Lack of progress on bench ( Since 5 months ago)

[VtaperXO]

Well, I got this issue, I'm just stalled no matter what type of progression I do, first of all my split is:
Upper Body-Lower Body- Rest- Push- Pull- Legs- Rest
I'm doing bench twice a week, one of them(Push day) I go superheavy with a double progression(3x4, 2x4, 4x4) , just trying to add more reps in the next training or even adding sets and then upper body days I was doing a 5,10,20 and then 5x5 but it didn't work, right now I'm going higher reps just trying to add more reps, but I'm still stalled asf, the thing is I'm cutting since 9 weeks ago and my strength has been slowing down, however I have been progressing a bit on squats, RDLS, rows but when it comes to pushing (OVH PRESS and Bench press), no matter what I do I'm just stalled. Have you been in this situation before?

 

[Smont]

Well, I got this issue, I'm just stalled no matter what type of progression I do, first of all my split is:
Upper Body-Lower Body- Rest- Push- Pull- Legs- Rest
I'm doing bench twice a week, one of them(Push day) I go superheavy with a double progression(3x4, 2x4, 4x4) , just trying to add more reps in the next training or even adding sets and then upper body days I was doing a 5,10,20 and then 5x5 but it didn't work, right now I'm going higher reps just trying to add more reps, but I'm still stalled asf, the thing is I'm cutting since 9 weeks ago and my strength has been slowing down, however I have been progressing a bit on squats, RDLS, rows but when it comes to pushing (OVH PRESS and Bench press), no matter what I do I'm just stalled. Have you been in this situation before?

Could be as simple as taking a break. Pick a replacement exercise for bench like a machine incline press or something and use a higher rep range for 3 or 4 weeks and then go back to bench. You also might just need a deload. Or, if you haven't been tracking your nutrition it could be something as simple as more food.

Lots of possibilities

 

[VtaperXO]

Could be as simple as taking a break. Pick a replacement exercise for bench like a machine incline press or something and use a higher rep range for 3 or 4 weeks and then go back to bench. You also might just need a deload. Or, if you haven't been tracking your nutrition it could be something as simple as more food.

Lots of possibilities

Hey smont, as you know I'm cutting right now however my diet has a decent amount of carbs and I try to eat them around my workouts, on the other hand I haven't deload since 12 weeks when I was still bulking, that was my last deload.

 

[VtaperXO]

Well you're not going to see any progress when you're cutting. In my experience bench tends to stall out way before other major lifts. What's your diet like when you're not cutting?

Are you sure? Well I have even lost some strength but only on bench, On leg days and pull days I am even slowly progressing so far. When I was bulking I was on a surplus of 200-400 calories with a protein intake of 0.8g per pound with more than 300g of carbs, about 25% of the calories were fat, Right now in a deficit (-400kcal)

 

[Smont]

Hey smont, as you know I'm cutting right now however my diet has a decent amount of carbs and I try to eat them around my workouts, on the other hand I haven't deload since 12 weeks when I was still bulking, that was my last deload.

If your maintaining strength in a cut then your doing just fine. I almost never get stronger in a cut. I would deload still tho or switch something up.

 

[cruze1911r1]

Maybe test, dbol, ya know, just the basic stuff

 

[Smont]

Well, I got this issue, I'm just stalled no matter what type of progression I do, first of all my split is:
Upper Body-Lower Body- Rest- Push- Pull- Legs- Rest
I'm doing bench twice a week, one of them(Push day) I go superheavy with a double progression(3x4, 2x4, 4x4) , just trying to add more reps in the next training or even adding sets and then upper body days I was doing a 5,10,20 and then 5x5 but it didn't work, right now I'm going higher reps just trying to add more reps, but I'm still stalled asf, the thing is I'm cutting since 9 weeks ago and my strength has been slowing down, however I have been progressing a bit on squats, RDLS, rows but when it comes to pushing (OVH PRESS and Bench press), no matter what I do I'm just stalled. Have you been in this situation before?

Ok I just read your post again, I definitely missed some stuff. You have been cutting for 9 weeks, it's a miracle that your making progress on anything at this point, consider yourself lucky lol. Just keep trying to maintain.

 

[VtaperXO]

How long have you been training for? Far as I know it's very unlikely that guys who have put in 2-3+ solid years of work will make progress on bench on a substantial cut. Whereas I can still add a bit of strength on squats and deads in a minor deficit. But I would also differ to Smont's training advice.

I've been training constantly since May 2022, I started to lift about four years ago but I had to stop a long time due to life issues, Since May I've been working out hard with diet and progressive overload. Indeed I've gained some strength on squats and deads in this cut

 

[VtaperXO]

If your maintaining strength in a cut then your doing just fine. I almost never get stronger in a cut. I would deload still tho or switch something up.

Gotchu, I think so I should deload next week, it's been more than 12 weeks since I did it

 

[VtaperXO]

Maybe test, dbol, ya know, just the basic stuff

Trenything is possible bro

 

[VtaperXO]

Ok I just read your post again, I definitely missed some stuff. You have been cutting for 9 weeks, it's a miracle that your making progress on anything at this point, consider yourself lucky lol. Just keep trying to maintain.

