Bench check - early stages plateau?!

[PatrickS]

I'm trying to keep it short:

• 28 year old male from Hamburg, Germany
• Height: 167cm (5 foot 6)
• Did some calisthenics, TRX training & running last couple of years with some unfortunate injuries.
• Started SS NLP 25/09/2017 at 63.2 KG (139 lbs) bodyweight.
• Squat check thread here.
• DL check thread here.

Starting numbers:

• Squat: 52.5 KG (116 lbs)
• Press: 35 KG (77 lbs)
• DL: 60 KG (132 lbs)
• Bench: 47.5 KG (105)

I have some issues with the press and bench since I can't seem to increase the weight at all. I already posted the issue here.

Therefore my current numbers:

• Bodyweight: 67,8 KG (149 lbs)
• Squat: 70 KG (154 lbs)
• Press: 35 KG (77 lbs)
• DL: 100 KG (220 lbs)
• Bench: 56 KG (121 lbs)

Bench from spotters view (first set):

YouTube

Bench from the side (second set):

YouTube

[whale]

I don't see anything so bad in your form that would stop the progress. Have you read this?

The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe

Your weight gain is not that impressive so it might be the 3rd one. You DO NOT need a deload.

[Satch12879]

While the top down view doesn’t look in correct, the side view appears to show you touching way too far down your chest. Look at your bar path; it’s more sloped than it needs to be and it’s looping all over the place. Fight to keep your shoulders back and tucked. Slower, more controlled descent. Just a hair though.

We’d probably like to see a front oblique at hip height (per the sticky no one reads...) so we can see if your grip is correct and where your forearms end up at the bottom.

Finally, ten pounds of body weight gain in two months is not going to help you.

[PatrickS]

Thanks for the feedback!

I read the sticky:

[...]BENCH PRESS
1) Usually shot best from above the head of the lifter looking down at a 45 degree angle (from where the spotter would stand), although from the side is good as long as we can see where the bar touches the chest, as well as the end of the bar.[...]

I'll post the video after the next bench workout.

Yeah I'm working on the weight gain...

[Royce Nichols]

You need to get much much tighter in your bench setup. I can say some of these things in text but I think a video might be helpful, at least I am more of a visual learner. I love this video by Dave Tate—he really drives home the importance of getting setup in the bench. ‘If you’re comfortable in your bench setup, you are in the wrong position’. You don’t have to do everything he does, but I think it may help! Good luck.

YouTube

[Royce Nichols]

Also, refill your AIR. Take a biiiiiig breath before each rep and hold it.

[Rodolfo Bryant]

Agree with some feedback here. You look like you're benching on a bosu ball. The bench you're on is solid, you should be too.

Shoulders - back and down, squeeze/arch upper back; make a stable platform to work from. Legs - rotate feet forward to a stronger position, pull them toward your shoulders to create tension against your braced abs and hip flexors (brace your abs and hip flexors).

More protein.

[Karl Schudt]

Plus, you are lifting to Katy Perry.

Try AC/DC.

[PatrickS]

Plus, you are lifting to Katy Perry.

Try AC/DC.

xD Yeah, kind of sucks, to listen to whatever is on the radio. I always disable the sound on my computer when watching lifting vids so I missed that one im my video analysis...