Benchpress grinding out reps

[shanuea]

My benchpress is starting to get hard and my reps are very slow. The last few in particular almost come to a halt halfway up, but I manage to complete them. Should I still increase in weight next workout if this is happening?

[Tiburon]

how old
how tall
how heavy
how much rest between sets
how much are you lifting
how many reps and sets

etc
etc

[John2336]

Yes, until you stall three times you should just depend on your recovery to get you trhough the next workout. In the mean time, make sure your eating and sleeping enough. You might consider going to lower weight increases from here on out as well.

[shanuea]

Ok thanks, I'm increasing 2.5 kgs each workout. Perhaps microload for the next one.

[Carlos Daniel]

The price of not failing a grinder rep is having to increase the weight in your next workout. At least that's one way to see it.

[shanuea]

Carlos you're up late. My girlfriend is in Rio at the moment. Get some sleep man!

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Ok thanks, I'm increasing 2.5 kgs each workout. Perhaps microload for the next one.

Definitely. Hard to keep up 5+ lb jumps on the bench. I have a pretty slow and grindy bench too, and I have found the following to be useful in pushing me through, whether they are problems I try to eliminate or just things I focus on:
Bar path: I discovered after a ridiculously long time that the reason some of my reps felt easier and some felt nigh on impossible was that my bar path sucked. I have since maintained a monastic devotion to hitting the same place on my chest every single time, and it has helped a lot. As my bench got heavier (for me), that was one of the key elements of form I lost track of easily.

Elbow position: When it gets heavy, mine tend to want to chicken wing up toward my shoulders, so I have to focus on tucking them in on the descent, which cues whatever muscles I use to keep them in place. Lats prolly.

Squeeze the bar: The "leave your fingerprints in the bar" cue is great. Squeeze the shit out of that fucker. SQUEEZE IT, DAMMIT! I think I read somewhere else to think about throwing a punch when you are driving up, and having a nice, tight fist. I find it helpful.

Play with physics: I like to think about pushing my back away from the bar when it gets heavy, rather than trying to push the bar away from me. This makes me really lock down my arch and my back position on the bench, and keep my chest up. If I do this just sitting here on the couch with my arms slightly bent and raised in front of me, they straighten a little and spread out away from me. I like to think this is what is happening under the bar as well. Also in that vein, instead of thinking about pushing my arms out straight, I think about squeezing my elbows together, which for some reason also seems to help. Think I read that somewhere, too.

And, of course, food, rest, etc. And I swear creatine has helped me, too.

[Carlos Daniel]

Carlos you're up late. My girlfriend is in Rio at the moment. Get some sleep man!

hahaha, you are right. I should really be going to bed now. See you guys!

[MazdaMatt]

how old
how tall
how heavy
how much rest between sets
how much are you lifting
how many reps and sets

etc
etc

+ "how much weight have you gained in the past 3 weeks"

[shanuea]

I'm 27yo. 169cms tall. 72kgs. 5+ minutes rest between sets. Lifting 70kgs on bench (doing SS). Have put on 3kgs in the last 3 weeks.