So after I got stuck at my flat bb bench i switched to db’s… I can’t seem to make any improvement though. I thought about maybe doin some floor presses… also, when i do my db presses i go all the way down until i cant anymore which causes my elbows to tuck in towards my lats, but when i watch some of the pros do them, they seem to go down just a bit lower than 90 degrees, not more… any little tips on how to boost my db press a bit?.. its weird too, incline is much easier for me than flat but only with db’s… thanks!
[quote]ebraunschweiler wrote:
So after I got stuck at my flat bb bench i switched to db’s… I can’t seem to make any improvement though. I thought about maybe doin some floor presses… also, when i do my db presses i go all the way down until i cant anymore which causes my elbows to tuck in towards my lats, but when i watch some of the pros do them, they seem to go down just a bit lower than 90 degrees, not more… any little tips on how to boost my db press a bit?.. its weird too, incline is much easier for me than flat but only with db’s… thanks! [/quote]
Whoa… Form, setup, technique…
Also, what is your routine like?
bring them down until the DB touches your chest then bring them up until just before arms lockout, you dont want to lockout on any kind of presses especially with heavier weight - its very stressful on the elbows.
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Whoa… Form, setup, technique…
Also, what is your routine like?
[/quote]
My routine has been lately:
Monday Chest:
Ill usually do my inlcline bb bench first, then flat db, then decline bb, then some flyes… switched from flat bb bench and incline db press about a month and a half ago…
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
bring them down until the DB touches your chest then bring them up until just before arms lockout, you dont want to lockout on any kind of presses especially with heavier weight - its very stressful on the elbows.[/quote]
yea i never lock out… bringing them down till they touch my chest seems like your gonna be goin pretty deep… thats pretty much how im doin them now… but i see a lot of others doing them differently… so im just wondering if maybe i raise the weight a bit and only come down to about 90 degrees or so, maybe it’l give me a little boost…
An easy fix if you want your DB bench to go up is to do that first… but if you are trying to focus on your upper pecs right now then you’ll have to be more patient.
[quote]ebraunschweiler wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Whoa… Form, setup, technique…
Also, what is your routine like?
My routine has been lately:
Monday Chest:
Ill usually do my inlcline bb bench first, then flat db, then decline bb, then some flyes… switched from flat bb bench and incline db press about a month and a half ago…
[/quote]
Sets/reps? (straight sets?)
Hmm. Sure you need 3 big presses and flyes?
Could try incline+flat + flyes and call it a day and concentrate on those first two exercises…
[quote]DJS wrote:
An easy fix if you want your DB bench to go up is to do that first… but if you are trying to focus on your upper pecs right now then you’ll have to be more patient.[/quote]
yea, doin that with my db shoulder press helped me a lot as far as gaining strength goes…
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Sets/reps? (straight sets?)
Hmm. Sure you need 3 big presses and flyes?
Could try incline+flat + flyes and call it a day and concentrate on those first two exercises…
[/quote]
yea, ur right… i might be doin too much… i usually make sure im in there for about an hour, and i generally wait about 2 min between sets… for example today i did:
incline bb bench 3 work sets pyramiding 8,6,4 reps
db flats 4,4,4 normally i dont do 4,4,4 reps
decline 6,4 reps
inlcine flyes 8,8
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
bring them down until the DB touches your chest then bring them up until just before arms lockout, you dont want to lockout on any kind of presses especially with heavier weight - its very stressful on the elbows.[/quote]
Try applying that rule when you are using 120lb DB+…dam near impossible not to “lock out” for a bit.
also, should i keep my elbows more tucked in or try to keep them 90 degrees with my body? thanks
[quote]Cron391 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
bring them down until the DB touches your chest then bring them up until just before arms lockout, you dont want to lockout on any kind of presses especially with heavier weight - its very stressful on the elbows.
Try applying that rule when you are using 120lb DB+…dam near impossible not to “lock out” for a bit. [/quote]
for inclines or flat?
The DB should just touch your chest, your thumbs should be at the sides of your chest at the lowest part of the lift.
Its take time to get used to especially if you are a BB bencher…
[quote]ebraunschweiler wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Whoa… Form, setup, technique…
Also, what is your routine like?
My routine has been lately:
Monday Chest:
Ill usually do my inlcline bb bench first, then flat db, then decline bb, then some flyes… switched from flat bb bench and incline db press about a month and a half ago…
[/quote]
No dude, reps and sets.
Do 5x5 for awhile and x2 on only bringin the weight down till it touches your chest.
Do weighted dips and close grip bench.
[quote]horsepuss wrote:
No dude, reps and sets.
Do 5x5 for awhile and x2 on only bringin the weight down till it touches your chest.
Do weighted dips and close grip bench.
[/quote]
thanks… do u mean do the first 2 reps deep and the last 3 not?
im also thinking though, maybe doin some higher rep sets would benefit me more… it seems that always being at my limit with low reps doesnt give me as much room to get that one more rep, than if i would be doing reps of 10-12, it might be easier to be adding reps each week than 4-6… does that make any sense?
A good way to progress with low reps is to add more sets.
So…
Week 1: 5x5
Week 2: 6x5
Week 3: 7x5
and then you’re ready to add weight/reps.
[quote]dudinator wrote:
A good way to progress with low reps is to add more sets.
So…
Week 1: 5x5
Week 2: 6x5
Week 3: 7x5
and then you’re ready to add weight/reps.[/quote]
thanks, il give it a try…
If you can’t go low enough, go lighter. If you can’t go low enough you’re limiting the work your chest is doing.
I’m curious, ebraun…
What’s your goal here? Just moving lots of weight, something along the lines of power lifting, or are you more into developing a nice chest?
Just confused as to why your jumping back and forth with BB and DB bench.