T Nation

Need Bench Help Badly

Powerlifting
#1

Hey everyone,

I have a real flat bench problem at the moment and nothing I have tried has worked at fixing it. Over the past 3 years I had been gradually increasing my 3 rep max for flat bench and was very content but about 5 months ago it went sour.

All of a sudden it has been plummeting downwards and I can’t seem to stop it. I’ve tried everything from more cable pulls and dumbbells (usually stick to barbell), higher rep schemes, working more on my triceps, and even giving my chest a couple weeks off.

Have any of you had a similar experience and any tips or exercises I could try to help?

#2

What’s your whole program look like? Are you eating enough? Are you getting enough rest? Are you generally stressed out in life at the moment?

…Are you overtraining?

#3

My program is a six day program where I train 6 out of 10 days. i have three heavy days (3-5 reps) and three high rep days (10-15 reps). It’s split so I’m doing chest and arms, back and shoulders, legs and core. but with the main focus still being on squats, deadlifts and bench.

I’m eating fairly well right now including a 1300 cal breakfast almost every day, but money is slightly a factor in eating more at the moment because I’m at university and don’t have the cash to be buying endless amounts of food.

Don’t really get stressed to be honest

I guess there is the potential I’m over training but I feel as though being a 20 year old I can take on an extra day a week than someone older.

#4

Have you been doing the same program the same way with the same main exercises for those three years? Might be time to shake things up.

#5

overtraining, you need to eat and sleep more, and learn to adapt your routine to fix weak points as they come up.

food- grocery stores sell cheap protein powders, start making shakes.

#6

include military presses, train them tris hard eat more food if you cant afford protein powder add eggs and milk…oh and by milk i mean full fat milk not that watery skim shit.