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Stuck On Bench - Supplement Suggestion?

DirtyWilly

DirtyWilly

Member
Hi All, new to the forum!

I'm 35, 215lbs, 20%BF and been stuck at 350 on bench for a year. I've had some shoulder injuries (for the 1000th time don't touch the bar to your chest) and recently lost a good amount of weight, but I seem to be stuck around 350.

Lifting routine is pretty solid. I stay heavy, low rep 80% of the time, one body part a day per week, lift heavy on shoulder press, incorporate tri's, take 40g of Whey around 4 times day + meals, follow reasonable keto/anabolic diet, rarely miss a week in the gym if ever. Only negatives are my sleep is **** and I tend to overdo cardio. Gains do come, but they're extremely slow and intensity doesn't matter at all. I could hit it hard for a month, go up to 360 (maybe), then resume normal routine and I'm back to 350. I'm maxed out.

My goal is to bench over 400lbs one day, though I wouldn't mind seeing my abs again! I think I need to turn to supplements to get me over the hump. Does anyone have any good recommendations to get me going in the right direction while sticking to a keto/anabolic diet? Anything working for you guys?
 
If your main goal is to reach 400 then carb up and maybe run ara/follidrone if you want to stay natty. If you want hormonal then it's just a matter of picking the best poison since most of it can easily bring in that strength increase.

Why do you need to be on a keto diet?
 
This is going ot be more of a programming issue, could be a form issue as well
If you want to break a plateau first is your diet to eat for some size, small things like ARA supp wise could help or ABE. but honestly try modifying your programming and focus on breaking the sticking point in your form.

Try a board press, try some floor press to help get through your sticking point and plateau
Cycle your lifting intensity and utilize RPE to help build up and break through a new PR
 
Most of the guys hit it on the nail. Eat big to get strong, some supplements that would be good would be ABE + sns xgels (ArA), there is a thread that is being run here to help with benching.
 
This isn't a supplement issue it is a programming issue. From what you have posted, you are obviously strong, but there isn't a real plan to get to 400 other than what you have been doing to get to 350. Have you tried rest pause to break through that plateau? I found that to be extremely helpful to get to the next level many times in my lifting career.

Post up in the training section and get a couple of the PLers to offer some guidance.
 
suthernmuscle said:
In addition to what has been said above, I'd recommend more steak and potatoes. I've noticed on more than a handful of occasions guys pushing past plateaus by adding a little more food in the diet. Not saying binge and get fat, but take another look at your pre and post workout nutrition.
Click to expand...

True but if you really want to hit 400 and have that goal set I would vote for binge and get fat. Besides, he's already at 20%. Set the goal, conquer and then do yourself a favor and stay lean.

Personally, I'm over breaking PRs and getting fat. I'm all about not getting injured and staying healthy. Old age catching up...
 
The Solution said:
This is going ot be more of a programming issue, could be a form issue as well
If you want to break a plateau first is your diet to eat for some size, small things like ARA supp wise could help or ABE. but honestly try modifying your programming and focus on breaking the sticking point in your form.

Try a board press, try some floor press to help get through your sticking point and plateau
Cycle your lifting intensity and utilize RPE to help build up and break through a new PR
Click to expand...

kisaj said:
This isn't a supplement issue it is a programming issue. From what you have posted, you are obviously strong, but there isn't a real plan to get to 400 other than what you have been doing to get to 350. Have you tried rest pause to break through that plateau? I found that to be extremely helpful to get to the next level many times in my lifting career.

Post up in the training section and get a couple of the PLers to offer some guidance.
Click to expand...

Both great advice here too. Healthier options
 
How long have you been stuck at 350? I would say if you can stay at 350 for 3-4 months on current diet with no lose of strength or gain of weight, then you can simply up your calories by 500 a day for 2-3 weeks you'll go up again. Also, if you run a laxogenin product at 200 mg a day your strength will go up.
 
Theres always the nutrition standpoint of eatting more. Also i really believe a good preworkout sometimes will do the trick to get you through the sticking point. Because you need to workout with 110% intensity everyworkout to make progress. If you're looking for a good pre workout maybe try Driven or Frenzy by Menace Nutrition over at, bringthemayhem .com
 
slayer01994 said:
Theres always the nutrition standpoint of eatting more. Also i really believe a good preworkout sometimes will do the trick to get you through the sticking point. Because you need to workout with 110% intensity everyworkout to make progress. If you're looking for a good pre workout maybe try Driven or Frenzy by Menace Nutrition over at, bringthemayhem .com
Click to expand...
Lol 110% calm down coach. Overreaching is a good technique but high intense sessions each time isn't needed.. Deload sometimes and rest.
 
Abe Lincoln said:
Lol 110% calm down coach. Overreaching is a good technique but high intense sessions each time isn't needed.. Deload sometimes and rest.
Click to expand...

I didnt mean like doing no rest between each set or anything and going balls to the wall, i just meant when you get under the bar for each set you need to give it 110%. I dont want to sound like a coach but theres some anger you have to put into lifting to make progression i think.
 
Also if your only benching once a week i would suggest two times a week. I know rest is important but benching twice will help i think.
 
Lots of good information! Thanks for the replies so far everyone!

I stick to keto/anabolic diets because I find they're easiest to stick too and plan. I was benching closer to 375 based on the NFL 225 x REP formula when I was eating more, but I was also straight up fat. Not going back there, but hitting my goal over the winter then cutting isn't a bad idea.

Haven't tried benching more than once a week, but there's mixed information on this. I will definitely try benching more than once a week, it's what might be missing.

