# Weird DECREASE in Bench Press strength?



## drew.haynes (Aug 3, 2005)

Ok... so about 7 weeks ago maybe... I benched 210. Things had been going amazing before that... 5lbs more EVERY WEEK, except for one week w/ 10LBS. I did 180, then 185, 190, 195, 205, then tripled 210 the last week.

So the next week I decided to switch from my usual 4-6 rep range to a 6-9 rep range just for fun.  NOW.. for the last AT LEAST 5 weeks... I have been COMPLETELY UNABLE to do more than about 4 reps at 185. WHAT COULD CAUSE this? A 25lb drop in strength. I've been eating more than EVER at between 3500-4000 cals a day. FINALLY this week I did 6 reps at 185 (BARELY) and then 2 REPS at 195.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?


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## drew.haynes (Aug 3, 2005)

While I am at it... let me ask you guys for your recommendations as far as someone who's goals are PRIMARILY size... but who also finds strength important. I want to be strong, but my primary goal is size.


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## reg56 (Aug 3, 2005)

My bench strength is very similar to yours, and I have the same damn problem.  I have good days and bad days, and have noticed a huge decrease in most of my pressing movements.  I believe it's more of a mental thing.  When you get frustrated and lack the confidence to lift a certain weight, you most likely won't be able to do it.  Well it seems that way for me anyways.  I just gave it time and stayed positive about it and my numbers eventually started increasing at a reasonable pace.


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## drew.haynes (Aug 3, 2005)

reg56 said:
			
		

> My bench strength is very similar to yours, and I have the same damn problem.  I have good days and bad days, and have noticed a huge decrease in most of my pressing movements.  I believe it's more of a mental thing.  When you get frustrated and lack the confidence to lift a certain weight, you most likely won't be able to do it.  Well it seems that way for me anyways.  I just gave it time and stayed positive about it and my numbers eventually started increasing at a reasonable pace.



I don't think that explains going up 5-10lbs EVERY week and then dropping 25lbs in ONE week. I feel alot more SHAKY when I bench now too.


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## GFR (Aug 3, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> I don't think that explains going up 5-10lbs EVERY week and then dropping 25lbs in ONE week. I feel alot more SHAKY when I bench now too.


Its all in your head. The bench is a big ego lift and people can really freak them selfs out about it. I almost never do it for that reason.....I was obsessed with it, once I dropped it my workouts were always consistent and stress free.


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## reg56 (Aug 3, 2005)

ForemanRules said:
			
		

> Its all in your head. The bench is a big ego lift and people can really freak them selfs out about it. I almost never do it for that reason.....I was obsessed with it, once I dropped it my workouts were always consistent and stress free.


 Well said, although I disagree that you should take it completely out of your routine. I still think it's a great mass builder, but once I get tested for football I'm switching to dumbbells for awhile so I can, like you said, have more consistent workouts.


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## GFR (Aug 3, 2005)

reg56 said:
			
		

> Well said, although I disagree that you should take it completely out of your routine. I still think it's a great mass builder, but once I get tested for football I'm switching to dumbbells for awhile so I can, like you said, have more consistent workouts.


Dropped it for a 2 years......did incline and decline press.....and when I benched again after those two years my bench had gone up 20Lbs in workout weight, from 315 for 10 to 335 for 10.


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## Squaggleboggin (Aug 3, 2005)

I'll tell you what happened: you fixed something that wasn't broken, therefore breaking it in the process. If you were getting results that great, I feel the need to ask why in the hell you would change your routine.


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## Nick+ (Aug 4, 2005)

After years of shoulder width grip , I've changed to a much wider grip.  Hope this improves matters, as I've been stuck to near enough the same poundages for years with the BP.  Don't know where I got the obsession for shoulder width drip, probably from the book :'Brawn'  ( which I burned to a cinder with great relish last November.....)


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## Nick+ (Aug 4, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> While I am at it... let me ask you guys for your recommendations as far as someone who's goals are PRIMARILY size... but who also finds strength important. I want to be strong, but my primary goal is size.



Yea , I meant to ask what width do you hold  the bar at for the BP?


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## ph8bringer (Aug 4, 2005)

Maybe you were holding it at a different width than usual, and making it harder.


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## goandykid (Aug 4, 2005)

You keep saying week after week after week etc uv been making gains in weihgt, sounds to me like after all this work and time and constant benching, you need a shrot rest period for your body to recover.


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## Mudge (Aug 4, 2005)

When I stop lifting heavy, I also lose strength. Nothing weird about that, you just untrained your strength. If I train in the higher rep ranges, I dont gain shit for strength anymore.

You may also want to mix up your movements every 3 weeks or so.


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## drew.haynes (Aug 4, 2005)

Mudge said:
			
		

> When I stop lifting heavy, I also lose strength. Nothing weird about that, you just untrained your strength. If I train in the higher rep ranges, I dont gain shit for strength anymore.
> 
> You may also want to mix up your movements every 3 weeks or so.



But does this happen when you do high reps for only ONE week? It was only one week. I've been back at 4-6 ever since.


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## CowPimp (Aug 4, 2005)

Is the bench press the only lift where this occured?


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## drew.haynes (Aug 4, 2005)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Is the bench press the only lift where this occured?



Only one I believe that decreased at that particular point in time. Some others just slowed down.


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## P-funk (Aug 4, 2005)

Injury??

maybe switch up and stop benching for awhile.


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## Mudge (Aug 4, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> But does this happen when you do high reps for only ONE week? It was only one week. I've been back at 4-6 ever since.



