Intermediate Bench Programming

[Thisisthebiggs]

I am 32, 5'11, 228

I am currently doing a 4 day split

Day 1: Bench 1 x 5, press 10 x 1, chinups 3 x amrap
Day 2: Deadlift 1 x 5, squat 1 x 5
Day 3: Bench 5 x 5, press 5 x 5, chinups, 3 x amrap
Day 4: Squat 4 x 5, powerclean 5 x 3

The last two weeks I did 215 x 5 x 5 and 220 x 5 x 5 for volume bench and have failed the 5th rep of 240 x 5. I did jump the weight 5 lbs from 235 x 5 because it went up easily, so maybe the solution is to drop to 237.5 x 5 and then go up 2.5 lbs going forward. Should I move to 2 x 3 for intensity day if that doesn't work?

Should I consider adding close grip bench backoffs to intensity bench or weighted dips to address the inability to lockout the 5th rep?

I don't think this a recovery issue as I am sleeping and eating enough to keep the other lifts progressing, but i could be wrong here

[JamesFazz]

You have recognised not having made the appropriate adjustment and having being greedy, you already know what to do.

[ReconquistaBarbell]

Sometimes you just have bad days... I'd go back to 237.5 and retry. If you are stuck and not underecovered, the assistance exercises could increase stress withouth being overwhelming and help progress to resume, but I think its best to be sure whats going on before jamming a bunch of stuff in the program.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sometimes you just have bad days... I'd go back to 237.5 and retry. If you are stuck and not underecovered, the assistance exercises could increase stress withouth being overwhelming and help progress to resume, but I think its best to be sure whats going on before jamming a bunch of stuff in the program.

What assistance exercises have you done that made your bench go up?

[ReconquistaBarbell]

What assistance exercises have you done that made your bench go up?

The only one that I ever noticed any sort of carryover was pin bench presses.

[jmontgomery88]

You’re doing intensity bench/press on the same day and volume bench/press the same day?

Have you considered splitting that stress differently? IE Intensity bench/volume press on one day and intensity press/volume bench on the other?

[Fatboyleeroy]

What assistance exercises have you done that made your bench go up?

Assuming strength increase is the only goal, would you include any assistance work on pressing days? Or should the press / bench be enough?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The only "assistance" work necessary would be heavy partial versions of the main lifts, applied judiciously because they are easy to overtrain.