As for supplements I'm thinking of throwing Rich Piana's pre/post stuff in the mix. Seeing how I only do Whey now, even some multivitamins will probably be a boost. I've seen positive things about ArA, PA, and peptides. Considering a PH or SARM, but they seem risky. Mostly interested in what's working for others right now, or would covering my bases, Whey-Creatine-Betaline-BCAAs-Omegas-Multi's, get me there.
 
When stuck at a particular PR, there are two things you should look to for progress: technical and programming. My inclination is always technical since most people do not understand proper bench press technique for both safety and poundages. By not touching your chest, which you should do, I'm fairly certain that this is a technical issue.
 
The Solution said:
This is going ot be more of a programming issue, could be a form issue as well
If you want to break a plateau first is your diet to eat for some size, small things like ARA supp wise could help or ABE. but honestly try modifying your programming and focus on breaking the sticking point in your form.

Try a board press, try some floor press to help get through your sticking point and plateau
Cycle your lifting intensity and utilize RPE to help build up and break through a new PR
Click to expand...

Agree definitely a programming issue
 
So tell us more about your shoulder injuries. You keep hurting it for a reason and constantly having to backtrack can hinder progression a great deal if you never fix the issue.
 
Tell us more about your training and maybe we can pass some insights also
 
This is all good stuff, thanks!

As far as my shoulders, I officially (MRI) have a SLAP tear in the outer bicep tendon. It's a mechanical failure but doesn't hurt bench or strength, just causes pain - the inner tendon does all the work for those curious. Ortho said he could cut it out tomorrow and it would be fixed immediately (they did this on Farve two days before an NFL game) but the process is more involved to get it done correctly so the bicep doesn't droop. Other shoulder might have a touch of it too.

Breaking the elbows past 90 degrees on bench, past 90 on shoulder press, or inside grip on preacher bench can cause a tear. All of those exercises expose the outer bicep to more weight than it can handle, so while some will argue just think twice before you touch the bar to your chest or shoulders with heavy weight. Personally I think inside grip preacher curls did the most damage, but now I have to be careful of exercises that make me flex the bicep too hard. (Or get surgery.)

Training was something I more fell into doing it for so long. I try to follow the one body part a week mantra, push-pull every other day, and I work a body part unit I can get 8 reps. Soon as I get 8 I move it up 10-20 more pounds, start at 4 or so reps again and work my way back up. I start with the largest muscle groups and work my way down. On chest for example, I'll start with a warm-up, then 5 sets of flat followed by 4 sets of incline followed by 3 sets of flys, then on occasion 2 sets of something fun like dips or a hammer strength wide/close grip machine. I almost never do high rep, burners, or push-ups, very rarely will I see those exercises translate into more 1RM.

My technique probably isn't perfect, but I try to stick to a competition style setup. I don't crack in half at the stomach like some of these guys, but I do get my legs behind me, my butt in the air a touch, and try my best to pinch my shoulder blades together. I've learned to hold my breath in until the top of the rep and my grip is a hair wide for my height at 5'9, using the ring finger slits. I don't push out towards my gut like some of these guys but I've played with it a little.

Sorry to ask a newbie question, but what does everyone mean by programming?
 
Programming= your training routine that takes your current maxes, and current goal and provides a layout or gameplan towards that said goal.

Not textbook definition but its the general idea
 
DirtyWilly said:
This is all good stuff, thanks!

As far as my shoulders, I officially (MRI) have a SLAP tear in the outer bicep tendon. It's a mechanical failure but doesn't hurt bench or strength, just causes pain - the inner tendon does all the work for those curious. Ortho said he could cut it out tomorrow and it would be fixed immediately (they did this on Farve two days before an NFL game) but the process is more involved to get it done correctly so the bicep doesn't droop. Other shoulder might have a touch of it too.

Breaking the elbows past 90 degrees on bench, past 90 on shoulder press, or inside grip on preacher bench can cause a tear. All of those exercises expose the outer bicep to more weight than it can handle, so while some will argue just think twice before you touch the bar to your chest or shoulders with heavy weight. Personally I think inside grip preacher curls did the most damage, but now I have to be careful of exercises that make me flex the bicep too hard. (Or get surgery.)

Training was something I more fell into doing it for so long. I try to follow the one body part a week mantra, push-pull every other day, and I work a body part unit I can get 8 reps. Soon as I get 8 I move it up 10-20 more pounds, start at 4 or so reps again and work my way back up. I start with the largest muscle groups and work my way down. On chest for example, I'll start with a warm-up, then 5 sets of flat followed by 4 sets of incline followed by 3 sets of flys, then on occasion 2 sets of something fun like dips or a hammer strength wide/close grip machine. I almost never do high rep, burners, or push-ups, very rarely will I see those exercises translate into more 1RM.

My technique probably isn't perfect, but I try to stick to a competition style setup. I don't crack in half at the stomach like some of these guys, but I do get my legs behind me, my butt in the air a touch, and try my best to pinch my shoulder blades together. I've learned to hold my breath in until the top of the rep and my grip is a hair wide for my height at 5'9, using the ring finger slits. I don't push out towards my gut like some of these guys but I've played with it a little.

Sorry to ask a newbie question, but what does everyone mean by programming?
Click to expand...

In a bench press you should be touching your chest. If you are getting injury from that then chances are your technique is flawed in other areas.

Are you able to post a video?
 
Jiigzz said:
In a bench press you should be touching your chest. If you are getting injury from that then chances are your technique is flawed in other areas.

Are you able to post a video?
Click to expand...

Sounds fun, I'll work on a video. It'll be like one of those training simulators where the pros assess you.
 
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