If you lost 20 pounds off your bench in a week, its either CNS or you are out of your form groove.


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## Tough Old Man (Aug 4, 2005)

At least he only lost 20-25lbs in a week. I lost 140 lbs in the last 3 months. Left Rotator problem, diet and off gear i guess will do that. Glad it was only 140 lbs. Fuck it, I just go lighter now with lots of reps. Also I don't feel like I'm killing myself anymore and I'm starting to enjoy the bench press again. I hated chest days for the last several months. I went from 390 lbs on the incline to now 250 for 1 max rep. 

PT


			
				Mudge said:
			
		

> If you lost 20 pounds off your bench in a week, its either CNS or you are out of your form groove.


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## AKIRA (Aug 4, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> Only one I believe that decreased at that particular point in time. Some others just slowed down.




Same thing happened to me.  I maxed out with a friend and did 1 red of 345.  Then I went to do a normal chest routine and 275 was a bitch.  I had enough of the stress and switched to dumbell press.  When that shit increased, I got more mass, more power, and everyone thought I was juicing.  I went back to bench and I gained some weight back.  Havent maxed since then, but I can do more than 345.

Its weird.


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## CowPimp (Aug 4, 2005)

I agree with Mudge.  You might just be out of your form groove.  The bench press is a super technical lift, almost as much as the squat.  It's really easy to slip out of the groove.  You may want to consider practicing form with really light weights at the beginning or end of every session.


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## robousy (Aug 5, 2005)

I think it would be a good idea for you to compare your bench press with the lunar cycle. There is some evidence to suggest that the position of the moon can gravitationally influence a bench press.

On a more serious note, I've noticed that silly things can effect your strength such as time of day you work out, how much coffee I drink, how much sleep I've had, if I'm taking creatine regulalry or not, 'where' the press is located in the workout (beggining or end).

I peaked at 45lb dumbell curls a few months ago  (45x8) and have never repeated that. I am luck if I can do 35 now. But then again, i've been a bit shite with my routine due to ... blaah blaah blaaah.


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## fUnc17 (Aug 5, 2005)

you said u were adding 5-10lbs per week. were u maxing each week? this happened to me with deadlifts... constantly doing 1RM's kills your CNS


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## drew.haynes (Aug 5, 2005)

fUnc17 said:
			
		

> you said u were adding 5-10lbs per week. were u maxing each week? this happened to me with deadlifts... constantly doing 1RM's kills your CNS



Nah, I never intentionally go to a 1-Rep failure... I'd try to stay in a 4-6 rep range, but sometimes my last set would fail as low as 2-3 reps.


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## Tough Old Man (Aug 5, 2005)

robousy said:
			
		

> I think it would be a good idea for you to compare your bench press with the lunar cycle. There is some evidence to suggest that the position of the moon can gravitationally influence a bench press.
> 
> On a more serious note, I've noticed that silly things can effect your strength such as time of day you work out, how much coffee I drink, how much sleep I've had, if I'm taking creatine regulalry or not, 'where' the press is located in the workout (beggining or end).
> 
> I peaked at 45lb dumbell curls a few months ago (45x8) and have never repeated that. I am luck if I can do 35 now. But then again, i've been a bit shite with my routine due to ... blaah blaah blaaah.


Well there we go. The next time you try your max, wait until the moon is on a different cycle. I thought after 30 years of lifting i had heard of everything. Just goes to show you if you wait long enough something else will pop up. 

Do you also believe in burnimg witches at the stake?


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## drew.haynes (Aug 5, 2005)

Tough Old Man said:
			
		

> Well there we go. The next time you try your max, wait until the moon is on a different cycle. I thought after 30 years of lifting i had heard of everything. Just goes to show you if you wait long enough something else will pop up.
> 
> Do you also believe in burnimg witches at the stake?



Burn some bitches at the stake maybe...


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## Yanick (Aug 5, 2005)

switch movements for 2-3 weeks and then come back to benching, you'll get stronger.


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## Mudge (Aug 5, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> Nah, I never intentionally go to a 1-Rep failure... I'd try to stay in a 4-6 rep range, but sometimes my last set would fail as low as 2-3 reps.



Anything about 5 reps and below can "fry" your CNS after 3 weeks, according to those who have done the sports performance research.


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## HardTrainer (Aug 6, 2005)

I trained low reps in the bench to get numbers up and then swicth to higher reps for 3 weeks and when i went back my 1 rm dropped 20lbs to 280lbs from 300lbs. Then again Ronnie Coleman cant bench near what Scott Mendelson does (i saw ronnie fail  at 495 lbs for 3 reps, scott can 1 rm over 700lbs) but who has the most muscular devolopment?  since size is your main goal i would worry more about the mirrior and what a good set of scales say first thing in the morning.


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## Mudge (Aug 6, 2005)

HardTrainer said:
			
		

> (i saw ronnie fail  at 495 lbs for 3 reps, scott can 1 rm over 700lbs)



I am curious what set number it was for him, because there are bodybuilders much stronger than that. Like his leg pressing 2500+ for reps, by the time he gets to his squats in the video, he is toasted and "only" does 800x2 suited.

Lee Priest can rep 5 plates, Kevin Levronne does 500x5 flat bench in his last video, and Kevin doesn't lift Ronnie Coleman weights.


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## CowPimp (Aug 7, 2005)

I bet Ronnie could do more than that.  I remember seeing a video of him hitting 12 repetitions with 200 pound dumbbells, and he didn't look anywhere near hitting failure.


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