What do you bench ???.

[galaxy xr8]

Hi guy's, as I have been getting into power liffting for the past yr, I'm just currious to see what people bench around here, when I 1st started I could only do 63kg x 1 rep, I was shocked how weak I was in this area, but after some tip's from my mate, that has entered in the National Drug free weighlifter's Championship's and has won numorous times in his division 90kg, I have gone from 63kg to now 100kg bench, my weight has also gone from 70kg to 95kg, I've allway's wanted to be able to bench my own weight, at the beginning I was not ussing proper form and since I have changed which has only been in the last 6 month's my strength has incressed to where I would like to be, anybody else into this.

[Geoff EL 4.0]

1 rep of 75kg and i can do 10reps x 3-4 sets of 45kg.I weigh 95kg and went to gym for 6months about 4 years ago.I only have strength from lifting tyre/rims at work on saturdays and its in my genes as family is naturally big

[Walkinshaw]

Many moons ago, I was actualy in shape...*shock horror* Technique is 1/2 the battle. I started out at 79kg and could only bench 65kg. A few months & some advice from somone who had half a clue, I had only put on 8kg but could bench 115kg. Keep at it.

(i could prob do about 3kg now, and weigh well....in excess of 87kg :S)

[Kryton]

i dont bench.........i couch.

[Mark351]

So for those who bench at home, what are tips on technique? I've got back on the weights in the last few months and I don't tend to worry about 3-4 sets, but do 1 or 2 sets and make each rep reasonably slow with a little more weight.

[galaxy xr8]

Yes Genes has a lot to do with it, I hate all you short naturally muscley endomorths, you allready have a big advantage, lol.

[stiddy]

105kg over here. I know I can lift more, but theres no need for it 100kg is alot of weight to bench. I also do boxing aswell. Im also naturally big, 6'5 115kg both fat and bulky lol...
Depending on if you want to tone up or bulk up Death. Many reps of light weight will tone you up, or small reps of heavy weights will bulk you up.

[Geoff EL 4.0]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Yes Genes has a lot to do with it, I hate all you short naturally muscley endomorths, you allready have a big advantage, lol.

yer they look so much bigger to lol, i put on muscle and fat easy, to bad i eat wayyy more than i work out(never...)and im 6ft 1 and have only been 16 for 4 months sooo i still got sum to grow. I should work out...but why work out a bit and be a bit lazy...i perfer to commit to one thing...laziness

[Falcon Coupe]

I used to do 260lbs (118kg i think) in sets of eight when i was training, i gave up 3 years ago as that mixed with physical labour at work every day was taking it's toll.


Galaxy xr8, that's a great result in one year.
IMO anyone lifting their own body weight is doing well.

[Powdered Toast Man]

You talking 1 rep or multiple because I have no idea of my 1 rep max.

I can do a set of 10 at 100kg but I would only manage 6 or so on the next set. I dont work with a spotter so I dont usually go overboard, I normally do sets of 90kg or a couple of 42.5kg dumbells. I would imagine a 1 rep max of say 110 - 115 with a spotter.

BTW I'm 6'2" and 127kg atm (about 15kg of fat though which I am going to lose I swear lol) and pretty heavily built.

[paule11]

Used to go to a gym 15 years ago Judds body world in Townsville there was a drug free power lifter there who benched over 200kg got 2nd heavyweight champion for Australia one year he used to have a few beers down the pub before he trained .
That was a good gym they made up their own 40kg plates with handles on them real hardcore.
When you bench are you breathing properly I was shown how to breathe when you take the weight down breathe in when you push up breathe out start breathing out hard when you reach a sticking point, normally for me it was about an inch and a half of the chest.
Ive met a lot of people who dont breathe properly and shown them this technique they have all lifted more weight. The theory is that holding your breathe your using energy that you could be using to lift.

[CAT600]

When I was going to Renaissance Gym in Midland a few years ago, I started out benching 80kg, barely getting out 6 or 7 in a row.

Ended up with a warm up set of 10 @ 80, 1 set of 10 @ 140 (3 plates per side) 1 set of 8 @ 140, then a couple of sets of 10 at 120/110.

Dropped into Simon's (Xtreme Ford tuning) house a few months back and could not get out 10 reps of 110kgs.

Gain it slow, Lose it fast!

Daniel

[galaxy xr8]

As I've allway's thought, in this game nutrition is your best friend, yes you need to get your form right, but I strongly believe the key lies in what you put in your mouth and how much off it, it's all trial and error, what might work for me, won't for someone else, you need to find what work's best for your body, but eat well, it is the key.

[TRRTRY]

bet i can out drink you though

[schnoods]

3 years ago while I was playing union I could bench 142kg's. Pretty big build 185cm, 138kg's.

I'd be lucky to bench half that now, did my back last year, but i reckon i could take 80 odd. Still do the dumbells though with 20kg's though.

[GasoLane]

I wont make any comments about knuckles scraping on the ground...


oh bugger, I just did

[schnoods]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I wont make any comments about knuckles scraping on the ground...


oh bugger, I just did

Hehe, I prefer Aussie rules too, but the days of blokes on the field Like Plugger are over!

