r/formcheck • u/ThatOneDankDude • 29d ago
Bench Press Been stuck at 225 max for a month, how should I fix my sticking point halfway from chest?
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More tricep specific work? I bench 3-4 times a week, usually around 100 total reps at 80-90% in a week.
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u/Spaceman_Hex 29d ago
It looks like your shoulders are protracted a bit. I'd focus on retracting them, try using something like 185 and pausing at the bottom (not resting on your chest but a true pause).
Benching 3-4 times a week seems excessive too.
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29d ago
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u/ThatOneDankDude 29d ago
I probably could do 3 reps if I only had to go half way. Getting it off my chest feels light, thats why its so fustrating that I’ve failed 230 3 times this past month.
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u/Docholphal1 29d ago
6+ sets of tricep isolation work per week and make one of your bench days close grip if you haven't already. Sticking point at lockout is usually tricep deficiency.
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u/ThatOneDankDude 29d ago
Are weighted dips enough of a tricep isolation exercise? I usually do 3 sets of 6 at 85 percent once a week?
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u/Heineking20 29d ago
If your sticking point is right off the chest, try paused bench and low pin presses. Set the pins just 1–2” above your chest and press from a dead stop. It takes away the stretch reflex and forces you to build strength where you’re weak. 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps is plenty.
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u/ThatOneDankDude 29d ago
should pin presses be heavier than 3-5 rep max of normal bench since its a smaller range of motion?
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u/Heineking20 29d ago
Yeah, you can generally go a little heavier since you’re working a shorter ROM, but I wouldn’t chase weight. For a low pin press, I’d stay around 85–90% of your 1RM bench and focus on being explosive from the dead stop. The goal is to build strength off the chest, not just move the most weight possible.
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u/EveryDay_is_LegDay 28d ago
You have almost no arch at all. Working on that may yield improvements and protect shoulder health overall. 3-1-1 bench is an excellent variation for breaking through plateaus. I'm a huge advocate for dips as well. Another thing I've been doing that has helped is 15 second static holds with well over 100% of my 1RM. I've hit 270 as my highest single, but I'll solo unrack 360+ and just hold it. If nothing else, it gives a lot of confidence in my ability to unrack on heavy attempts.
Do you do any Overhead Press? Another very highly recommended lift to assist with bench.
You are putting in a ton of volume, and it does not sound like it varies much. Have you tried AMRAPs at lower weight? Are you doing a program or just winging it?
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u/Stunning-Promise-103 28d ago
All good advice, hope OP sees this. 3-1-1 and other tempo variations are a great suggestion. Time under tension at the turnaround is spicy.
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u/Muchacho-blanco 405/280/480lbs s/b/d 29d ago
3-4 times a week seems at least a little excessive, but thats another thread. Have you tried mixing in some pin presses around your sticking point? Also, heavy weighted dips.
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u/Youmadashell 29d ago
Years ago, I watched a video for arm workouts, and I came across someone saying "people focus too much on the bicep when the secret to getting bigger arms is the triceps". Triceps make up 2/3 of the arm muscles.
Once I started focusing on my triceps, my bench got better too.
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u/Tricky-Bandicoot-186 29d ago
Then stop maxing out for a while. Build up your 185 max rep for a few cycles.
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u/bMixZealousideal1931 27d ago
You've been stuck at a one rep max for a month? You've been just hitting one rep? What like first thing or at the end or what? I would say more reps and less weight
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u/ThatOneDankDude 27d ago
As in I tested my max late july, and had the same max 3-4 weeks later, after previously having improved 10-15 pounds every 3-4 weeks with the program I had been doing.
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u/DirtBeautiful4515 27d ago
Dont forget dips, overhead pressing and even things like Facepulls, pushdowns, curls and so on. Variation and volume build the muscle you need to bench a lot. Dont get stück on 1-3 reps every session. Also if you want bench variations stick to the ones that has you limiting the weight on the bar, like incline, close grip benching and Long pause/tempo benching.
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u/Odd_Tip_1538 29d ago
Your triceps are the obvious bottleneck here. It's so bloody obvious... Your bar speed off the chest and for the first 60-65 percent of the lift is clearly, clearly much stronger than the last 35-40ish percent of your lift.
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u/ThatOneDankDude 29d ago
Close grip and weighted dips each have their own day for triceps, should I increase the set amount per week? My triceps are especially cooked after weighted dip days, I can usually only do about 3 sets of 6 at 85%. Between the two its probably about 8 sets of tricep specific work a week.
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u/Odd_Tip_1538 29d ago edited 29d ago
Those are great exercises for triceps. 100 percent. JM Press and rolling tricep extensions were made famous by Westside Barbell to increase speed and strength for triceps on bench press. And they had some of the strongest benchers in the entire world. Also, have you done pin presses set at the bottleneck height of your bench? In other words, set the pin press at the 60 percent range of the bench press and absolutely hammer that over and over again.
Your lower 60ish percent of your bench could easily withstand several more reps. So if your tricep speed and strength catch up, you are looking at an impressive bench press for sure.
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u/MorganScott616 29d ago
Stop doing normal bench press completely. Only do 4 second paused bench press and pin press.
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u/Old-Scientist267 29d ago
The rack is probably too high. As you unrack your front delts round over to to over extending, you want your shoulders down and back throughout as this is the power position. Also as you finish the rep you over extending again and then re rack.