Author Topic: barbell bench press and shoulder press  (Read 9167 times)

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PointerRyan

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barbell bench press and shoulder press
« on: April 04, 2013, 10:47:10 pm »
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Hey guys, i've just started bench pressing after two months of doing only dumbbell bench press once a week .
before i stopped i was stagnant around 60kg for a month or two. Now that i started back, i feel like i'm stagnant again. 2nd workout and nothing improved. Same goes to my barbell shoulder press. go up to 37-40kg, and boom, i find it hard to progress.

The routine i'm doing is about 4sets of 5-6.
Both width for barbell bench press and shoulder press are sligthly wider than shoulder width. I go all the way down for both.
So my question is, is it normal for your weights to drop along the sets when doing heavy for bench press and shoulder press?
2nd question, what kinda width do you all prefer for bench and shoulder presses?
I find that since you have you have to bring the barbell lower down your chest when doing a narrow grip, it takes away your chest work. Maybe use a wider grip and bring it down to the middle chest?


cheers

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2013, 03:17:13 am »
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I do shoulder width on oh and 4th finger on ring on normal bench.

Perhaps do a different setup for a while?

Like 3x10 on both. Same weight on all sets (per exercise). Start 3-5 kg lower than you 10rm, increase 1kg per week. Do this untill you stall two weeks in a row. Then re-setup. Remember to eat proper.

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2013, 04:32:16 am »
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ah I see
ring may be different on my barbell so would you say that when you unrack the barbell in bench press, your handa are way wider than shoulder width ? also do you brinf it down to your lower or middle chest? 

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2013, 04:43:37 am »
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Ya wider than shoulders. When in bottom position, my forearms are at a right angle to the floor approx. if that helps.

I think to bottom chest.


PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2013, 09:38:15 am »
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ah ic. i tried liek yours, and as well as 6inches narrower since i've small frame. benchign still feels as hard lol. any alternatives to 3x10 since i'm tryna build strength? would 3x8 be okay? not too keen on going too high reps. This is how i plan to do. use a weight i can do for 3x8. increase weight next workout and get att least 3 x6. progrees up to 3x8 and keep repeating. sounds good?

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2013, 03:49:08 pm »
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ah ic. i tried liek yours, and as well as 6inches narrower since i've small frame. benchign still feels as hard lol. any alternatives to 3x10 since i'm tryna build strength? would 3x8 be okay? not too keen on going too high reps. This is how i plan to do. use a weight i can do for 3x8. increase weight next workout and get att least 3 x6. progrees up to 3x8 and keep repeating. sounds good?

Sure, could be fine. Youll gain strength doing 3x10 as well, but 3x8 is ok if that suits you better. Could go 4x8 as well. I would still start 3kg below your 8rm and then increase 1kg per week. When you cannot increase for two weeks, change up the program.

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2013, 11:06:11 am »
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i can only increase 2.5 at once. hmm. what aey ou thoughts on money set? like ramping up till a certain number, focus on increasing the weight on that set everytime you owrkout, then take off some weight and some reps to get more volume in.

also, is benching once a week enough? i do bench presses once a week, shoulder presses once a week. maybe add in dumbbell bench press on my shoulder press days since i have 3days of rest before doing bench press?

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2013, 01:27:10 am »
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i can only increase 2.5 at once. hmm. what aey ou thoughts on money set? like ramping up till a certain number, focus on increasing the weight on that set everytime you owrkout, then take off some weight and some reps to get more volume in.

also, is benching once a week enough? i do bench presses once a week, shoulder presses once a week. maybe add in dumbbell bench press on my shoulder press days since i have 3days of rest before doing bench press?

Regarding the money set I think its good for some things, but I wouldnt do it in a hypertrophy phase, which is what I sketched for you. I say this because You have to stress your muscle as much as possible when gaining, and you do that better with the same weight on all sets IMO.

Do this:

Day 1
Bench 4x8, rest 1min between sets. Increase 1,25kg per week. (Yes add a 1,25 plate one side. Wont boher you too much.)
One arm low inc db bench 3x10e, rest 1min between sets. Increase when too light.

Day 2
Bb shoulder press 4x8, rest 1 min between sets, increase 1,25kg per week.
Db bench 3x10, rest 1min between sets, increase whenever possible.

Remember to train your back.

Start low on those two main lifts and stick to the program. When you cannot increase for two weeks, change routine. I would start 2,5-3,75kg below what you estimate you can do, so you have 2-3 weeks before you hit your 8rm. This way you should be able to progress for some time, given you follow the routine and eat and rest properly.

Eat proper. You wont gain muscle if you dont eat.

And dont be a pussy. Ive seen plenty of idiots not increasing because last week was heavy. But its fucking supposed to get heavy. Then you push through that, and thats where you gain. And if you ncrease and fail. Stick to that weight. Get as many reps as possible and try it again next week. Same story, change routine or deload or whatever. Get it the next week, stick to the routine and increase the week after. Its pretty simple. Progressive overload, or whatever its called.

