@@beerdrinker2001its actually beneficial to skip chest day once or twice every few months. Then when u get back at it, ur chest will think its starting a new workout again and grow more
As a former powerlifter myself I say your right..sometimes we get so caught up in super heavy weight that we don't really get the work in we need doing fewer reps..it helps with injuries also cause I'm in my 50's now so my body can't handle heavy everytime I lift anymore
In my 50's and rarely ever go less than 5 reps on anything anymore. Usually 8-12 or even 15-20 as Jay said. And it keeps me injury free. The muscles feel full and strong. That's all I need. My kids think I'm strong. And that's all that matters. 😂
@@pelaaja8097It's pretty well known in the fitness world about some of the bad exercises and advice Arnold gave. Don't know why you even said his name
@pelaaja8097 he helps us more in the modern era than any other. He contributes so much of this solid stuff. Ronnie doesn't teach us directly much. Arnold hasn't taught us in 20 yrs. Jay is the 🐐 of social media bodybuilding, which is extremely important. Dorian is also very helpful
Nice to see that high volume worked for you. I am thinking about trying this approach. Right now my max is 205 and my goal is 220. For me to hit 15-20 reps right now I would need about 135 on the bar. So should I focus a lot of my training on sets of 135?
I'd do 80% of 1 rm and do the reps and if u cant do 1 more I'd just pause until I can do another rep and repeat until I hit 20 reps dont loser the weight
I agree. Going high on reps. Definitely a good thing but to bench three times a week and then at the end of 2 weeks go for a Max lol. Not very good at all. Imagine crushing your chest three times a week for 2 weeks and then trying to Max out
Ive been doing 15-20 for the last 6 months and i see a world of change. Every once in a while i go for like 4-6 and it surprises me how much the 15-20 translates.
Thanks so much Jay!!! Absolutely 💯 % appreciate it cause #1 I may be at that sticking point soon after some serious gains and #2 I’ve never heard anyone else other than Arnold speak on this subject. Arnold states that he knew that whenever he went into the gym that his muscles would try to get used to whatever he gave in a workout. Arnold said that your muscle memory plays against you for your muscle gains. See it tries to get used to whatever you give it. Arnold said his muscles were like saying I know your whole game plan! I know how many reps you were going to do how many sets you were going to do on whatever exercises. I’ve got you beat , it says! Arnold so then said, fine! I’ll tell you what I’ll do! I’m going to walk into the gym and start straight right off lifting the heaviest weight and see if it’s used to that!
It still blows my mind Jays range of motion and bar placement. To have that bar lowered to the top of his chest and seeing his muscles engage and no shoulder pain… more need to follow his advice.
Good way to warm up for pressing movement is to warm up the lats with some light rows. It’ll help with stabilizing your upper body when it’s time for your top sets.
Periodization is key to weight training in general, no matter the discipline. Sound advice that helps move someone from a raw beginner to an intermediate
@@jasonofengland6421 Lol,and that has NOTHING to do with how he worked out. Mike had Bergers disease and a meth problem. His father passed away at a young age as well.
Why only half extension? That wouldn't count as a real press. Is there a gain in doing half a rep? Honest question. If for quick explosive then i get it.
@@noblerogue4110 The top part of the move is mostly triceps, so the idea is this keeps the tension on the chest predominantly. It’s about growth rather than strength.
In high school, our football coach made us focus on squats to help with our bench press plateaus… It truly made a difference. I gained an extra 50 pound on my bench press. Thanks Jay. I’m gonna try this next starting next week.
Going lighter and focusing on different rep ranges and just executing each rep as efficiently as possible is great advice. If you do want to try a 1rm, I do recommend doing a top set of 1-5 reps prior to higher rep work on one of the Bench sessions you do per week.
