Percentage lifting

Well here is my take on percentage lifting.
I read several post of work outs that describe lifting by percentage. 50%x10-60%x8-70%x6-80%x4-90%x2. Now say I follow this routine. Lets say my max is 200lbs. I would be doing sets of 100x10-120x8-140x6-160x4-180x2. Now what if I blow through the set of 10 and 8. Fail on 6. Hit all on 4 and totally blow 2. How has this benefitted me? It has not. Not one bit. Now because I follow this method, do I continue to lift these numbers or not. If not what do I do? Do I re-scramble the percentages? Me personally I set my work outs for a method I call until failure. I constantly push my self to the highest limits. I feel it does me no good to continually try to lift numbers I blow through or numbers I can't get. This is one of the keys to big bench numbers. Always lift heavy.(except burn out day and speed day) If I'm doing the reverse pyramid. The final 1 or 2 presses will be very difficult. To the point of failure with out a touch from the spotter. A touch, not a pull. I must do at least 85% of the lift with out help. So. If I'm doing 8 reps. 7 may be slow and rough 8 will be a grinder to 15% failure.
If we go back up and record what I did before. 10 and 8 rep I may add 5-10lbs depending how easy I went through them. On 6 reps, did I fail on 6 totally or just needed a touch. If I needed any kind of help I lower the weight. Why? Because I have raised the 8-10 rep weight. Just continue with this method. After 3 sessions you should have it figured out. So for the reverse pyramid. Starting with percentage is OK. Just don't make it gospel and totaly stick with it.
Now for sets of 3 and 5. According to percentages with my 200lb bench. My 3 rep set should be. 170lbs and my 5 rep set should be 150lbs. What if I can hit the 5 reps and not the 3 reps? What if I hit the 3 reps set on the first set but miss a little on the second? What I would do is stick with that weight until I bomb on it. Then lower the weight. Don't be afraid to adjust your lifting as you go. You do not have to get 5 sets of 5 with 150. You can hit one set with 155 the second and third with 150 and the fourth with 145 and finally the fifth with 135 if needed. Just don't have a set number of pounds per rep per set. Move the numbers accordingly. Remember. It does not pay to lift the weight if you can get them all with out struggle. Your muscles need to struggle to get stronger. One reminder. If you are struggling with a weight and you loose form to try achieving the lift. Your weight is to heavy. Only push yourself to lift the weight that you can struggle with and continue your form. The key is to lift heavy but stay healthy.

Take a look

Ever get to a point of a lift were you just don't have any more? Well if you have kicked properly your breathing like your giving birth to an elephant. just try this simple movement. With out turning your head. Just moving your eyes. Look at your dominant hand. This will subconsciously tell your other hand it needs to push harder. AND IT WILL. Mind over matter. Next time your stuck. Just look at your good hand. It just may give you a personal if not World record!

Breathing

I have been watching a lot of videos as of late. One thing I have noticed, lifters holding there breath. Why? The only answer I can come up with is. That's what you do in the other two lifts. Well let me tell you. Not at the bench you don't. Breathing can actually get you through a lift.
The basic breathing technique on the bench is. Deep breath before lift off. Exhale as the weight is handed off. As you bring the bar down, start a long deep breath. The inhaled air should take as long as the decent of the bar. Hold the breath while in the pause position. This will help you stay tight. Exhale according to the press. Then just start the process all over. Continuing to bring in fresh oxygen to the system. The oxygen will be carried to the muscles with the fresh blood. The more oxygen the faster the blood travel. The oxygen will be pumped into the muscles along with the blood. The combination expands the muscle while under strain. The expanding muscles will give you the pop you need to grind through the lift. If you start to grind out to a point were you use all your breath. Simple. Just start rapid breathing. Just like the women do during child birth. This can get you through your next grinder. This technique is not limited to repetition lifting. Use this on your one rep lifts also. When ever your grinding. BREATH!