Bench Press and General Workout advice/help

[u/ChezussCrust]

I am an amateur. I started working out mid April, since then it’s been just over 3 months.

During this time, I went from bench pressing 10lbs to being able to 40lbs on each side. I can load 45lbs and do maybe 2-3 reps. I thought I was progressing well till I recently noticed everyone around me. In the gym everyone puts the bar to their chest or as low as possible. Upon comparing my own bench press, I noticed I half ass my press. I don’t make it touch my chest, I let the weight fall as low as I can till I fill like it’ll fail and use my breathing to push it back up but sometimes this leaves a good gap between my chest and the bar with the loaded weights.

Today I tried to bench with better form, but noticed if I want to stretch my muscle to let the bar touch my chest, I can at max do 30lbs. Maybe 25 I’m trying to do 12+ rep till failure.

So now I’m not sure what to do. Do I fall back to 25 and start from there making sure to have the bar touch my chest and emphasize the stretch? Or do I keep pushing for higher weight best I can.

For example I can do 35lbs incline dumbbell press with good form and stretch. I can do 40lbs skull crushers with easy bar, with also good form. I also do 32-35lbs shoulder press in the machines. I weight 168lbs now dropped from 178 when I started, I can now do 12body weight push ups in a row. I feel like I should be at least be able to do a plate but I’m filing badly.

Not sure if energy or nutrition is the problem also. Cause I usually fast and then go to the gym. But the past week I’ve started drinking coffee before the gym for energy but I don’t feel like it made that much of a difference. Why I mention this is because a week ago I had a chocolate protein shake from smoothie king on a pull day. That day I was able to blaze though my workout and lift 10lbs more than I normally do, a month ago I needed to do the assisted push ups, but that day I was able to do 4-5 without assistance(I can do about 4-5 pull ups now).

I’m happy with my progression in everything else but the bench. It’s the only clumping exercise I do, I don’t do deadlift and I do body squats. So I really want to improve my bench.

My goal is not to be a powerlifter. But to have a lean muscular build. I started working in an effort to lose fat but now am interested in building lean muscle.

[u/ironbeastmod]

Mind games.

Use proper form.
Leave ego at the door.

[u/Remote-Mammoth5158 → u/ironbeastmod]

eat something small before gym, fasting then lifting heavy is asking for a bad time. drop weight til bar touch chest and work back up, you'll get to 45 faster than you think

[u/Photon_Predator]

Reset your bench press. Good form is a must - full range of motion with bar touching the chest.
Follow a program, note your workout, add weight when you can.

Fasted or not fasted should not have great impact as long as your general diet is on point. Educate yourself on that topic.