Progressing slowing

Hi guys

So I've been trying to hit more weight this year, trying to bulk a bit. Been going decently, going to chat to DJ as soon as I have cash again (Drama of buying lots of food as a student)

Anyway I hit gym on Monday.. For the past 3 weeks I have only been squatting 100kg. So I finally tried to push 105kg and failed miserably on the 3rd rep.

After that I did my chest routine - decline then flat bench, and incline flyes. Last week I declined 5 reps of 70 then 80 with some energy to spare as I don't have a spotter, and then 65 and 75 flat bench. This week I could barely push 75 decline and 70 flat bench and I even failed on my second flat set.

Now last week I got a little sick (Wednesday) and lost 1.7kg over 2 days. I'm assuming it's mainly water? Could that have caused my loss in strength? Just feel as though I'm not progressing much this year.

Weigh 93kg, 20 years old, 1.8m tall. Around 16% body fat.

Thanks guys
Mike

well dude if you are not eating enough then u are going to be progressing very slowely,its trying to drive durban to capetown on R50 of petrol,its not gonna happen... you need to keep your self hydrated and keep your food intake constant... u cant build a house without brick bro...

I think my biggest problem is the consistancy. I'll eat loads in the morning and evening but neglect the lunches during the day.

Thankfully I drink loads of water every day..

Will actually drop you a mail now DJ.

Any views on the drop in strength? Could it have been that I was managing to work the target muscles better as I focused on them more than I usually do? Seems silly.

well like i said,if u are not eating enough u will loose strength...its like having no fuel for half your journey...the drop in strength if u are sick is from dehydration...

djeasye wrote:

well dude if you are not eating enough then u are going to be progressing very slowely,its trying to drive durban to capetown on R50 of petrol,its not gonna happen... you need to keep your self hydrated and keep your food intake constant... u cant build a house without brick bro...

Hehehe shmaak those comparisons.

Also bear in mind that everyone has a flat day, where the weights just seem too heavy... It can just be general fatigue, there loads of factors that can affect your strength on the day, and the fact that you've been sick will definately factor in.

With regards to your chest routine, do you always do decline bench? Maybe mix it up a bit, I think incline and flat bench are a lot more important. If you are determined to do decline leave it til later in your workout and maybe alternate it each week

I usually rotate the order around every month or two. Till recently I started doing inclines and flat. But added Declines in since three weeks ago. Usually try get 3 chest exercises in, 2 good sets of each, and one tricep exercise as I'm not satisfied with the proportions of my chest to arms

What's best? :woohoo:

Whats best will be up to you and your body...

Personally I like to start with either flat bench or incline bench (i alternate each week). I'll do 2 warmup sets getting the weight up, then 3 heavy sets. Then I go on to dumbell press incline or flat (opposite of that weeks bench) and do 3 heavy sets. After that i'll do 3-4 sets of flyes (either dumbell incline or flat, seated flye machine, or seated cable flyes - i switch each week), then 3-4 sets pecdeck (love that machine), and finally end with one or two high rep sets of something to get that pump.

This way i keep things changing slightly each week but still get in the basics. You can also cut down your number of sets and time by only doing warm up sets on the first exercise, thereafter that muscle group is warm and you can start heavy on the next exercise.

You need to try find what works for you

also how many days a week are u lifting? are u doing any cardio?

Thanks Spike, that was very informative

Think I will try up the sets a bit today.. That's like 12 heavy sets and the last two. Twice as much as I do at the moment!

Lift Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Closest thing to cardio is running up stairs at varsity and walking to campus sometimes.

Hey Mikey , some of my mate's do this...
3-4 weeks heavy low-ish reps
1 week lighter weight, more reps, not to failure

Should help muscle recovery and help nervous system recovery (very important as well)

Ok this thread is coming up again

Haven't trained in 3 weeks due to ab injury. Hit chest again for the first time. Pushed 70kg (No spotter so don't like going too heavy - my max ever is 80kg so ya not too bad) could've done a bit more. Anyway, I struggle to train my chest. I feel I work my shoulders too much. Tonight I did flat barbell, flat dumbell, incline dumbell, incline flyes, decline barbell - all to try find out what targets my pecs best. Nothing really got me feeling good. I've had this for a while which is why I just tried em all today.

Does anyone have tips on benching? I basically grip the bar body's width, and try to keep my arms 45 degrees to my body, don't go down too low (couple inches above my nipples), make sure I pinch my shoulders together on my back.

