upper body 'intensity' issues?

[Arterious]

I'm on week 4 of the program. And recently I have been having some issues with my upper body. Specifically my benches. I don't know if I'm overworking myself compared to what the program wants or what so I was curious on experienced opinions.

My max bench is 205. Or was before I started the program. I am a novice lifter. before I started body for life I would switch from 8reps 3 sets one week to 12 reps 4 sets the next week of much lighter weights.

Presently for my B4Life program I'm doing 115x12 - 125 x 10 - 140x8 - 150x6 - 115x12 then hit 20lb dumbbell flys. I mixed it up before doing 120-130-140-150-120. Same on flys. And I can't seem to finish my last set. It always burns out at 7 or 8. As of late I almost feel like I'm getting weaker on benches in particular. Normally 115x12 is cake for me. but this last workout today I barely got each set off.

Am I simply pushing too much weight and need to back it down a bit?

The reason I'm concerned is primarily due to my leg days. I have a bench at home for my upper body, my buddies place has a decent exercise room, can't call it a gym with excellent leg machines and multiple treadmills so we head there for lower body days.

We've been getting major use out of the leg press machine and ext/curl machine. My largest change in my body as of late has been my quads and calves. And my workouts for them have been the leg press machine. it maxes at 413 pounds actual weight. I'm nearly 300Lbs. pressing 413 is cake to me and I generally do my sets as 413x12 all the way down and then hit leg extensions of 150x12. And my calf presses are the same. I do the whole stack for 12 reps the whole way, and switch to standing calf raises on stairs for 12. I do 12 the whole way because nothing can add more to it. and those body parts are seeing the best change and aren't still suffering my next leg day.

My upper body just feels left behind in the visual change department in comparison and its starting to seem like I'm getting weaker.

edit, I'm 27, presently 288 pounds. started at around 295 or so when i started body for life. Taking ON Whey gold standard. I'm addicted to the double rich. Creatine, and eating around 2000cal a day give or take. Also I'm doing cardio anywhere from 4 to 5 days a week on the treadmill, I'm now up to being able to jog for roughly 50% of my time on the treadmill usually ranging from 20-30 minutes. I do the jogging in intervals. walk speed 3mph. jog is 5mph if i want to sustain it for more then a minute. 6-8 mph and 1 minute is my max sustainable.

[Maljonic]

Do you know that last set 115x12 - 125 x 10 - 140x8 - 150x6 - 115x12 is supposed to be a different exercise? I'm only asking because the weight's identical so I wondered if you're just doing the first set twice?

[Chris]

I'd say back the weight off by 10% and then systematically work your way back up again. This should allow you to complete your sets and will build confidence.

You could also start doing close-grip bench press, dips, or weighted pushups for your triceps exercises. This will help you get some extra chest training. Same with back, you can do pull ups or chin ups for biceps.

Sets go: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, switch, 12.

[Maljonic]

Sorry, yeah, my mistake - it is 12 and then a different 12 at the end. I usually do the second to last 12 at the same weight I did 10 though I think.

[gnash]

Originally Posted by Chris

I'd say back the weight off by 10% and then systematically work your way back up again. This should allow you to complete your sets and will build confidence.

You could also start doing close-grip bench press, dips, or weighted pushups for your triceps exercises. This will help you get some extra chest training. Same with back, you can do pull ups or chin ups for biceps.

Sets go: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, switch, 12.

Yeah, and monitor heart rate...if you are pushing too much weight too quickly your heart rate will tell you...Phillips perceived heart rate theory is a bit dicey and not well received by other fitness pros..If you don't know the formula you can ask about it..

gnash

[Arterious]

Originally Posted by gnash

Yeah, and monitor heart rate...if you are pushing too much weight too quickly your heart rate will tell you...Phillips perceived heart rate theory is a bit dicey and not well received by other fitness pros..If you don't know the formula you can ask about it..

gnash

My heart rate is fine when lifting. sure it goes up due to the low rest periods but nothing like it does on my jogging.

Chris, man do I WISH I could do a pull up haha. If I was able to do pull-ups at my weight my lats would be massive

As for backing down the weight about 10%. I've already adjusted the weights down by about 20% JUST for the next arms workout in hopes that it will give me a bit more of a rest. We'll see how everything feels monday when I complete it, to see if I knock it back up 10%. As for changing out the other workouts to add more of a compound movement to tag my chest, I think I'll skip on that. It already feels over trained. The last workout it just felt like it wasn't all there and I don't want to continually hit it when its not feeling 100%. That and I would have to give up my skull crushers no waaaay in heck I would give up my skull crushers heheheheh.

starting week 7 I completely change up my workouts. No more barbell benches, it'll be incline dumbbell, no more ezbar curls it'll switch to concentrations/hammers, from leg press machine to squats, etc etc.