225lbs club

How do I join you guys? I'm currently stuck at 1.5 plate.Are there any workouts you can do to speed up the process

>Are there any workouts you can do to speed up the process
Bench press

Increase the volume. Everytime you plateau increase your weekly volume.

Do more dips

Eat more
Fix your technique

>SS claims another victim

Your form might have some problems if you're stuck there. I was stuck around the same point until I learned how to correctly use leg drive, and my bench went up really quickly after that.

eat more
bench more
more intensity
push yourself
higher weight

Never plateau'd in my life at 300lb bench

5x5 SL routine works for me.
if you can make a complete set of 5x5, add 2,5kg on your next bench session, etcetc

Sorry to sound like an absolute idiot but volume, is that increasing weight, sets or reps or amount of exercises?

Its total number of reps, so you can increase sets or reps per set. Example: change 5x5 to 6x5 or 5x6

If you're doing 5x5, you could do 7x5 (more sets) or 5x6 (more reps per set) or even add a 3x8 at a lighter weight after your 5x5

>eat more

Do I have to bulk to become stronger? I don't want to get fat again.

Cheers

Do close grip with a PAUSE, all the people that say benching doesn't build your chest is because they do touch and go with a super wide grip and flare their elbows. This will destroy your shoulders in the long run.

For longevity, bench with a close grip always.
Not the stupid bodybuilder thing where they put their hands together and call it close grip, but one thumb length outside of shoulder width.

People think "oh, thats just all triceps, no chest" which is wrong. It's impossible to remove the pecs as the main mover, despite how it feels that the triceps are doing all the work. In fact, a close grip will result in BETTER strength and size gains because of the longer range of motion.

my bench went up when I started doing dumbbell bench press. Did this for 2 month and went back to barbell bench

I'm not saying eat candy or whatever. Whole foods, with carbs targeted before and after training.

Do I still have to eat a calorie surplus to gain strength?

Yes, unless you are a complete novice
Eat big get big

This. Closer grip is the first step. Thumb outside of shoulders is a good rule, or 1.5 times biacromial width. Next is hand placement on bar, see pic related... Ever since I added that tilt the bar just felt more balanced.

If you are stalling, then try and mix up rep range, and different exercises like dips, weighted pushups, and dumbbell flat press

I'm at 195x4, then 3 sets 185x5 (no 2.5 lb plates) incline bench. Progress is really hard now. Should I just eat more?

Okay, to get it right. I eat a light calorie surplus for a few months and gain strength, once I think I got to fat I eat a few hundred calories below my TDEE, lose the fat but won't gain strength and repeat the circle again and again?

same here with the grip. good point.
only thing left to say is get tight as humanly possible when you're lying down. 90 percent of people are wayyy to loose on the bench.

Surprised no one has mentioned microplates yet. get a set of 2.5s and 1.25s, they can make a big difference.