# Really weak bench press - why?



## tim19

My bench press is really weak, always has been, i've just started back traning last week and lost some strength and size, havent really trained since end of april last year but im only benching for reps 55kg x 10 reps for 3 sets, yet for deadlift, im doing 160kg for reps of 8 and 3 sets and squats doing reps with 120kg 8 reps and 3 sets, im 12 stone 2 lbs, so i think my deadlift and squats are half deacent, but my benchpress is embarrasing, any reasons why? or how to improve?


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## Dux

Keep benching, it'll improve. Flat bench, incline DB, try and add a little every week.

It's that simple.

My deads are terrible, so after taking advice from a PL friend, I'm gonna have a day a week devoted to deads to improve.


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## biglbs

tim19 said:


> My bench press is really weak, always has been, i've just started back traning last week and lost some strength and size, havent really trained since end of april last year but im only benching for reps 55kg x 10 reps for 3 sets, yet for deadlift, im doing 160kg for reps of 8 and 3 sets and squats doing reps with 120kg 8 reps and 3 sets, im 12 stone 2 lbs, so i think my deadlift and squats are half deacent, but my benchpress is embarrasing, any reasons why? or how to improve?


What is your chest routine and weekly plan?


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## Trevor McDonald

If you care about the weight you're shifting, try dropping the rep range to 3-5. To target the strength aspect. Everyone has one weak lift out the 3. For many it is the bench. But also realise that the bench always goes up slow. Squat -+ Deadlifts involve the whole body, bench only uses the upper. Unless you bench In a powerlifting style and use your whole body. But yeah my suggestion above is drop the rep ranges.


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## Barbell mafia

Work on parallel dips (weighted) and heavy barbell extensions to strengthen ur triceps


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## GreedyBen

Mey said:


> If you care about the weight you're shifting, try dropping the rep range to 3-5. To target the strength aspect. Everyone has one weak lift out the 3. For many it is the bench. But also realise that the bench always goes up slow. Squat -+ Deadlifts involve the whole body, bench only uses the upper. Unless you bench In a powerlifting style and use your whole body. But yeah my suggestion above is drop the rep ranges.


x2

Don't worry about the reps, just go as heavy as you can (after warming up) for two or three sets and add 2.5kg a side each week, maybe finish with a higher rep lower weight set.


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## tim19

BIGLBS385 said:


> What is your chest routine and weekly plan?


do chest and tricep together, goes:

flat bench

incline bench (mainly with dumbells, sometimes not)

flys or cable crossovers

close grip bench

rope pull down

overhead tricep extentions

sometimes they vairy but generally always 3 exercises for each muscle group, its really annoying, generally a person who is repping 160kg deadlifts and 120kg squats are usually repping around 90 - 100kg bench, i wouldent describe my triceps and shoulders as perticularlly weak either, so like people have said i supose the only way to improve is to try and gradually increase the weight, infact, ill try the lower rep rage heavier weights for a few weeks, naturally too so strength increase and gains will be slow


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## Trevor McDonald

GreedyBen said:


> x2
> 
> Don't worry about the reps, just go as heavy as you can (after warming up) for two or three sets and add 2.5kg a side each week, maybe finish with a higher rep lower weight set.


Even 1.25 a side each week. That's 2.5kg total. 2.5kg x 4 = 10kg increase in one month. Which CAN be done. Then keep using that method of increase. 30kg increase in 3 months!? Obviously it'll start to slow as you get heavier and heavier. But try that


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## oldskoolcool

Military press helped me the most.


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## Rick89

im the same bench always behind squat and deadlift

fckin fustrating


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## Guest

Mey said:


> If you care about the weight you're shifting, try dropping the rep range to 3-5. To target the strength aspect. Everyone has one weak lift out the 3. For many it is the bench. But also realise that the bench always goes up slow. Squat -+ Deadlifts involve the whole body, bench only uses the upper. Unless you bench In a powerlifting style and use your whole body. But yeah my suggestion above is drop the rep ranges.


In my opinion - good advice. :thumb:


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## Readyandwaiting

bench for lower reps as you say you just do sets of 10 reps. go lower 4-6 range


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## biglbs

tim19 said:


> do chest and tricep together, goes:
> 
> flat bench
> 
> incline bench (mainly with dumbells, sometimes not)
> 
> flys or cable crossovers
> 
> close grip bench
> 
> rope pull down
> 
> overhead tricep extentions
> 
> sometimes they vairy but generally always 3 exercises for each muscle group, its really annoying, generally a person who is repping 160kg deadlifts and 120kg squats are usually repping around 90 - 100kg bench, i wouldent describe my triceps and shoulders as perticularlly weak either, so like people have said i supose the only way to improve is to try and gradually increase the weight, infact, ill try the lower rep rage heavier weights for a few weeks, naturally too so strength increase and gains will be slow


Try this its what does me

2 x bench 15 rep

1x " 12 "

1x " 8-10 "

1x " 5-6

2x " 2-3

1x " 15 Weight on each to suit you making sure of fail on last 4 sets

then Dumbell inclined as above without the higher rep sets i.e. 12 rep plus

then laying skull crushers 3 sets of 10,tricep pushdown 4 sets running the pin(heavy to light)each set then if you can 3-5 sets of close grip bench 10 -12

100g protein/carb drink/rest


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## xpower




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## mark22

^^watch that vid above, I was bringing the bar down way too high. Also since I switched to doing chest 2x every 8 days I have seen good improvement (hit 100kg on saturday). I do bench press and close grip bench along with some back stuff on day 1 and Barbell incline press and skull crushers on day 5. Was doing dips instead of close grip for several months before.

