wstevens

I bench 860 lbs. But I can only do it once.

03typeS6spd

just a suggestion, but if you are only up to 185 now and you can only start with 155 as a first real set...

then I would decrease your warm up set to something that is just a warm up (115? or lower, probably half your max would be the right weight) and not what looks like a rather heavy set for you to be starting with

if you are going for the heavier weight then don't waste the early reps on in-between weight...

but on the same token who cares about what weight you are benching, do what gets you where you want to be without destroying your shoulders just to push big weight and you'll be much happier and less injured in the long run

danny25

what's the best weight% x rep x set format for quick gains? Or at least what you guys have seen work? I hate benching and started really trying for the first time in my life about a year ago. It took forever, but I got up to a 225# max, but then i hit a huge plateau and I'm actually getting weaker now. There's nothing more frustrating than that.

03typeS6spd

dumbbells? i have really long arms and i seem to be able to lift dumbbells better than flat bench anyway... but whenever i would peak i would switch my order of days per muscle group or flop between barbells and dumbbells

as opposed to seriously changing the set or reps etc... never saw gains from pyramids or doing weird combinations

Mizouse

hmm... last time i benched it was 115lbs

PimpCL23

5'6.. weigh 125lbs... 185 x 2

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

^---is that on the Smith or free weight? That's a tad hard to believe, especially seeing what other guys do in the gym. How long have you been goin to the gym?

PimpCL23

free weights
dont like machines too much but i use it when i dont have a spotter.
been going to the gym 1 yr and a half.. keepin it steady

took a body fat test and the results came up to 4% body fat... thats on the electric scale.

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

my bad, I meant Smith, bench w/ bar, or dumbbells

PimpCL23

bench with bar... dumbells are 45 each so... 90lbs.
curl bar is 125lbs x 12

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

you curl 125lbs 12 times? or are you saying you can press the 125lb curl bar 12 times

PimpCL23

no dude sorry!!! my friend hopped on here typing shit...fucker!! he can do that, not me!... im stuck at 90lbs curling that 10-12 times

PimpCL23

sorry bout the confusion... id kick my friends ass... but he bigger than me!

FastAcura

So you almost curl your own weight? I've never heard of a non-professional doing this.

PillsburyChoboy

I'll throw some of my fine urine into this pissing match ...

Years working out: Off-and-on since high school but I've really focused on strength training the past 6 months.

The goods: 5'8" 165 pounds ... I have the "Korean build" (squarish Sponge-Bob frame, T. Rex arms) so it's not too difficult to lift/press fairly heavy weights.

Tools for motivation: Visualize ex-GF deepthroating some random dude; reminisce way back to my childhood days when the family dog was run over by some old lady.

Benchpress: Last time out, 225x12, 275x3 ... never did 1-rep max and don't use spots because I go to the type of gym where if you ask for a spot, the dude will press down and hold the bar to your throat as his homies rifle through your pockets for loose change.

I prefer DB presses and usually top out at 100x8 or so.

Um, let's see. Don't get too infatuated with "maxing" out. 1-rep max with poor technique really means nothing. Leave yer ego at home and look for incremental improvements in "core" exercises (pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, lat pull-downs, barbell rows, etc.).

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

damn bro 90lbs is alot for your size. I'm doing 90 about 8-10 times, and most guys a bit bitter than me struggle with 80lbs.

Doom878

All about skill.... :wink:

PimpCL23

sooo.. you work out in county jail????

Maximized

I weigh 185 and on a flat bench I usually start off with 225 twice doing 10 reps and 8. I put 10 more on for the last rep and usually do 4-5 good reps and then need a spot on the rest. I started out in Spring of 03' struggling to rep 115. Good technique is crucial and I firmly believe in a workout buddy to push you.

I've never tried to max out and don't care to do so. I will leave that to the meat heads at the gym whom like to scream and grunt.

1st timer

My max i did last week for 2 reps was 300lbs incline bench.

youngTL

You guys must be fairly big/strong.

When I work out now I'm benching the bar (45) plus the weights I add (a total of 80) = 115.

I haven't yet tried maxing out.

