Island Roots

I've been hitting the gym consistently for the past 8 months. I've been focusing a lot more on upper body strength as opposed to lower body.

My chest, biceps, triceps and shoulders are getting visibly bigger and I'm lifting heavier dumbbells and whatnots in those areas. However, when it comes to benching I simply cannot gain anything. I'm stuck at slapping 25s on each side and doing a set of 10, a set of 7, then a set of 5 and I'm spent. I'm benching 95lbs.

I don't really understand how I'm making gains in the different parts of my upper body yet my bench has stayed exactly the same.

When benching I don't go until complete failure as 99% of the time, I don't have someone spotting me. But I go until I know I couldn't complete the next rep if I were to do it. Could that be part of the problem?

I get motivated when I see the gains I'm making but I'm brought down when I still cannot bench any more.

I realize that this is a general question that is asked quite a bit, but I think I'm bringing to the table more than what most people do who come here asking how to increase their bench. By that I mean that I am making visible gains in all other lifting except the bench which has stayed the same.

Any ideas?

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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." Albert Einstein

ihateschoolmt

What is your routine?

Seanp156

Yes, it would help a lot if we knew your routine, the next thing someone might want to know would be diet as well...

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Squaggleboggin

Dumbbells work. I added 20 lbs. to my bench in 6-8 wks. without ever doing BB bench (I did flat DB presses and flies, that's it for chest). Also, make sure you squat and deadlift - those two exercises release the most growth hormones and will help you make gains in other areas, such as benching. As mentioned above, a good clean diet can help tremendously, but if you're looking for more specific advice, the more experienced members will need more information.

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dAMvN

Try this routine for your chest. Make sure to warm up correctly and use weight you can properly do 4-8 reps. Bring down the Barbell touch your chest and lift up and DONT lock your elbows and bring it down slowly touch your chest again.. etc. You should not be afraid to ask for help we you need a spotter. A spotter can help you keep your balance and form.

Flat Bench: 4x10
Incline Bench: 4x10
DB Bench: 4x10
DB Incline: 4x10
DB Flys: 4x10
Dips: (add plates if you can) 4xTo Failure

Age: 19

PreMier

thats alot of shit

Where are you getting stuck on the movement? If its right off the chest, you need to work on your lats. If its a few inches off, to the top, its the triceps. Also look at the benching form link in Mudge's sig.

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HardTrainer

I cant cope with people anymore that think more is better, i do 3-4 total worksets for my chest a week, my 1rm is 310lbs

But then agen maybe he just needs to swap incline bench to decline bench to really add that manly POWER! to his bench

Doublebase

Post your diet, routine, goals and stats.

Celtic Bhoy

24 sets in 1 workout? Ehhhh....... nope, unless your very genetically gifted.

Try heavy dumbbells, or a heavier weight that you can do less reps with for a few workouts, then go back to your usual weight and rep range.Or as PreMier pointed it out it might be that your tris or lats need a bit of work too mate.

devildog88

One thing that has helped me is switching to dumbells. When you are working by yourself you can take these to failure and not get pinned. Just the fact that you can go that extra rep without worrying will help you.

"Everyone wants to win but not everyone is willing to prepare to win" Bobby Knight

Seanp156

If you're not careful though (not knowing your limits), your arms can give out and that's equally as dangerous.

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WATTS

ya this is way too much for chest...this is too high of volume...try to keep the volume down and intensity up..i dont go over 10 sets per bodypart...if you want you can give this a try(one of the routines that i do) while training each bodypart once a week..
Incline Barbell Presses 5x6-10
Flat DB Presses 3x6-10
Flat DB FLYES 2x8-12

Have a spotter for the first two lifts to get a few forced reps in and to make sure you can go heavy enough to push yourself..just dont use so much that you sacrafice form. and make sure that you warm up first

Metman07

Going to muscle failure might help too. I read in a few magazines that this is very important.

Island Roots

I've had that happen before while using dumbbells on an incline bench. I was almost to the end of my set and I almost had the dumbbells to the top then my right arm gave out and the damn dumbbell came down and almost hit me in the head. Luckily I moved my head to the side and it hit me in the shoulder.

I can see myself with a black eye and broken cheek bone going to school the next day.

"Damn who'd you get into a fight with?"

"Oh, that 35lb dumbbell at the gym."

Five fourths of all Americans have trouble with fractions.

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." Albert Einstein

MillerMan

back and chest you could do around 15 sets i wouldnt do much more, smaller muscles groups i wouldnt go much over 12, it also depends alot on if you are pushing yourself to muscle failure each set...if so something like 6-9 sets might be enough

Mudge

Back is a much larger and more complex array of muscles than the chest, definitely more back volume than chest is needed IMO.

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