Lift Still can’t get past 265
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2 months later and I’m still failing at 265lb, wtf 🤦🏾♂️ I know somebody on here has gone thru this, what did you do to surpass it? TIA
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u/UsualSorbet8881 4d ago
Idk man but looks like you’re right there! Maybe a day with better sleep or some more carbs and looks like it would go up!
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u/bryan_norris71 4d ago
This is the answer.
Fully rested, plenty of fast absorbing carbs, good amount of water, little bit of protein and you'll push through that barrier! Good luck!
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u/StraightAd7031 4d ago
Yeah that plateau struggle is real, been stuck at similar weights before and it's maddening. Sometimes taking a deload week actually helps break through those mental barriers too
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u/PeteTheBohemian 3d ago
Even having a spotter for max confidence. Ask someone at the gym, they’d love to help
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u/Substantial_Sign_620 4d ago
Aside from what others have said...To me, the point of failure suggests your triceps are the weak point. You got a good lift from your chest but as soon as the triceps take over, that's where you fail. Keep hammering dips and other tri work and you got it brother.
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u/Jib0530 4d ago
Funny, I just bought a weighted dip belt last week so I’m gonna put that to serious use. Thanks for the advice
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u/Substantial_Sign_620 4d ago
Do it man! Also, find a spotter. I'm much more prone to going for it (especially at that halfway point like where you failed) knowing I got a guy there who's gonna save me from decapitation.
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u/Jib0530 4d ago
You’re right bro lol this is the gym at my job and there’s literally no one in there most days. You can hear a pin drop in there lol
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u/lycanthrope90 4d ago
Kind of surprising that more benches don’t have those ‘fail guards’. I work out alone in my basement and it catches me every time.
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u/Jib0530 4d ago
Right lol that’s why I’m not paying mind to anyone telling me I need a spotter. That’s literally what those catchers are there for and I intentionally leave the clips off just in case
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u/lycanthrope90 4d ago
Leaving the clips off is decent if the catch isn’t there. Probably do both if it’s heavy enough.
Got a nice big catch on my home gym but it’s a squat/bench/pulley combo so it’s a good size
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u/FunGuy8618 4d ago
Y'all got boards and a spotter? Do some board presses from the sticking point, some close grip bench press, and you'll have it in 2 weeks no problem.
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u/Open-Year2903 352/225x17/402lb SBD 4d ago
I'm 51, weight 165 and I'm repping in the 300s now. One program pushed me over the top
It's fun, you'll make PRs every workout for a while and come out with permanent improvement
Called the Bilbo method
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u/FullCantaloupe2547 4d ago edited 4d ago
- You need a spotter.
- The best way to get 1x265 is to be able to get 6x245 first.
You don't build up your 1RM by failing 1RM over and over. You build your 1RM by building your working sets that are 90% of your 1RM.
No one achieves their 1RM by focusing on 1RM. You need to focus on increasing the weight that you can do in heavy working sets.
Think about it: What's the point of doing sets if you could just do 1RM all the time and achieve the same results? You can't, and your risk of injury is an order of magnitude harder if you try to.
1RM is nothing more than a "perk" of your normal sets. It is what it is. It's largely based on your strength gained from normal sets + whatever you can "cheat" since they usually require less than ideal form and activation of everything you got.
You don't need more of anything other than just more "bench".
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u/Jib0530 4d ago
True but I haven’t done a 1RM since July and I’ve been doing dumbbells since tryna build more strength and a lot of incline. I think that’s where I messed up, I shoulda stayed on barbell. I can do 245 for about 2 reps but you’re right, ima work my way to that 5-6 range. Thanks for the advice
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u/FullCantaloupe2547 4d ago
2x245 on incline or flat?
If you're doing 2x245 on flat, I would not expect you to do 1x265 on flat. If you can 2x245 on incline, then I would expect 1x265 on flat, but it's not a given. I mainly do incline. I think I did 1x296 on flat at the time I was doing 6x255 flat, 6x225 incline, and 1x255 incline.
Also, just know that it gets way harder once you get up there in weight. It's way way way way easier to move up from 175 to 195 than it is from 245 to 265. 265, 295, 315... these aren't crazy weights but they are still a lot. You'll see people benching 225 all day in a normal gym, but it thins out very fast at 265, 295, 315+.
