Big drop in bench weight. Wondering why.

[MisterWilson]

I stopped working out for over three years. I recently starting benching with my friend who talked me into getting back into working out. The first day I repped 215lbs x2 a couple of time then dropped to 205 x3. When i attempted to bench two days later, 205lbs dropped on my chest followed by 185 dropping on my chest. I rested for 3 days thinking my muscles hadn't fully recovered. The next workout attempt, I was struggling with 135lbs x3-4 and there was no soreness or pain. I took a week off and benched 185x2 barely. Two days later, I couldnt get two full reps of 185lbs and struggled with 165lbs x2 after that. Anyone ever experience this or have any IDea why my bench would drop like this? It's killing me as I used to rep 275 three years ago and pride is slowly dying now. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Doubravkody]

this happens to me sometimes even tho, I work out constantly...
I think it has alot to do with what you have eaten before, you workout and your energy level....just my 2 cents haha

someone on here told me 50g carb 25protein before workout, and it does me wonders! ahah

 

[Rosie Chee]

I stopped working out for over three years. I recently starting benching with my friend who talked me into getting back into working out. The first day I repped 215lbs x2 a couple of time then dropped to 205 x3. When i attempted to bench two days later, 205lbs dropped on my chest followed by 185 dropping on my chest. I rested for 3 days thinking my muscles hadn't fully recovered. The next workout attempt, I was struggling with 135lbs x3-4 and there was no soreness or pain. I took a week off and benched 185x2 barely. Two days later, I couldnt get two full reps of 185lbs and struggled with 165lbs x2 after that. Anyone ever experience this or have any IDea why my bench would drop like this? It's killing me as I used to rep 275 three years ago and pride is slowly dying now. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You took three years off and have only just started training again - that alone is going to make a difference. Forget about what weight you were doing three years ago - it's no longer relevant - and concentrate on building yourself back up there. It will take time, but your muscles have excellent memory, and strength gains will come faster than you think since your body re training will essentially be starting in a 'beginner' stage (yes, even though you've trained before - that's what such a long break, or not even as long of a break, will do to you). Besides, we all have bad days as well, and, as mentioned, nutrition can play a role in lifting performance.

~Team APPNUT

 

[MidwestBeast]

Just want to strongly second EXACTLY what Rosie said. And for a while there you were benching with only 2 and 3 day breaks? I realize it's only a few reps, but still - take more time off. There's no reason to go more than once a week at this point. And nutrition is definitely something to keep your eye on with this.

I over-developed one side of my back about a year ago with a new set of lifts and had to drop from ~225x12 on multiple sets of bench, all the way down to 135. And on my incline, I had to go to the Smith machine to build back up. It sucks. But get over pride, because it will only set you back.

 

[MisterWilson]

Thank you for the responses. I usually eat a sandwich before working out along with a protein shake with creatine monohydrate 45 mins before workout and another shake with banana, peach, creatine, and blackberry IMmediately after workout. I also drink 1 in the morning of the workout and the morning following. I am taking a multivitamin and also take a fat burner full of caffeine 45 mins before workout. I dunno if that is sufficient or not. I guess my concern is that I dropped from getting 2 good reps of 215lbs to barely getting 1.5 to 2 reps of 185lbs after one workout and the issue has continued even after taking a week off for recovery. How/why could my strength drop so drastically?

 

[MisterWilson]

I guess a more direct question is if their may be a possible injury that would require me to stop working out for a while or should i continue and just take it easy? If I should continue working out, I will definitely take the above advice. Thanks to all the responders once again.

 

[Rosie Chee]

Thank you for the responses. I usually eat a sandwich before working out along with a protein shake with creatine monohydrate 45 mins before workout and another shake with banana, peach, creatine, and blackberry IMmediately after workout. I also drink 1 in the morning of the workout and the morning following. I am taking a multivitamin and also take a fat burner full of caffeine 45 mins before workout. I dunno if that is sufficient or not. I guess my concern is that I dropped from getting 2 good reps of 215lbs to barely getting 1.5 to 2 reps of 185lbs after one workout and the issue has continued even after taking a week off for recovery. How/why could my strength drop so drastically?

You don't really need a fat burner, especially if you've just started training again - stick with the basics, which you already seem to have (I would just add in good fats and BCAAs if you've not got them covered already).

Re strength, read my reply in post #3.

I guess a more direct question is if their may be a possible injury that would require me to stop working out for a while or should i continue and just take it easy? If I should continue working out, I will definitely take the above advice. Thanks to all the responders once again.

You've just started training again - I cannot see how you could have possibly injured yourself, unless you were using terrible form, going too heavy too fast, or overreaching. Just keep training, and create a training programme specific to your goals and needs.

