I'm really plateauing on my bench press right now... all of my other lifts, including squat and deadlift have been seeing good progress for the last 2 months but the bench is really lagging behind. I eat enough protein so I'm sure that is not the problem. My current program is lifting 4x a week 2 days upper body (bench, t bar row, overhead press, skull crushers, db curls, dips) and 2 days lower body (squat, dead, calves, abs). The only things I can think of are I'm in too poor of shape conditioning-wise or I don't fuel myself pre workout well enough. Any suggestions?

Lower the weight by 15 lbs and change your reps. You should still be between 3-6 reps. So if youve been doing 5 reps, lower it to 3 reps.

I love when people wet their pants over their bench not progressing, but you rarely see someone saying their squat/dead isn't increasing.. THE BENCH PROGRESSES SLOWLY (especially the bbing style bench). Unless it's a new exercise with neural gains pressing gains are NOT linear like the squat and deadlift, where it's easy enough to add 2.5lbs every other week or whatever - but people struggle sometimes with such small increments on the bench.

If your bench has STALLED then that's one thing - assess where you are failing the bench and incorporate board presses, floor presses etc or rotate inclines, declines, dbs, change reps as fireguy suggested - lots of options.

but if it's just a question of slow progress, then that's the truth.. progress is slow.

what do you bench right now, and what did you bench three months ago?

2 months ago I could do 185 4 times now I can do 195 4 or 5 times. My friend has made a lot more progress, 135 to 185, over the same time span. He doesnt pay attention to protein as much or squat but he is in good shape conditioning wise and has huge biceps and triceps... would being in better shape help my gains?

RestoretheROAR84 said:

2 months ago I could do 185 4 times now I can do 195 4 or 5 times. My friend has made a lot more progress, 135 to 185, over the same time span. He doesnt pay attention to protein as much or squat but he is in good shape conditioning wise and has huge biceps and triceps... would being in better shape help my gains?

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ur comparing yourself to a beginner.

that's newbie gains you're seeing from your friend.

RestoretheROAR84 said:

2 months ago I could do 185 4 times now I can do 195 4 or 5 times. My friend has made a lot more progress, 135 to 185, over the same time span. He doesnt pay attention to protein as much or squat but he is in good shape conditioning wise and has huge biceps and triceps... would being in better shape help my gains?

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going from 135 to 185 is way different than going from 185 to 195. it's not bad progress. what part of the bench do you find most difficult? (bottom, mid point, lockout)

do not compare yourself to other guys. some people have biomechanics more suitable for benching, better genetics, or are just stronger than you.

I would say mid-point, once I get to that point I can usually lock it out and if I don't I can hold it just above my chest for a long time.

RestoretheROAR84 said:

I would say mid-point, once I get to that point I can usually lock it out and if I don't I can hold it just above my chest for a long time.

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board presses then for you. or rack presses from that height