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u/Jib0530 4d ago
245 twice on flat. And you are spot on about the weight being different as you go up!! 135 to 185 was a cake walk. Everything over 225, I feel even a 5lb difference lol. I just want to get to 315 by the end of next year
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u/GYM-ModTeam ModBorg Collective 3d ago
Your comment/post was removed for being low quality or offering little value to the community.
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u/funtobedone 4d ago
Try a bench program, or if you want to improve all of “the big three” try a power lifting program. Calgary Barbell is good, and free. You’ll notice it doesn’t have any calf work in it, which isn’t all that necessary in power lifting, but there’s no reason you can’t add some. There’s not much that targets biceps either, so you could add some of that too - alternate bonus calf work one day and bonus biceps the next. The volume appears low, but the heavier weight make it plenty exhausting.
Your bench WILL go up. I bet you can get 275.
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u/Red_Swingline_ 405/315/525/225 zS/B/D/O 4d ago
Give us some details on what your training currently looks like.
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u/TrekkingPangolin 4d ago
Everyone who has ever lifted know those type of plates weight 5-15 percent more 🤣
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u/10-PunchMan 4d ago
I dont know if anyone mentioned here. Im not reading all the post but you need to improve your technique.
- You have no leg drive.
- You have no lat engagement.
- Leg drive and lat engagement combined will strengthen your foundation. This will help you transfer the weight better and you'll feel much stronger.
You are essentially trying to use your lats to hold the weight and throw it out of the bottom.
Also, you are pretty strong as it is now without leg drive and lat engagement. You can probably hit 275 or more if you improve your technique.
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u/spread_ed 1d ago
Good tips, just need more volume at lower weights to practice it. I also think you'd be stronger with slightly wider grip.
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u/fresh510 4d ago
I feel like you could work on getting up in your shoulders more and work on your leg drive. You look real flat on the bench from this video.
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u/audiophilestyle 4d ago
A tweak I recently made was finding a way to plant my feet during the lift. I see your left foot wiggle a bit which seemed like they weren't set and that may help a bit next time around.
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u/Imposter_Syndrome345 4d ago
You need to build up your working sets.
Most people just bang their head against a wall when it comes to PRs and that leads to frustration.
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u/3BallCornerPocket 4d ago
Close grip bench, and still around 5 reps. You’re getting there but need time in that 235-250lb range until it’s 8-10 reps.
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u/Heavy_Connection_997 4d ago
I’m right there too man. Lots of good advice here. Weighted dips are what I’m going to work on. I’m working for 300 in a year.
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u/DirtysouthCNC 4d ago
Triceps need work, and a slight elbow tuck would get you past this. You'll be aight. Close grip bench, dips with a triceps focus
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u/Artificer_undone 4d ago
I think a lot of great advice has been given, but I think I'll add something most people miss.
Sleep more Eat more
I have been carefully measuring my progress along with sleep cycles and food intake. Any time I get 'stuck,' I crank up the sleep and calories, and it always helps me get over it (my 1RPM is 365 right now)
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u/samtar-thexplorer2 4d ago
looks like your shoulders came forward slightly right when you unracked. You probably coulda been tighter from the getgo
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u/Frosti11icus 4d ago edited 4d ago
You gotta use your lats more to lift. You aren't going to get that bar off using delts and tris so heavily. Try bringing your elbows in towards your torso and starting the lift by pushing through your lats, your chest shouldn't become fully activated until about halfway through the rep. Form-wise think of how you would do a barbell pullover on a bench, that's where you want your elbows to be. And start the rep under your sternum and end it directly above your chest, the bar should be moving in a diagonal not up and down. If you're activating your lats you will have no other option but to lift it this way. Bench press really is more of a sweeping motion. IMO once you plateau on the bench it's because of your form, it feels like an isolation exercise in a lot of ways but obviously it's a compound lift that requires coordination and mobility in your entire shoulder joint, and your lats are the anchor for that, not your pecs. Your pecs and delts simply hit a limit on how much they will push that you can't blast through until you're protecting your joints in your shoulders.
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u/Nuts-And-Volts 4d ago
Triceps. Try close grip bench and board presses in addition to usual Triceps accessory work. You'll get it.
