Bench is stalling

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

Why not start simple. Do 1 set of 5 bench with your next or previous bench weight in overhead press day before you leave the gym. Or another option could be to do something a bit different such as 2 sets of inclined dumbbell presses in overhead day.

[Dlk93]

No one mentioned this about the spotter so I will: politely ask him to not touch the bar unless the bar starts going down (as opposed to when it just slows down), just so you'll know the rep is yours. Form wise I don't see anything egregious that would add 40 more pounds to your bench. 170 isn't a terrible end number for bench on LP. I'd begin modifying bench programming, the simplest way being to just add a set. I would also take 5-10 pounds or so off so you can back off the intensity a bit so that you're not grinding away at RPE10 every session. SO, my game plan would be to back off to 160 (assuming 160 is around an RPE8) and go 4 sets of 5. Also, I'm not sure that 1 pound jumps are necessary. Have you tried 2.5?

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

No one mentioned this about the spotter so I will: politely ask him to not touch the bar unless the bar starts going down (as opposed to when it just slows down), just so you'll know the rep is yours. Form wise I don't see anything egregious that would add 40 more pounds to your bench. 170 isn't a terrible end number for bench on LP. I'd begin modifying bench programming, the simplest way being to just add a set. I would also take 5-10 pounds or so off so you can back off the intensity a bit so that you're not grinding away at RPE10 every session. SO, my game plan would be to back off to 160 (assuming 160 is around an RPE8) and go 4 sets of 5. Also, I'm not sure that 1 pound jumps are necessary. Have you tried 2.5?

Aheee with this. Or bench in a squat rack and ditch thr soptter. That works for me to keep me honest


Question: is there a benefit to 4 sets of 5 on bench day as opposed to 3 sets as scheduled and the 4 th set as an assistance on overhead day? To me, thr assistance model would address potential detraining between bench workouts.

[Dlk93]

Question: is there a benefit to 4 sets of 5 on bench day as opposed to 3 sets as scheduled and the 4 th set as an assistance on overhead day? To me, thr assistance model would address potential detraining between bench workouts.

I don't have experience with the "assistance model" so I can't say what benefits it might have. One drawback however: it would be easier to just tack on another set on bench day, rather than on press day, since you'd have to then warm up for bench to just get one set of five.

[Meshuggah]

Some of the advice around here these days is horrendous.

[hamburgerfan]

Aheee with this. Or bench in a squat rack and ditch thr soptter. That works for me to keep me honest


Question: is there a benefit to 4 sets of 5 on bench day as opposed to 3 sets as scheduled and the 4 th set as an assistance on overhead day? To me, thr assistance model would address potential detraining between bench workouts.

Oz, I imagine you realize that 4 sets of 5 is not the recommended volume for bench presses in Staring Strength. Are you a competitive powerlifter? Are you training to bench press 4 sets of 5 in a meet? In any case, stick with 3 sets of 5. Get massively strong benching 3 sets of 5, and then feel free to experiment with 4 sets of 5.

[Dlk93]

Some of the advice around here these days is horrendous.

And you consider that a helpful piece of advice I suppose.

[Dalton Clark]

Oz, I imagine you realize that 4 sets of 5 is not the recommended volume for bench presses in Staring Strength. Are you a competitive powerlifter? Are you training to bench press 4 sets of 5 in a meet? In any case, stick with 3 sets of 5. Get massively strong benching 3 sets of 5, and then feel free to experiment with 4 sets of 5.

Going to 1 top set and 3 back off sets on the bench is something that has been recommended by many Starting Strength coaches to others as well as to me personally. In fact, Andy Baker would like to see most novices train the bench twice a week relatively early on in their career because it responds well to additional volume for most people. So. . .even though it isn't in the book it is an extremely useful and well endorsed method.

[ChasingCurls69]

Aheee with this. Or bench in a squat rack and ditch thr soptter. That works for me to keep me honest


Question: is there a benefit to 4 sets of 5 on bench day as opposed to 3 sets as scheduled and the 4 th set as an assistance on overhead day? To me, thr assistance model would address potential detraining between bench workouts.

You said it would be simpler to add a set on another day or use a different exercise, but that's changing more variables at once. Why do that when we can manipulate just volume and intensity first?

As for the other post, it's mocking the advice an SSC gave to someone who asked specifically for a form check on sumo deadlifts in the technique section, which was decidedly not helpful.

[Dalton Clark]

Aheee with this. Or bench in a squat rack and ditch thr soptter. That works for me to keep me honest


Question: is there a benefit to 4 sets of 5 on bench day as opposed to 3 sets as scheduled and the 4 th set as an assistance on overhead day? To me, thr assistance model would address potential detraining between bench workouts.

The primary reason - in my opinion - for not simply doing a fourth set after pressing would be to preserve the traditional 48 hour recovery window. If a trainee can't recovery and adapt from 3 heavy sets of 5 within 48 hours, but we suspect they are still a novice, then there must be something that they can recovery and adapt to within 48 hours while still preserving linear increases in strength. If we spread the stress out over 3 days, the trainee is now accumulating stress over two separate bouts and the adaptation cycle is now up to 4 or 5 days. In other words, they aren't providing a stress, recovering, and adapting inside of 48 hours. There is also some concern that the 3 sets could be almost enough to stimulate an adaptation response but not quite. Let's say we get 90% of the way there. The trainee now rests for 48 hours which recovers this down to say 20%. On overhead day, then add another set of bench which puts them to say 90% again. This is kind of the problem. Hopefully it makes some kind of sense.

I guess the gist of it is that this approach is moving more towards a weekly programming methodology which complicates things when we could just do four sets. However, you are onto something which is that Starting Strength only benches/presses 1.5 per week each on average which will eventually be insufficient. This is why Andy Baker recommends pressing and benching twice a week each sooner than you think is necessary. Of course, this requires that the trainee really understands how to tinker with intensity and volume to get this right. I need coffee. Too early for this long of post.