Good shout. I used compete powerlifting but ever since I got a pinched nerve in my C7 vertebrae I can’t bench heavy anymore because it aggravates it. More reps at a lighter weight is the way forward 👌
I love your advice Jay. You’ve reached the pinnacle of your sport but you don’t preach…you advise based on your experience. I always look forward to hearing your advice…please keep it coming and know that it is hugely appreciated 👍🏻😊
the 8-12 is timeless but so accurate, i always focus on getting 12 reps per set, usually on the last set i’ll get 8-10 and thats when i go till failure no matter how slow the weight comes up, W advice from jay
The 3 to 6 rep range lifting sub maximal loads its by far the most optimal way to bream through plateaus. Adding in training techniques such as pause training, rest pause, priper accessory work to bring up weak points and accomodating resistance all help. Splitting your training into mesos also helps so maybe do a few mesos to focus on hypertrophy. Then go back to general strengrh based mesos in theb 3-6 rep range. Maybe at the peak of every general strength based meso test your 1RM before deloading. Rinse and repeat and you will keep making progress. Sure its diminishing returns but youll still progress. The problem is when you are advanced the progress comes so slow that it seems like not making any progress at all. If your 5 rep max on squats is 405lbs. It may take you like weeks or months to make that a 6 rep max. An extra rep at that level is literally adding another 405lbs of volume. This is why you have yo become more patient the more advanced you are. Train hard and train smart and remember 8-12 reps is always key
Thank you. Finally an educated comment. I feel bad for everyone that watches this video and actually takes this advice, freshly believing that 15-20 is the optimal strength training range! Couldn’t be more wrong
Can you please define what you mean by "sub max?" I am desperate to increase my bench but am getting nowhere. My current 1RM is 200 pounds. If I were to work out in the 3-6 rep range like you suggest, what weight range should I be using?
@@sjt6979 Bro I would be delighted to help you. So sub maximal just means any load that is below your maximum. So you are doing 200 1 rep max. Okay if you want to train in the 5 rep range let's say. You will be lifting approx 90% of 200lbs as you 5 rep max. Now you don't want to train to failure so let's say you are leaving 2 reps in the tank. That means you will do five reps at your 7rep max which is approx 86% of you 1 rep max. Now this is all relative to the person and the form on the day means your stress, sleep and nutrition setup. These factors can effect a performance on any given day however it will float around the them points. Once you start doing this just try to use progressive overload in this new range that you are training. Let's say in phase 1(1-4weeks) you train closer to the 6 rep range with 2 reps in reserve. Then phase 2(5-8 weeks) change the range. Go for maybe 4 reps per set, but again leaving 2 reps in reserve. Then phase 3(9-12weeks) drop down to the 3 rep range with 2 in reserve. The key is no matter what phase you are in make sure to add some weight every week. At the end of phase 3 you have 2 options. 1.deload. start the process again but the weight your lifting at the start will be higher than your previous programme. 2. Test the 1 rep max and deload.
@@dar540 Hey there -- I really appreciate your detailed response. I am going to try the plan you laid out. One question: Will doing five reps (with two reps in the tank) with fairly heavy weight (i.e., about 86% of 1RM) help with hypertrophy? I have not made any solid bench gains in over a year. This could be due to my age (I am 57), but I also wonder if I just need to build more muscle.
@sjt6979 anytime bro. I wish you could do voice messages on here cause I could lay it out easier 😂. Okay age is a factor however the dramatic effect of age is usually your threshold for strength. So you should still progress at a reasonable rate it's just your cap or ceiling has lowered. Now 5 reps with 2 in the tank would be helpful for hypertrophy and strength in a beginner. However if you've been training a while which it sounds like you have I would say training with reps slightly higher and closer to failure with more volume will be more helpful for hypertrophy gains. You can go through a hypertrophy focuses phase for about 12-16 weeks. Now the only downfall is that your 1 rep max may fall down a few pounds as you are not specifically training strength. That's normal. However once you've accrued some extra muscle tissue and switch back to strength training you will surpass your previous 1 rep max because your motor units have increased in size or number. Another thing to think about is your weekly recovery. Sometimes plateaus are because of training intensity being too high all the time or a lack of recovery days. If you don't fully recover you can't come back better. Also if I was your trainer and you were my client I would explore why you would want to test 1 rep maxes as there is other lower risk ways to test and monitor strength gain 🙏💪
This is spot on. I tried this and increased my 1 rep max by 20kg!! Going back to basics gives your muscles time to heal and strengthen. Definitely using the same recovery technique on other muscle groups in the future
I know theres a lot of people focused on hypertrophy here, but i tend to focus on powerlifting, so my routine is focused around lower reps, but i still keep my working weight to around 90% effort, which keeps CNS fatigue down. When im ready to hit a PR and max out, i give myself a week or two of lightening up a bit before pushing for the new weight.
I did what Jay said when i used to lift about 6 years ago. The Bench Press was my worst lift by far. I increased my numbers by pretty much following the advice he gave here. 16 reps.
