sudden loss of strength in my bench press?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by LeighB, Oct 21, 2010.

  1. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    ok so basically about 1 and half months ago i joined powerlifting gym and everything was going brilliant i managed to go from a 60kg 5x5 to a 70kg 5x5 and about 2 weeks ago i was on my way of reaching 72.5 5x5 .

    ok so i got lots of rest and woke up rearing to go to the gym , i was confident that i could achive it as my technique had improved so much since my trainer who competes in IPF was teaching me all the lifts . i started to warm up
    and noticed the weights seems abit heavier than usual . once i got to my 60kg warm up i was struggling abit which really confused me . so anyway after that i began doin my 72.5 kg 5x5 and couldnt even barely do 3 , but the fact the week before that i did 4 sets of 70 and my final set i managed to pull off 5 reps of 72.5 .

    after resting for about 5 minutes i dropped the weight and tried to do 70kg but my body wasnt having that either i lost all strength on my first set on my 4th strength .
    i was really confused about this considering that all my other lifts such as my deadlift and my squat has gone up.

    i know i would eventualy stall but i didnt expect a decrease in strength . at first i thought i was overtrained but that wouldnt explain why my other 2 lifts have increased one of the trainers there said that it mighty be due to the fact my technique has improved stressing my muscles more but i though better techniqued helped you lift more not less ?

    can anyone explain to me what has happened?
     
  2. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    Where to begin?

    First of all, without a pattern to follow I can easily right this off as simply having a bad day. We've all had them so one isolated instance of a weight drop on a lift is nothing to fret over.

    Having said that, there are a mulitude of things that can affect strenght. Hydration, diet, stress, lifting frequency, sickness... there really is a lot.

    If you see this happening again, start to evaluate all these things and see if you're lacking in any of them. Remember too that as you train more regularly and push your body harder you're requirements for nutrition, rest, hydration, etc INCREASE. What might have pulled you through two weeks ago just may not cut it today.

    Remember in a month you went from 50 kg (110 pounds) to 72.5 kg (159.5 lbs)... thats almost a 50 pound increase in 6 weeks... wow. Looking at it that way, I have to ask, did you expect MORE?
     
  3. 47MartialMan

    47MartialMan Valued Member

    In agreement with Bigmikey, I like to add that in the beginning, the strength progresses at a rate per the body's ability to tear down and reconstruct in order to compensate the taxing stress. That said, after the body has adjusted to this, progress would become slow, and at times, may step back to what could be known as a "bad day". In many cases, this could also be seen as the set plateau, which progress will proceed ay a slower rate than the initial. The key is not to get mentally discouraged and to continue.
     
  4. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    well i managed to get my deadlift from a 60kg too 100kg in the same amount of time i though that was quite good just wondered why i couldnt do the same with my bench obviously not get too 100kg but like still be able to acheive an increase it hasnt even been like 1.5 months i thought i wouldnt plateau like till my 3rd month or so but maybe im just being completely clueless about strength training .
    what i was confused about is that i had another bench day yesturday and i couldnt even get out my 5x5 on 70kg that i did like 2 weeks before just thought a plateau was when you stopped increasing in strength not go backwards . i thought it was overtraining but does overtraining allow you to plateau in one lift but still increase on the others ?
     
  5. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    Two weeks is a long time.

    Look, one thing you need to learn and accept as GOSPEL is that the road to muscular development is NOT a linear path. It is a roller coaster filled with ups and down, periods of growth and periods of stagnation.... and even backsliding. Backsliding a little like you did ONCE is nothing. Thats like saying because one girl rejected you you're a total and complete loser that will be alone your whole life, lol. Even a couple weak workouts do not a plateau or a problem make.

    I don't think I know anyone who repeatedly increases in strength without a single snag, especially at the outset like you. You're still learning about your body and how it responds to training. Your coach may need to change his approach if you continually decrease in strength. BUT, and this is a big BUT, I pretty miuch can guarantee that wont happen. Patience man... it all takes patience. Rome wasnt built in a day and neither is the physique you're chasing.
     
  6. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    Did you have two different people spotting you while you did these lifts? The first thing that comes to my mind is that someone gave you a lot of help when you lifted during one workout, then you had a different spotter who didn't assist as much so you weren't able to handle as much the next time.

    Do you allow anyone to touch the bar in any way during your sets after the lift off? If the bar is touched at all before lockout, the lift is void.

    If not that, then go with what Bigmikey said.
     
  7. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    Big trouble if my spotter comes near the bar without my say so!!

    You breathing properly?

    Sometimes bad days happen, try to be happy that you are fitter and stronger than many of the population, it helps not get bummed out about them.

    My fave phrase of the moment is "you can't ride two horses with one ****"
    Have yoe been doning more MA or conditioning? or done a class recently? all of these things can be a factor.

