Question about benching

M

McCarley

0
So the area I suck the worst at is benching. I suck @ss! So it got me curious - how much did you bench when you first started benching? And how much do you bench now? Any details around your experience are welcome.
 
Because I usually don't use a spotter, I use the dumbbells to bench... I just got back into working out last week, and had to use two 20lb dumbbells to get back into it. This was pretty low weight (total of 40lbs) and the combination of that and the fact that dumbbells require you to balance each side gives me (personally) the 'illusion' that the lower weight is ok to use. Thus, I don't feel any guilt or need to move higher too quickly.

Remember - it's not the amount of weight your pushing, it's the fight on the last rep (or two or three) that makes the difference. A lot of bodybuilders, instead of adding weight to their sets, will instead use superslow repetitions and greater concentration on the the flexion at the end of the rep. Use the same weight, count to 4 as you push out your bench, squeeze your chest muscles at the top for a count of 2, and then count to 8 on the way back down. Now, tell me if that doesn't feel different, and you will definitely feel more fullfulled.

...oh, and don't forget that the last rep should feel near impossible to push out. You should be able to push halfway, have to fight it, and keep trying to get that weight up until you can't move it out. If you keep fighting for up to a count of 10, bring the weight back down, and (possibly) try it again for a final 'impossible' rep.

I guess what I'm getting at is that good form and a good slow speed will always outweigh (ha!) extra weight and fast, jarring movement.
 
When i started playing football in high school i was lucky if i could bench 85lbs...(bar=45, and 20lbs on each side) i struggled with that for a few weeks... but as form and strength got better i began slowly adding more weight. its a long process but worth it all as you see your chest start to push out from your body and your shirts start to get tighter... im up to around 225 for about 6 reps... some days more some days less... but as a football player i was benching about 295 and squating 365... and i packed on about 20lbs of lean muscle over 3 years... try different things work on your tris and your shoulders, they help with your bench as well... work on form and try spreading your hands out a bit... mix it up, make sure you feel comfortable and youll be just fine!

Keep working hard and youll see your bench increase.
 
115lbs.. Yup, that's it. I've gone through phases where I swear by dumbells, and others where I swear by the barbell. But my best gains were achieved with both. I currently can rep 315 twice, I'm yet to try higher than that due to an elbow problem.
 
When I was on the track team we had to be able to do a 1-2 maximal set of our bodyweight. So, when I was 180 lbs on the track team, I was able to bench 180.

I'm not sure about nowadays, as I always train with submaximal weight.
 
just find a partner or just ask someone to spot you... your best gains will come from the last rep or two... struggling to get it up is when you gain the most... you will learn to fight through it and push harder... just keep at it!!
 
It really depends on your goal-do you want size or strength more?

For size, include some failure in your training and slower eccentrics. For strength, put that arch in your back, use lower reps and higher weight percentages, skip failure, and a faster tempo.

How many times a week you can bench depends both on volume and intensity. If you do bench more than once a week, use different movements and parameters.

The superslow method, while increasing size of the pectoral muscle, is not inducisive to upping the bench numbers, so it all depends on your goal.
 
I got stretchmarks on my chest from only a couple weeks.... Just do higher weight and lower reps...I went from 190 to 200 last week er whatever...and Im gonna try 205 Friday...Just keep at it...(could be wrong here but) some of it has to do with genetics dosnt it?
 
6, almost 7 years.. I jumped from 115 to ~150. Then I struggled around 180-200. Then I hit 225, and it has been a gradual climb since then..

But in those 7 years, I've probably taken 8-10 months off in different places because of different things (mostly injuries). At the doctors office the latest visit I was told that my frame is too little to support the weight, and if I continue, I will only continue getting hurt. So maybe 315 is where my quest stops :(
 
Last edited:
Ouch! That's gotta suck. Work your ass off for 7 years just to have a doc tell you your really doing your body harm?!

Here's a little story for ya:

Bruce Lee hurt himself lifting some weights and was bedridden. The doctors told him he would never be able to kick again. He concentrated his efforts to working his mind through various teachings and phylisophies, anyway he was back kicking in 7 months and became a better martial artist for it.

I don't put much stock in doc's. The human body is an amazing machine, capable of much more than we typcially conceptualize.
 
Wow, when I first started about hmmm 7 years ago, I would be lucky to bench 50 pounds total, pretty slim... now after going to the gym about 3 times a week I am up to about 225 for about 5 or 6 reps.

If your frustrated keep at it, it will come
 
Mind over matter, huh?

And yeah, allopathic medicine (the dominant medical practice in America) is very contra-fitness. It deals in curing problems once they happen, where fitness and preventative medicine concerns itself with preventing the problems in the first place!

Doctors, surprisingly, know very little about fitness and nutrition. That's why they keep dying of heart attacks.
 
When i stated about tops a year ago i could only bench i think 80 pounds now i can do 135 it take time god i miss the bench press.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top