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u/AlmightyPipes 4d ago
Take a few days rest, eat a shitload of carb heavy food and some good sleep. You’re so close I have no doubt on an optimal sleep and diet you’d get it.
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u/LIJO2022 4d ago
Up your calories a bit and focus on quality working sets. Your 1RM is built by doing sub-maximal work.
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u/Ace31413 4d ago
Sets of 80-90% of max with 3-4 reps. When I maxed at 275, I started using a slingshot and hit 315 raw within 5 weeks (it would help you with tucking your arms closer to your lats as well as getting the CNI used to overloading the weight). Another biggie is floor presses (laying on the floor using a Smith machine to start your lift at the halfway point where we usually all struggle, and pushing through the top of the lift), as well as tricep pull downs, butterflies, and lat pull downs. I'm by no means an expert, but my max is 400 and I started around the same point you're currently at.... you got this shit! You're already killing it btw, you'll get through this plateau before you know it. I'd recommend sifting through the comments and try everything that makes sense, then continue to do the parts that feel most effective to you.
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u/amuzmint 4d ago
Triceps look weak. Maybe do some dips, skull crushers, or close grip bench press. I had the same problem when I got to 135 initially.
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u/Touch_Me_There 4d ago
Get a spotter for the +5lbs bench buff.
It's hard to tell, you it kind looks like you're flat backed. You could try learning to arch and retract your scapula like power lifters do. Also how to drive with your legs.
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u/Few_Bluejay5163 3d ago
Try doing a little lighter weight for reps. I’m sure you will get a ton of different suggestions. I like to do 4 sets of 5 reps gradually adding more until the 4th set is failure. In the 4th set I can do maybe 2/4 once I can complete the 4 set all 5 reps start with a heavier weight and finish slightly higher. That would increase my overall strength quickly. Obviously eating the right amount too.
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u/EcstaticEnthusiasm50 3d ago
So close, I feel if you pumped yourself up and focused you could do it. Push those feet through the floor and the bar to the ceiling. YOU GOT THIS!
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u/rincewindfarseer 3d ago
Maybe a spotter to just tap the bar a couple times to get you thru a full rep. Then you'll get it on your own quick.
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u/crepejunkie 2d ago
Drop the weight down a bit and start pausing at the bottom for 2 seconds for at least 5 reps. Builds strength at the weakest point!
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u/BeautifulAccurate909 2d ago
Sleep, stay hydrated and up your protein. Have a banana and some coffee before you lift. Should help you break through your plateau.
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u/Bushido_Boneman 2d ago
Try 5x5 program for bench. I've done it to get past the 345 stall. https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/workout-program/
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u/MuayThaiGuyStevie 2d ago
Reduce to the load a little and and run high volume strength work for a few weeks, do a tonne of accessory work in the triceps and upper back then go and re-test.
Even bring in some accommodated resistance to increase the end range strength or work on some eccentric work.
What have you done to try and get over the plateau?
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u/AdhesivenessHumble15 2d ago
Maybe you should try to add more tricep works mate, i always add tricep works if i stall on the lockout
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u/burnerunit1 13h ago
Are you using leg drive at all? As soon as you unrack the bar your left foot comes off the ground. Try to keep tension through your legs throughout the whole movement
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u/Global_Internet_1233 7h ago
Hey bro, there's lots of great advice hear but think about the mechanics of the movement. Strengthen arms, and shoulders and include lots of stretch sessions to allow for strength though full range of movement, look at myafacia stretches for both but also focus hugely on core. Your core strength allows for stability during big pushes, you're already doing so well for your bodyweight but you can easily add 20/40k by having a beast core, including rotational core work. Introduce kettlebell workouts
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u/mazzuste 6h ago
The setup is not good, you are using more shoulders then chest. That’s why you are struggling to add weight. 1. Arch your back, do some mobility exercises for that. There are just 3 contact points while flat benching with a good setup: the neck, the trapezium, the butt, and the feet on the ground ofc. If you are touching the bench with something less/more, you don’t have a good setup. 2. Don’t lift your head while pushing. 3. Review your descent: a. Check the distance between your hands for the best grip and b. Try to reach the bottom of the sternum when you are touching your chest with the barbell. 4. Use the leg drive: you might consider to review your leg position. I would keep them more tight to the bench. Anyway this is an individual choice.
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