Max Benchpress at end of cycle

On to Benchpress day. Last year was not a good year for me in terms of benchpress. I competed in 5 competitions that had a benchpress component in them and out of a possible 15 successful lifts I only got 6 successful reps. This is NOT acceptable from my standpoint. This is way less than a 50% success rate. I should be getting 12 to 15 successful attempts. I know nobody bats 1000 and if you are really pushing yourself in reality 12 to 14 successful competition reps is more realistic. To that end I have to do way more work on benchpress to be more successful at competition time. Again end of a cycle so time to see where I am at.

Set 1 220kg with Green bands 2 reps
Video (not shown) shows set up was pretty good and the handout solid. The first was clean on the way down and reasonably good off my chest with a tip to the left on the way up. This may have put me off a little as the 2nd rep was good on the way down and an okay hit but stalled about 1/2 way up. Needed a spotter to help to the top. Again I have access to some real good spotters and he never lifted it off me but just made the bar move slowly. Probably in reality a lack of tricep power at the moment is the main cause. I am working on that so it should get better over the next few weeks/months.  

Set 2 220kg with Green bands 2 reps
Again the video (not shown) shows a good set up and a lot better handout. The first rep was nice and strong and a quick press out from the chest. I actually come up pretty straight. The 2nd rep the same thing happens as in the first set. Just could not get my triceps under quick enough and with enough power. Once again the spotter only guides the weight up and does not lift it off me. Just the way I like it because it makes me have to keep pressing.

Set 3 220kg with Green bands 2 reps
Set 3 220kg with Green bands 2 Reps
As you can see from the video the set up is pretty good and the handout is good as well. Good first rep although I could have touch a little further down the body. I find I tend to touch high when I am not in a shirt. A good stop and press. The bar appears to come up straight as well. The 2nd rep I wimp out a bit by doing a touch and go however this time I have a bit more speed and am able to get under the bar a bit quicker and get the power of my triceps to work for me. While the second rep is not pretty I will take it.

Overall for this cycle I would have to say that I am a little behind where I would want to be, in so far as the reps aren't as clean as I would like them to be. Set up and all the technical stuff is pretty much there but things like speed off my chest and lockout need a LOT more work. Now that first cycle is out of the way I will need to focus on cleaner reps and being more positive about them. I do feel I need to get back some more of my Mongrel when doing bench. 250kg should be an easy opener for me and I was putting that up at the beginning of last year. I need it back.

For  the rest of the workout on Tuesday's, it is going to take a while to get back my incline benches. Close grip bench's could have got better although flat back dumbbells are about where I would want them. With the new cycle will come new exercises so I will have to push them a lot harder. By the end of the 3rd cycle I want to be pretty confident that I can open on 250kg and get it easily.

Overall this benchpress cycle and workout is okay however there is lots of room for improvement especially from benchpress, compound tricep movements and attitude towards benching.