DE Bench Question

[deciever]

Lately on DE Bench i've beeen having some trouble deciding what weight i should do.
WIth 95 lbs abr weight + 1 mini i get it at around 2.5 seconds
with 105 lbs bar weight + 1 mini , i get it at around 3 seconds....

Which would should i stick with? Should i go to the 105, and work on getting faster with that???

[p03t1c]

how are you putting the mini band on?

[deciever]

im setting it up like a miller band press... i have a mini outside the 5 lb plate, and then it goes all the way under the cross bar beneath the bench which is like 2 inches off the ground and over too the other side of the bar.

[p03t1c]

what? this isn't doubled is it? when you say it is to the other side of the bar...are you running the band all the way under the bench?

[deciever]

no its not doubled.. and yeah im running the band all the way under the bench.

it just feels more comfortable that way with the bands... and im getting around probably 40-50 lbs at the top.

[p03t1c]

i think they figure DE days like this...

take your max weight * .6

then take the 60% and * .3 and that should give you your band weight

in other words if you bench 300
300 * .6 = 180 180 * .3 = 54
so a 300 lb bencher should have 50 lbs of band tension at the top. this is the idea that i got. so you'd have 130lbs on the bar and 50 lbs of band.

but to answer your question...if you want to do the weight then do it. so long as you feel like it's fast enough keep it there. if you feel you need to lighten it then do it. i can't tell you because i can't see you lifting. going on your words then i would guess that you might want to go the lighter weight until you are pounding out the reps really fast and at that point you should switch to the higher. if you must err, do it on the lighter side.