Quote:I just started back to lifting, been over 10 years since high school football.  I never really was strong on the bench however squats and leg press I was decent.  

 

Anyway, having never done dead lifts before and hearing about them in just about every article online related to lifting I decided to give them a go.  I do 4 sets of 10 reps each but only do 185 pounds.  After seeing a lot of your numbers here it makes me think I am either weak or doing something wrong, maybe should lower the reps and increase the weight?  Any suggestions?

 

Also wouldn't mind some tips on increasing my bench.  I have been concentrating on form quite a bit the last few months and have been working out back, arms and shoulders to help complement other muscles used in the lift yet I'm not seeing that much of an increase in strength.  Any tips would be helpful.

If you just started lifting again, it's understandable if you're not hitting much weight. You lose a lot of muscle mass if you don't exercise/lift.

 

If you really want to increase your bench I suggest you try negatives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_repetition They have been proven to increase your max weight in pretty much any lift possible. I also suggest burnouts. http://www.livestrong.com/article/67384-...le-growth/ Remember, these lifts are not everyday lifts and should be done 1-2 times a week. If done too often, they can actually slow down your muscle growth. 

 

You said in your post you've been lifting for a couple of months now, so I assume you're already in shape and can lift a little weight. What I did when I first started benching was I chose a weight in which I could do 10-12 reps on and once I passed 12, I moved up in weight. However, I've now learned that it's better to do less reps and more weight. Whatever gives you better results. It's different for everybody. 

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