For 25 years now, I focus on repping 225 as many times as possible every set (after warming up). Best workout ever. Chest is sore for days. I keep telling younger guys, if you’re not rolling sweat after an hour long hard workout, then something is wrong. 1-2 rep max does nothing for my body and just makes my joints hurt. 75+ reps at 225 in one day between flat and incline! Oh yeah - 53 yrs young and zero supplements!
Confusing the muscles is good, but ultimately for your strength to progress you have to use heavier and heavier weight loads to communicate to the muscle that additional strength is needed to compensate for the higher weight amounts. Going lighter cannot force the muscle strength to increase since your body can already handle that amount.
@noahfitness3974 I literally watch 5'3 manlets benching 315 natty at my gym. I can barely do 275 and I'm 6'1 lol. Shorter people can lift more on average because of shorter limbs/ROM. Usually tall people have good deadlifts but it's because they can make a wide base and already have more muscle. Not much you can do to cheat a squat or bench ROM and it still count. Now if you're 6'6 but built as wide as a refrigerator- then you're talking about a build that defies this rule just because of the sheer volume of muscle on the frame.
Exactly what I do with all exercises, about every 3rd week. Instead of going for my usual max weights, I do an intensive maximum sets workout with only 50% of the plates on the barbell or dumbells. It totally burns your muscles where you usually just would get stuck on heavier plates with no burn at all at failure. Then... take about 3-4 days rest and then go back to the 'regular' max weight sets. Woppaa... there you go: easily more weight then before! :-)
Awsome advice.Right now have trouble doing heavy weight on bench from shoulder pain.So have been doing higher reps strick form .Strong believer in some days you just can't put up the weight you want, but slow down do lighter with more reps and sets you are still getting a good workout in.
fyi hitting chest 3 times a week is mainly for juicers which they almost never explain. If you're a natural working out 6 days a week you're just busting your balls off and will burn out. Follow Mike Mentzers protocol if you're natty. 7-10 days inbetween same muscle workouts provides huge gains as long as it is high intensity.
Jay was the first guy who got me past barbell bench pressing. I thought that’s what I had to do because everyone asks how much you bench. The best chest workouts I’ve ever had were dumbbells and 60 second rest times. It makes a massive difference in how much you can lift, but it feels like you’re doing way more work
I agree with you Mr Cutler . Back in the day I would use the 5x5 method on bench press for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of 6 sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps respectively and I kid you not I was able to bench press 405 in my early 20's and I only weighed around 185 lbs .
i remember when the bar was heavy for me. Then this old school bodybuilder group suggested I do 40 reps with the bar, doesn't matter how many sets it takes, but to do as many as i can within a given set until I hit 40 reps (so i don't just do x1 rep for 40 sets). Interestingly, I broke through and was able to progress eventually to 25lb plates on each side and now many years later much further than I thought possible.
I was stuck on 265lbs for 10 reps for a year solid. I just could not step it up and all of a sudden I went from 265-285 lbs for 10 reps in like 3 weeks. I have no idea aside from changing my diet more eggs and yogurt at night post work out.
Good but theres more to benching heavy than just reps, if you wanna increase weight then best thing is still doing the 8-12 rep range for 4-5 sets and also doing shoulder, tricep, and back workouts. In beginning i did mostly benching only and did bare minimum for arms and shoulders, also didnt even do back workouts. Took me almost 2yrs to hit 225 from doing 135lbs as set. When i incorporated more workouts that were medium to heavy, my max benching went up fast within 1yr. I went from doing 1 set of 225 to 6 sets of 225 and hitting 3 plates in that same yr. Benching 2-3 times a week though
Facts. I do something similar. I just work a weight til i hit nice 10reps. The. Add tiniest plates in the gym, it drops me back down to 7/8 reps. Then i woke that until i get to 10 again. Rinse repeat. People seem to be allergic to the little plates!
Keep your elbows in toward your torso!!! If you have underlying shoulder issues pressing like you saw here will expose those issues potentially ruin your life (like my shoulder issues have ruined mine).
I sometimes tell my muscles we are going for a heavy session, then when I get to the gym, I turn around and drive home. It confuses the hell out of them.
