New Gym Bench Blues

[rambo679]

I just want to lament for a little bit and enquire if anyone else gets this slight ego blow. I just today switched from LA Fitness to 24 hour fitness and the benches there are just a little bit different so that they affected my workout by about ten pounds and even though I know I just need to adjust to the slightly different bench I still can't help but be dissapointed. This is made worse by the fact that I had a killer chest workout last week on my last LA fitness day. Anyone else go through this or am I still the most immature on this front(very likely).

 

[waynaferd]

Yeah, bench set up being off a bit could indeed throw you off, like you noticed. And I have a lot more disappointing chest days than I do good ones, but as long as the last good one was better than the good one before, its all in the right direction.

I know for me bench is the hardest mentally to constantly gain on. Squats and deads I'm not afraid to throw on another ten pounds and bust out one, maybe two more reps. I'll sure as hell feel it the next few days, tho

Last time I tried anything I could bench 325 x2, after working 275 8x3. Currently ( I say that but haven't done jack for a couple mos now) I'm back around 255 x5-ish, and thats about it. But within a week or two I could prolly do 330 x2 or 310 ish x 3 after a regular 3x8 routine.

Its all in your head!!

 

[Nick3d]

Rambo I know how you feel. Last year I experienced the same thing, I went from working out daily at my local gym to working out daily at my college gym (I played college football for a year). I don't know whether it was the bench feeling different or me being nervous as hell playing on the team but my bench went down by 25 pounds when we had to test.
I'd give it a week (assuming you haven't already adjusted) and everything should be back to normal.

 

[crazym]

Exactly what hit me this year, the new bench im using has only 3 height settings and none of them are quite right, also it has a huge fabricated safety catch that means you have to do a behind the head press and then take the bar forward a huge amount so you dont hit them. Ahwel 3 months later ive adjusted, hopefully it means i can bench more on an good bench though.

 

[CJPopovich]

This is very common. I actually realized that I've been training on a sub-par bench, and adjusted my numbers accordingly so in competition I don't waste time with a weight that's too light, if that makes sense.

Things that will help:

1: Pay very strict attention to your setup, really focus on the upper back tightness.

2: Use chalk on the bench if the gym allows.

2a: If the gym doesn't allow chalk, sneak in some stikum-spray. Have a plan for cleaning it up afterwards, it will leave a sticky mess and you WILL get spoken to if you don't find a way to clean it up. http://www.inzernet.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=STIKSPRY

3: Stay positive, you will somewhat adapt to it, and you can't do anything about it so you may as well make it work for you. I feel your pain, but my gym bench is about 20 lbs under my competition bench. I love it, I always know that I can do more on competition day.

Best of luck

 

[TipTopShape]

you just started right? in the past few days you will get used to it.

 

[brownstown89]

i have that problem at all comercial gyms...

1. the bench is probably too close to the ground (not tall enough)
2. you probably cant unrack the bar at the exact point you like...

this can effect your bench weight by 10%

 

[rambo679]

i have that problem at all comercial gyms...

1. the bench is probably too close to the ground (not tall enough)
2. you probably cant unrack the bar at the exact point you like...

this can effect your bench weight by 10%

This sounds just about right.

 

[brownstown89]

This sounds just about right.

well to be fair thats jim wendler who stated the 10% thing..

but man commercial gym benches suck ur knees almost touch the ceiling and you pretty much have to do a high pin press and barbell pullover before you bench... the best advice would be is to grab the DB flat bench and drag it into the power rack and set the j hooks where you like and bench.. However the DB flat bench is usually lower then a regular bench too =/

 

[rambo679]

Update:
Since my self esteem viz a vi the bench press is so important, here's an update. I was able to make some adjustments and this week on chest I did much better than last week, despite working out on 5.5 ish hours of sleep(girlfriends fault), I was still weaker than usual but to a much less extent that I can probably(hopefully) attribute to my ****ty sleep.

This is one step closer to me just complaining about everything else that bothers me instead of this!

 

[MongoSS]

I hear you my brother. I have a 24 hour fitness membership i have had for years, i mostly train at a hardcore gym with competition benchs now. When I go beck to 24 hour everything feel wrong, the height, the bench is slippery it throws me.

 

[bkoguy07]

My new gym has ****ty bench presses... The bars are extremely fat along with the fact that the bench is really cushy so when you go down for a rep you sink down a little bit. Reduced my bp weight by a lot.. Like 10 lbs ... It may come back I dont know it sucks ass..

 

[NCAA68]

I hate when the bench isnt lined up with the ceiling tiles. Cant explain it but it throws everything off

 

[rambo679]

I hate when the bench isnt lined up with the ceiling tiles. Cant explain it but it throws everything off

I hope I dont remember this post when I'm about to bench because if i do and they have that cottage cheese ceiling I'll mind **** myself out of a good workout!

 

[bkoguy07]

I hate when the bench isnt lined up with the ceiling tiles. Cant explain it but it throws everything off

Lol for real..?

 

[NCAA68]

Lol for real..?

Yea I need the bar to be parallel to the lines on the ceiling. People look at me like Im crazy when I keep moving the end of the bench a few inches to get it just right.

 

[young4life]

I hate when the bench isnt lined up with the ceiling tiles. Cant explain it but it throws everything off

LOL........same here.

 

[UGHQTempus]

Yea I need the bar to be parallel to the lines on the ceiling. People look at me like Im crazy when I keep moving the end of the bench a few inches to get it just right.

Yup. I do the same.