Unexplained loss of form on bench press

[GodsGiftToFatBirds]

In short, I've recently suffered an unexplained loss of form on my bench press, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced such a drop in form and if so, how to get back on track?

I've been weight training seriously for a few months now and generally been experiencing constant steady gains in how much I can lift on each exercise. About a month ago, my bench press reached its peak so far - 3 x 6 with 35kg DBs following 3 x 5 on same weight the week before. Then had a 2 week break from training due to injury and an illness, in the 3 sessions including bench press since I've been back training, I've failed to get anywhere near what I was doing before e.g. failing to complete even the 1st or 2nd set out the intended 3 sets with the same weight and reps as I was doing before.
Yet I can't offer any explanation for this loss of form - my performance on the other exercises have been improving steadily just the same as before, and i'm doing the bench at the start of the session same as before, so its not like my muscles are tired from other exercises or anything.
I wouldn't call it a plateau either cos its been a sudden drop in form, not like a levelling off.

Has anyone else experienced such an unexplained drop in form on an exercise?
And what would you recommend i do to get my bench back on track? e.g. give it a break and work on other exercises for a little while, stick with it and see if it picks up, stick with bench but mix it up (e.g. 1 set with 25kg, 1 set with 30kg, 1 set with 35kg)

 

[Luveno]

The most I Can say is that you've experienced a loss of muscle and strength when you were sick, which is entirely possible. What you're going to have to do is bring the weight back a bit and work back up to where you were. Sure it's a set back but that's what life's about.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Your illness obviously lost you a bit of strength there, happens a lot, and benching with 35kg dumbbells is quite a lot (relatively again), are you other exercises at such a level?

In any case, if you're performing well elsewhere then you've most probably taken the db press as far as you can go for the time being, change to another chest exercise, take THAT to its maximum, then change back to db press and I'll bet you'll streak past your old numbers. Good luck bro, and don't try to overthink it or worry too much.

In the new exercise, keep the same rep range that let you progress so well on the db press, don't pyramid, rest-pause or whatever, do exactly as you did with db presses.

 

[GodsGiftToFatBirds]

Yeh I reckon you're both right, the time off ill probably has got summat to do with it, the bench press is one exercise where I push myself right to the limit every session, whereas with some other exercises, though I still work hard, I'm perhaps not pushing my muscles to breaking point to the same extent. So even a small loss in strength might well affect my bench more than my other exercises.
I like the idea Warboss Alex suggested - going at another chest exercise for a while, then come back to bench and see what effect its had. By the way, what alternative exercise would you suggest? Would you recommend summat similar like barbell bench or incline bench, or switch to summat completely different?

 

[brucevangeorge]

Try focusing on stabilatory muscles. They probly weakened. Use a machine if it helps with heavy weight.