Should I just start over? (bench press)

[Klusps]

My bench press was at 95 lbs when I first started and I didn't really have trouble adding weight until I got to 115. Then it got more difficult, but I was still able to get to 125. But around 125-130, that's when I get stuck. No matter what I do, I just can't get pass this point.

After several failed attempts to break 125, I started microloading and actually got past it. But then I got to 130 and I felt like I hit a brick wall. I dropped the weight 10% again and thought that maybe my form was bad and that I needed to fix it. While this was happening though, I got sick and had to take three weeks off. After the break, I started again from 115 and now I can't even break 125 anymore!

I've made so many 10% resets, I've wasted so much time. Right now, I'm 5'5" 157 lbs, but I'm skinny fat so my body fat is a little over 20%. My goal was to at least get to 150 lbs bench press, but that didn't happen... Today, I looked at the calendar and realized that I actually wasted 6 freaking months jumping back and forth on bench -_-

I'm so frustrated because all my other lifts are steadily going up, but I've wasted so much time getting nowhere on the bench press. At this point, I'm wondering if I should just drop everything and start my bench over again?

[Purecanadianhoney]

what are your sets/reps? training frequency? are you pressing?

[Klusps]

what are your sets/reps? training frequency? are you pressing?

I try to aim for 3x5.

I feel like my form is good when I'm benching low weights, but when it gets heavier, my form degrades. It's hard trying to get my form to stay consistent.

[Harry Flashman]

You may be overtraining if you're doing 3x5 bench every workout.

The Wichita falls novice programme, for example, programmes bench/press thusly:

A: press 2x5
bench 1x5

B:
press 1x5
bench 2x5


Lots of people, myself included, have progressed smoothly using that scheme which amounts to no more than 4-5 x 5 bench sets a week, whereas you seem to be doing 9 if not more.

[KAG]

To clarify, how many days per week are you benching? Are you benching Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Or are you benching every other workout?

Are you doing the overhead press also?

What are your warmup sets?

How many times are you failing at each weight before you are resetting 10%?

[Klusps]

I'm doing bench every other workout, so I alternate between bench press and OH press as far as pressing movements go.

Warmup would go something like this...

bar x 10
55 x 7
85 x 5
105 x 3
115 x 2
125 (3x5) main sets

And I'm told that you should drop the weight 10% after failing three times, so that's the rule I follow most of the time. Though I admit there were one or two times where I actually dropped the weight back after the first failure since it felt too heavy.

[dpinsen]

I'm doing bench every other workout, so I alternate between bench press and OH press as far as pressing movements go.

Warmup would go something like this...

bar x 10
55 x 7
85 x 5
105 x 3
115 x 2
125 (3x5) main sets

And I'm told that you should drop the weight 10% after failing three times, so that's the rule I follow most of the time. Though I admit there were one or two times where I actually dropped the weight back after the first failure since it felt too heavy.

Don't know if it explains why you're stock, but when it comes to warmups, YNDTP. According to the Starting Strength iPhone Warmup App, your warmups should be these if you're working with 125lbs:

Weight Sets Reps
45 2 5
65 1 5
85 1 3
105 1 2
115 1 1

Also, are you eating enough protein and getting enough sleep?

[Klusps]

Don't know if it explains why you're stock, but when it comes to warmups, YNDTP. According to the Starting Strength iPhone Warmup App, your warmups should be these if you're working with 125lbs:

Weight Sets Reps
45 2 5
65 1 5
85 1 3
105 1 2
115 1 1

Also, are you eating enough protein and getting enough sleep?

Cool, I didn't even know there was an app for that, so I'll check that out.

Since I'm more skinny fat (5'5" 157 lbs), I'm slow bulking, so I eat around 2800 calories per day and always my body weight in protein. I try to get 8-9 hours of sleep everyday, although sometimes once or twice a week, I end up getting 6-7 hours instead from catching up on school work.

[Philbert]

When you fail, what happens and when?

How old are you?

Are you male or female?

How much can you press?

How many chinups can you do?

[KAG]

I forgot to ask the obvious question earlier, and that is..............

...are you setting up correctly?

Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw

It is part 1 of 7. Watch them all.

Also watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krvj3HgYlVc

Do as Dave Tate says.