Advanced Novice Choices for Bench Press

[Jeff LC]

I am 30yo male, 200 pounds.

I have been doing the program strict, for 5 weeks, but something pretty similar to it for 3 or 4 months.

I have gone from 185 to 200 pounds body weight in just those 5 weeks so i am definitely eating enough, and sleep is on point.

I failed last week on bench at 185 bench on the 3rd set (5, 5, 4). Succeeded the following time at that weight. And then succeeded again the next time at 190. Today i did 195 and failed again (5,4,3, 3). As i mentioned, diet and sleep are on point, and rest times between sets were extremely long, maybe like 8 minutes, so that covers the "first 3 questions". All signs point towards me running out of linear gains on bench; I have been linear since basically 115 pounds.

So, i think i need to make a change. I'm aware my options are to switch to 5 sets of 3, or switch to one top set and back off sets, and/or begin microloading. I'm curious which I should do first, or how i decide which one is right for me?

I plan to try to succeed at 195 again next time, and if I do, maybe from there i will start doing 2 pound increments, instead of 5. Is it better to try microloading first before switching to triples or back off sets?

Thanks,

[wsmoran]

So, i think i need to make a change. I'm aware my options are to switch to 5 sets of 3, or switch to one top set and back off sets, and/or begin microloading. I'm curious which I should do first, or how i decide which one is right for me?

If you aren't microloado g your pressing movements then the first 3 questions are not actually covered. Go with that.

[Dillon Spencer]

Haha I just posted in your log about this, probably while you were typing this. Definitely micro load. That's not even an advanced novice adjustment. It's just what you're supposed to do. Ideally you'd have started before you failed the first time, but better late than never. Save those other hacks for when you can't make progress micro loading 3 sets of 5.

[wsmoran]

Also without specifics, we can't say for sure that the eating and sleeping are necessarily on point. Body weight doesn't tell us anything about what you are eating or how much you are sleeping.

[Erik Y]

Good job making it to almost body weight for five reps with five pound jumps. Start making 2.5 pound jumps. If you don’t have smaller plates, find or make something else that is 1.25 pounds and clamp it to the bar. Do this and don’t keep going to failure; I’d even recommend doing 192.5 next time instead of 195. If you do this right, you should be able to advance for a while without staling.

[Mark Rippetoe]

so that covers the "first 3 questions".

.................................

and/or begin microloading.

Amazing.

[Jeff LC]

Good job making it to almost body weight for five reps with five pound jumps. Start making 2.5 pound jumps. If you don’t have smaller plates, find or make something else that is 1.25 pounds and clamp it to the bar. Do this and don’t keep going to failure; I’d even recommend doing 192.5 next time instead of 195. If you do this right, you should be able to advance for a while without staling.

Thanks , I have 0.5 pound plates so I guess I’ll just go in 2 pound increments instead of 5. Hopefully that lasts for a while. Would like to stay on LP through 225 for sets of 5. That would mean 30 pounds more or 15 workouts or 10 weeks!

I see now that microloading was the obvious answer; I certainly love asking unnecessary dumb questions

[Jeff LC]

Also without specifics, we can't say for sure that the eating and sleeping are necessarily on point. Body weight doesn't tell us anything about what you are eating or how much you are sleeping.

Yea I know you can’t, but I am not concerned on that front. I eat tons of meat veggies and rice, with an extra 100g of whey protein mixed with whole milk on top of it every day. I eat clean and a ton, only possible issue could be eating too much.

And for sleep, I have been getting 9 hours a night.