Why???

hornedfrogs07

hornedfrogs07

New member
Ok, I want to know if any of you have any ideas here.

I'm stuck on my bench and squats, and I have been for 9 months+. Thing is, I don't believe I'm plateaued, as I'm growing consistently, even more than I was when my maxes were still going increasing maxes, and all of my other lifts are going up.

For example, a year ago I maxed 350 on bench press, but I could only do 80lb dumbells for 8-10 reps. Now, I max 355 (basically no increase), but I can do 115lb dumbells for the same number of reps. Flyes have gone up 30lbs. Same thing for squats - I max somewhere between 385 and 405, been stuck there for a year almost, but my leg press weight has increased by over 200 pounds and lunges have increased by 90 or so.

In this time, I've put almost 3 inches on my chest, 1" on my arms, and at least 2" on my legs, but my maxes on the core lifts are stuck. I've pretty much decided that this has to be a mental setback, but I don't psyche myself out of lifts - I honestly believe that I can do more weight when I get under it. My head is in it, my training is in it, and my body is in it, but my maxes refuse to go up. What the hell is wrong with me?????
 
Im thinking maybe your doing some lifts for certain body parts to long. Do you follow the same routine for chest everytime? How long have you been doing that routine? Always switch it up, do 6 weeks incline first with barbell then flat, 6 weeks later switch it up to flat first, then go from barbells to dumbells. I noticed I was stuck on bench to and went to dumbells for a few weeks. Noticed a differance right away. Numbers went up every week or every other week.
 
Different workout every time bro. Only thing I kept constant was bench, but I ditched it about 3 weeks ago, in favor of doing incline now for a change of pace.
 
When I got stuck on bench, I tried doing incline first for 4 weeks in a row and when I came back to flat bench it jumped up about 10-15 lbs.
 
a beter sub for flat bench is decline. why? because you can decline more than you can incline, so you get to feel heavier weight.

overtraining causes sticking points too. cut back on volume to watch lifts take off again.

i am a little concerned that your bench and squat are basically the same. your squat should be substantially more than you bench unless you got health issues.

could be in your form as well. I have seen several people make a slight adjustment to thier bench and hit a 30lb pr that day.

but you are right to be concerned. stuck for close to a year means sumpin is wrong.

and dawg has a valid question as well.

i believe you using the 5x5? is that correct?
 
DaDawg, I'm getting stuck at the middle of the lift generally. (Need partials probably, I know)


PB, I love decline, but the only decline bench available here is at an angle entirely too steep - I actually have to do less weight on it.

I know that my squat should be substantially higher, but I shot self in the ass on that deal. I was squatting 405 at Christmas of my senior year of high school, but that spring, I let some guys convince me to do smith machine squats with them instead of sticking with real squats. I was pushing 450+ by the time I left for school in August, but then I decided to go back to real squats, realizing my mistake. My squat max had dropped down to 315. So, I worked at getting it back up, but when I got up to about 400 again (around Christmas this year), I've developed patellar tendinitis in both knees. I'm just now getting to the point where I can squat heavy again.

With my body size, I should be pushing 500+ squat, absolute minimum, and I realize that.

My form is pretty good on bench, and I'm getting my squat form better - I don't have a problem going deep enough, it's just coming forward at the bottom, something I've just about eliminated.

Yes, I'm doing the 5x5 program again. I started back on it 2 weeks ago, after 6 weeks on the DoggCrapp program, which I started because I was overtrained on the 5x5.
 
Oh, and the reason I was overtraining on the 5x5 is twofold - 1) I was pushing very high percentages, and 2) I'd fallen into the volume trap; I was doing 3 or 4 more exercises, 2 sets each, after the 5x5 lift.

I've corrected these now, and I'm going to give it another run for a few weeks, then switch to something else, probably your routine PB.
 
SpikeyLizard said:
Oh, and the reason I was overtraining on the 5x5 is twofold - 1) I was pushing very high percentages, and 2) I'd fallen into the volume trap; I was doing 3 or 4 more exercises, 2 sets each, after the 5x5 lift.

I've corrected these now, and I'm going to give it another run for a few weeks, then switch to something else, probably your routine PB.
Click to expand...

Good call. Take it from me, you won't regret it.
 
SpikeyLizard said:
DaDawg, I'm getting stuck at the middle of the lift generally. (Need partials probably, I know)


PB, I love decline, but the only decline bench available here is at an angle entirely too steep - I actually have to do less weight on it.

I know that my squat should be substantially higher, but I shot self in the ass on that deal. I was squatting 405 at Christmas of my senior year of high school, but that spring, I let some guys convince me to do smith machine squats with them instead of sticking with real squats. I was pushing 450+ by the time I left for school in August, but then I decided to go back to real squats, realizing my mistake. My squat max had dropped down to 315. So, I worked at getting it back up, but when I got up to about 400 again (around Christmas this year), I've developed patellar tendinitis in both knees. I'm just now getting to the point where I can squat heavy again.

With my body size, I should be pushing 500+ squat, absolute minimum, and I realize that.

My form is pretty good on bench, and I'm getting my squat form better - I don't have a problem going deep enough, it's just coming forward at the bottom, something I've just about eliminated.

Yes, I'm doing the 5x5 program again. I started back on it 2 weeks ago, after 6 weeks on the DoggCrapp program, which I started because I was overtrained on the 5x5.
Click to expand...

as far as declines go you can put some plates inder the low end of the bench to make it less os a decline.

as far as partials go do them in the power rack. set up at your sticking point and hit some triples. drop flat bench all togethjer for a month or so while doing declines and partials.

alterations in form can be as subtle as hand placement or set up. I have worked with several of the BBer types at my gym and put substantial weight on thier bench in one session just by changing one or two things. getting the legs and lats more envolved always adds lbs to the bar. two large muscle groups that many fail to incorporate into the bench.

on your squats what kinda of shoes are you wearing? if you are squatting in running shoes this automatically throws you forward.

good luck.
 
Only problem with putting plates under the low end of the decline bench is, it's a one piece rack/bench, so putting the plates under the low end also leans the rack forward.

I'll probably start partials tomorrow (next chest day)

I squat (and do all my training, for that matter) in cross trainers, so basically running shoes. I'd never thought of that before.

Thanks.
 
you already leaning forward in those shoes. some of the guys at our gym squat in their socks. wrestling shoes work nicely as well as work boots.

it aint gonna lean it forward much. unless you dont have much of a lip to catch the bar it shouldnt hurt anything.
 
SpikeyLizard said:
I saw your post about it, and I know everybody reacts differently, but specifically what kind of size and strength gains have you had???
Click to expand...

In a 4 week span, I've so far added 20 lbs to my squat, 20 to my deadlift, and about 10-15 to my bench. I started keeping record of my lifts for the last 3 or so weeks in the journal section. My chest has definitely grown in that period of time (I've been keeping track with pics every once in a while), legs have grown drastically, and back has definitely gotten wider and thickened up altogether.
 
My worksets of 5 reps in the bench, deadlift, and squatting category all exceed 200 lbs as of this week.
I am quite young and somewhat new at weightlifting, so those numbers satisfy me for the moment being.
 
hey thats awesome josh :) as long as you are makin gains, thats what matters :) what are your stats now?
 
pullinbig said:
you already leaning forward in those shoes. some of the guys at our gym squat in their socks. wrestling shoes work nicely as well as work boots.

it aint gonna lean it forward much. unless you dont have much of a lip to catch the bar it shouldnt hurt anything.
Click to expand...
dont forget converse all stars / chuck taylors in high top :)
 
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