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slow upper body progression

tbh Im pretty against making changes to the program.

They're designed for 97% of people - not every fading wallflower out there.

Changing things up is whats behind the comments you see on bodybuilding.com 'tried Rippletoads, didnt work at all...'

Milk the program for all its worth and then move onto something that will be more effective for your bench press if thats your main aim.

I'm not giving anymore input over insecurities inspired by some resident meatheads who 'live and die' by the bench press.
 
If you can't milk a program after 8 months your doing something wrong...

I had a guy in the gym who did the same thing - he was on 5 x5 for 7 months - was not getting anywhere after about 4 months of the program - when he got here we changed it right up and he added 15kgs on his bench, 25kgs on his squat and dead in 5 weeks.
 
An exercise in futility is doing something over and over even if it is not working Oli. He has milked the squat and dead by the sounds of it, maybe his bench and MP intensity is lacking, maybe his technique is god awful, maybe he just does not respond to lower volume with his BP and MP. He either needs to decide on sticking with it and trying to take it up a notch or to do something new. I like SS but his bench is shit (no offence intended) compared to his other lifts, he can do crap all chins and his row is in the same ball park as his BP by the sounds of it. He obviously needs to change something so he has 3 options at the moment. Go harder, fix his technique if it is bad (take this option anyway as we can always do with some improvement) or start doing something different.
 
As an adjunct to your workout...Set-up a chinning bar at work or home, find something you can use to do chinnups.
Everytime you walk past it do a couple.

To make a point;
Imagine if you could do 20 consecutive proper chin-ups?
You'd be pretty muscular.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
I dont know. His squat and deadlift are okay but he could easily milk another 20-30kg from them on the same program.

His bench is shit, but it isnt completely out of the box either. Sounds like his 1RM could be bodyweight, which isnt too bad. 20kg in the next 2-4 months is still pretty feasible, provided he makes some minor adjustments and can work out where his bench problems are.

Lower portion = more back and shoulder work

Upper portion = maybe substituting some close grips in

Rippetoes program is pretty notorious for an average bench press, but its also notorious for low reps when it comes to back work. I think if he used pull ups and bent rows for higher reps he could easily overcome that. Theres no need to throw out the baby with the bath water and add 4-6 exercises for a problem that isnt that serious.
 
His squat and deadlift are okay but he could easily milk another 20-30kg from them on the same program.

I suggested he stay on that if it is working. I also only really suggested some dips into the program and maybe some more back work, but I gave him other options if he didn't like it. So that is an exercise per push and pull, not exactly a stack more work like you are suggesting. Joel just listed some good exercise he may want to use and suggested more volume nothing to out there.
 
I watched a Dave Tate's video in which he shows how to BP properly. He said lots of guys come to him asking how they can improve their BP. Should they do close grip, board press, dips, tricep work etc.? Dave's response: "Learn to fvcking bench right first."

It's amazing many here think a beginner benching 70kg needs accessory works and a new BP program, instead of telling him it's most likely that his technique sucks.
 
I watched a Dave Tate's video in which he shows how to BP properly. He said lots of guys come to him asking how they can improve their BP. Should they do close grip, board press, dips, tricep work etc.? Dave's response: "Learn to fvcking bench right first."

It's amazing many here think a beginner benching 70kg needs accessory works and a new BP program, instead of telling him it's most likely that his technique sucks.

This is going to sound flame worthy but how hard is it too press somethign above your head or out infront of your body?

Besides elbow placement ect.

And leg drive and the basics how much else can you **** up pressing something?

Are people just over complicating things? Better bench press? Bench press...
 
This is going to sound flame worthy but how hard is it too press somethign above your head or out infront of your body?

Look around at your average gym. Most people's pressing technique sucks. In the MP, most of them press forward diagonally instead of directly overhead. Most BP with their feet all over the place, sometimes on the bench, and are very unstable throughout the movement. Most screw up elbow positions, bring the bar down at shoulders level and grip the bar wrong.

This guy trains by himself with no experienced eye watching & guiding him. It's obvious that he will have technique issues - in fact, most people will.

How hard is it to squat? It's one of the most natural movements of the human body - much more natural than bench press. Even toddlers can do it. How many people you see around that squat with good technique without a coach? A tiny minority.

Bench Press is a very unnatural movement and position. Without a good coach, nearly everyone will have poor form.
 
Majority of people at my gym hold their legs in the air...

I think leg position was the easiest thing to figure out for me. Actually weaing my olylift shoes helps i honestly feel.

Squats are involving the whole body from movement to 1 point to another.. Yes bench is a compound exercise but at the end of the day you are pressing something your body doesnt move (much)if u plant your ass, you simply drive force through it...

But i dont think for a novice the bench press is something that hard to grasp in terms of technique for getting stronger. Powerlifting yes. But how much specialised technique do you need to bench 80kg? Not much... You just need to practice basics.

Dont flame me now... I just think that bench is something really hard to **** up if you have a good insturciton of it.

[youtube]DP3g-I9Sf9s[/youtube]
 
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I totally 100% disagree with the above statement, based on experience in my gym. (dancelot's)

I very rarely let anyone squat until they can bench squat, followed by box squat, and then squat.

Everyone benches first day.

Just my observations.

The bench is the easiest exercise I have anyone do at PTC, the squat sits just behind the clean as the most difficult.

If you dont know how many wrong things you can do in the squat, you shouldnt be coaching anyone.

Here is a tiny list of issues.

Bar placement
Ankle flexibility
Hip flexibility
Shoulder flexibility
Leaning forward
Two actions coming up
Depth
Knees coming in
Balance
 
Watch this from 2:23

[YOUTUBE]Dh3t6T-nqP0[/YOUTUBE]

"Maybe you just dont know how to ****ing bench lol"
 
I didn't say that the squat is actually easy (or easier than BP). I'm saying that it's supposed to be a natural movement, yet most people can't squat properly. It's an example to show n00bs that BP form isn't that easy to get right.

Personally I find squat easier than BP (cos I'm Asian :p ).

n00bs, that's exactly the video I referred to.
 
Squats are a bitch :D

I like teaching front squats first, I find people do them much easier, if they can not do them I like goblet squats.

But anyway of topic a bit, learn to bench as everyone stated, give it a shot and lift hard, if you still do not progress much increase increase volume, if that does not work, add some exercises such as dips blah blah blah.
 
Squats are a bitch :D

I like teaching front squats first, I find people do them much easier, if they can not do them I like goblet squats.

But anyway of topic a bit, learn to bench as everyone stated, give it a shot and lift hard, if you still do not progress much increase increase volume, if that does not work, add some exercises such as dips blah blah blah.

I still like the video..

"What assistance exercises do i do?"

"Maybe you just dont know how to ****ing bench"
 
fvck benching

any harm in replacing bench with MP in PPP if your not planning to compete for like.. 1 year?

I get a much better pump with MPs anyway
 
No way will MP work with PPP, it works with AAA

Big Nick failed the first set of MP adapting PPP, its not designed for it, the weight jumps are too high, its why I came up with AAA, push press or military press.

We should also stop assuming that skinny kid has shit technique.
 
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