Thread: Really weak bench press - why?

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?

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.

Originally Posted by 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?

What is your chest routine and weekly plan?

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.

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

Originally Posted by Mey

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.

Originally Posted by BIGLBS385

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

Originally Posted by GreedyBen

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

Military press helped me the most.

im the same bench always behind squat and deadlift

fckin fustrating

Originally Posted by Mey

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.

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

Originally Posted by tim19

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

^^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).