Current Events > Why are bench presses so much harder than other lift exercises for me?

(+) Yeah! (+)

On my arm days I can usually do a 45lb weight on each arm, but when doing bench presses just having 25lb on each side is pretty killer. I did just very recently start doing bench presses, so Im wondering if maybe its just using some muscles that I havent really developed much at all yet?

But its a Hell of a lot more difficult than any other arm exercises I do.
---

Are you taking into account the bar weight for bench.
---

Burgess posted...

Are you taking into account the bar weight for bench.

Actually, now that you mention it, I wasnt lol
---

there are two potential reasons why you can curl 45lbs but can't bench 95lbs

reason 1: you're cheating like a motherfucker on those 45lb curls, swinging & snapping your back to help move the weight

reason 2: you look like this - http://cosmouk.cdnds.net/15/38/640x320/placeholder_landscape-1442328556-spongebob-muscles.gif
---

@Complete_Idi0t
---

Romulox28 posted...

reason 1: you're cheating like a motherfucker on those 45lb curls, swinging & snapping your back to help move the weight

probably this
---

Burgess posted...

Are you taking into account the bar weight for bench.

Classic rookie mistake. TC is using a 150-pound bar.

Is your chest being activated? I had a lot of problems on bench until I started doing cable presses which engages your chest more.
---

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.
---

You're not doing bench immediate after some sort of tricep exercise, right?

Ideally, compounds such as bench are best done at the beginning of your workout, so you're not as limited when something is fatigued due to an isolation exercise.
---

focus on your leg drive, learn to arch your back and you'll push significantly more weight.

I used to have the same problem...could squat 355 no problem, deadlift 500 lbs but my bench maxed out at like 265. It was pathetic.

Also helps if you bench more than once a week. you'll build up your strength much faster.
---

The longer your arms the harder it is. Do you have abnormally long arms?
---

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

Probably a teen who just started working out seriously calm your tits.

Romulox28 posted...

there are two potential reasons why you can curl 45lbs but can't bench 95lbs

reason 1: you're cheating like a motherfucker on those 45lb curls, swinging & snapping your back to help move the weight

reason 2: you look like this - http://cosmouk.cdnds.net/15/38/640x320/placeholder_landscape-1442328556-spongebob-muscles.gif

Shit, I shouldve specified. On regular curls the most I can do is around 30-35lb.

Its hard to say exactly what the workouts I mean are because I dont know the names of them. One has your arms outstretched to the sides and bringing weights together. One youre reaching up and pulling the weights down to chest level, etc.

On any of those I can do much more weight than a bench press. (Or curl.)
---

warm up with just the bar and try either a wider or closer grip (wider will use more of your chest, closer more of your arms)
---

MARKINGRAM22 posted...

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

Probably a teen who just started working out seriously calm your tits.

Nah, Im 24. Just started working out for the first time fairly recently. Ive always been extremely thin.

To put it into perspective, Im 6ft and was 135lb when I started working out. I was a twig. Im 160lb now, so Im definitely improving. Im proud of it, so I dont mind comments like his. Ill get there.

Forlorn_Ass posted...

The longer your arms the harder it is. Do you have abnormally long arms?

Not really, but Im pretty tall so they are on the longer side.
---

HaVeNII7 posted...

Romulox28 posted...

there are two potential reasons why you can curl 45lbs but can't bench 95lbs

reason 1: you're cheating like a motherfucker on those 45lb curls, swinging & snapping your back to help move the weight

reason 2: you look like this - http://cosmouk.cdnds.net/15/38/640x320/placeholder_landscape-1442328556-spongebob-muscles.gif

Shit, I shouldve specified. On regular curls the most I can do is around 30-35lb.

Its hard to say exactly what the workouts I mean are because I dont know the names of them. One has your arms outstretched to the sides and bringing weights together. One youre reaching up and pulling the weights down to chest level, etc.

On any of those I can do much more weight than a bench press. (Or curl.)

being able to curl 30 to 35lbs but not bench 95lbs is still pretty suspect imo. same if you're doing 45lb lateral raises. your form has to be really off

anyway

for bench i suggest starting with the bar and working your way up from there, really focusing on the full range of motion. as others have suggested i also find that doing things such as cable flies helps get you to know how it feels to activate your chest muscles, and builds a baseline of strength. id start there, supplement your bench press w/ cable flies or any kind of chest press resistance machine your gym has
---

ThyCorndog posted...

warm up with just the bar and try either a wider or closer grip (wider will use more of your chest, closer more of your arms)

Ill try that. Along with the doing it more than once a week thing. Thanks.
---

Romulox28 posted...

