Falling Short of Goals, Need Help

Hey guys need help Here are my 2013 goals:

Squat: 405x5
Bench 405x1
Dead lift 500x1

Progress has been very slow I bulked 10 pounds with minimal strength gain currently;
Squat 370x2
Bench 300x4
Deadlift 435x1

September is around the corner I’ve been doing layne norton Phat for last 6 months,. Thinkin of switching to Bill starr 5x5 or something but not sure. What should I do got 5 months Gonna continue to bulk up 15-20 pounds hoping that will help me to my goals. Alot of you guys are real strong here any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I worked hard all year stayed away from all my friends (party too much), ate clean but seems like I’m failing!

Failing is a strong word, it’s hard to say if you are failing because you didn’t mention what your numbers looked like at the beginning of the year compared to now, if you’re making strength gains then you aren’t failing. How Long have you been training for? What do you mean by minimal strength gains? What does “bulking” mean to you? You have good numbers you have to be patient with it it takes time.

I did Bill Starr 5x5 for my first ever program and it was great for me, but I was a beginner in all aspects. I put bill starr’s program in the same court as I would starting strength. You’re current bench 1rm would be about 340, going up 60 pounds in 5 months is quite a goal. I’m not hating at all on you I hope that you do make all of your goals by the end of the year, but realistically I don’t see how it would be possible unless you are on gear, or if you are a beginner, which you aren’t.

If the purpose of your thread was a program recommendation, I would buy Jim Wendler’s beyond 5/3/1 ebook and do the strength focused program in there. I strongly believe in Wendler’s philosophies. Keep setting goals, but if you don’t hit these numbers by the end of the year, I wouldn’t get too down on yourself.

Always focus on form when strength is the goal. It should be the priority except perhaps for the really advanced guys. Great form requires a lot of repetition work in the 80% bracket + a lot of analysis on your side. Also, you didn’t give details regarding your actual progress or lack of it so far this year. Maybe the progress wasn’t that bad and your goals were just too high. Btw, the bench goal is stupid high given where you are. You will not achieve that in 5 months except perhaps when hammering the good ol’ test/tren/dbol.

Any of the usual programs floating around the net will help you progress given you put the time and effort in. There is no secret program.

There is a big difference between jumping from 200 lb to 300 lb bench and a 300 lb to 400 lb bench.

Been training close to 5 years will Bill Star be a ba idea if I’m not a beginner then?

[quote]hailmary5150 wrote:
Been training close to 5 years will Bill Star be a ba idea if I’m not a beginner then?[/quote]

I’ve seen a lot of “advanced” lifters go back to simpler programs and resume rapid progress. A good example is Jim Wendler who went from one of the most complex system (Westside) to one of the simplest (5/3/1).

I think that when you get more advanced, you can start to overthink things and overcomplicate your training because you think you need it. Going back to a simpler program, even if it is momentary, can allow you to focus on the intensity and just getting the work done.

The strongest people that I know personally got strong using Sheiko or some variation/modification of it.

I’m not saying that Sheiko programming is the only way to get strong, but I haven’t seen it fail yet.

[quote]PulsedEE wrote:
There is a big difference between jumping from 200 lb to 300 lb bench and a 300 lb to 400 lb bench.[/quote]

Enormous difference. How many guys do you see bench 315 much less 405 in a average gym? Not many. Just keep at it OP and keep pushing. You will get there.

Sheiko also provides an awesome opportunity to tune up your technique since you do a LOT of reps in medium intensity. I seriously wonder how many people made gains from sheiko not so much from a biological point (nervous system/body composition) but from a mechanical one.

I’d also recommend you stop focusing on the numbers and focus on your body. Are you just showing up and benching x reps for y sets, or are you consciously evaluating every single rep, your technique, and what you can work on to get stronger?

[quote]hailmary5150 wrote:
Been training close to 5 years will Bill Star be a ba idea if I’m not a beginner then?[/quote]

That is all you got from this thread?

[quote]Bauber wrote:

[quote]PulsedEE wrote:
There is a big difference between jumping from 200 lb to 300 lb bench and a 300 lb to 400 lb bench.[/quote]

Enormous difference. How many guys do you see bench 315 much less 405 in a average gym? Not many. Just keep at it OP and keep pushing. You will get there.[/quote]

X3. It took me one year of training to get to 315, but once I go in the 300’s things really slowed down. Reminds me of a thread I made when I first started:

I don’t want to be the type to piss on your parade OP, but 300x4 is nowhere near a 405 bench. That doesn’t mean you failed, I just think maybe were a little too optimistic on that particular goal. Once I stalled on my bench, I had was able to get it moving using Wendler’s 5/3/1. I think you can hit a 405 bench, but it might take a little longer. I’m not sure what your max is but based on 300x4 I’d guess somewhere around 330-340. I think 365 would be a decent goal by New Years and maybe 405 by the end of summer 2014.