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my benchpress is really weak i was thinking just focusing on my triceps and throw out benching for a month or so or maybe do less benching and more triceps exercises what do u guys think? also which is better right now im doing 3 sets of 95 5 reps or would 10 sets of 105-110 1 rep and what r some good triceps exercises dips, skull crushers, close grip good enough

Well it depends.

Triceps specialization in general is a fine idea.

So, some questions.

Are your triceps small or just not strong?

Higher reps will build more size.

Once you have size, lower reps will build strength.

If you are training your triceps to help your bench press, you should train them(once you get enough size) in the same rep range you want to do in the bench press.

Close grip bench presses are going to be the best bet for improving your bench press but the other exercises you list are fine. Dumbbell work can help your triceps.

I would say you should try starting with 5x5 where you do all 5 sets the same weight.

When you can do all the sets at the same weight, up the weight and start over.

Do that for 4-5 weeks and then switch to 6 sets x 3 reps with the same exercise (cgbp) I would do your assistance in similar rep ranges as your main exercise.

Do 8 sets of 4, 95 lbs. Then 3 sets of 4, 85% on close grip bench. or swap a couple sets of bench for weighted p-bar dips. You could do some inclines too. make sure shoulders aren't before chest.

I wouldn't stop benching completely, but adding triceps work is a good idea, provided that triceps are the weak link in your bench. Close-grips, dips and scull crushers are all good exercises, so pick whichever one you like most.

Close grip bench presses are a perfectly good replacement for regular bench press.

I would say that doing both is somewhat of a waste of time.

I disagree. Powerlifters often perform regular Bench Presses and Close-grips in the same workout.

If your bench press is weak then why would you stop doing them? That makes absolutely no sense. The only way to get better at the bench is to keep doing them. If you don't like the barbell then try doing dumbell presses. Be consistant, try doing 3 sets of 8-10 at a weight you can lift with good form. Add a little weight each week to get stronger.

Gaining strength and muscle takes time and patience. Don't give up!

That's fine Matt.

But some do not, and I say those that do are wasting their time.

Reason being close grip bench press is basically the same movement. A competition grip varies by about 4 inches each hand depending on the person. Close grips should always be done index finger just on the smooth part of the bar in the middle.

Doing assistance work with such a similar exercise the same day but in a different rep range, will destroy the neural assocations made.

IE, doing X sets of 3 reps and then later doing 3 sets of 8 assistance with lifts so similar, you are effectively destroy the usefulness of both. If you want to teach your body to apply force in a rep range, yo uneed to train that rep range.

With regard to the post by JGB, yes I agree in this case he should keep doing bench pressing, but CGBP is a form of bench pressing and it is a perfectly good replacement, just as Box Squats/Olympic squats/Front Squats are interchangeable as part of a peridiozation plan. Often times, the temporary break from an exercise can be really great for later gains.

When looking at a situation like this you have to address your problem. I dont know details but depending on those, I woulld approach it in a way to bring up the weakness as quickly as possible.

If the original poster wants to post some details, I would be happy to give my opinion on what he should do.

"IE, doing X sets of 3 reps and then later doing 3 sets of 8 assistance with lifts so similar, you are effectively destroy the usefulness of both. If you want to teach your body to apply force in a rep range, yo uneed to train that rep range."

I don't see how this would be the case, since it's always been my experience that increasing my 8 or 10 rep max will increase my 3 rep max (and vice versa). If anything, I've made my fastest gains by alternating between heavy (low rep) and light (higher rep) weeks.

Also, while I've always used higher reps (8-12) for close-grips, and a slightly narrower grip than what you describe, I never said he couldn't use the same rep range for both exercises.

I never do close grip and regular bench press in the same workout...i give each its own day. One week could be close grip incline, with wide grip flat a few days later. Next week could be the flip flop, med-wide incline and close grip flat.

I always do close grip with 1 to 12 inches between my hands. I do about 12 when I do them alone. I do the 1 inch in a different situation. I'll do skulls and then when I can't get anymore, I'll do the ultra close grip bench press. It is like a superset/dropset type thing. I totally thought I made this up. Lately though, I have been seeing other people doing it. So I guess someone else probably thought of it before me. Really though I don't see much point in going wider then a foot. I like it mostly triceps.

I used to do negative skulls (5-8 seconds lowering), and then manuever the bar down to my chest and close grip bench it up for the concentric part. That would be 1 rep. I'd do maybe 5 reps per set. It worked really well i thought, definite strength increase when i went back to doing normal skull crushers. Come to think of it...i dont know why i stopped doing it!!!

That sounds like a good idea. I think I'll try it.

There is nothing wrong with training both rep ranges. Just you should train one range for 3-4 weeks and then switch. You have to help your body adapt. It adapts best when you force one idea on it. Over time you make it adapt to various things.

As a personal example, coming off a 1 rep max of 365 in the squat, doing 12x135 was a workout the next week because I hadnt done that rep range. 3 weeks later I am back up in the endurance strength but if I tried 365 I am sure I would fail. When I train both at the same time I am moderate at both but not great at either.

I guess I could see the value of that type of periodization if I were preparing for a powerlifting meet, but I don't lift compeditively. Meanwhile, I like being versitile. It's one of the reasons I alternate between heavy and light workouts.

PS.) Perhaps my strength gains are more from hypertrophy than they are from neurological adaptation. Something to think about I guess.