[BendtheBar]

Regarding linear progression and "stalling". I am against jumping ship on a program because you have a few "stalls."

I have bad workouts (per exercise) at least once a month, and sometimes twice in a row. If you feel you're stalling, take a day and do something different. Do 8 sets of 3 reps with heavy weight. Or have a back off day.

The basic exercises need to be used, no matter what. I mention this because of the "doggcrapp"/bodybuilding mentality that when an exercise stalls, you do a new program with different exercises.

Of course, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try something different. Powerlifters are masters at exercise variation. But if their bench stalls, they don't switch to flyes.

Whatever you do, stay heavy. Stalls happen. If your bench is stalling with 170, maybe you need to consider the possibility that your diet sucks...or that you're doing too much...or that you're wasting too much time doing pec dec, flyes and cable crossovers. Sometimes a focus on the primary lifts, and getting reps in with that primary lift, is the key to pushing past barriers.

I get strongest on the bench by benching. I used to do many bench variations, but now I prefer to stick with the bench itself, and play with reps and rest.