Press and Bench Press Programming - Getting and Staying Unstuck | Nick Delgadillo

[stef]

SSC Nick Delgadillo recorded a live broadcast on Facebook going through how to adjust your programming for the press and bench press. Including how to get and stay unstuck. Originally recorded April 9, 2020.

[CommanderFun]

Man I'm gonna have to sit down and give this a go when I get back from the Dr. One quick tip from Nick completely unfucked my squat bar positioning. Something this long must be full of goodies.

[FlamingoDeFranc]

I just watched this and hopefully the insight I gained will help me. My bench has been barely growing for a long time now. I've been following a four-day split with presses on Mon/Thurs and squats/deads on Tues/Fri. I'm not too concerned with my pressing and really would rather grow my bench, it's something I've only ever trained with dumbbells and I've done more benching over the last year than I have throughout the rest of my life. (About 15 years since I first started 'exercising' around 16.)

Over the last year and a half, I've steadily increased my squat, which is around 430lbx5x5 (volume) 460x5/500x1x3(intensity). My deadlift has pretty much stayed the same for the last year (top single around 530), but I'm pretty sure that's due to having to recover from past injuries and having to improve my form -I feel confident that my deadlift is about to start growing again.

But damn has my bench been discouraging. I commonly have issues with pinching in the front head of my right deltoid that I often use as an excuse to skip pressing/not press heavy... when it feels good, I press. For the press, I'm pretty much exactly where I started off (mid160s-mid170s for sets of 5). But I've been trying to lock down a solid routine for my benching days and I'm curious if I'm on the right track to figuring it out....

Today's lift was -
Bench 265x4x3 and 265x3x2 (two weeks ago I did 265x5x5 and last week I did 240x8x3) I listened to above video and have thus decided to again work the 265 to 5x5 and then I'll work on mastering 270x5x5 before increasing the weight again, solid plan?
Today, I did Press after Bench for 152x5 and 163x5x2. It was the first time pressing for a couple weeks. Does it really make a difference to make this an intensity lift for singles done before the volume benching? I've been treating the press as a secondary lift after both volume and intensity bench. Would it be more beneficial to treat the press as the primary lift on one of these days?
After Press, I did pin bench presses 285x1x5 for the first time (after hearing the recommendation from Nick). I'm aware he said to maybe throw it in as a standalone movement the day before intensity bench, but is it detrimental to incorporate it as I have?
I followed the pin presses with CG bench at 220x8x3. I've become aware that my constant sticking point is when my elbow crease hits the 90 degree angle (about 6-7" above my chest).
Finally, I rounded off the work out with slow and controlled weighted dips with a pause at the bottom. These are done deep and are generally pain free if I stay controlled. I shoot for 8-10 reps on these.

Is this too much for volume day, am I overdoing it?

I have the Practical Programming for Strength Training book and I've read several (of what I considered relevant) chapters in it, but not the entire thing. Do I really just need to make the time and get through the book cover to cover? I have an ever-growing list of books on the table that has kind of prevented this.

My physical stats are -
5'9
215lbs
30 years old.
Milk, egg, and steak diet. No P.E.Ds.

For some reason, I can just feel that I can get my bench above 400 if I can figure it all out. Is this a loony thought?

Thanks for the time.

[eriwin]

I just stumbeled upon this video. I just dropped in to say thank you. Excellent stuff 👍

You should put this kind of talks on the podcast to increase the spread.

[Bill Anders]

Thanks for this, Nick! When you posted it originally, I didn't have access to a gym or weights, so I had it playing in the background and not giving you the attention you deserved.

You pretty much described my current sticking at 132.5lbsx5x3 and I was thinking of going to 3x5. Now I know better and will keep pressing for 5s as long as possible and rounding out to 15 total each workout, referring to my page of notes if I have any questions.

[Lucas Gallo]

This is great content by Nick as usual. I have a question about my situation.
I've been doing a compressed TM for 12 weeks.on week 10 I started going backwards in the press at about 160 for 5 singles and with 133 5x5 strict press on Wednesday. Then on week 12 I failed on the deadlift, couldn't break 407 off the floor.
According Nick's analysis (10:28) the press is lacking recovery and the deadlift is not stressed enough.
Anyway, my plan is to begin phase 2 with vd deload(-10%), on intensity day for the press and deadlift(-5%). Does that sound like a good plan?