Haha, but I even heard that you shouldn't lost strength because that means maybe you're losing muscle, that's why I'm tracking all my workouts as if I would bulking, Idk how I'm progressing on squats,deads and even barbell row. Thanks for your answer bro

 

[Smont]

Haha, but I even heard that you shouldn't lost strength because that means maybe you're losing muscle, that's why I'm tracking all my workouts as if I would bulking, Idk how I'm progressing on squats,deads and even barbell row. Thanks for your answer bro

Strength is not a definite on lost muscle. Typically The heavier you are the more weight you can lift so it's just natural as you get lighter to be able to lift less. That's why power lifting has weight classes

 

[VtaperXO]

Strength is not a definite on lost muscle. Typically The heavier you are the more weight you can lift so it's just natural as you get lighter to be able to lift less. That's why power lifting has weight classes

I see, I think maybe the fact that I have been progressing on squats,deads and rows a bit( just a few pounds and reps) it's because I started the cut in a high percentage of fat and I am still

 

[Smont]

I see, I think maybe the fact that I have been progressing on squats,deads and rows a bit( just a few pounds and reps) it's because I started the cut in a high percentage of fat and I am still

Usually on a cut I will loose a significant amount of strength on my presses but my strength on weighted pull ups and deadlifts will go up or stay the same. I never understood it. @198 lbs I benched 360 and deadlfted 508

I cut to 183 or something like that and 315 was a struggle on bench but I could still pull 500 and do weighted chins with 75lbs hanging.

Even tho my presses take a big hit, as soon as my weight starts going back up so does my presses.

It's all part of the process

 

[VtaperXO]

Usually on a cut I will loose a significant amount of strength on my presses but my strength on weighted pull ups and deadlifts will go up or stay the same. I never understood it. @198 lbs I benched 360 and deadlfted 508

I cut to 183 or something like that and 315 was a struggle on bench but I could still pull 500 and do weighted chins with 75lbs hanging.

Even tho my presses take a big hit, as soon as my weight starts going back up so does my presses.

It's all part of the process

Exactly, same is happening in my case, it's kind of weird, especially on dead's and rows. Pushing exercises is where I have lost most strength. As you said it's part of the process

 

[SkRaw85]

Variety in training bench (different bars, different angles, different rep schemes) is needed to progress.
There also comes a point where it will stall because your body says “you’re not eating enough to progress”.
But trying to up bench in a deficit will not work unless you are on halotestin the whole cut

 

[Rad83]

“Mass moves Mass”

 

[BBiceps]

Good input so far and most likely diet is the main to blame, but, it could also be that you’re at a point where you have to start to train on your “sticking points”. If you fail at the bottom it’s more chest work, middle it’s chest/shoulders and lock out it’s triceps.

I always fail at the lock out so I spend time doing extra lock out sets and focusing more on triceps.

 

[VtaperXO]

Variety in training bench (different bars, different angles, different rep schemes) is needed to progress.
There also comes a point where it will stall because your body says “you’re not eating enough to progress”.
But trying to up bench in a deficit will not work unless you are on halotestin the whole cut

LoL, well when I was finishing my bulking I was a bit stalled as well, so it's not something that's happening right now that I'm cutting, but yeah I'm kind of crazy with my progressive overload even being in a cutting haha, bench press is my weak compound movement

 

[VtaperXO]

“Mass moves Mass”

Indeed

 

[VtaperXO]

Good input so far and most likely diet is the main to blame, but, it could also be that you’re at a point where you have to start to train on your “sticking points”. If you fail at the bottom it’s more chest work, middle it’s chest/shoulders and lock out it’s triceps.

I always fail at the lock out so I spend time doing extra lock out sets and focusing more on triceps.

I'm always failing at the middle, I usually do for my chest on push day's Bench press, incline press, and heavy dips or peck decks, and upper days I only do bench press(twice a week). As for shoulders Overhead press, spamming laterals raise at least twice a week and and some reverse peck deck or flyes for the posterior head. That's all.

 

[BBiceps]

I'm always failing at the middle, I usually do for my chest on push day's Bench press, incline press, and heavy dips or peck decks, and upper days I only do bench press(twice a week). As for shoulders Overhead press, spamming laterals raise at least twice a week and and some reverse peck deck or flyes for the posterior head. That's all.

Board press, pin press and pause bench might be something to add to get stronger at your sticking point.

 

[VtaperXO]

Board press, pin press and pause bench might be something to add to get stronger at your sticking point.

If I add one of those exercise should I keep doing Bench press twice a week? Let's say I add a pin press or a pause bench

 

[BBiceps]

If I add one of those exercise should I keep doing Bench press twice a week? Let's say I add a pin press or a pause bench

I would, add one of those each session, warm up with regular bench and do your working sets with pin/pause presses or do a few sets after your working sets. I would do pin press on my heavy days and pause on my lighter day (for an example).

I feel I’m not as strong in the bench if I don’t bench 2x week.

 

[SkRaw85]

If I add one of those exercise should I keep doing Bench press twice a week? Let's say I add a pin press or a pause bench

One heavy day, one rep (or speed) day works well and simply.
Don’t neglect the rear delts!

 

[VtaperXO]

One heavy day, one rep (or speed) day works well and simply.
Don’t neglect the rear delts!

Without doing a normal Bench Press?