Kramer

Wassup guys, first time poster here, sorry if this has been discussed in other places.

I'm a lightweight (6'5" 180lbs). Anyway, I've been lifting for like a year now. I feel like I've hit a wall on a lot of my exercises, namely the bench press. I'm typically doing 5 sets of 5 reps topping out at around 155lbs. I do this once a week.

What can I do to break through? I'd like to get up to two plates within the next year or so...any quick advice that could help (no steroids....nothin personal, just not my cup o' tea). Thanks guys.

Giddyup

LAM

you need to vary your rep range....

what kind of exercises are you doing for the triceps and shoulders ?

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What you talking about Willis ?

CowPimp

Let us know your full workout routine and diet. It is hard to offer advice without more information.

Make sure that your form is good. Many people don't realize that you are supposed to arch your back and pull your shoulder blades together.

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Mudge

I like one light week and one heavy week currently.

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/sh...threadid=30485 (Westside Powerlifting Techniques)

I have 2 form and technique articles in the sig.

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Kramer

Hey guys thanks for the feedback.

Okay...

Shoulders: I do dumbbell press mostly, and pec flys that seem to help a bit.
Triceps: I do dips and skull-crushers (10-10-10s if you know what that is).

I lift three days a week. Push-Pull-Legs. Very healthy diet. Try to get at least 150g of Protein a day, and < 75ish grams of fat, but plenty of calories.

I basically just wanna break through and start lifting a lot more.

Oh...I do the arch the back, put in the shoulder blades thing....feels natural. Thanks guys.

Giddyup

CowPimp

For shoulders I am assuming you mean military dumbell press, because dumbell press is primarily for the chest. Pec flys are also for the chest, hence the word pec for pectoral. Try some different lifts like lateral raises and military barbell press.

Those are both excellent tricep exercises, but again, you have to change your lifts around. Try tricep extensions and close grip benchpress.

150 grams of protein is decent, but not enough. You should be consuming 200+ grams of protein. A rule of thumb is a minimum of 1 gram per pound of body weight. Some people need quite a bit more than that. Also, make sure you eat about every 3 hours. Otherwise your body will start to go into a catabolic state, which basically means it eats it's own muscle.

Don't forget to eat a lot of carbs too. If you don't eat carbs (Healthy complex carbs like oats, potatoes, etc.), then you increase the chance of going catabolic once again. You should be consuming approximately 20 calories per pound of bodyweight. Oh yeah, and you probably need 75 grams of fat or more. If you want to get big you have to eat a lot.

The main thing is to change your routine a lot. I completely change every single lift I do every 3 months, and that is too long for many people. As well, I rotate the order of my lifts weekly. Not only do I switch around the lifts, but I switch around the order in which I work my muscles weekly as well. On top of that, I rotate between higher reptitions (8-12) with slower movement and lower repititions (6 or less) with the fastest (While maintaing safety) negative I can do and an explosive positive. These are just examples, but don't ever let any two workouts be exactly the same.

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Mudge

Only 2 sets of delt presses for me, 2-3 sets of side laterals and 2-3 rear.

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JerseyDevil

Variety is the spice of life, and this is true for the bench press also. What's happened is you have gotten stale on doing the 5 x 5's. Try 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps one workout, 6-8 reps another, 4-6 reps, and finally a 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 pyramid. Alternate these workout to workout. I think you'll find varying the rep ranges will help you push thru your plateau.

Eggs

I agree with these guuys...

Variation is key for you. Your body is adapted and happy where it is, its something you'll have to fight off every day you're in the gym.

Close grip bench is amazing... and I personally believe that triceps are one of the main muscle groups that hold back a good bench. I could be wrong on that, but personally I've noticed a corrolation between tricep strength and improving my bench.

Umm, and eat more food

Burner02

I'm gonna agree w/ ya eggs! my tris are down..as well as my bench...

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o-dub

so variation is the key to breaking a plateau?

CowPimp

I agree totally. Once I started doing CG benches my standard bench press max went up 10 pounds shortly thereafter. It may be coincidence, but I was sort of plateaued at 250 for a little bit.

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CowPimp

It is one of the keys, yes. Diet and proper rest are also very important, and something that many unknowledgeable lifters don't realize the importance of.

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Todd Bostrom

5x5 twice a week

Drop the weight down to like 120. Add 5lbs per week.

Guarantee you will pass 155 when you get to it.

Don't do any extra chest work.

Do you want to get real strong?

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