Only thing that REALLY works for me are flyes - but I'd like to be able to do more than one exercise well.

Thanks guys
Mike

Lower the bar to your chest. It must touch your chest. No use in doing half reps. If you are using a Olympic bar grip with your hands just inside those small circles on the bar.

Man I probably go about 5cm above my chest.

I put my ring finger on the rings.

Not sure why I can't seem to "flex" my pecs when I bench. I get it right with shoudlers and back and biceps and legs.

Fly movements are the best for the burn feel in the pecs, and yes for all people that hate them I do use cables, and I like the way they feel.
However for growth and strength you need the pressing movements. Dumbbell presses should really hit the pecs more than the shoulders, as you can adjust the motion to suite the press. Don't do incline, as these put more on the shoulders, also do shoulder day after chest day or shoulders will be fatiged and you wont get the best out of chest day. You may be feelin it in the shoulders because they are just weak and fatigue before chest, in which case you need to strengthen them. As for bench like The Tuds said, bring that bar all the way down when doing barbell presses.

Main problem sounds mental though. Practice squeezing your pecs without any weight while mimicking the pressing movement.. Once you've got the connection going in the brain go to gym and hammer the weights.

Ok cool thanks Inja.

Strangely I have been doing that in bed the past couple of nights to try keep them flexed during the movement...

I bench 70kg without putting much strain, but considering they're dumbells I guess it's good to aim for like 30kg each for now? I did 25kg tonight as I've never really done them before.

Will bring the bar all the way down as well then.

I do shoulders on Monday, chest on Friday (usually) so that shouldn't be a major issue. I see, yea my shoulders were lacking but they've grown a lot. They feel a bit better now doing the press. Guess I'll just have to keep working. Trying to drop my ego and forget about the weight I'm pushing and focus on the effectiveness of the workout.

Try using the smith machine more. Incline bench there to put a bit of focus on the muscle.

I feel that you can concentrate more on what you're doing when you don't have a training partner.

I disagree with Inja on the chest/shoulder workout. I prefer to do chest and shoulders on the same day as shoulders are a secondary muscle used in chest excercises and therefore once chest is finished the shoulders are perfectly primed for a good workout. An added advantage is that they get the rest they deserve. Doing shoulders the day after chest means that they have almost no rest time before being utilised again. imo rest periods are as important as the workout themselves.

Same applies for back and arms...imo...

Barbell wrote:

I disagree with Inja on the chest/shoulder workout. I prefer to do chest and shoulders on the same day as shoulders are a secondary muscle used in chest excercises and therefore once chest is finished the shoulders are perfectly primed for a good workout. An added advantage is that they get the rest they deserve. Doing shoulders the day after chest means that they have almost no rest time before being utilized again. imo rest periods are as important as the workout themselves.

Same applies for back and arms...imo...

I couldn't do chest and shoulders together, according to my polar I burn close to 800 calories on chest alone.

Shoulders and triceps is a nice combo, and I do rear delts with back. I use to add traps with chest though when I was trying to get some more size into them. (was trying something as I read doing shoulders with traps could lead to overtraining the muscle so tried to separate them, did work for me)

Also my shoulders never feel tired after chest, so could be form related....

@Barbell


Yeah bud, you can do shoulders and chest on the same day, but Mikes problem is that he is feeling shoulders on his chest workout. Therefor he should prevent fatigue of shoulders prior to chest, or it wont solve the problem. Whether your doing shoulders after chest on the same day or later in the week is entirely up to you, as long as they're after. I put a day break between...

I tried shoulders and chest on the same day and put in front and side delts, but then the only logical place to put rear delts is with back day and I just have no time for that. So now I do shoulders and traps on one day.

There is a nice article on benching in this months Flex mag.

If youre feeling your shoulders make sure your elbows arent positioned towards the head. Rather make sure they are underneath the bar.

In all the years i have done chest this year i've gained the most.
Preexhaust with flys and do the bench powerlifing style as Ronnie Coleman explains.
Bar slowly down onto chest, wait a bit and force it up.

It works at this stage. I will change it up with the same principles when i start to stagnate.

Also make sure your feet are solidly on the floor and use them. Keep your ass on the bench. Slight, natural arch in your back. Push(Its more a Pull really) the bar up thinking to split it in half.

As Jack said... Rather preexhast the muscle by doing flys first then head off to bench, etc. If you do this it doesn't matter how bad your form is you going to feel it in your chest and not your shoulders.

Yep, pre exhausting can help, but you sure as hell wont lift the same heavy ass weights...