HaVeNII7 posted...

Romulox28 posted...

there are two potential reasons why you can curl 45lbs but can't bench 95lbs

reason 1: you're cheating like a motherfucker on those 45lb curls, swinging & snapping your back to help move the weight

reason 2: you look like this - http://cosmouk.cdnds.net/15/38/640x320/placeholder_landscape-1442328556-spongebob-muscles.gif

Shit, I shouldve specified. On regular curls the most I can do is around 30-35lb.

Its hard to say exactly what the workouts I mean are because I dont know the names of them. One has your arms outstretched to the sides and bringing weights together. One youre reaching up and pulling the weights down to chest level, etc.

On any of those I can do much more weight than a bench press. (Or curl.)

being able to curl 30 to 35lbs but not bench 95lbs is still pretty suspect imo. same if you're doing 45lb lateral raises. your form has to be really off

Honestly it probably is. Like I said, I just started recently and am teaching myself as I go. Usually by mimicking YouTube vids of workouts.
---

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

This I don't ever lift and I can bench more than that
---

HaVeNII7 posted...

Honestly it probably is. Like I said, I just started recently and am teaching myself as I go. Usually by mimicking YouTube vids of workouts.

id suggest lowering the weight if possible and focusing on the full range of motion. good form always takes precedent over heavier weight.

for bench i suggest starting with the bar and working your way up from there, really focusing on the full range of motion. as others have suggested i also find that doing things such as cable flies helps get you to know how it feels to activate your chest muscles, and builds a baseline of strength. id start there, supplement your bench press w/ cable flies or any kind of chest press resistance machine your gym has.

honestly the resistance machines are a really good suggestion for beginners IMO. you basically cannot do them wrong if you follow the instructions on the machine, so they will teach you how it feels to "activate" and isolate certain muscle groups, so when you're doing curls or benching or w/e you know what feels right and what feels wrong.

also fuck anyone here putting you down for not being able to bench 95lbs, no shame in that. everyone starts somewhere, and most people putting you down for not benching X amount of weight probably dont even work out, they're just flexing online. when i first began lifting i couldnt even bench the 45lb bar, i had to use the resistance machines on the lowest possible setting lol. take your time and learn good form, your noob gains will come pretty quickly
---

Key posted...

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

This I don't ever lift and I can bench more than that

Im literally a skeleton. =\ Gotta give it time.
---

Romulox28 posted...

HaVeNII7 posted...

Honestly it probably is. Like I said, I just started recently and am teaching myself as I go. Usually by mimicking YouTube vids of workouts.

id suggest lowering the weight if possible and focusing on the full range of motion. good form always takes precedent over heavier weight.

for bench i suggest starting with the bar and working your way up from there, really focusing on the full range of motion. as others have suggested i also find that doing things such as cable flies helps get you to know how it feels to activate your chest muscles, and builds a baseline of strength. id start there, supplement your bench press w/ cable flies or any kind of chest press resistance machine your gym has.

honestly the resistance machines are a really good suggestion for beginners IMO. you basically cannot do them wrong if you follow the instructions on the machine, so they will teach you how it feels to "activate" and isolate certain muscle groups, so when you're doing curls or benching or w/e you know what feels right and what feels wrong.

also fuck anyone here putting you down for not being able to bench 95lbs, no shame in that. everyone starts somewhere, and most people putting you down for not benching X amount of weight probably dont even work out, they're just flexing online. when i first began lifting i couldnt even bench the 45lb bar, i had to use the resistance machines on the lowest possible setting lol. take your time and learn good form, your noob gains will come pretty quickly

Ill definitely keep this in mind. Thank you!
---

HaVeNII7 posted...

Key posted...

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

This I don't ever lift and I can bench more than that

Im literally a skeleton. =\ Gotta give it time.

I'm pretty thin to. Not underweight like you used to be. But im 5'9 and weight like 140.

Also this probably sounds a lot harsher over text but I'm more just surprised especially since it sounds like you can curl and lift more than me.
---

Key posted...

Darkinsanity1 posted...

Having trouble benching 95lbs...wat.

This I don't ever lift and I can bench more than that

Yeah kind of why I was surprised because you have to have very little upper body strength to not be able to lift 95lbs easily.

Most average people could do it with probably little issue.

But TC said he's always been super thin and just started lifting so that makes sense.

Good for him getting into the gym trying to be more healthy.
---

Lol I hate these topics. A handful of suggestions but are anywhere from well kind of... to completely irrelevant. Like how long TCs limbs are affecting his bench.

Heres your problem TC, your form sucks for both curls and bench.