Edit: Oh and I change reps on a weekly rotation from 4-6 up to 12-15 over 4 micro cycles (8 days).


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## MattGriff

OP assuming that is you in your avatar the problem is pretty simple.

You have long arms, an excellent tool when deadlifting but a hindrance with pressing as the angles are not favourable and you have to press the weight further.

Stick with it, focus on speed of the chest and massively improving your triceps strength. Generally speaking there is one way long limbed people should bench - fast!

While it will never be a mechanically advantageous position for someone with long arms you must minimise the time spent under tension as this is not displaced in the same was as it will be on a shorter limb and the fatigue is magnified in the longer muscles.

Contrary to what you may believe too most long armed people bench much better with a closer grip.


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## biglbs

MattGriff said:


> OP assuming that is you in your avatar the problem is pretty simple.
> 
> You have long arms, an excellent tool when deadlifting but a hindrance with pressing as the angles are not favourable and you have to press the weight further.
> 
> Stick with it, focus on speed of the chest and massively improving your triceps strength. Generally speaking there is one way long limbed people should bench - fast!
> 
> While it will never be a mechanically advantageous position for someone with long arms you must minimise the time spent under tension as this is not displaced in the same was as it will be on a shorter limb and the fatigue is magnified in the longer muscles.
> 
> Contrary to what you may believe too most long armed people bench much better with a closer grip.


The grip i use and i am 6'5 is just about shoulder or slightly past benching 330 lbs at mo,busts it up lovely!


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## MattGriff

BIGLBS385 said:


> The grip i use and i am 6'5 is just about shoulder or slightly past benching 330 lbs at mo,busts it up lovely!


Sounds about right, I'm 6'1 and use a grip inside of the ring markings while shorter guys than me with stocky arms use a wider grip.


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## martin brown

Your too small and weak 

Get some bodyweight on and get stronger!

Plus what Matt said above lol, bench inside the rings and do alot more pressing and tricep work and forget the flys and cables because they're as good as useless for benching big weights.


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## littlesimon

MattGriff said:


> OP assuming that is you in your avatar the problem is pretty simple.
> 
> You have long arms, an excellent tool when deadlifting but a hindrance with pressing as the angles are not favourable and you have to press the weight further.
> 
> Stick with it, focus on speed of the chest and massively improving your triceps strength. Generally speaking there is one way long limbed people should bench - fast!
> 
> While it will never be a mechanically advantageous position for someone with long arms you must minimise the time spent under tension as this is not displaced in the same was as it will be on a shorter limb and the fatigue is magnified in the longer muscles.
> 
> Contrary to what you may believe too most long armed people bench much better with a closer grip.


This is great advice!

It's made a huge difference for my benching.


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## Matt 1

I dont know anyone personally who cant squat or dead more than there bench, so thats normal mate


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## biglbs

Matt 1 said:


> I dont know anyone personally who cant squat or dead more than there bench, so thats normal mate


Are you serious?


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## squatthis

BIGLBS385 said:


> Are you serious?


I thought it was pretty normal to squat and deadlift more than bench? Being that they are whole body exercises and bench is just upper body.


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## biglbs

squatthis said:


> I thought it was pretty normal to squat and deadlift more than bench? Being that they are whole body exercises and bench is just upper body.


Sorry i need my glasses on--and did not see T on end of can! :ban:


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## Sharpiedj

Try strength training 5x5


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## squatthis

BIGLBS385 said:


> Sorry i need my glasses on--and did not see T on end of can! :ban:


Thought that may have been it, i read it wrong first time as well.


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## ItzThatGuyShane

My bench press conpared to my other lifts was severly lacking I couldnt even do 100kg but could do a 185kg deadlift and 140kg squat. I changed my training routine about 3 weeks ago to a powerlifting style where i would train bench twice a week (once for speed work and once maxing out) and squat and deadlift on the same days twice a week (doing the same) and one day doing a normal shoulder workout. I managed to get my bench up to 100kg today for 2 reps, which may not be alot to some but I was very happy about and feel like with the way things are going I will be able to go heavier in the near future.


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## English muscle

I read early on in this thread that you do chest and triceps together? This could be part of your problem as chest exercises give tri's a secondary workout and vice versa best to split them 3 days apart

, try chest and bi's then back and tri's if your short on time.


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## Bruze

keep at it mate, i just stuck with dumbells for ages now at 69kg i get 12 reps of 80kg!


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## eezy1

found what griff said really interesting. i have freaky long arms and my BB bench has always been a weakness. i do my reps slow and controlled aswell

will try some of those tips


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## Matt 1

BIGLBS385 said:


> Are you serious?





squatthis said:


> Thought that may have been it, i read it wrong first time as well.


you've worried me now, keep reading my post over and over again lol, have I made a whoopsie, or are you both missreading lol ? x

(first time ive ever used the word 'whoopsie')

(feels good)

:bounce:


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## treecreeper

do abit of research and get your self loui simmons westside book of methods you,l never look back and your benching will go to another level  good luck


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## 36-26

tim19 said:


> , ill try the lower rep rage heavier weights for a few weeks, naturally too so strength increase and gains will be slow


Mate thats rubbish, your only training again a week and already you have it in your head that your strength increase will be slow, your benchin 55kg not 100kg your strength will fly up now that you are training. Get the negativity out of your head and just train


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