Please do go on...
Please do go on...
1. I wouldn't recommend squat and bench on the same day.
2. Work your chest more than twice a week, start at twice then maybe three times, even up to four times a week.
3. If you want size then don't worry about your strength numbers. They aren't nearly as important as getting more stress on your chest muscles. Strength is just numbers, numbers are blown out of proportion when size and shape are the main thing.
4. Don't bench press, work with dumb bells which are much better for chest development.
The bench press is a full-body movement that requires it to be trained as such. Contrary to what BB'ers believe, the bench press is NOT a chest exercise. If you're chasing numbers, then you first need to analyze your technical weaknesses before trying to fix the problem with exercises and learning a properly executed bench press takes years to truly master, which is another reason to not train it once a week.
M. Ed. Ex Phys
Rodja,
I'd say technical weekness(if I'm following you right) is getting the bar off my chest, and possibly my tricep strength. That is why I switched to the sets of 5 reps on tricep exercises. Figured the heavier weight would help. Though again, not being able to get the bar off my chest easily seems as if it may be exactly that; a chest problem.
Since this thread has come to focus on chest size too, and God knows I could use more; what is your chest exercise recommendations?
What you described is your sticking point/physical weakness and not necessarily a technical weakness. Without a video, it's impossible to give out advice on where you may or may not have a technical weakness.
Chest size is not something that you should concern yourself with if your goals are pure numbers. Strength, yes, but not size. Personally, I am a huge advocate of weighted dips, close grip incline presses, floor press, and JM presses to increase your bench strength.
M. Ed. Ex Phys
I mentioned technique, and I was under the impression he was having someone coming to check his technique.
Besides that why don't you try pausing at the bottom of your reps? Whatever your normal cadence is add a 2 or 3 second pause at the bottom while the bar is resting on your chest each rep.
Is an interesting discussion you started here. Some things I agree with. Some I don't. But, that doesnt mean any of it is wrong. Just different then my own approach.
I'm not one of those people that believes a certain exercise is going to make or break a routine. Also, a person biomechanics plays a huge role in this as well.
It's my approach to take out the muscle philosophy and treat the lifts as whole-body exercise. Once you do this, you begin to realize that you cannot isolate and only train a certain part within the lift and expect improvements. It would be like neglecting core and upper back strength, but wanting a bigger squat.
M. Ed. Ex Phys
I do agree whole heartedly that each lift is in fact a whole body exercise.
However, I don't agree that you cant train to correct a particular portion of a lift. Example being floor press assisting my lockout. I have no ability whatsoever to generate leg drive when performing a floor press. However, in practice utilizing nearly the same movements in the bench press for several weeks followed by floor pressing I made great strides in the upper portion/lockout of the bench press. Despite using the same weight on the primary exercise for multiple weeks. Just my opinion here but I believe in targeting weakness's with specific accessory work to improve the areas you're weak in.