Now I understand because I always wondered how on earth I got stronger after a lighter period while I tend to stagnate even lose strength when I keep closer to 1rm
thanks Jay but nah, i really like to go heavy until i like cant even touch my hand at front of chest . Getting crazy pump and feel the weird feeling in chest that you are done
The best way to increase your bench press is high volume push ups 500-100 every day or every other day with rest days for 3-6 months & the numbers on the bench will increase
This advice is why Russian powerlifting records still hold up today. They focused more on volume than weight. Volume is always better than weight for most athletes. Weight benefits those who needs explosiveness paired with good cardio like a boxer or baseball player
High rep has never translated to more weight for me. The opposite did though. The way i break a plateau is to do more weight with lower reps to get my muscle used to holding up weight it can just barely lift. Then go back down and my usual working weight feels a lot easier.
"The judges never asked me that on stage"...A lot of people need to hear that whole statement lol
Agreed
Yes but not everyone wants to be a bodybuilder.
@Grimmjow19872 Actually, everybody wanna be a bodybuilder. But don't nobody wanna lift no heavy ass weight
That's a fire line😂
@@rickyj1250 ah true though lol.
I started skipping chest day all together to confuse the muscles even more
You want to confuse it, not turn it gay
@@beerdrinker2001😂😂😂😂😂
@@beerdrinker2001its actually beneficial to skip chest day once or twice every few months. Then when u get back at it, ur chest will think its starting a new workout again and grow more
@@beerdrinker2001thinking you need big muscles is gay.
@@ScottHendrix-yz3dui'm gay then
As a former powerlifter myself I say your right..sometimes we get so caught up in super heavy weight that we don't really get the work in we need doing fewer reps..it helps with injuries also cause I'm in my 50's now so my body can't handle heavy everytime I lift anymore
I’m 33 can’t handle heavy weight ever anymore. I see more results lifting light anyways
43yo here. I suppose to find my best way to bench press, usually 4 plates sometimes with slingshot.
From everything I've heard from older powerlifters, the best way to be a good powerlifter is to train like a bodybuilder for like 60% of the year.
@@ADHDlanguagesyes cause ut gives you size and strength
In my 50's and rarely ever go less than 5 reps on anything anymore. Usually 8-12 or even 15-20 as Jay said. And it keeps me injury free. The muscles feel full and strong. That's all I need. My kids think I'm strong. And that's all that matters. 😂
When the GOAT speaks,
there's nothing left to say.
He's not Arnold or Ronnie?
@@pelaaja8097hes a goat and should be respected regardless he is a Mr Olympia idc if any of them won they all have the experience and knowledge
@@pelaaja8097It's pretty well known in the fitness world about some of the bad exercises and advice Arnold gave. Don't know why you even said his name
@pelaaja8097 he helps us more in the modern era than any other. He contributes so much of this solid stuff. Ronnie doesn't teach us directly much. Arnold hasn't taught us in 20 yrs. Jay is the 🐐 of social media bodybuilding, which is extremely important. Dorian is also very helpful
@@pelaaja8097😂
Solid advice, high volume made me put up my biggest numbers in everything
Especially with triceps and forearms for me
Nice to see that high volume worked for you. I am thinking about trying this approach. Right now my max is 205 and my goal is 220. For me to hit 15-20 reps right now I would need about 135 on the bar. So should I focus a lot of my training on sets of 135?
@@sjt6979I’m in the same boat, at 205 rn and am thinking about doing 135 for high reps
I'd do 80% of 1 rm and do the reps and if u cant do 1 more I'd just pause until I can do another rep and repeat until I hit 20 reps dont loser the weight
Low volume would work better. Powerlifters never do high volume/high reps.
This is fantastic advice
no tf its not lol
No one in any strength sport goes from 1-5 reps, does 15-20 reps hypertrophy and then PRs after 2 weeks lol
@@nicholastartaglia4276damn bro never knew you were a Mr.Olympia athlete!
@@MagicCityFLA yeah the Mr. Olympia, the competition where they compete on who has the most strength
Sounds like you’ve never lifted in your life.
@@nicholastartaglia4276shush
He's not talking about gaining strength but to increase muscle mass and appearance.