If you were strong enough to be doing 45lb dumbbells in each arm correctly (still, not that youd ever need to be curling 45s) you certainly wouldnt be stuck with a 95lh bench lol.
---

My pectoral muscles are quite weak compared to my biceps so it's quite possible. Start lifting breh
---

frogman_295 posted...

My pectoral muscles are quite weak compared to my biceps so it's quite possible. Start lifting breh

Yeaahhhh nahhh. Thats stupid. Your chest is a significantly bigger muscle group than your biceps. Youll never be lifting more with youre biceps than chest unless youre doing it very wrong.

Thats literally the opposite of but muh legs are stronger than X bodypart no shit, everyones are unless youre in a wheel chair.
---

Just focus on good form and don't worry about the weight too much. It will come in time. I just started about two months ago and that's what I've been told. And it's true.
---

philsov posted...

You're not doing bench immediate after some sort of tricep exercise, right?

Ideally, compounds such as bench are best done at the beginning of your workout, so you're not as limited when something is fatigued due to an isolation exercise.

It's actually recommended to do compound exercises last sometimes for this exact reason, so you're more tired and can get more out of less weight. Just another thing to try.
---

Imagine a bunch of nervous, socially awkward guys being in public and afraid to approach a woman while also being stacked from working out 24/7.

EvalAngell posted...

I used to have the same problem...could squat 355 no problem, deadlift 500 lbs but my bench maxed out at like 265. It was pathetic.

That makes sense though. Squat and Deadlift should be significantly above bench.
---

Pow Pow Punishment posted...

philsov posted...

You're not doing bench immediate after some sort of tricep exercise, right?

Ideally, compounds such as bench are best done at the beginning of your workout, so you're not as limited when something is fatigued due to an isolation exercise.

It's actually recommended to do compound exercises last sometimes for this exact reason, so you're more tired and can get more out of less weight. Just another thing to try.

By whom? A novice benching 95 lbs ought to bench first. Since the bench press uses both chest and triceps, if one does skullcrushers (e.g.) and then moves onto bench, he's shortchanging his chest. Bench first ensures max out of both tris and chest, and then he can do whatever isolations he feels like.
---

philsov posted...

By whom? A novice benching 95 lbs ought to bench first. Since the bench press uses both chest and triceps, if one does skullcrushers (e.g.) and then moves onto bench, he's shortchanging his chest. Bench first ensures max out of both tris and chest, and then he can do whatever isolations he feels like.

Myself. Another off the top of my head is Paul Carter. Here's another (see #5): https://www.t-nation.com/training/5-bodybuilding-lies-you-probably-believe

I wouldn't do it most of the time or recommend it to beginners (and by extension to the OP) but when you're decently strong it's a good way to train. If you get stronger under inoptimal conditions (e.g. being fatigued), you will get stronger under optimal conditions. It gives a good pump, too.

Also, in the example you gave you said he'd be shortchanging his chest. The bench press isn't actually a great chest builder, especially if you tuck in your elbows and pinch back your shoulder blades like a powerlifter (which is better for your shoulders) but let's pretend it's a good chest exercise. Why would pre-fatiguing yourself shortchange the chest in particular? If anything, that's what you would want to do to target the chest. You can't truly isolate the pectorals since your arms have to support the load, so anything to tire your chest out is actually much welcomed.
---

Pow Pow Punishment posted...

Why would pre-fatiguing yourself shortchange the chest in particular? If anything, that's what you would want to do to target the chest. You can't truly isolate the pectorals since your arms have to support the load, so anything to tire your chest out is actually much welcomed.

Because in this example, triceps are the limiting factor. Chest isn't getting fatigued because the triceps already are.

In construction terms, let's say it takes 4 legs and 1 seat to make 1 chair. I felt like having a bonfire last night. I burned 20 seats for warmth and now have 5 left in my possession. And I have 100 legs. How many chairs can I make now?

It's a similar argument towards using straps or mixed grip for deadlifting. If your grip strength is what's holding you back, would you rather work out your back/hamstrings/glutes/whatever afterwards in isolation, or just rock the straps and then do extra grip training?
---

Right, you're saying the triceps are now the weakest link in the pressing chain and therefore can't do their role to activate the chest. That's really only if you equate max effort to optimal chest development, but that's not the case. It can actually be easier to attain more chest recruitment on a pressing movement if you're using your triceps less.

Your logic isn't completely unreasonable or anything; I also rely on heavy dumbbell pressing when I'm at my freshest to build my chest as well as more pump-centric approaches, but that goes back to my point about doing different methods and not exclusively sticking to dogma like compound movements having to always be first.
---