Got weaker on the Bench Press

C

cookieman9000

New Member
So I started HST about a week ago. I'm in the 10 rep block and today I did my 5th workout.
Prior to me starting HST, I measured my bench press at 85kg for 10 reps.
Today I used 82.5kg on the bench and couldn't manage to get 10 reps, I got only 9.

If it helps, I started the 10 rep block from 65kg. I did everyday 2 sets. And last workout (2 days ago), when I used 80kg for 10 reps I failed on the 2nd set.
All of my other lifts didn't get weaker. And there's no way I didn't eat enough, because I gained a little weight and I increased my caloric intake that was previously enough to make me gain strength.


My question is what should I do next workout on the bench? Should I use 85kg in the next workout regardless of the amount of reps I'll be able to do?
 
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AlexAustralia said:
That is what I would do. Go for a rep total of 20, regardless of the # of 'sets' it takes.
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The problem is that doing that is a sure way for me to greatly decrease my perfomance in the next workout, if I use any weight that is around my 12rm or higher. Unless I do something like sets of 3 or 4 reps.
 
Its better to put the weight down and take an extra set to complete the reptotal unless youre pushing for PR´s at the end perhaps.

I would heed alex advice and cluster. If it does take 4 sets to complete 20reps then it takes 4 sets to complete 20reps. If I was you Id still go for 85kg next workout. You have to remember that you generally cant complete 2 sets at your PR. If you could then its not your PR. I have almost always clustered following sets on the last workout of my mini-cycle and even the preceding workouts sometimes when it gets heavy.
 
gbglifter said:
Its better to put the weight down and take an extra set to complete the reptotal unless youre pushing for PR´s at the end perhaps.

I would heed alex advice and cluster. If it does take 4 sets to complete 20reps then it takes 4 sets to complete 20reps. If I was you Id still go for 85kg next workout. You have to remember that you generally cant complete 2 sets at your PR. If you could then its not your PR. I have almost always clustered following sets on the last workout of my mini-cycle and even the preceding workouts sometimes when it gets heavy.
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I thought the whole point of HST was to do low volume per workout so you can do it frequently without losing performance, no?
If I do 4 sets that's surely going to take my performance way down the next time. Considering the fact that last time I only did 2 sets, and it drained me for today's workout.


The problem is that now apparently 80kg is my new "best" at 10 reps, because I only managed 9 for 82.5kg.
 
cookieman9000 said:
The problem is that doing that is a sure way for me to greatly decrease my perfomance in the next workout, if I use any weight that is around my 12rm or higher. Unless I do something like sets of 3 or 4 reps.
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If you can't get 10 reps how can it be your 12 RM?

Less analyzing and more lifting Cookie. :rolleyes:
 
Old and Grey said:
If you can't get 10 reps how can it be your 12 RM?

Less analyzing and more lifting Cookie. :rolleyes:
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I said 12 or higher, which in reps means lower cause I'm using a higher weight.

I'm not analyzing, it's just that I know for a fact that 85kg WAS my best for 10 reps a week before I started HST, and now I'm suddenly weaker by around 5kg. The only possible explanation is fatigue.

But anyway do you think I should still use 85kg the next workout? Even though I'll only be able to do it 8 times. Unless I suddenly regain my strength in the next 2 days.
 
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What did your routine look like previously? How long was the SD after testing rep maxes?

I find it hard to believe you have lost that much strength at this stage in the HST cycle considering the volume.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
 
wmullen said:
What did your routine look like previously? How long was the SD after testing rep maxes?

I find it hard to believe you have lost that much strength at this stage in the HST cycle considering the volume.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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I was doing texas method.
I'd do 5x5 on my main lifts once a week with around a weight in the 8-9rm range, and then I'd do 4 days later 2 heavy sets of 3 reps in each compound lift. And then in 3 days I'd repeat. I gained some strength on it for a while, but it seems to have stopped working for some reason. Even after I did a few resets.

To be honest I'm not surprised I lost that much strength, from my experience 2 challenging sets in the bench press are enough to make me considerably weaker for the next few days. For some reason other lifts don't suffer as much.
 
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I know you said 12 or higher. I just cannot perceive how you could do 12 or higher reps when you say you cannot do 10 unless you are thinking of lowering the weight.

