Why is my bench press so bad?

So, I started weight training around 3 months ago. I train 4 days a week so: back, chest, arms & Shoulders. I use freeweights for my training.

I am not doing amazing weights but I am making some progress. For example, at the moment I am lifting 70kg on Seated Row, 50kg shoulder press etc.

My Bench Press though is terrible. I started around 25kg and have moved up but i've stalled and can't get any further. At the moment I am doing 45kg for 8 reps, sometimes I can get this up to 50kg. It depends on the day though, sometimes I will have to move it down to 40kg.It is not consistent for me and I generally find bench pressing to be taxing and draining - I definitely need to put a lot of effort into it. So, why am I not making improvements? Am I doing bench press correctly? When I compare my body weight 80kg to my bench press my results are mortifying.

Surely I should be up around 60kg/70kg by now? What do I need to do to improve this?

(edited 7 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

hezzlington

Original post by Frostyjoe

So, I started weight training around 3 months ago. I train 4 days a week so: back, chest, arms & Shoulders. I use freeweights for my training.

I am not doing amazing weights but I am making some progress. For example, at the moment I am lifting 70kg on Seated Row, 50kg shoulder press etc.

My Bench Press though is terrible. I started around 25kg and have moved up but i've stalled and can't get any further. At the moment I am doing 45kg for 8 reps, sometimes I can get this up to 50kg. It depends on the day though, sometimes I will have to move it down to 40kg.It is not consistent for me and I generally find bench pressing to be taxing and draining - I definitely need to put a lot of effort into it.

Why am I not making improvements? Am I doing bench press correctly? When I compare my body weight 80kg to my bench press my results are mortifying.

Surely I should be up around 60kg/70kg by now?

a 50kg shoulder press with a bench press that is lower is quite worrying. Post a video of your lift if you can

Reply 2

303Pharma

Original post by Frostyjoe

Gains take time, years. You can't expect over night improvement. Unless you're on gear, which isn't a good idea, all the gains fail when going back natty.

You think you might be overtraining? Is your diet, nutrition and sleeping optimal? Maybe mixing up training. Try mixing in incline and decline benches. Use dumbbells rather than bars. Try doing flys, with bells on the bench, and machine pec flyes.

But in general, concentrate on bulk compound moves. Lot of younger peeps get obsessed with the vanity showy muscles and do ridiculous amounts of isolation work before they'd put in the years to build a foundation, a base to develop from.

Simple. Squat, deadlift, bent over rows, bench, military press. That's all you need for the first few years standard. Get the weights up. Deadlifting 2-3 times your body weight will generate so much testosterone, you wouldn't even need to bench to put on chest mass.

Reply 3

FattyHater

how's your form? Post vids

Reply 4

Ed Phelan

How can you do 50kg shoulder presses but bench less? Anyway, strength training takes time and you have to be patient; just keep going and it will come. You could also try doing close grip and wide grip bench presses to mix it up a bit. Are you also using dumbells for your chest?

Reply 5

BKS

It sounds like your programme isn't great. Bench hits pecs, shoulders and tris so if any compound is going to suffer from that split it's going to be bench

Also, do you not have legs?

Reply 6

MagnetoWasRight

Why are you not squatting or deadlifting?

Reply 7

MagnetoWasRight

In relation to what I said above, it's impossible to even determine that your bench is lagging behind because there is no squat or deadlifting baseline with which to compare it, secondly it's blatantly obvious your bench form is appalling, tell me, how far apart are your hands on the bar when you grip it, also tell me your height.

Reply 8

Siberiaan

50KG Shoulder press and a Bench which peaks at around 50? Maybe your form is off and the shoulders are doing most of the work?

Reply 9

MagnetoWasRight

Original post by TSR Mustafa

50KG Shoulder press and a Bench which peaks at around 50? Maybe your form is off and the shoulders are doing most of the work?

My guess is that his grip is super-narrow so he's isolating his triceps and delts rather than his chest muscles.

Reply 10

303Pharma

Original post by TSR Mustafa

50KG Shoulder press and a Bench which peaks at around 50? Maybe your form is off and the shoulders are doing most of the work?

yeah deltoids and triceps. Are you totally pre-fatiguing these secondary, stabilising muscles before trying to train the larger mass pectorals of the chest? Maybe mix up your set routine. Do primary chest before arms, shoulders isolation peaking.

As mentioned above. Maybe your form is really bad for gains. Ask some cool big guys at the gym. Most meat heads, in the face of the stereotype, are usually really friendly and helpful to someone trying to self-improvement. And they have the experience to know what works and what doesn't. And if you search, there are hundreds, if not thousands now, clips on the internet. The US comp. body-building used to be good, but i dunno now.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 11

Siberiaan

Original post by 303Pharma

I'm not OP :l

Reply 12

Angry Bird

do 5x5 bench and get stronger lats and rear delts

Reply 13

303Pharma

Original post by TSR Mustafa

I'm not OP :l

I miss reply? sorry my bad fella

Reply 14

Siberiaan

Original post by 303Pharma

I miss reply? sorry my bad fella

No worries

Reply 15

username2246259

Original post by MagnetoWasRight

My guess is that his grip is super-narrow so he's isolating his triceps and delts rather than his chest muscles.

Narrower grip = more abduction and ROM. It's a myth it targets triceps and delts over chest. It puts your shoulders in a better position, acts as a cue for pinching your shoulder blades and increases the range of motion and stretch reflex.

Edit: some people do CGBP like a skull crusher (almost) which is where some people think it targets the tris more. If you keep your forearms vertical, you will be doing a safer exercise with a larger ROM than a WGBP.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 16

SmashConcept

Shoulder press was probably on a machine so it looks like all your lifts are equally low.

Reply 17

username2246259

If you are worried about weak bench pressing, jump on a quick 5x5 routine. Push/pull/legs is the best split IMO for newbies. Either that or full body every day. You don't need to kill your body to progress.

Reply 18

MagnetoWasRight

Original post by AlexLawrence1453

I agree about the ROM issue and abduction, sorta tempted to dig out my Starting Strength book to check the other point out. Not that I do close grip bench pressing or anything.