Stalling at 225 lb bench

[-MVP-]

I just got back into lifting in April after about a 10 year hiatus. I’m 34 years old and weigh 255-260 lbs. I was increasing weight weekly on about all my lifts and some continue to do so but the last 3-4 weeks I can’t seem to get past 225 lbs for like 2 reps. I think last week I got it for 3 with bumper plates but I can’t get more than 2 and barely get that.

It feels like I’m failing somehow on the eccentric. I lower the weight super slow and feel at the bottom 3-4 inches like it’s about to fall on me and I barely press it up. With 185-205 I can do pause reps and pretty easy but soon as 225 gets on there I’m weak. I’ve noticed the bottom 3 inches or so on the eccentric and first 3-4 inches off the chest on the concentric seems to be where I’m the weakest.

Any tips? I’ve tried varying grip width, driving with my feet into the floor, tight body, retracting my scapula, etc.

 

[Ironpirate]

Look up the Spoto press. It helped me a lot and so did 5x5s. Hopefully someone else will jump in soon.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

I just got back into lifting in April after about a 10 year hiatus. I’m 34 years old and weigh 255-260 lbs. I was increasing weight weekly on about all my lifts and some continue to do so but the last 3-4 weeks I can’t seem to get past 225 lbs for like 2 reps. I think last week I got it for 3 with bumper plates but I can’t get more than 2 and barely get that.

It feels like I’m failing somehow on the eccentric. I lower the weight super slow and feel at the bottom 3-4 inches like it’s about to fall on me and I barely press it up. With 185-205 I can do pause reps and pretty easy but soon as 225 gets on there I’m weak. I’ve noticed the bottom 3 inches or so on the eccentric and first 3-4 inches off the chest on the concentric seems to be where I’m the weakest.

Any tips? I’ve tried varying grip width, driving with my feet into the floor, tight body, retracting my scapula, etc.

I am 1yr back into it after 8yr hiatus. I feel your pain man. Last time I did flat barbell was 2004. Went on a dumbbell kick before falling off. Bench use to be my strongest lifts and now one of my weaker ones.
Prior to the hiatus what was your bench like?

 

[-MVP-]

I am 1yr back into it after 8yr hiatus. I feel your pain man. Last time I did flat barbell was 2004. Went on a dumbbell kick before falling off. Bench use to be my strongest lifts and now one of my weaker ones.
Prior to the hiatus what was your bench like?

I think 275 lbs was my best lift but honestly I could have probably done 2 or 3 reps with it. I used to workout with 225 on my regular sets.

Maybe thinking two months in I’d be repping so much weight is a bit unrealistic.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

I have been doing flat bench for the last 14 wks. I started at 185 for 8 reps. Last Tuesday was the first time I benched 225 for sets of 8. Just keep at it. Maybe work w 210 or 215 for sets. Are you doing “touch and go” full rom?

 

[Hyde]

If you are doing a struggling double, you are training way too heavy.

Wave back to 170-175 and start benching 5x5 linear progression. Every time you complete all sets successfully, go up 5lbs.

I benched 396 at competition last fall, and 405 in the gym at New Year’s Eve. Most of my training weights leading up to the 4 plate bench was many sets of reps at 285-340; 70-85% 1RM is where you build your base of strength.

 

[botk1161]

You can't max out every week and expect to move forward.
Look for a real powerlifting bench program.

 

[jtbull]

check out the muscle media 2000 bench press program. it does bnech twice a week and you train all muscules except legs twice a week. I found it really good when i used it back in my 20s ( 48 now) in college

 

[bigdadybry]

I will add that in addition to any progressions, finish with speed bench and paused press. These helped me break plateaus.
Nothing ridiculous. 2-3 sets of speed bench, 2-3 sets of paused press.
Speed bench at 3 reps, same for paused press.
Speed bench using 60% of your 1RM, paused press at 75-80%.

 

[Resolve10]

I think 275 lbs was my best lift but honestly I could have probably done 2 or 3 reps with it. I used to workout with 225 on my regular sets.

Maybe thinking two months in I’d be repping so much weight is a bit unrealistic.

Honestly that’s just extremely unrealistic of a time frame. 10 years is a long time and especially trying to expect huge returns in just 2 months is unlikely.

If you are doing a struggling double, you are training way too heavy.

Wave back to 170-175 and start benching 5x5 linear progression. Every time you complete all sets successfully, go up 5lbs.

I benched 396 at competition last fall, and 405 in the gym at New Year’s Eve. Most of my training weights leading up to the 4 plate bench was many sets of reps at 285-340; 70-85% 1RM is where you build your base of strength.

You can't max out every week and expect to move forward.
Look for a real powerlifting bench program.

These. Don’t become that guy who just bangs his head against the wall praying for more progress or another rep every time you come back in when you’ve hit your current top, cycle back and work back through some progressions again like suggested above.

 

[MakeTime3]

Go to the Googler and type in “Elitefts bench press manual”. It’s free and everything you need to know will be there.

 

[Hyde]

I just wanted to add that once you stall out with the 5x5 if you use it, you will need to wave back and begin a new progression of some kind. Whether that’s the 5x5 one more time or you start to toy with less novice progressions (changes in the set x rep scheme, total volume of work, moving to ascending sets, incorporating back off sets), training strength always involves waves/blocks/cycling of things. You cannot just do the same exact thing indefinitely and expect continual progress.

Also, Novice/simpler programs are actually the most aggressive, and the fastest way to progress as long as you still are with them. The more complicated you have to make it, the slower progress will come, so it’s actually awesome to be able to use a novice linear progression as long as you can milk it.