Help my bench - stronger than workout parter in pretty much everything else.

[treadlite]

So I got a slight problem, and I am unsure how to solve it, and it could be I just need to get used to the range.

I have been training on a bowflex for the last 5 months and decided I needed to get to the gym to really push myself further, and besides, the bowflex was causing shoulder problems.

My parter can bench a good 20lbs more than me, and incline 10lbs more than me. Decline we are about the same. On dumbell flys I can do 15lbs more than him, and triceps about 10%-15% more weight on any given lift.

What gives, and what do I need to do to fix this?

 

[Hellawulf]

Well if your partner is used to the motion then he's going to be stronger. You'll prob catch up eventually. But I find it funny when guys that are way more jacked than me can't get up the weight I do on certain lifts (particularly bench), but I keep it to myself and go on with business. Don't worry about it! Though it does sound like ya'll are doing quite a few sets on chest alone. IMO, that may be a problem for you.

 

[treadlite]

just want to know if there is a paticular isolation lift I can do to improve whatever it is. If not, I will just be patient, only been hitting the actual bench for 3 weeks now over bowflex.

We switch off between incline/decline, we don't do both of them on the same day.

Workout goes:

Flat
Incline or decline
dumbell fly

Although not always in that order to maintain a higher shock value.

 

[Hellawulf]

just want to know if there is a paticular isolation lift I can do to improve whatever it is. If not, I will just be patient, only been hitting the actual bench for 3 weeks now over bowflex.

We switch off between incline/decline, we don't do both of them on the same day.

Workout goes:

Flat
Incline or decline
dumbell fly

Although not always in that order to maintain a higher shock value.

Now that sounds better! Haha, I mean I've just done it personally, where I'd come off flat bench for a while in my workout, only doing Incline for a couple months, then coming back to flat, I'd be weaker than when I'd left, and it'd take a couples weeks to get back but once I did, the gains just didn't stop coming, it was a while before I plateud again. I would think you could probably expect something like that.

 

[JDid23]

"shock value"????? Do flat BB Bench first because that's the lift you want to improve. Therefore, you should be prioritizing it. Don't worry, as hellawulf said you're just not used to the movement whereas your friend is. You'll catch up to him. Also, learning the correct bench press form can really help you lift more.. Since you've only been benching for 3 weeks, i would go to youtube and check out dave tate's bench press video (i think that's what it's called)

 

[CoBra666]

no offense but if you have only been training for 5 months i would say your routine could use an entire overhaul. isolations arent what you need right now. stronglifts 5x5. lol i love when more ripped ppl cant lift as much as me too. i just got off a 2 year back and shoulder injury/horrible poisoning so im pretty chunny right now, bout 20% bf and i can still crush my workout partner who is super lean, because he never trained proper. all isolations, all the time, with piss poor form. ppls looks are priceless at the gym.

 

[JDid23]

no offense but if you have only been training for 5 months i would say your routine could use an entire overhaul. isolations arent what you need right now. stronglifts 5x5. lol i love when more ripped ppl cant lift as much as me too. i just got off a 2 year back and shoulder injury/horrible poisoning so im pretty chunny right now, bout 20% bf and i can still crush my workout partner who is super lean, because he never trained proper. all isolations, all the time, with piss poor form. ppls looks are priceless at the gym.

I hear that. I'm 5'9, 180, and i don't even look that strong with a shirt on. When i pulled 375 in front of the football team who had their DL day at my college, everyone literally stopped to watch me. The starting safety next to me had the same max that i did

Having said that, some people don't care about how much they can DL, squat, bench, but how good they look. everyone has different goals

 

[treadlite]

no offense but if you have only been training for 5 months i would say your routine could use an entire overhaul. isolations arent what you need right now. stronglifts 5x5. lol i love when more ripped ppl cant lift as much as me too. i just got off a 2 year back and shoulder injury/horrible poisoning so im pretty chunny right now, bout 20% bf and i can still crush my workout partner who is super lean, because he never trained proper. all isolations, all the time, with piss poor form. ppls looks are priceless at the gym.

Funny you should say that. After some hard thinking about this(I am not a newbie, just coming back from a 10+ year vacation) I have already modified my entire routine to reduce the amount of isolation workouts and increase the intensity on the compounds. I will say that my isolations are very good form though, I don't ego lift at all, I am very anti ego lifting.

 

[treadlite]

Well, over a month has gone by and there really has been very little improvement. I am having a hard time lifting the bar from the chest. Once I get half way the rest becomes easy(due to bowflex no doubt).

My diet is good, my sleep has been ok, and I have had 10-30% increase in pretty much every other lift in the past couple months with the exception of bench. I just don't get it. I even took 2 weeks off from doing any chest workout to remove some tension off a stiff shoulder(which is better now), but only minimal increase.

 

[themondtster]

Well, over a month has gone by and there really has been very little improvement. I am having a hard time lifting the bar from the chest. Once I get half way the rest becomes easy(due to bowflex no doubt).

My diet is good, my sleep has been ok, and I have had 10-30% increase in pretty much every other lift in the past couple months with the exception of bench. I just don't get it. I even took 2 weeks off from doing any chest workout to remove some tension off a stiff shoulder(which is better now), but only minimal increase.

I was having the same problem with the bench. First I did the Ed Coan bench program and now on SL5*5. My bench has gotten a lot better since the doing the two but still struggles at times but I believe that's due to long lankey arms. Too long range of motion which may be hampering you!



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