Benching is HARD. It is often a lifter’s worse and least favorite exercise. Chances are if you’re good at it now, there was a time you weren’t. The truth is you may need to spend years working on it. When you plateau on the bench press you plateau hard. You may be making the greatest progress and then just get hit by a brick wall out of nowhere. All of a sudden you’re dreading bench day and wishing for shorter arms.
Believe me, I understand. My bench progress has not always been linear, I’ve experienced similar ups and downs that you all have. While my time in the sport of powerlifting has not been very long, I have experienced a bench plateau that lasted over a year. Imagine that… Going to the gym week after week, busting your ass to get better, and not making progress for over a year! You start to wonder what is going on.
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An even greater story of perseverance can be told by the bench pressing great, Vincent Dizenzo. A coach for elitefts, a 900-pound equipped bencher and holder of a 600-pound raw bench in three different weight classes. I remember Vinny explaining at a seminar that he spent three years (let me reiterate that so it sinks in), three YEARS stalled out at 600 pounds. You think one year is frustrating, imagine going three years without adding a single pound to your bench. So the next time you think you have it bad because you didn’t PR after a 3-monthh training cycle, think of Vinny’s story.
If you’re feeling lost on the bench, don't fret. There is hope. If you’re looking for a quick fix without putting in major work, then stop reading now. I will warn you that you will not break your plateau without a blue collar work attitude. Yes you will experience frustration and yes you will have to work your ass off trying new things but in the end, I promise you that new PR will be the best PR you ever hit.
Your first lesson on the road to breaking your bench plateau is patience. Without patience, you will never make progress, period. People who do not have patience will blame everyone and everything but themselves. They will look for a new coach, they will program hop like no tomorrow, and they will buy into the newest training fads without a second thought. This is not a road you want to go down. Time to buckle down and learn how to exercise patience. This lesson will be a slap in the face to those new in the sport of powerlifting but those who get it quick will be the ones experiencing all the glory down the road. By "down the road," I mean years and years. Are you ready to handle that?
Always seek to learn. Those who spend their free time trying to expand their knowledge will see results. Of all the lessons this sport has taught me, I am still amazed at how the smallest little technical correction or cue can completely change a lift. Something as simple as a slight hand adjustment can make the biggest difference in the world. A single youtube video of Dave Tate assessing and correcting Casey Williams bench press completely changed my lift. So you find yourself in a big bench plateau? Ask yourself if you’re watching videos on youtube, seeking out expert advice, going to seminars, reading books, listening to podcasts, etc. If the answer is no, well that might just be the kick you need to break through that brick wall.
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When you’re in the middle of a nasty bench plateau, you need to be honest with yourself now more than ever. Is it really the program that is failing you or is it you yourself? Are you paying attention to sleep and recovery? Is your nutrition in check? Are you bringing the right attitude to training and leaving your all in the gym? If you don’t think you’re doing these things to full capacity then the program should be the least of your worries. Before you go changing training programs you need to take a look in the mirror. When you try something new you need to understand that you have to buy into this long term to realize true potential. Rarely do you see results right off the bat. Give your program time and make sure you’re doing all the other necessary things that go along with sound training and recovery.
To carry on with the subject of being honest with yourself, do an analysis on your weak points. If you want some practical advice you can put into effect right away, it is to sit down and write down all the exercises you suck at. Once you have them written down, train them until you no longer suck at them. This may seem simple but it will be the greatest thing you’ll do for your bench press. If you suck at something chances are you’re not training it very hard and it is holding back your lift. For the longest time, I had a horrible barbell overhead press and I would avoid doing it as much as possible. It wasn’t until I started attacking this exercise and making a point to increase my weight that my bench started to take off as a result. You are only as strong as your weakest link, so start finding the kinks in your chain and build them up.
I practice what I preach. Do you want to know how I shattered my year long bench press plateau?
- I stayed patient. Even though I hadn’t made progress in a year, I kept getting my ass to the gym, I kept putting in great workout after great workout. I didn’t look to place the blame on anyone but myself. I stayed the course and kept telling myself that I was going to get through this in a big way.
- I kept learning. I went to seminars, interned at gyms, reached out to those better than myself, read loads of books, and watched videos. Each educational tool I used I was able to pull something away to make me the lifter I am today. They all played a role. I stayed hungry and slowly put my new lessons into practice.
- I made sure to push my body to the limits. I also made sure that my recovery capabilities matched that of my training. Do not ask more of your body than what it can handle. If you can’t handle very much then it’s time to improve your recovery habits. Sleeping more, eating better, supplementing right, and keeping up with conditioning to improve work capacity all plays a major role.
- I analyzed my weak points and made a point to get them better. My overhead was weak and I improved it, plain and simple. My 2 board close grip bench seemed lower than it should be and I made it stronger. It all improved my bench press.
These are not ground-breaking in any way. Just getting up and getting into the gym is a small victory. Most people that experience a year long plateau are going to quit. Just keep working and you’ll be ahead of the game. Adopt a blue collar work attitude. Get up and punch the clock.
Stay patient and do these things and you WILL break that bench plateau. The bench press, believe it or not, is such a technical lift. Many will never realize their full potential because they just don’t put in the time to become technically proficient. Treat the lift as a perfection of movement, not just a means to a stronger upper body. I have a vastly growing library of bench press technique videos on my youtube channel, Big Benchas. You can also find more information on my website bigbenchas.com. This would be a great place to start your journey to break your plateau. My goal is to create stronger benchers worldwide! There is no reason anyone is doomed to suck at benching, you just need to keep working.
Nick Benerakis is a strength coach at Gaglione Strength in Long Island, NY. His best competition bench to date is 600 pounds multi-ply. Nick specializes in coaching the bench press. To learn more you can visit his website at bigbenchas.com or email him at coachben@bigbenchas.com.
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