Weightlifting

[One Winged Angel]

Alright, so on the days that I'm off work and I don't have the car, instead of just bumming around watching TV or playing FFR/guitar, I've decided to start working out again during the summer...something to do, right?

I've got a pretty decent workout schedule going on, but I can't seem to improve my bench, no matter what I do.

I'm 5'11", 145 lbs, and can barely bench 160, and only for around two reps max. I've looked **** up on other sites, and just got the usual "well if you do pec flyes and other chest exercises, etc., your bench will improve", but mine hasn't improved that much. I've also figured that if I weighed a bit more, I'd probably have an easier time benching more weight, but apparently it's fuggin' impossible for me to put on any weight regardless of how much I eat (stupid fuggin' metabolism ). Ideally, I'd like to be able to bench 200 lbs somewhat comfortably by the end of summer.

So if any of you guys on FFR know anything I could do (different exercises with sets/reps etc.), any help would be greatly appreciated.

[clarinet89]

Re: Weightlifting

I would say do more reps with a slightly lower weight until you get used to it then move up. idk if this works, but it couldn't hurt, right?

[Solid Dreams]

Re: Weightlifting

You can't expect to shoot up weight very fast at the beginning. Especially if you're already doing more than your body weight, you'll improve very slowly unless you're simply blessed genetically for the muscle type that can do that.

It took me a month to go up 10 pounds on my bench when I was weight training.


Of course, it wasn't like that all the time, but you can do all the chest you want and you'll mostly just burn out on it and make it even harder to improve if that's all you do.

[One Winged Angel]

Re: Weightlifting

I've been doing chest twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. Arms on Tuesdays, legs on Wednesdays, abs and back on Fridays. I've been able to up the weight I curl to about 105 lbs, and increase my weight on leg curls/presses and cable rows/lat pulldowns. But my bench has been frozen at 160 for a long ass time. The only reason I'm doing chest twice a week now is to try and up my bench, I'm not overworking chest by any means :/

[Darth Pegolous]

Re: Weightlifting

Weightlifting is ok i guess for some pplz

[Solid Dreams]

Re: Weightlifting

Do you do close or wide gripped bench? If you do wide, your triceps will do more work and you can do more. There's all sorts of exercises you could do, but really your best bet is to do almost maximum weight sets that will push you to do more.

You could push your shoulders under like you were throwing out your chest, and push your knees at a slightly less than 90 degree angle like you were going to bridge (but dont actually do it), or build up your back so that you're closer to the bar.

But for the most part, you'll just want to do decline bench at heavy weight, and keep doing heavy sets.

[jellygod]

Re: Weightlifting

Pm me more about this OWA. im too lazy to type everything out in this thread.

[Solid Dreams]

Re: Weightlifting

Yeah, wobblin around is worthless. It's why it's laughable that you see guys curling heavy weight but their back is move with it, that's a back work out.

You could try 1 arm bench, that's pretty good for targeting all the muscles, and if you do it on a ball, it'll get you an ab work out too.

[One Winged Angel]

Re: Weightlifting

I'd say I'm using more of a narrow-grip, although when I'm about to grip the bar, I lie down with my elbows out level with my chest and point my arms up toward the ceiling; then I just move my arms up and grab wherever that might be. But it's definitely not a wide grip.

And I've been trying to keep perfect form; once I start feeling forced into 'cheating', I'll stop. So I guess it's alright to cheat a bit in this case? I haven't been doing any decline/incline sets at all, so I'll do decline for a couple weeks and see if there's any improvement. Thanks guy

edit: @KgZ, I have some generic whey protein shake I've been taking post-workout...doesn't seem to be doing a hell of a lot, but it's got 30-something grams of protein in one shake, so eh

When I'm working chest, I'm doing about 5 exercises: freeweight bench press, mechanical chest press, pec flyes, dumbbell flyes, and then pushups at the end. Should I cut two of those out of my regiment and just focus on three? I try to pick more isolation exercises so that I'm using at least 90% of that muscle when I'm performing the exercise.

[Solid Dreams]

Re: Weightlifting

well, you aren't cheating, bench is more than a "chest" work out. If you bridge up (lift your ass up) then you're cheating, but you can use your legs otherwise. :P

[mnnicol]

Re: Weightlifting

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/

Have a search through / make an account and post the same thing there. Reply pretty quick and lots of helpful tips

[TheNamesH]

Re: Weightlifting

160 and two reps? Pretty good for your weight.


Im 195 and Im benching about 225 2 reps.

When i started weightlifting I was at about 150 and 1 rep... Still about 185 lbs.


What you should do is Get a stopwatch or something to record time. Usually start at about 5-10 mins and bench about 125. For the time.

Keep doing that.

Do it about once or twice daily.

Your bench WILL improve no matter what.


Edit: You know that saying no pain no gain? Well its gonna hurt !!!

[PsYcHoZeRoSk8eR]

Re: Weightlifting

Both of my roommates work at GNC, There are so many workout supplies around that I could probably tell you what half of the things in the store do. That being said, if you would like some information on pre-workout and post-workout stuff let me know and I'll yell at them until they give me a good answer.

also, running joke is NANOVapor - it works right away.
(NaNoVapor)

[One Winged Angel]

Re: Weightlifting

mnnicol, I was debating making an account on a site revolving around weightlifting if FFR couldn't deliver any decent advice, but you guys are pretty helpful so

That benching for 5/10 minutes straight sounds nuts lmao...I'll try and see how long I can pump out reps on 120...might have to go down to 100 if I wanna last the full 5 minutes lol

And psycho, I'll probably have some questions for you tomorrow...I actually dug up my gold card last week and bought a pre-workout supplement that I haven't tried out yet....girl in the store said it was the best one there (it was called cyto-something or other, I'd go downstairs to check the name but I don't wanna wake my dad rofl) If your roomies could recommend the best product to help put on lean muscle mass (doesn't have to be a shake but it probably will be), that'd be sick.

You guys are fuggin' awesome

[TheNamesH]

Re: Weightlifting

mnnicol, I was debating making an account on a site revolving around weightlifting if FFR couldn't deliver any decent advice, but you guys are pretty helpful so

That benching for 5/10 minutes straight sounds nuts lmao...I'll try and see how long I can pump out reps on 120...might have to go down to 100 if I wanna last the full 5 minutes lol

And psycho, I'll probably have some questions for you tomorrow...I actually dug up my gold card last week and bought a pre-workout supplement that I haven't tried out yet....girl in the store said it was the best one there (it was called cyto-something or other, I'd go downstairs to check the name but I don't wanna wake my dad rofl) If your roomies could recommend the best product to help put on lean muscle mass (doesn't have to be a shake but it probably will be), that'd be sick.

You guys are fuggin' awesome

Good luck with the 5-10 minute bench I only did 1 5 minute today... I should go out now but... Its 10:42 where im at..