Anyway, do it with either weight. It won't matter even in the short term. And, sometimes you have strong days and sometimes you have weaker days. It depends on the amount of rest you got, your frame of mind, food quality, your boss's mood, etc. Also, if you set your RM's just before you started HST and did not SD in between setting your RM's and starting HST, you may have over estimated your RM's. Anything is possible. Just pick a weight and rep target and go forward.

It may also be possible that you only need one set to sufficiently activate your pecs for growth.
 
Its the rep total thats important, not how many sets you do. As I said before: you cant complete 2 sets of 10 at your 10 rm and tbh 82.5 isnt a kick inthe rear end from your 10rm anyhow. I wouldnt fret too much about it. Have you been progressing easier on the other lifts?
 
Old and Grey said:
I know you said 12 or higher. I just cannot perceive how you could do 12 or higher reps when you say you cannot do 10 unless you are thinking of lowering the weight.

Anyway, do it with either weight. It won't matter even in the short term. And, sometimes you have strong days and sometimes you have weaker days. It depends on the amount of rest you got, your frame of mind, food quality, your boss's mood, etc. Also, if you set your RM's just before you started HST and did not SD in between setting your RM's and starting HST, you may have over estimated your RM's. Anything is possible. Just pick a weight and rep target and go forward.

It may also be possible that you only need one set to sufficiently activate your pecs for growth.
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I meant 12rm or higher, meaning I'm doing a HIGHER weight.
Wait could you explain again about the over estimation thing? It was not a PR I set, I was stuck at the same strength for a few weeks. I just checked to see what's my 10rm. Then I rested 9 days and then I started HST.

By the way, isn't it a fact already that one challenging set is enough to stimulate most of the growth? By challenging I don't mean necessarily complete failure but close to failure.
Knowing myself I should have seen my strength decrease coming, 2 challanging sets are enough for me to lose some strength in the next few days.
 
gbglifter said:
Its the rep total thats important, not how many sets you do. As I said before: you cant complete 2 sets of 10 at your 10 rm and tbh 82.5 isnt a kick inthe rear end from your 10rm anyhow. I wouldnt fret too much about it. Have you been progressing easier on the other lifts?
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Well it's still a 5kg decrease. Because each rep for me equals about 2.5kg and I only did 82.5kg for 9 reps. Which is a big decrease.
As I said 20 reps for me with a weight that I can do for about 12reps or lower is going to put a big performance decrease in the next workout unless I rest 4 days.

I can't tell yet how my other lifts have been going, but none have decreased that much if at all. Maybe some improved.
 
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cookieman9000 said:
I meant 12rm or higher, meaning I'm doing a HIGHER weight. Your 12 RM is less weight than your 10 RM.
Wait could you explain again about the over estimation thing? It was not a PR I set, I was stuck at the same strength for a few weeks. I just checked to see what's my 10rm. Then I rested 9 days and then I started HST. You did it correctly so just forge ahead.

By the way, isn't it a fact already that one challenging set is enough to stimulate most of the growth? By challenging I don't mean necessarily complete failure but close to failure. That is what some researchers have found. Try it and see what happens.
Knowing myself I should have seen my strength decrease coming, 2 challanging sets are enough for me to lose some strength in the next few days.
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And lay off the cookies!
 
cookieman9000 said:
So I started HST about a week ago. I'm in the 10 rep block and today I did my 5th workout.
Prior to me starting HST, I measured my bench press at 85kg for 10 reps.
Today I used 82.5kg on the bench and couldn't manage to get 10 reps, I got only 9.
Click to expand...

So what if you did? If you're consistently decreasing the amount of weight you're lifting than adjust accordingly. If from time to time you don't have the push don't sweat it. Maybe you didn't get enough sleep the night before, something stressed you out or maybe you just weren't focused enough that day. Seems like the second a person can't lift something they've previously lifted, they jump the gun with theories.
 
My first two cycles I was only able to do 1 set of 15,10,5s without getting really burned working out 3 times a week (and I had good gains). On my third cycle I started adding a second set, unless I don't feel up to it, and I've been doing pretty well with the increased volume. So maybe you are just doing too much volume for your chest at this point and you need to reduce it. Also a 2.5kg strength variance isn't really that material from one lift day to another (IMO).
 
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