I keep missing my ME bench/ help please !!

[rjl296]

I m in my 4th week of my first ever westside routine. My bodyweight has gone up , ALL my assistance exercises have gone up. Problem is , I have never improved my ME bench . this is very very aggravating.

- first time - I did 2 board press - with 275 next week failed at 285

- last week incline bb 250 , seemed easy. today -failed miserably @ 255 . the weight seemed heavy all day , even the warmups Can anybody help . I m pretty upset at myself.

 

[Hannibal]

My first guess would be that your speed work is too heavy. What is your 1RM Max Bench...and what are you doing your speed work with?

 

[rjl296]

I don't know my 1 rep max - probably 275 , my speed work has been with 140

 

[Hannibal]

Try dropping the speed weight for a week or two and see what happens. The percentages are just guidlines...not set in stone. At my last comp I hit 425 and I use 155 and 177 for my speed work.

Faster...Faster...Faster

 

[b fold the truth]

Change your ME exercises EVERY week. Setting a PR is just as important as the exercise that you are doing IMO. Find MANY ways to change up every ME exercise!!!! I don't do the same exercise but about once every 6 weeks MAX!!!

B True

 

[zackdarnell]

Change your ME exercises EVERY week. Setting a PR is just as important as the exercise that you are doing IMO. Find MANY ways to change up every ME exercise!!!! I don't do the same exercise but about once every 6 weeks MAX!!!

B True

I was under the impression that beginners to Westside should use the same ME excercises for about 2 weeks before switching. Would yuo say it is advantageous to the Westside beginner to switch every week?

 

[natural-mike]

I still stay with ME for 2 weeks. I like my body to at least adapt to the movement for a week or 2. Then I move on to another movement.

Thats just me.

Peace,

Natty Mike

 

[b fold the truth]

I switch every week..so that I ALWAYS set a Pr!!!

B True

 

[benchmonster]

I am with B-fold on this one. I never ever ever repeat a M.E. exercise 2 weeks in a row. And if you are benching 275 you are not exactly a beginner, anyways.

How many people in any given gym are benching 275? I would venture to say not many.

No reason, really not to be switching exercises every week. I do, and have since the beginning, some 16 months ago. I have been very happy with my results during that time, and never stagnate.

B.

 

[DOM]

Hannibal's right, definitely lower your speed weight a bit.

I just recently got a 315 raw gym max, and have lowered my speed day weight down to 135, which was once as high as 165. Try 115 or 125 for a while and see how that works out. Also chains help a lot when you're using that low weight on speed day because without them you'll tend to start decelerating the weight very early and not getting any work on the upper half of your bench.

Also, the reason beginners imporve their max from one week to the next is that they typically are just learning the form/feel for an ME exercise, or progressing very quickly as true beginners tend to do in their first few months. If you have already been lifting a long time -- you may not see that week to week progress.

As far as switching exercise every week... westside used to say switch every 3 weeks, now they say switch every one week, but beginners can go two weeks. It's really up to the lifter. I think switching every week is ideal -- and especially if you're struggling with keeping the same ME exercise for two weeks in a row -- I'd try every week switches.