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I've been using the seated chest press machine instead of the flat bench since I started lifting last October. I'm afraid that my gains in strength aren't what they should be. Today was my first day on the flat bench and it was much harder than I thought. I found myself using the majority of my energy to try and stabilize the bar.

After a few sets, I found myself getting more comfortable and was able to lift with more ease. I really want to make the switch to the flat bench to help with strength.

Would you guys recommend Smolov Jr. or Starting Strength to help my bench catch up to the rest of my lifts?
 
TerrorAP2 said:
I've been using the seated chest press machine instead of the flat bench since I started lifting last October. I'm afraid that my gains in strength aren't what they should be. Today was my first day on the flat bench and it was much harder than I thought. I found myself using the majority of my energy to try and stabilize the bar.

After a few sets, I found myself getting more comfortable and was able to lift with more ease. I really want to make the switch to the flat bench to help with strength.

Would you guys recommend Smolov Jr. or Starting Strength to help my bench catch up to the rest of my lifts?
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I would recommend Starting Strength to you, because I guarantee as long as you are following the plan and your diet is in check, you will definitely be gaining strength on a weekly basis.
 
I will definitely have to look into it. I feel so ashamed that my bench is so terrible compared to the rest of my lifts.
 
Definitely form plays a large role. You want good range of motion and movement through the lift that is fluid and clean and at a decent pace. You can't rush it like you would find with cross fitters. They have a whole different other philosophy and style. Slow and deliberate sometimes has greater benefits than speed and power.
 
My form is alright. My arms are a bit long so I don't go all the way down to my chest. I usually stop about 2-3 inches short of touching, which just happens to be parallel. I'm sure my form will continue to improve as I get more used to benching.
 
apbuske said:
x10 million!!!!!

I can't stand people who try and lift crazy weights with terrible form.
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I agree, some of the people like that go to the gym just to try and impress other guys showing how strong they are. But, weightlifting isn't a pissing contest in the gym, it is about dedication and growth. It requires discipline, knowing that going to the gym is for one purpose, to have a good solid work-out and be able to go home and rest and build muscle.
 
I started working out with a coworker recently and he gets I guess jealous (not the right word)when I lift more then him. He never really lifted before and I make him use low weights and have to tell him over and over that he needs to train the muscles and he will see way better gains.

There are people at the gym who I have seen for years and never gain anything.
 
TerrorAP2 said:
My form is alright. My arms are a bit long so I don't go all the way down to my chest. I usually stop about 2-3 inches short of touching, which just happens to be parallel. I'm sure my form will continue to improve as I get more used to benching.
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Sometimes, it might be best to use a lower weight for awhile to get the form that you need. By form, I also include range of motion. I usually drop the bar right onto my chest. If you want, instead, you could try DB flies. It requires more stabilizers and could help your lifts.
 
apbuske said:
I started working out with a coworker recently and he gets I guess jealous (not the right word)when I lift more then him. He never really lifted before and I make him use low weights and have to tell him over and over that he needs to train the muscles and he will see way better gains.

There are people at the gym who I have seen for years and never gain anything.
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Yeah, if you want to make good gains, you have to let go of your ego and just lift the weights that you can actually lift.
 
TerrorAP2 said:
I will definitely have to look into it. I feel so ashamed that my bench is so terrible compared to the rest of my lifts.
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Same here man, I used to never bench because I was scared to without a spotter. Regret it now my bench is really weak.
 
MadHatter said:
I agree, some of the people like that go to the gym just to try and impress other guys showing how strong they are. But, weightlifting isn't a pissing contest in the gym, it is about dedication and growth. It requires discipline, knowing that going to the gym is for one purpose, to have a good solid work-out and be able to go home and rest and build muscle.
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I agree wholeheartedly. I never use a weight that will have me sacrifice form.

In case you guys were wondering, my current lifts are 315 (DL), 200 (Squat) and 135 (BP). Like I said, my bench is embarrassing.
 
Bench press you want to go at least 90* with your arms. A little more is fine but too much you will pull a muscle. I have long arms so 90* isn't touching my chest and if I go heavy and touch my chest I pull muscles. And I have before lol.
 
Another suggestion is to start using some dumbbells rather than barbell. I switch them up from time to time whenever i start to plateau, works really well for me.
 
apbuske said:
Bench press you want to go at least 90* with your arms. A little more is fine but too much you will pull a muscle. I have long arms so 90* isn't touching my chest and if I go heavy and touch my chest I pull muscles. And I have before lol.
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Yes that's called going to parallel when benching. That's really all you need to do, no need to completely touch your chest especially if you have long arms with a huge ROM.
 
gethuge367 said:
Another suggestion is to start using some dumbbells rather than barbell. I switch them up from time to time whenever i start to plateau, works really well for me.
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Yup, I do the same thing. I like the way the other feels from time to time, so it's definitely nice to switch it up and get a little variety. I always feel like I get a different kind of soreness from dumbbells. Like it's my whole chest as opposed to the outsides.
 
4 days a week for me - Monday- chest/biceps, Tuesday- back/triceps, Friday-legs/shoulders, Sunday-full body work out (deadlifts,squats,bench,military press and pull ups) But this is my bulking set up. When I cut I drop out the full body work out and add 3-4 days of cardio depending on how dirty the bulk was ;d
 
That full body workout sounds killer. How does your nutrition for the bulk phase work? Do you go crazy and eat 500 calories over your BMR? I'm going to be looking to do something like that soon, but I've no idea how to go about it. Any good resources?
 
Well I'm 6'3'' at 200lb so I eat anything from 3800 to 4000 cals (getting 150-170 grams of protein) daily and I try to keep em clean at about 16% bf atm 4 more weeks and I'll start cutting.
 
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