I got pushed into it at high school by my phys-ed teacher as I was the biggest in that year, and being union, it was physical and being able to crush smaller players and being allowed was a bonus!

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Yes Genes has a lot to do with it, I hate all you short naturally muscley endomorths, you allready have a big advantage, lol.

I would have thought mesomorphs would have been the best placed for muscle building.

Oprah is an endomorph and the only lifting she does is the fork to her mouth it appears.

Brad Pitt is an ectomorph (like me) but he's done ok for muscle. Lets me dream.

People like Sly and Arnie are your mesomorphsl big in the muscles.

[Duke]

Originally Posted by Death351

So for those who bench at home, what are tips on technique? I've got back on the weights in the last few months and I don't tend to worry about 3-4 sets, but do 1 or 2 sets and make each rep reasonably slow with a little more weight.

FWIW I bench more than body weight for at least 30 reps 3 times a week. Other days are made up of squats, deads, cleans and various single joint movements.

My advice on improving a bench -
1. Start with the bar just above the eye level by around 3" or so
2. keep heels on the ground and bring your feet back, toward your butt, as far as you can (while keeping heels on the ground)
3. Now squeeze each shoulder blade in toward the spine, sort of 'walk' or rock from side to side while getting shoulders tightly squeezed in.
4. Push or shrug your whole upper body up into your neck.

Sounds awkward but it gives you a nice solid, supported base from which to push.

Don't let the elbows go below parallel at the bottom of the movement and bring the bar to the nipple line or even lower if pushing big weight.
Bringing the bar to a higher level than the nipple line is okay when using lighter weight for higher reps to get a good stretch of the pecs to assist hypertrophy or growth.

Long answer but technique is important for saftey and for effect.
cheers

[TUF_302]

A six pack!

[sleekism]

I could bench 100kg when I weighed 75kg.

I can still bench 100kg but now I weigh 100kg as well so technically I have gone backwards.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

As I've allway's thought, in this game nutrition is your best friend, yes you need to get your form right, but I strongly believe the key lies in what you put in your mouth and how much off it, it's all trial and error, what might work for me, won't for someone else, you need to find what work's best for your body, but eat well, it is the key.

That's very true, there is no set formula for nutrition, just good guideines, everyone reacts differently to different types of foods, quantities and frequency of uptake.
I learnt so much about my body dieting for bodybuilding comps, what carbs worked, what carbs bloated me, which protein worked, and made some adjustments to my regular eating patterns.
Until you get this right you will make slower gains in the gym..
Oh, and bench? well yesterday i benched 115kg's for 8 reps, i don't do 1 rep max though....

[Lightning Strike GT]

I am 112kgs and I can do a few push ups and a few chin ups so I should be able to do 112 easy

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

That's very true, there is no set formula for nutrition, just good guideines, everyone reacts differently to different types of foods, quantities and frequency of uptake.
I learnt so much about my body dieting for bodybuilding comps, what carbs worked, what carbs bloated me, which protein worked, and made some adjustments to my regular eating patterns.
Until you get this right you will make slower gains in the gym..
Oh, and bench? well yesterday i benched 115kg's for 8 reps, i don't do 1 rep max though....

Yes I'm still playing around with my diet, and I think I will be for a little while yet, it takes time to get your body working the way you want it to, I don't normally do 1 rep max, I usually stick around 5 rep's as I am training for strength and size, I'm not into this glamour/bodybuilding look, where you count every calorie/fat intake, I just want some size, and to get it naturally, so I can bag out a few mates that arn't doing it naturally.

[Steffo]

I haven't gone to the gym in almost a year (for various reasons) but when I stopped I was at 75kg bench for multiple reps. However I wouldn't say I've gone down that much due to other exercises I've been doing outside the gym to keep the strength up.

I plan on making a return soon, a serious one... so that figure should be on the rise.

One rep I could probably do 90-95 back in the day.

Bench-press was always my disproportionately weak-point compared to other exercises. Never a favourite either.

[Green X]

3 set's of 10 rep's of 75kg ATM, only just back into it after 2 years.

I do take it fairly casual thou, normally go on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to busy during the week and the gym is too crowded during the peek hours anyway, I just like to go and do my routine when it's not too busy.

[Windsor220]

I weigh around 75kg.Can do 1 rep of 95kg. Usually do 3 sets of 8 reps of 70/80kg

[FlipXW]

10 reps of 40kg, 10 reps of 60kg, 10 reps of 70kg, 8 reps of 79kg then 4 reps of 86kg (all +bar). This was my best, weighing in at a feather 63kg lol.

[raised by monkeys]

ive been going to the gym for 6-7 months. im only benching 70. various reps over 3 sets on different days. depends on how much protein and carbs ive taken in i reckon

[SVTVNM]

When I am in full form I got 108kg at a local comp at my YMCA a few months ago but have backed of a bit since, still go 2-3 times a week but not pushing to much.