I'm 5'7" and 155 now. Apparently I used to measure my height wrong

Maximized

Keep at it and eat well. My body was slow to increase strength, but has slowly. Proper technique is cruicial. I see a lot of guys at the gym trying to lift heavy and end up using their whole body, which is not ideal. If you are struggling, decrease the weight and do the exercise correctly. Also try to switch up your routine every few weeks to "shock" your muscles. Another thing that has helped me is rest. I occasionally take a week off from lifting and do stricly cardio.

I know everyones body responds differently, but this has worked well for me.

youngTL

My problem is leaving for weeks for work where I have 15 hour days 7 days a week in a truck/flagging. My only exercise I get really is pushups, crunches, and a few more isometric exercises before I go to sleep.

I'm not trying to lift too heavy though. One day I'll do bench press (decline and incline) and then 2-3 days later I'll do flyes and dumbell press. This is assuming I'm at home.

Doom878

Yeah don't sweat it Young. My friend and I started working out at the exact same time. By the time we stopped lifting together I was maxing like 185 and he was repping 275.

oneilc

Taking a few weeks off can kill you in the gym. I went from pushing up 285 to struggling on 245. Sucks ...

Yumcha

Try getting sick and then working out...that's even worse.

@cUr@-TL

4 times - 150 x 5... with lats pull-downs between each sets

my goal is set on 185 at the end of the summer.

btsilver

right now its 230, but i was at 275.

Love my 99

I'm 5'11" 211 lbs. My chest workout consists of the following:

Week 1: Flat bench press (135 for 9, 185 for 8, 225 for 6, 245 for 4), Incline Dumbells (60s for 9, 70s for 8, 80s for 7, 90 for 6), Dumbell Flys (20s for 9, 30s for 8, 35s for 7, 40s for 6)

Week 2: Incline bench press (135 for 9, 185 for 8, 205 for 7, 225 for 5 or 6), Dumbell Declines (60s for 9, 70s for 8, 75s for 7, 80s for 6), Flat Dumbells (65s for 9, 75s for 8, 85s for 7, 90s for 6)

Week 3: back to Week 1s workout and so on.

This is a really good workout for chest. Obviously the weight you use might be more or less than me, but you are virtually GUARANTEED to see results with this routine. I increased my max from 225 to 275 in 3 months.

Doom878

only 3 exercises? see results looks wise?

Love my 99

I don't know if your making fun or talking shit or what but, yes, 3 exercises: 4 sets per exercise= 12 sets per wk per muscle with 5-7 days of rest until you work that muscle again. I train to failure each week. Any more sets than 12 per muscle per wk and you're overtraining. Anyone that tells you anything different has no idea what they're talking about. PERIOD.

Doom878

Didn't see how that could be taken as shit talking? And yeah I laugh when I see dudes lifting on the same muscle for like 2 hours.

Love my 99

No, you misunderstood what I wrote. I didn't understand what you first wrote, and I didn't know if you were giving props or saying I was wrong. Yeah, any more than 45mins-1 hour training any 1 muscle and your wasting your energy, but you see it all the time

Sometimes less is more

Black CL-S 4-Life

I do sets at 225, 205 & 185. Never maxed out but prob around 250-275 since I can do 15 reps @ 225.

Schizm

imho, if you can do 225x15 then you should be able to max more. Probably in the neighborhood of 300. There are dozens of 1RM calculators online that'd give you an idea.

I'm 6'3" 198lbs and I can bench 275lbs. Right now I'm trying to increase my max b/c a friend is coming into town in a couple of weeks and he's been talking some shiote. After warming up I'll do 225x5 245x5x2 and 225x5.

Once I try to max out again I'll got back to reps of 10 or 12.

Love my 99

I agree with Schizm...you can prob do 300 or 315 once considering you can do 225 fifteen times.

I don't know if you could do that much weight after doing 225 fifteen times, but after a warm-up set of 185 and then another of 205 for 5 or 6 reps, throw 3 plates on each side and give it a shot!

Doom878

I know they say that shorter limbs means heavier weight, but is it me or does it seem like the 6 footers are more powerful?

Black CL-S 4-Life

I might give it a try sometime this week, after a warm up set at 185. I'm almost scared to have that much weight under me though.

Black CL-S 4-Life

I'm 6'2 225 and it seems too me that the shorter guys put up alot more weight than I do at my gym.

fdl

Shorter limbs definately make it easier to lift heavy weights. You dont see any 6 foot power lifters.