changing workout to keep progressing?

[lionkiller]

ok so from what i ve read when i stop progressing on my bench i can do higher reps (15-20) for a week or so to break through to a heavier load? i ve gotten a really solid routine i love doing off this forum so thank u everyone for that. also i am sure this question has been asked to death but wide grip pullups? i have the hardest time doing these. where i work out it is a rec center small but nice new equipment but no assisted pull up machine. so what can i do to get my reps up on these and dips. in all honesty i can only do like half of one legitimate wide grip pull up. so i have been on this routine going on 3 months (basic push/pull/legs low reps heavier weight) is it time to change now or what? any feedback would be appreciated. thanks -mitchell in memphis also how do i add a little picture under my name?

 

[graedy]

Can you do narrow grip Pull ups and chin ups?

 

[lionkiller]

i can do about 4 narrow grips and the chin ups are easy to me. should i focus on those for the wide grip pullups?

 

[morganfreeman]

ok so from what i ve read when i stop progressing on my bench i can do higher reps (15-20) for a week or so to break through to a heavier load? i ve gotten a really solid routine i love doing off this forum so thank u everyone for that.

When my bench stops moving for a couple of weeks, I sometimes try to get more reps in at a weight that I can manage, but when you start hitting 15-20 reps, you start getting into strength endurance territory. If your goal is to increase limit strength, anything over 8 reps really isn't going to do much. It would help if you knew where your sticking point is. If you are having trouble getting the weight off your chest, a few weeks of decline press and dumbell press would probably go a long way. My weak point is a lack of arm strength, so I've been doing close grip bp as my main lift on press day for the past month, with ohp, dips and incline bp as assistance lifts. Once you figure out what is holding you back, its easy enough to pick a few exercises to stimulate whatevers lacking.

also i am sure this question has been asked to death but wide grip pullups? i have the hardest time doing these. where i work out it is a rec center small but nice new equipment but no assisted pull up machine. so what can i do to get my reps up on these and dips. in all honesty i can only do like half of one legitimate wide grip pull up. so i have been on this routine going on 3 months (basic push/pull/legs low reps heavier weight) is it time to change now or what?

By assisted pullup machine, do you mean lat pulldown? If you don't have access to that, doing wide grip negatives and lots of chinups until you can do a proper pullup is pretty much your best bet. Working on your bent over row will probably speed up the process.

any feedback would be appreciated. thanks -mitchell in memphis also how do i add a little picture under my name?

From the sounds of things, you would probably benefit from reading the stickies.

 

[Foulsmeller**]

Reasons to change a routine in order of importance:
1. YOU STOP MAKING PROGRESS



Thats it.
I'll only bench two weeks in a row. For the most part it works like this:
Week 1 bench
Week 2 bench (attempt to do more then week 1)
Week 3 Some alternate movement i.e. Incline/Decline, Floor Press, close grip ect ect ect
Week 4 Same exercise as week 3 attempt more weight
Week 5 bench attempt more then week 2
Week 6 bench attempt more then week 5

Of course if I fail (NEVER!!) then I rearrange things.
I'm also a fan of changing rep schemes all the time.
For instance on my ME day I'll work up to a one rep or a three rep max. I usually try to do this in 5 sets, so the volume is low, but I make up for that by doing an assassitance exercise for something like 10X3.
On DE day that week, I'd do 10X3 for SPEED with 50% of my 1 REP max, and then do an assassitance movement for 5X5.
About every other week instead of the 5X5 I'll do something crazy like 3X20.

The idea is to stay fresh, change your movements ALL the time, change your rep schemes from time to time.

 

[SmashiusClay]

By assisted pullup machine, do you mean lat pulldown? If you don't have access to that, doing wide grip negatives and lots of chinups until you can do a proper pullup is pretty much your best bet. Working on your bent over row will probably speed up the process.

He's probably referring to a machine which basically has a platform that pushes you up and thereby takes some of the effort out of doing chinups, I've seen them around before but dismissed them as ry, but I guess If you cant manage chin ups they probably will help get you there

I'd say just do narrow grip pullups and use them to build up to doing them wide grip although you could also use bent over rows.

 

[lionkiller]

thanks guys i will be adding the bent over rows now

 

[Mark Limbaga]

When my bench stops, I back off and rest. I also try to make a more attainable plan like adding 5 LBS to my bench every other week. The progress is slow, but it is steady. For chins, narrow grip build strength the fastest. You should also increase your delt and tri strength in order to be able to do dips.

 

[Sean S]

When my bench stops, I back off and rest. I also try to make a more attainable plan like adding 5 LBS to my bench every other week. The progress is slow, but it is steady. For chins, narrow grip build strength the fastest. You should also increase your delt and tri strength in order to be able to do dips.

Pretty much the same. At least for me, nothing beats a week off. For some reason, and I'm sure others are like this, some of my best gains have come after a week off.

As for the slow progress thing, well progress is progress. This is a concept that I have to remind myself of sometimes. Whether it takes 2 years or 5 years to deadlift 600 doesn't matter the first time you actually do it.