Body parts plateauing at different rates?

[genEus]

Why is it that my back progress has never plateaued, my legs haven't *really* plateaued but I've been benching pretty much the same for the past few months? I do change my exercises which helps a little, like going back and forth between dumbells and barbells but don't change the intensity/frequency - a la Max OT... I mean you can say that I am not eating enough, but then shouldn't I plateau all over, and not just in my chest development?

Thoughts? :confused:

[Gearloose]

Originally Posted by genEus

Why is it that my back progress has never plateaued, my legs haven't *really* plateaued but I've been benching pretty much the same for the past few months? I do change my exercises which helps a little, like going back and forth between dumbells and barbells but don't change the intensity/frequency - a la Max OT... I mean you can say that I am not eating enough, but then shouldn't I plateau all over, and not just in my chest development?

Thoughts? :confused:

Increase the weight and drop the reps. Force yourself to push the heavier weight. If you are doing 8 or 10 reps at X lb, increase the weight to x+10 lb and try for 6 reps on the first set. The second and thirs sets may only be 3 to 5 reps. So what? Push that heavier weight anyway. The next workout push for 7 reps, next time--8 reps. Maybe in reality you won't get 8 reps on the first set of the third workout, and may even fall back a rep or two. As soon as you hit 10 reps on the first set and are getting 7 or 8 reps on the next sets, push the weight up another 5 lb.

Are you benching alone at home or in the gym wiothout a spotter? Maybe there's a subconscious fear of getting trapped under too much weight. Either ask someone to spot you, or use a Smith machine or cable/plate stack chest press machine for a while.

[.V.]

I hit a bit of a wall on my bench progress lately too. I "borrowed" something from the power lifters. I started doing heavy singles before my max ot workout. Add some weight push a rep, rest, add, push. Until I found out how much my single weight should be. Then I worked on doing as many as I could with that weight until I hit 6 singles (about 1-2 minute rest between each). It got me right over that wall.

The powerlifters - who actually know about that style of lifting - (I really don't), have told me that this is a good way to get past the place I was stuck at, but not something to do every week, from now on forever - apparently it is too hard on the CNS.

[genEus]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

I hit a bit of a wall on my bench progress lately too. I "borrowed" something from the power lifters. I started doing heavy singles before my max ot workout. Add some weight push a rep, rest, add, push. Until I found out how much my single weight should be. Then I worked on doing as many as I could with that weight until I hit 6 singles (about 1-2 minute rest between each). It got me right over that wall.

The powerlifters - who actually know about that style of lifting - (I really don't), have told me that this is a good way to get past the place I was stuck at, but not something to do every week, from now on forever - apparently it is too hard on the CNS.

Hmm... I was actually leaning towards going "lighter" for some reason. I get so frustrated when I, totally believing the MaxOT way (and also because I like to lift heavy weights for 4-6 reps) don't look as big as the guys around me doing 8-10 reps, pyramid sets, etc, etc - things that AST scoffs at. I mean, I've been working out this way for about a year and a half, and took a total hands-off 3 month break from weightlifting recently... so, that makes it 1yr and 3mths? And I can bench press 6 reps with only 180lb, which is also what I weigh at 6'1". I mean, when I started out I could press 115lb, but I've also been stuck at 170-180 for the past 3-4 months (before my 3mth break)... Well I'm finally getting a fridge for my cubicle so maybe I'll revise my diet and eat more protein or eat more often? hmm, I dunno I guess I'm a little frustrated... but that's a common feeling for me

Are you benching alone at home or in the gym wiothout a spotter? Maybe there's a subconscious fear of getting trapped under too much weight. Either ask someone to spot you, or use a Smith machine or cable/plate stack chest press machine for a while.

Oh -- and I do have that too, I don't actually have the "fear" of getting trapped, but if I have a spotter I usually do put out one more rep than without a spotter, just because I have, on two past occasions, gotten trapped, and one was recently - I got out all right by myself but managed to sprain my wrist in the process and it still hurts... I do, in fact, hate the benches that we have because in the past we used to have benches with little hooks on the sides that you could position just above your neck, just enough so that you could get out underneath the bar if you couldn't push it further. Then, they replaced them with newer benches that don't have those "safety" hooks - so now unless you push it all the way up, you're stuck But, all in all, I'm not sure this is what's causing my stagnation.

[maverick]

If you hit a plateau, change things. Obviously, if your goal is to lift more weight on a particular lift, I would strongly suggest listening to the advice of a powerlifter who knows a lot more than me. If you are trying to gain more size on your chest, I would suggest things like prefatiguing your chest prior to presses, dropsets on your heavy exercises, and supersets with compound and isolation exercises among other things.

You've plateaued cause your body got used to what you were doing. Depending on your goals, switch your training style to something different and appropriate.