It's Mr Olympia not the Olympics
One of a few bodybuilders that gives good advices
This is not a good advice
@@alexisbeuve8199 wouldn't you like to know
@@alexisbeuve8199you butt hurt sure never heard of your pdf ass
thats trash advice
I agree. Going high on reps. Definitely a good thing but to bench three times a week and then at the end of 2 weeks go for a Max lol. Not very good at all. Imagine crushing your chest three times a week for 2 weeks and then trying to Max out
Ive been doing 15-20 for the last 6 months and i see a world of change. Every once in a while i go for like 4-6 and it surprises me how much the 15-20 translates.
Better hyperthrophy?
Great advice Jay 💪🏻
Your training style gives me crazy gains! Thanks for the great advice over the years.
Anyone that says something like this can’t be taken seriously . It literally takes years to years to make “crazy” gains.
@@executiveinvestments I've been training for nearly 20 years...
@@executiveinvestments I guess you dont have any gains yourself
Thank you Jay, my dad and grandfather used to work out with you at golds gym in Worcester back in the day and had nothing but praise for you.
Thanks so much Jay!!! Absolutely 💯 % appreciate it cause #1 I may be at that sticking point soon after some serious gains and #2 I’ve never heard anyone else other than Arnold speak on this subject. Arnold states that he knew that whenever he went into the gym that his muscles would try to get used to whatever he gave in a workout. Arnold said that your muscle memory plays against you for your muscle gains. See it tries to get used to whatever you give it. Arnold said his muscles were like saying I know your whole game plan! I know how many reps you were going to do how many sets you were going to do on whatever exercises. I’ve got you beat , it says! Arnold so then said, fine! I’ll tell you what I’ll do! I’m going to walk into the gym and start straight right off lifting the heaviest weight and see if it’s used to that!
It still blows my mind Jays range of motion and bar placement. To have that bar lowered to the top of his chest and seeing his muscles engage and no shoulder pain… more need to follow his advice.
You and Dex were the ones who made me fall in love with this sport and your dedication to it is most admirable much ❤
it is more like a drug cult than a sport
Famous dex?
Also strengthening your back and core will strengthen your chest and vice versa
Bro literally such am underrated comment
Wow I always wondered that but never bothered to research it
Good way to warm up for pressing movement is to warm up the lats with some light rows. It’ll help with stabilizing your upper body when it’s time for your top sets.
Periodization is key to weight training in general, no matter the discipline. Sound advice that helps move someone from a raw beginner to an intermediate
Thanks Champ
Looking good as always
"Do lighter reps"
.....Mike Mentzer enters the chat. 😮
But he also said 3x a week.
Mentzer’s dead due to bad choices.
Jay isn’t.
@@jasonofengland6421 Lol,and that has NOTHING to do with how he worked out. Mike had Bergers disease and a meth problem. His father passed away at a young age as well.
Why only half extension? That wouldn't count as a real press. Is there a gain in doing half a rep? Honest question. If for quick explosive then i get it.
@@noblerogue4110
The top part of the move is mostly triceps, so the idea is this keeps the tension on the chest predominantly. It’s about growth rather than strength.
In high school, our football coach made us focus on squats to help with our bench press plateaus… It truly made a difference. I gained an extra 50 pound on my bench press. Thanks Jay. I’m gonna try this next starting next week.
Going lighter and focusing on different rep ranges and just executing each rep as efficiently as possible is great advice. If you do want to try a 1rm, I do recommend doing a top set of 1-5 reps prior to higher rep work on one of the Bench sessions you do per week.
Good shout. I used compete powerlifting but ever since I got a pinched nerve in my C7 vertebrae I can’t bench heavy anymore because it aggravates it. More reps at a lighter weight is the way forward 👌
The most useful information i have heard about bench press this is why cutler is and was one of the best bodybuilders of all time
I love your advice Jay. You’ve reached the pinnacle of your sport but you don’t preach…you advise based on your experience. I always look forward to hearing your advice…please keep it coming and know that it is hugely appreciated 👍🏻😊
the 8-12 is timeless but so accurate, i always focus on getting 12 reps per set, usually on the last set i’ll get 8-10 and thats when i go till failure no matter how slow the weight comes up, W advice from jay
The 3 to 6 rep range lifting sub maximal loads its by far the most optimal way to bream through plateaus.
Adding in training techniques such as pause training, rest pause, priper accessory work to bring up weak points and accomodating resistance all help.