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2013, 05:11:04 am »
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nice thanks alot man. but a question, 1minute rest? isnt that a little too short? will 2minutes be okay?

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2013, 05:12:35 am »
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nice thanks alot man. but a question, 1minute rest? isnt that a little too short? will 2minutes be okay?

EDIT:i do back squats twice a week two. would ths be okay:
day1:back squat
benchpress
pullups
assitwork
corework

day2:
back squat
shoulder press
back rows
assistwork
corework


assistwork being dumbbell work

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2013, 02:34:56 am »
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nice thanks alot man. but a question, 1minute rest? isnt that a little too short? will 2minutes be okay?

EDIT:i do back squats twice a week two. would ths be okay:
day1:back squat
benchpress
pullups
assitwork
corework

day2:
back squat
shoulder press
back rows
assistwork
corework


assistwork being dumbbell work

Squatting is cool. Always squat.  ;D  :ibsquatting:

Routine looks good. Maybe add some extra upperback work. Fx facepulls, wide grip pullups, narrow grip pullups, bw rows, db rows, bor, you name it.

1min rest because you want to stress your muscles. You want them to be pumped and fried. Longer rest on routines with neural gains as a focus.

Now go try it out, instead of overthinking. Then evaluate after youve completed a cycle.  :strong:

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2013, 09:54:58 am »
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nice thanks alot man. but a question, 1minute rest? isnt that a little too short? will 2minutes be okay?

EDIT:i do back squats twice a week two. would ths be okay:
day1:back squat
benchpress
pullups
assitwork
corework

day2:
back squat
shoulder press
back rows
assistwork
corework


assistwork being dumbbell work

Squatting is cool. Always squat.  ;D  :ibsquatting:

Routine looks good. Maybe add some extra upperback work. Fx facepulls, wide grip pullups, narrow grip pullups, bw rows, db rows, bor, you name it.

1min rest because you want to stress your muscles. You want them to be pumped and fried. Longer rest on routines with neural gains as a focus.

Now go try it out, instead of overthinking. Then evaluate after youve completed a cycle.  :strong:

awesome. so one back exercisei s not enough? haha back squats and the shoulder/bench press pretty intense.
my corework involves : http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/CBTwist.html

and ab crunches. that takes some back too haha

thanks again

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2013, 03:19:37 pm »
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nice thanks alot man. but a question, 1minute rest? isnt that a little too short? will 2minutes be okay?

EDIT:i do back squats twice a week two. would ths be okay:
day1:back squat
benchpress
pullups
assitwork
corework

day2:
back squat
shoulder press
back rows
assistwork
corework


assistwork being dumbbell work

Squatting is cool. Always squat.  ;D  :ibsquatting:

Routine looks good. Maybe add some extra upperback work. Fx facepulls, wide grip pullups, narrow grip pullups, bw rows, db rows, bor, you name it.

1min rest because you want to stress your muscles. You want them to be pumped and fried. Longer rest on routines with neural gains as a focus.

Now go try it out, instead of overthinking. Then evaluate after youve completed a cycle.  :strong:

awesome. so one back exercisei s not enough? haha back squats and the shoulder/bench press pretty intense.
my corework involves : http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/CBTwist.html

and ab crunches. that takes some back too haha

thanks again

Np

Flander

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2013, 03:11:54 pm »
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You dont log anymore?

PointerRyan

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Re: barbell bench press and shoulder press
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2013, 12:04:09 am »
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You dont log anymore?

hey i do jsut that i've been busy the past few days. The routine's been awesome so far haha. with that, i just remembered i have a problem with doing dumbbell work . my workout begins with warmups and stuff, stretching, and then i'll drive to the gym nearby and have like a30minutes boxing and kicking practice sing a punchingbag.

while i may feel both my thumbs sometimes in punches when i throw a hook punch too hard for my knuckles to handle. that's still alright. just that I have injured my right thumb a couple of times when i was playing basketball 10months ago or so. As far as i can remember, i normally injure it when trying to steal or catch a bad pass, with my thumb poking the basketball.
 That has really made my right thumb a tonne weaker compared to my left. about 2 weeks ago before you gave me the new routine. i was doing back squats, shoulder presses, and tried supersetting back rows + dumbbell chest presses, which started about 15-30minutes after i trained in a 1hour personal training session for mma which consisted of lots of punches that wore my right thumb down.
When it came to dumbbell chest press, after getting the dumbbel up in the air and going down for my first rep,  bam, my right thumb couldnt take the load and i had to drop the weight. could've broken my thumb if i pushed longer.
I only notice this right thumb problem after starting mma training, particularly boxing. Of course, that day ti was 1hour of personal training, but i was training with lots of pad work.
Now, i train with a punching bag, heavier , but it also restricts the amount of force i can put into a punch since my knuckles arent that strong yet unlike training with pads, where i can go all out since the pads are light as shit.
Now that my knuckles and my punching techniques are getting better, i'm afraid that 30minutes could do the job of wearing down my right thumb enough for me to not be able to db chest press. Would some sort of push ups variation be alright?

cheers