Question about decline/bench in general

[MikeYikes122]

I have freakishly long arms. I'm 5'10, but my wingspan is like 6'3... maybe even longer than that. This makes decline a pain in the a$$ and way harder than it should actually be. I know I should just gut through it and do it anyway, but sometimes the strain gets real, real bad especially in my upper back/lower neck area. I have had a twinge in my neck dating back to a car accident that happened when I was teenager.

Off of a friend's recommendation, I stopped doing decline a couple of months ago and just started doing flat bench twice - once with the bar and once with the free weights. I try to get a ton reps in on each. I do a pyramid with the bar. I start out with about 12-15 reps at 135 pounds and then build up to one or two reps of 185, 175 or 165 depending upon how I'm feeling. I then go back down the pyramid, doing about six reps apiece at all the weights I did on the way up. I then do to free weight bench usually at the end of the workout after doing three sets of free-weight inclines, three sets of butterflys (on the machine because my arms are so damn long), dips and usually two sets of push-ups to finish things off. I can usually get 40 and 25 push-ups, respectively, but sometimes less.

I do this workout once a week.

My question is, my bench hasn't gone up in a real, real long time. I'm wondering, is this the result of me cutting out decline or am I just doing something wrong in my chest workout that is keeping me from getting stronger? I've read decline isn't all that important, but I thought maybe somehow it's different for me. I don't know. I also am not sure if I've gotten visibly bigger in the chest area. I have a really hard time judging that, but I do know I haven't gotten stronger in a real long time.

Could it maybe be that I need to add mass. At last weigh-in, I was only 147 pounds.

 

[EFFORT]

I have freakishly long arms. I'm 5'10, but my wingspan is like 6'3... maybe even longer than that. This makes decline a pain in the a$$ and way harder than it should actually be. I know I should just gut through it and do it anyway, but sometimes the strain gets real, real bad especially in my upper back/lower neck area. I have had a twinge in my neck dating back to a car accident that happened when I was teenager.

Off of a friend's recommendation, I stopped doing decline a couple of months ago and just started doing flat bench twice - once with the bar and once with the free weights. I try to get a ton reps in on each. I do a pyramid with the bar. I start out with about 12-15 reps at 135 pounds and then build up to one or two reps of 185, 175 or 165 depending upon how I'm feeling. I then go back down the pyramid, doing about six reps apiece at all the weights I did on the way up. I then do to free weight bench usually at the end of the workout after doing three sets of free-weight inclines, three sets of butterflys (on the machine because my arms are so damn long), dips and usually two sets of push-ups to finish things off. I can usually get 40 and 25 push-ups, respectively, but sometimes less.

I do this workout once a week.

My question is, my bench hasn't gone up in a real, real long time. I'm wondering, is this the result of me cutting out decline or am I just doing something wrong in my chest workout that is keeping me from getting stronger? I've read decline isn't all that important, but I thought maybe somehow it's different for me. I don't know. I also am not sure if I've gotten visibly bigger in the chest area. I have a really hard time judging that, but I do know I haven't gotten stronger in a real long time.

Could it maybe be that I need to add mass. At last weigh-in, I was only 147 pounds.

If decline is hurting you then don't do it, simple as that, you shouldn't be doing any exercise thats causing you pain (by pain i don't mean normal toughness of the lift pain)

As for your bench not going up. Just from you posting your chest workout, i can tell you lots of reasons why your bench isn't going up.

Your chest workout out is a mess, that probably means the workouts for the rest of your body are a mess, probably also means your diet is a mess.

So your answer is to look in the vault and find the where to start post.

 

[MikeYikes122]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

I'm not extremely serious about weight lifting. I just do it because it makes me feel good. I can't really explain what I mean.

As for my diet, I don't eat poorly. Only from time to time I eat bad food, and that's because my job requires me to travel a lot and sometimes there just isn't any alternative.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

I'm not extremely serious about weight lifting. I just do it because it makes me feel good. I can't really explain what I mean.

As for my diet, I don't eat poorly. Only from time to time I eat bad food, and that's because my job requires me to travel a lot and sometimes there just isn't any alternative.

there are always alternatives, such as preparing food in advance etc

as for your bench, listen to EFFORT

 

[EFFORT]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

I'm not extremely serious about weight lifting. I just do it because it makes me feel good.

Thats cool. You can only expect so much progress though if your not too serious about it.

 

[Frink']

With travelling, you can bring protein shakes and walnuts. It's practical. Unless it's a buissnes lunch. Then you might just have to do whatever makes you fit in. Protein bars are nice though.