Progresstomasz88·14 Jun

Finally hit 100kg bench after being stuck at 90 for 8 months

M31, 82kg, been lifting about 3 years. Bench was 90kg for a single in October and it just would not move. Tried more volume, tried less volume, tried a different grip. Nothing.

What finally worked, in case anyone is in the same spot:

Stopped maxing every week. Ran 4 weeks of 5x5 at 75kg, then 4 weeks of 4x4 at 80, then 3x3 at 85. Boring. Worked.
Added one paused bench day. Dead stop on the chest for a full second, lighter weight, 3x5. I think my bottom position was just weak.
Ate more. I was hovering at maintenance for a year thinking I could get stronger while staying at the same weight. Went up 2.5kg over 8 weeks and the bar started moving.

Today 100 went up clean, no bounce, no butt lift. Spotter did not touch it.

I know 100 is nothing for a lot of people here but 8 months of the same number does something to your head. Posting because I would have liked to read this in January.

9 comments

benchmarked·14 Jun

Congrats. The "ate more" part is the one nobody wants to hear. You cannot out-program a 12 month maintenance plateau when the lift is already decent for your bodyweight.

tomasz88OP·14 Jun

Yeah. I kept telling myself I was "recomping". I was not recomping, I was just staying the same.

dkim·14 Jun

how much did you go up calorie wise? I'm in the same spot at 85 and scared of getting soft

tomasz88OP·14 Jun

About 250 a day over what I was eating, mostly rice and a second protein shake. Waist went from 82 to 83.5cm. That is the cost. Worth it for me.

oldschoolpete·14 Jun

Paused bench is the most underrated fix for a bench plateau. Everyone wants a new program, nobody wants to pause for a second at the bottom because it is humbling.

tinygainz·15 Jun

"8 months of the same number does something to your head" is so real. saving this

quads_mcgee·14 Jun

Nice. What did your rows / back work look like during this? Asking because my bench moved when I started rowing heavy and I never figured out if that was the cause or a coincidence.

tomasz88OP·15 Jun

Honestly not much change there. Barbell rows 3x8 and pulldowns twice a week the whole time. I think for me it was the pause work + food, but I would not rule it out for you.

coachraf·16 Jun

Good write up. One thing to add for others reading: the 5x5 to 4x4 to 3x3 progression you described is just a basic linear block. It works because it forces you to leave reps in the tank for weeks. Most stuck intermediates have been grinding singles at RPE 10 every Monday for a year.