Splitting your training into mesos also helps so maybe do a few mesos to focus on hypertrophy. Then go back to general strengrh based mesos in theb 3-6 rep range. Maybe at the peak of every general strength based meso test your 1RM before deloading. Rinse and repeat and you will keep making progress. Sure its diminishing returns but youll still progress. The problem is when you are advanced the progress comes so slow that it seems like not making any progress at all. If your 5 rep max on squats is 405lbs. It may take you like weeks or months to make that a 6 rep max. An extra rep at that level is literally adding another 405lbs of volume. This is why you have yo become more patient the more advanced you are. Train hard and train smart and remember 8-12 reps is always key
Thank you. Finally an educated comment. I feel bad for everyone that watches this video and actually takes this advice, freshly believing that 15-20 is the optimal strength training range! Couldn’t be more wrong
Can you please define what you mean by "sub max?" I am desperate to increase my bench but am getting nowhere. My current 1RM is 200 pounds. If I were to work out in the 3-6 rep range like you suggest, what weight range should I be using?
@@sjt6979 Bro I would be delighted to help you. So sub maximal just means any load that is below your maximum. So you are doing 200 1 rep max. Okay if you want to train in the 5 rep range let's say. You will be lifting approx 90% of 200lbs as you 5 rep max. Now you don't want to train to failure so let's say you are leaving 2 reps in the tank. That means you will do five reps at your 7rep max which is approx 86% of you 1 rep max. Now this is all relative to the person and the form on the day means your stress, sleep and nutrition setup. These factors can effect a performance on any given day however it will float around the them points. Once you start doing this just try to use progressive overload in this new range that you are training. Let's say in phase 1(1-4weeks) you train closer to the 6 rep range with 2 reps in reserve. Then phase 2(5-8 weeks) change the range. Go for maybe 4 reps per set, but again leaving 2 reps in reserve. Then phase 3(9-12weeks) drop down to the 3 rep range with 2 in reserve. The key is no matter what phase you are in make sure to add some weight every week. At the end of phase 3 you have 2 options.
1.deload. start the process again but the weight your lifting at the start will be higher than your previous programme.
2. Test the 1 rep max and deload.
@@dar540 Hey there -- I really appreciate your detailed response. I am going to try the plan you laid out. One question: Will doing five reps (with two reps in the tank) with fairly heavy weight (i.e., about 86% of 1RM) help with hypertrophy? I have not made any solid bench gains in over a year. This could be due to my age (I am 57), but I also wonder if I just need to build more muscle.
@sjt6979 anytime bro. I wish you could do voice messages on here cause I could lay it out easier 😂. Okay age is a factor however the dramatic effect of age is usually your threshold for strength. So you should still progress at a reasonable rate it's just your cap or ceiling has lowered. Now 5 reps with 2 in the tank would be helpful for hypertrophy and strength in a beginner. However if you've been training a while which it sounds like you have I would say training with reps slightly higher and closer to failure with more volume will be more helpful for hypertrophy gains. You can go through a hypertrophy focuses phase for about 12-16 weeks. Now the only downfall is that your 1 rep max may fall down a few pounds as you are not specifically training strength. That's normal. However once you've accrued some extra muscle tissue and switch back to strength training you will surpass your previous 1 rep max because your motor units have increased in size or number. Another thing to think about is your weekly recovery. Sometimes plateaus are because of training intensity being too high all the time or a lack of recovery days. If you don't fully recover you can't come back better. Also if I was your trainer and you were my client I would explore why you would want to test 1 rep maxes as there is other lower risk ways to test and monitor strength gain 🙏💪
That quote about the judges was hard af.
Jay Cutler, legend, respect 💪.
This is spot on. I tried this and increased my 1 rep max by 20kg!! Going back to basics gives your muscles time to heal and strengthen. Definitely using the same recovery technique on other muscle groups in the future
I know theres a lot of people focused on hypertrophy here, but i tend to focus on powerlifting, so my routine is focused around lower reps, but i still keep my working weight to around 90% effort, which keeps CNS fatigue down. When im ready to hit a PR and max out, i give myself a week or two of lightening up a bit before pushing for the new weight.
I did what Jay said when i used to lift about 6 years ago. The Bench Press was my worst lift by far. I increased my numbers by pretty much following the advice he gave here. 16 reps.
For 25 years now, I focus on repping 225 as many times as possible every set (after warming up). Best workout ever. Chest is sore for days. I keep telling younger guys, if you’re not rolling sweat after an hour long hard workout, then something is wrong. 1-2 rep max does nothing for my body and just makes my joints hurt. 75+ reps at 225 in one day between flat and incline! Oh yeah - 53 yrs young and zero supplements!