~Team APPNUT

 

[NCAA68]

That long off I would stop trying to hit PRs everytime I went to the gym, if I were you I wouldnt even try to hit the 6-8rep range, theres a lot of muscles involved in bench and you probably need to build them all back up. I would lower the weight and up the reps to the 10-15 range. Work on form and breathing, do some slow meticulous reps 5count down 5count up or even some power reps 5down and up as fast as you can with a light enough weight your shoulder blades leave the bench. Pushups are great too, theres a million variations so they never get boring and they will get you stronger quicker than anything else.

 

[SBT]

You don't really need a fat burner, especially if you've just started training again - stick with the basics, which you already seem to have (I would just add in good fats and BCAAs if you've not got them covered already).

Re strength, read my reply in post #3.

+ 1!! to that recommendation!

 

[waynaferd]

I'd say throw on a pair of plates (135#), go for 10 reps, if all goes good, throw on another 5 pds and keep going till you hit your 8 rep limit, then start in that area next week if you can.

I took a couple mos. off and went from 325 max to 255~ working sets....I tell ya thats a kick in tha b-sack right there!!

 

[MisterWilson]

It's been a while since I've posted. I wanted to update you all and thank you for everything. I rested for a month and worked out without any problems for 3 months and got up to repping 265 lbs on bench, but then I injured both shoulders again. I believe it is my rotator cuffs. I always stretch chest and shoulders twice then warm up with 135 x10 for 2 sets. I bring the bar down at nipple level and touch chest, which brings my arm angles slightly below 90 degrees. I dunno why this happens. I've used a resistance band to do innies and outies for rotator cuff strengthening along with applying ice 15 mins at a time and taking ibuprofen, but I still cant bench without feeling weak and experiencing moderate pain. Any suggestions as to what I could be doing wrong and how I can rehabilitate myself?

 

[MisterWilson]

I was also wondering if I could get some examples of a decent diet for building mass/strength. I eat a lot of meat, but I know I consume horrible foods with respects to bad fats and other horrible forms of food.

 

[Rosie Chee]

It's been a while since I've posted. I wanted to update you all and thank you for everything. I rested for a month and worked out without any problems for 3 months and got up to repping 265 lbs on bench, but then I injured both shoulders again. I believe it is my rotator cuffs. I always stretch chest and shoulders twice then warm up with 135 x10 for 2 sets. I bring the bar down at nipple level and touch chest, which brings my arm angles slightly below 90 degrees. I dunno why this happens. I've used a resistance band to do innies and outies for rotator cuff strengthening along with applying ice 15 mins at a time and taking ibuprofen, but I still cant bench without feeling weak and experiencing moderate pain. Any suggestions as to what I could be doing wrong and how I can rehabilitate myself?

Stretching BEFORE you are warm is something you want to watch - if you want to stretch, make sure you have warmed up or done something to get you heated a little. NEVER stretch when you are cold - you increase your risk for injury doing that!

There's nothing wrong with bringing the barbell down to your chest - just increases your range of motion.

Don't just "believe" or "think" you have an injury either. If it is serious enough to give you issues when training, then go and see someone about it, a physiotherapist, and get a rehabilitation programme going, so that you can recover and then get back to training. Doing nothing, or training through it and hoping it goes away is not ideal, trust me.

I was also wondering if I could get some examples of a decent diet for building mass/strength. I eat a lot of meat, but I know I consume horrible foods with respects to bad fats and other horrible forms of food.

Read Macronutrient Composition for Optimal Muscle Growth for an idea of how MUCH to eat. As far as "bulking" diets, that is all very individual dependent on how many calories are required, likes and dislikes, can and cannot re food choices, etc. As long as you are EATING ENOUGH, you can gain mass.

~Rosie~

 

[MisterWilson]

Thank you, Rosie. You are awesome. One more question. With protein intake per kg, are you supposed to take weight from fat into consideration or is that weight included in the equation as well? I am overweight, so I dont know if I need to base my protein intake on my total weight or lower it compensate for weight due to fat. Thanks again.

 

[Rosie Chee]

Thank you, Rosie. You are awesome. One more question. With protein intake per kg, are you supposed to take weight from fat into consideration or is that weight included in the equation as well? I am overweight, so I dont know if I need to base my protein intake on my total weight or lower it compensate for weight due to fat. Thanks again.

No worries, bud - just here to help out

Re protein, yay, someone who noticed that it's in KG and not pounds, LOL - although it's just more convenient to say one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Protein requirements are in wet weight - so if you weigh 250 pounds, if you use the 1g/lb, then have ~250g of protein; if you use the 0.8-1.7g/kg, 250 pounds is ~113 kg, so have 91-194g of protein.

~Rosie~