    Additionally try not to think to much when your lifting and I'm a great fan of visualisation, picture yourelf moving the weight, starting to struggle on the forth then grinding out number five, how pleased you'll be, i beleve it acctually does help.
     
  8. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    no i only have one spotter who just helps me to lift the bar into position otherwise i find that i cant pull my shoulder blades back . anyway they dont really go near the bar ,when my strength fell that was the only time ive ever had someone help me lift the bar.

    @ Bigmikey , sorry it might have seemed like im totally desprate to find out whats happened and all but im more interested in what caused it than worried. atm ive changed from a 5x5 to a 3x5 on the 3 lifts and im going to bed an hour early and im eating abit more aswell now . also what do you mean by ' 2 weeks is a long time' ?

    ive always been told to take a big deep breathe in control the bar on the way down , power the bar up and breath out once i get passed the sticking point.
     
  9. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    2 weeks is a long time in that its a pretty far way to go back and compare lift strength. So much has to come in to play with a time span that long.

    How much water are you drinking daily? Is it at LEAST a gallon? Seriously.

    One thing to do is to draw your shoulder blades together when you raise the bar off the resting pegs. This little act creates a very stable, flat platform from which to press. You'll see that it locks your shoulder girdle into a tight, almost springy position. As you begin to push visualize pushing YOURSELF away from the bar, not lifting the bar off of you. By changing this one mental element you change the way your body interprets the action and in effect change the mechanics involved slightly, yet profoundly.
     
  10. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    thats a little spooky i was gonna ask if increasing my water intake helps, also when i mean 2 weeks i mean when i managed to do 5x5 70kg i did have a a bench day on wednesday where i managed to pull off 3x5 so next bench day i'll try a 72.5 with a 5x3 . btw how many pints make a gallon?

    also a quick question when i bench my trainer taught me the sort of powerlifting arch back but i noticed that i can bench a little easier if i ad a little bit of knee extention which sorta pushed the pressure right on my shoulders and my lats , is that the right way to do it ?
     
  11. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    it SOUNDS right, I'd have to see it though. Myself, I bench with legs elevated entirely off the floor.

    8 pints in a gallon amigo. And hydration is ridiculously important. Try driving a car without oil in it and after you walk back home tell me how important that oil was to keeping the motor from seizing. Same thing with water. No, its not a lubricant but its essential in pretty much the same way.
     
  12. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    ok i might have to make a video next time i bench when you said your leg elevated off the floor do you mean you put your feet on the bench ?.
     
  13. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    Nope, like this guy...

    [​IMG]
     
  14. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    no its not the right way to lift if you want to get strong

    powerlifters use a different body position than body builders, they press the legs into the floor to creat tightness and a big arche by allowing themselves to push back into their shoulders and lats, they need this in order to lift big, if its strength you are after and you are at a powerlifting gym listen to your coaches they know how to get guys strong

    secondly theres a reason most drug free programmes have you increase intensity over 4 weeks before having a deload week, in fact alot of them will argue you overlaod the body UNTIL you see a decrease in strength, you then deload and then in a week or so you will see the strength increases manifest themselves, its a de-laid reaction of the body to the changes it is undergoing
     
  15. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    ok that picture is a little strange my trainer teaches me the powerlifting techniques i also feel a hell of a lot more comfortable lifting the powerlifting way the only exception is i prefer my grip just further than shoulder width .
    so basically your saying after about a month or so i should lower the weight for a week then increase the weight gradually as before?
     
  16. 47MartialMan

    47MartialMan Valued Member

    I also like to mention, if it hasn't been done already, progression per one type of area or body, cannot be examined for all of the other areas. In other words, just because someone progresses with their legs, does not lend to reason that the arms will progress in the same time frame
     
  17. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    LOL, I wasn't telling YOU to lift that way, just saying thats how I do it.

    Deloading is something you can plan OR that your body will force you to do naturally - which yours may very well be doing.
     
  18. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    as big micky said you plan a deload or your body tells you its time for one, which might be happening here :)

    there are several ways to deload have your trainers written you a plan at all?
     
  19. LeighB

    LeighB Valued Member

    well they told me that once i stagnate its due to my body getting used to my workout so he told me i should just change the number of reps i should do thats why i went from 5x5 to 3x5 .
     
  20. Bigmikey

    Bigmikey Internet Pacifist.

    Stagnating is not the same as dropping backward. You need about a week to de-load.

    I was never an actual strength lifter but I routinely planned for light weeks just to avoid the very thing you're dealing with right now. Strength reductions or losses of performance are often also indicators of over training.

    To be clear over training can occur quite readily when engaging in a serious weight training regimen for the first time because we DON'T plan to deload. We chase our progress until we slam head first into a wall... or in your case exceed our bodies ability to adapt and cope with the new stresses placed upon it.

    Take a full week off, sleep ALOT, eat like a pig and do NOTHING... then tell me what your efforts are like in the gym :)
     

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