Let me ask my pec muscles to solve some quadratic equations to confuse a bit😂😂
I would also focus on do that pull down where you lean back and on your shoulders, that also strengthens the bench press
Confusing the muscles is good, but ultimately for your strength to progress you have to use heavier and heavier weight loads to communicate to the muscle that additional strength is needed to compensate for the higher weight amounts. Going lighter cannot force the muscle strength to increase since your body can already handle that amount.
True but it does increase muscle size which as a byproduct, increases strength.
thanks Mr. Jay.. You always inspire me with new information 🙏🏼
It amazes me How little Jay Cutlers know about weight training in general and his horribel technique in almost all exercises 😮
Great to hear some advise from the master himself
Insane Idea of the switch up. Reps always matter. Solid advice as usual #MrO #Fit50
Jay is my chest champion. Pec perfection! 👑🥰
Goat jay , I’m going to win my show for you for next year
Good luck champ 💪🏽‼️
I just broke the 250lbs mark at 154lbs BW with this. Great Advice Jay 👍
That’s crazy, very well done!!
Liar
@noahfitness3974 I literally watch 5'3 manlets benching 315 natty at my gym. I can barely do 275 and I'm 6'1 lol. Shorter people can lift more on average because of shorter limbs/ROM. Usually tall people have good deadlifts but it's because they can make a wide base and already have more muscle. Not much you can do to cheat a squat or bench ROM and it still count.
Now if you're 6'6 but built as wide as a refrigerator- then you're talking about a build that defies this rule just because of the sheer volume of muscle on the frame.
I'd say also work on rep goals, no just a 1rm max but maybe a 3rm, 5rm, 8rm, 10rm, 15rm, 20rm
Exactly what I do with all exercises, about every 3rd week. Instead of going for my usual max weights, I do an intensive maximum sets workout with only 50% of the plates on the barbell or dumbells. It totally burns your muscles where you usually just would get stuck on heavier plates with no burn at all at failure.
Then... take about 3-4 days rest and then go back to the 'regular' max weight sets. Woppaa... there you go: easily more weight then before! :-)
Great Advice, sometimes we try to aim for the 1 Rep Max too often. Instead we should focus on increasing the repetitions with the same weight
Awsome advice.Right now have trouble doing heavy weight on bench from shoulder pain.So have been doing higher reps strick form .Strong believer in some days you just can't put up the weight you want, but slow down do lighter with more reps and sets you are still getting a good workout in.
More great advice keep them coming, thanks jay.
Also works for other muscle groups, I use this method on biceps and legs
fyi hitting chest 3 times a week is mainly for juicers which they almost never explain. If you're a natural working out 6 days a week you're just busting your balls off and will burn out. Follow Mike Mentzers protocol if you're natty. 7-10 days inbetween same muscle workouts provides huge gains as long as it is high intensity.
LMAO
Mentzer is over the top
Honestly. This was just what I needed to hear today.
So lucky to be getting some key insights from the Man himself. Appreciate all you do, huge fan and loving your content!
Jay was the first guy who got me past barbell bench pressing. I thought that’s what I had to do because everyone asks how much you bench. The best chest workouts I’ve ever had were dumbbells and 60 second rest times. It makes a massive difference in how much you can lift, but it feels like you’re doing way more work
I agree with you Mr Cutler . Back in the day I would use the 5x5 method on bench press for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of 6 sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps respectively and I kid you not I was able to bench press 405 in my early 20's and I only weighed around 185 lbs .
I've heard this information before but never implemented it. Been stuck at 180lbs on incline and decreasing over time, so I'll give this a shot.
Also strengthen your lat/shoulder, foreman and wrist and rotator cuffs too
Thank you, Boss! You’re my hero, man!
i remember when the bar was heavy for me. Then this old school bodybuilder group suggested I do 40 reps with the bar, doesn't matter how many sets it takes, but to do as many as i can within a given set until I hit 40 reps (so i don't just do x1 rep for 40 sets). Interestingly, I broke through and was able to progress eventually to 25lb plates on each side and now many years later much further than I thought possible.
I was stuck on 265lbs for 10 reps for a year solid. I just could not step it up and all of a sudden I went from 265-285 lbs for 10 reps in like 3 weeks. I have no idea aside from changing my diet more eggs and yogurt at night post work out.
