Couldn't Top My Bench, Options?

So I’ve been working for almost a month on my own upper/lower 4-day routine (check my training log, input always welcome) and made some progress with my lifts. However, the past week I’ve not felt so great and was unable to deadlift as planned on 3/14/09 and replaced with squats, which also didn’t feel so great.

Today I was unable to beat my previous weeks performance on bench pressing. I’m trying to decide if I should take a week with lower weight/higher reps, change up exercises, or take a week with higher weight and lower reps. Open for suggestions.

If it’s just been one week that you haven’t progressed there’s no need to panic. Increase your calories and protein and give it another shot next week. If you still don’t progress I would recommend changing to another exercise. I have found that incline bench and floor press give me the best carryover. Flat Dumbbells work too.

[quote]bparis wrote:
So I’ve been working for almost a month on my own upper/lower 4-day routine (check my training log, input always welcome) and made some progress with my lifts. However, the past week I’ve not felt so great and was unable to deadlift as planned on 3/14/09 and replaced with squats, which also didn’t feel so great.

Today I was unable to beat my previous weeks performance on bench pressing. I’m trying to decide if I should take a week with lower weight/higher reps, change up exercises, or take a week with higher weight and lower reps. Open for suggestions.[/quote]

Quit trippin.