop weight in order to lifty more but it does actually work!

Saabdub

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Saab - I prob didn't make it clear in my earlier post, but it's my barbell bench press that I'm trying to improve, I always do DB presses after the barbell... Just, got the bench up to 110kg (x3/5) three sessions ago and haven't progressed passed it since - and it aint gettin any easier to lift that weight either.

WHIP IT! that's a 1 rep max around 125k give or take and your doing it over 3 sets, which is no mean feat:D Personally, when I'm trying to make a new weight I pyramid up, doing a couple of really light 15s, a 10 and some 8s just to get the blood into the muscles but without causing any muscle fatigue. As I get closer to my target weight I drop to 4, then 2 of a weight maybe 10k below it, (Sometimes I do 1 rep of something a bit heavier, or do 8-10 reps of bent rows to better engage the back muscles) take a 3 minute rest or more depending on how I feel (put something like Nirvana on the stereo full volume:D) and max out on the last set. So I'm only doing 1 set at the new weight. I don't feel I need anymore and I think it would put a greater strain on my nervous system that would require (even) longer recuperation. Then its on to incline presses and dumbells per usual.

Saabdub

Hanley

Yeah so there's alot of things to do that you could use to break past it. One of the old standbys a few guys in Hercs do is running their workout in reverse. So you'd start with your last exercise and work back for 4-6 weeks. Obviously your probably won't be able to handle the same loads on the bench since you'll be coming into it fatigued.

My personal favourite is just to drop back and build it back up again. You said you were using 110kg 3x5 right...? You could drop back and build up again over 6 weeks, something like this;

w1 90kg 5x5
w2 95kg 5x5
w3 100kg 5x5
w4 105kg 5x5
w5 110kg 3x5
w6 115kg 3x5
w7 120kg x5
w8 Depending on week 7 you might do 122.5, and perhaps even 125x5 on week 9

You could also just work to a top set of 5. If you can do 110 3x5, you'd probably manage 115 for an all out set of 5. So you could do 112.5 on week 1 and add 2.5kg per week til you can do no more. You might get to 117.5 or 120 this way.

Another personal fave of mine was the bench cycle I designed. It worked well for both myself and malteaser and I'm confident it would work for others too. PM me if you want and I'll sort it.

Just throwing out some ideas for you to work with.
Pushdowns 3x20

Froot

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I know it's been mentioned a bit before in other threads, but I'm having trouble breaking a bit of a glass ceiling on the bench...

What are teh usual little methods that are usd to eek out another 5kg when ya think ya can't progress any more? DB presses? Flyes? Pullups?

Thanks

In my experience, dropping the weight for 2-3 sessions then going back up suddenly lets you break through the plateau fairly easily.

WHIP IT!

Froot wrote: »

In my experience, dropping the weight for 2-3 sessions then going back up suddenly lets you break through the plateau fairly easily.

That's great, thanks. Thinkin I will give this a try.

Hanley

Sh!t, i forgot to reply to your PM. I'll get on it now.

WHIP IT!

Hanley wrote: »

Sh!t, i forgot to reply to your PM. I'll get on it now.

It's too late Hanley. You are DEAD to me!

So, if I was to drop the weight for 2/3 sessions, bearing in mind that my aim is to break through the 110kg barrier, what would you guys recommend I do in the "dropped" sessions?

I was thinking of doing five sets of 10 reps at 40, 60, 70, 80 and 85 maybe?

Or should I keep the rep range the same as if I was trying to achieve a new PB (as in doing sets of 5) and just keep the weights down?

Corholio

Just a quick question and something ive always wondered.

Why, for example do you do 3 sets of 10 instead of 30 repetitions?
Does the quick break in between benefit the muscle more?