Good but theres more to benching heavy than just reps, if you wanna increase weight then best thing is still doing the 8-12 rep range for 4-5 sets and also doing shoulder, tricep, and back workouts. In beginning i did mostly benching only and did bare minimum for arms and shoulders, also didnt even do back workouts. Took me almost 2yrs to hit 225 from doing 135lbs as set. When i incorporated more workouts that were medium to heavy, my max benching went up fast within 1yr. I went from doing 1 set of 225 to 6 sets of 225 and hitting 3 plates in that same yr. Benching 2-3 times a week though
I just feel that higher reps and lower weight is just better for longevity those heavy squats or bench can really f up your ligaments
Thanks Jay 💪🏽‼️
Those little 2.5 lbs weights help break plateaus too! I always increase intensity by 5 lbs in the 6 to 12 rep range.
Facts. I do something similar. I just work a weight til i hit nice 10reps. The. Add tiniest plates in the gym, it drops me back down to 7/8 reps. Then i woke that until i get to 10 again. Rinse repeat.
People seem to be allergic to the little plates!
Switch from barbells to dumbbells for a few weeks or vice versa. That’s always done the trick for me.
Keep your elbows in toward your torso!!! If you have underlying shoulder issues pressing like you saw here will expose those issues potentially ruin your life (like my shoulder issues have ruined mine).
Time under tension reps work way better than extending out all the way.
I sometimes tell my muscles we are going for a heavy session, then when I get to the gym, I turn around and drive home. It confuses the hell out of them.
THANX JAY I WILL TRY THIS TECHNIQUE… LIGHTEN UP THE WEIGHT AND TRY TO EXTEND THE REPS
I always like to hear what jay has to say, he his old school, I would like to see him compete again
Awesome advise! 👍
How many sets of the 15 to 20 reps? I weigh 177 my 1 rep max is 250 can get past that
Thanks J!
Thanks Jay 🙏🏻, I think it’s interesting to note he wasn’t locking out there 😮, it makes it harder 👍🏻✅
Now I understand because I always wondered how on earth I got stronger after a lighter period while I tend to stagnate even lose strength when I keep closer to 1rm
thanks Jay but nah, i really like to go heavy until i like cant even touch my hand at front of chest . Getting crazy pump and feel the weird feeling in chest that you are done
He said in his videos he doesn’t bench. Just dumbbell press. But he’s a champ. I should listen
Yes I started doing this and i can feel the difference in the muscle
Also try taking off 2 or 3 weeks. Sometimes the muscle needs to heal and rebuild itself back and stronger.
The classic...one leg kick out sit up motion. 😂
Insane forearms my man
Thanks for these awesome and very helpful tips Jay! Appreciate you brother 💪😎
Awesome advice 🙏
For me going light and then heavy every few weeks injured me more often
Hitting the chest three times a week has about 95% of the development.
Good advice,as usual 🇦🇺☮️🙏
Thanks Jay
The best way to increase your bench press is high volume push ups 500-100 every day or every other day with rest days for 3-6 months & the numbers on the bench will increase
Did you mean 500-1000? Either way shitload of push ups. I’m guessing you do a few at random intervals throughout the day rather than all at once?
I do them all at once high volume with good rest and an good diet is key.@@1997saps
Great advice 🎉🎉🎉🎉
good advice. Thank you
ahhh I've been doing this to see what happens and it's been working, so good to hear it from a great
been doing this and my bench was increase slightly, thanks jay for the advice
Thank you so much 😊
Great advice!
Thks Jay
Very good advice 👌 👍
This advice is why Russian powerlifting records still hold up today. They focused more on volume than weight. Volume is always better than weight for most athletes. Weight benefits those who needs explosiveness paired with good cardio like a boxer or baseball player
Thanks for passing on your Knowledge Jay.
He ain't wrong,it's a whole lot easier to ad a rep on a 20 set than on a 5 set,food for thought kids😉
High rep has never translated to more weight for me. The opposite did though. The way i break a plateau is to do more weight with lower reps to get my muscle used to holding up weight it can just barely lift. Then go back down and my usual working weight feels a lot easier.
Awesome video man thank you
Great advice! And it works
‘If your technique is pure, size and strength will come’
Only if intensity, volume & nutrition are on point.