Bench is stalling

[Nate9]

Hi guys, first, a bit of info:

BW: 200 lbs
height: 5' 7"
Squat: 320
Deadlift: 360
Press: 127
Bench: 170
(all in lbs, for 5s)

Now, all my lifts are moving well, except for the bench. I tried to hit 170 for two sessions, failed both times, deloaded and got back to 170 today, which i failed again (got 5,4,3, and yes i am taking 1lbs jumps, resting 8 minutes and all that stuff).
My pressing is going great, even if at just 1lbs at a time, probably because my press 2.0 technique is great. My bench is not perfect but technique is fine.
What is the best course of action in this case? Switch to triples/back off sets or go to intermediate on bench while progressing the press linearly?
Thanks in advance.

[Nate9]

Forgot age, i am 20.

[ChasingCurls69]

Do you have a video of your technique? 5'7" and 200lbs probably doesn't necessitate weight gain to drive a 170lbs bench.

Assuming technique is good, you can do a top set of 5 with back off sets, and potentially add a set, so 1x5, followed by 3x5 at 90-95% of the top set.

[DeanT]

I always thought that bench was simple...push the bar up...how hard can it be. I was stuck at 325 lbs for 9 months because I refused to believe that I had a form problem. Truth is that I had a form problem. My coach kept telling me what to do and I kept ignoring her (easy to do with online coaching). Anyway, I finally saw Matt Reynolds in person and he fixed it. My bar path, foot position, elbow movement and arch were terrible. You are young enough and big enough that you should be able to blow through this sticking point. Also, don't skip your chin-ups...they really do help with bench.

Couple of finer points on benching:
1) Don't flare your elbows out of the bottom. They will start to flare about 1/2 way up but keep them tucked a bit. (focus on trying to bend the bar to keep your elbows in)
2) You need to have a very good reference point on the ceiling to stare at to make sure you are getting the correct bar path. I touch just below the nipples and bring the bar back so it is above or even slightly behind the eyes when at the top. It is super awkward at first but it really involves your lats.
3) Bring your feet back (towards your shoulders) as far as you can while still keeping your heels on the ground. (this really helps build a good arch and helps to keep your quads tight when benching)
4) You need to tuck your shoulders down before benching. (this is super hard to do when benching alone because without a lift off, shoulders often time come untucked)

A former member of this forum and super strong dude (Kong) always said that if you are comfortable when setting up for the bench, you are doing it wrong. Dude would know, he benches nearly 500 lbs.

I hope this helps...these were the big ones for me to get me through my sticking point and moving forward again.

[Nate9]

Video of me benching: video
Any thoughts on my form?

[SteveL]

I always thought that bench was simple...push the bar up...how hard can it be. I was stuck at 325 lbs for 9 months because I refused to believe that I had a form problem. Truth is that I had a form problem. My coach kept telling me what to do and I kept ignoring her (easy to do with online coaching). Anyway, I finally saw Matt Reynolds in person and he fixed it. My bar path, foot position, elbow movement and arch were terrible. You are young enough and big enough that you should be able to blow through this sticking point. Also, don't skip your chin-ups...they really do help with bench.

Couple of finer points on benching:
1) Don't flare your elbows out of the bottom. They will start to flare about 1/2 way up but keep them tucked a bit. (focus on trying to bend the bar to keep your elbows in)
2) You need to have a very good reference point on the ceiling to stare at to make sure you are getting the correct bar path. I touch just below the nipples and bring the bar back so it is above or even slightly behind the eyes when at the top. It is super awkward at first but it really involves your lats.
3) Bring your feet back (towards your shoulders) as far as you can while still keeping your heels on the ground. (this really helps build a good arch and helps to keep your quads tight when benching)
4) You need to tuck your shoulders down before benching. (this is super hard to do when benching alone because without a lift off, shoulders often time come untucked)

A former member of this forum and super strong dude (Kong) always said that if you are comfortable when setting up for the bench, you are doing it wrong. Dude would know, he benches nearly 500 lbs.

I hope this helps...these were the big ones for me to get me through my sticking point and moving forward again.

Thanks for posting these points. Going to make sure I learn from this.

[quikky]

Switch to intermediate programming now for bench/press, and keep running LP for squats/deadlifts if they're moving up. You do not need to finish your LP for all lifts at the same time.

If you're following the novice LP, you are benching 3x5 once or twice a week, depending on the week. You need more volume to drive your bench at this point.

[Dalton Clark]

I wouldn't switch to intermediate. I would go with 1 top set and 3 back off sets since this seems to get the bench going again for most people.

[DeanT]

Video of me benching: video
Any thoughts on my form?

I am far from an expert and I would really need to see a video from the side and the top to better understand your lifting technique. From this work set, I know for sure you can bring your feet back towards your shoulders more so you can tighten your quads and involve them in the lift. Trust me, this can be the difference between a set being a RPE 7 and RPE 9. I was doing (6) sets of 3 just yesterday on bench with 2 min rest between and the first 3 were RPE 8...I realized I wasn't tightening my legs that much. The next 3 sets were RPE 7 because I got my legs involved. They make a huge difference. Figure this out and I bet you eclipse 170 after you reset and work back up.

Watch the video and see how you flare your elbows just as you start to lift the weight off your chest. You want to prevent some of this...it feels awkward at first, but reset and work your way back up. I squeeze the life out of the bar and try to bend it (horizontally or parallel to the floor). This will help keep your elbows in. Once you really get the groove down, you won't have to think about bending the bar...just squeeze the living crap out of it.

I can't tell from the angle, but I suspect that your shoulders are not tucked down (toward the butt) either. You need them tucked to help engage the lats. Since you have a spotter, tuck them and get a lift off...this really helps keep them in place.

Honestly, I can't really see the bar path from the vid. It looks decent, but hard to know for sure from this angle.

Again, I'm no expert so if a SSC or someone more qualified gives you points that differ from mine, I would defer to them.

[ChasingCurls69]

I'm not terribly concerned with the elbow flare since the forearms stay vertical, although the last rep might have a little too much.

I'd make your feet a bit wider, bring them back towards your shoulders while keeping the heels down (turning yoir feet out more may assist with this). Then push your weight onto your shoulders using your feet. Think of the shoulders pinned to the bench as the midfoot balance point of the bench press.