Any bench pressers here?

[tedley]

Just done 8 reps with a full pint glass BUT I cant half play the bongos

[allInmoderationAIM]

??? ^ ^

[punchoutsb]

Friday is the last day of my volume phase: 150 kg for 6x6. I can tell I'm really going to have to dig my heels in for this one. Been a crazy stressful week so I'll try and tap in to that come go time.

[Mr.DW]

Been stuck at 125 for 8 reps for 2 workouts. Just hit it last night as well as 130 for 6 reps.

[Kalan]

I did 405 for 4 reps when I quit doing barbell benches... I never tried to max out or rep out because my original trainer said it might damage my heart valves or tissue over the years with blood pressure straining on them... He had me switch to dumbbells because I was building my chest out.. It was hard to find dumbbells over 150 pounds in those days.. You had to special order them.

You can do so many different exercises with dumbbells it's incredible.. They're great for quarter squats.. Instead of resting a bar on your shoulders, you have a hefty dumbbell in each hand and squat about as far as you can keeping both feet flat on the ground and exploding up.. They give you great spring and lower back strength. On alternate days you do plyometric jumps, trying to leap higher and higher every month if you can.. 41 inches over the highest point you can touch on a wall, is a real good standing vertical jump.. A great standing broad jump is 10 feet or more, but it doesn't matter how long or high you can jump if you keep improving. Strength translates into speed and power if you work hard on flexibility.

[Bricks]

I did 405 for 4 reps when I quit doing barbell benches..

Sure you did pal Sure you did

[Kalan]

Shove your disbelief bud. I wasn't the strongest guy in the gym. Some guys pressed well over 500, like Cullen Bryant did 545. I never went over 405 because that was always my goal -- my next focus then was to get reps off it without straining.. You pretty much know that the more you lift the stronger you get.

[punchoutsb]

Shove your disbelief bud. I wasn't the strongest guy in the gym. Some guys pressed well over 500, like Cullen Bryant did 545. I never went over 405 because that was always my goal -- my next focus then was to get reps off it without straining.. You pretty much know that the more you lift the stronger you get.

Cullen Bryant the RB for the Rams?

[punchoutsb]

Saturdays the big day. Shoulders a little sore and stiff, but overall I'm feeling good. Hit 195 kg four weeks ago. I should be close to where I want to be. You can never really tell til you get out there and start warming up though. Seven hour drive ahead of me tomorrow morning. After weigh ins I'm downing a pizza.

[punchoutsb]

Ended up hitting 190. Good enough for the win but a little less than I'd hoped. Maybe opened too light at 175. 15 away from the American record. Next comp is Dec 3: 64 days out. I think my true comp form max is probably between 192 and 195. 10 k is a lot to gain in 9 weeks, but I'll be giving it a go!!

[Fitzy901]

Is 105kg a decent bench press for a ten stone man?

[Tomasino]

Is 105kg a decent bench press for a ten stone man?

Yes defo

[Tomasino]

Ended up hitting 190. Good enough for the win but a little less than I'd hoped. Maybe opened too light at 175. 15 away from the American record. Next comp is Dec 3: 64 days out. I think my true comp form max is probably between 192 and 195. 10 k is a lot to gain in 9 weeks, but I'll be giving it a go!!

Well done mate, hard work paid off

[punchoutsb]

Is 105kg a decent bench press for a ten stone man?

Yes defo

x2. And if you're not lifting to compete, but rather just a regular gymgoer than it's better than decent.

Ended up hitting 190. Good enough for the win but a little less than I'd hoped. Maybe opened too light at 175. 15 away from the American record. Next comp is Dec 3: 64 days out. I think my true comp form max is probably between 192 and 195. 10 k is a lot to gain in 9 weeks, but I'll be giving it a go!!

Well done mate, hard work paid off

Thanks mate, I already feel like I've gotten stronger. Hit 157 for 6x3 yesterday and honestly...I could have done twice that many sets. I'm holding myself back though and sticking to my programming. That's been some of the hardest parts. I always want to push so hard, and that's led to some of my injuries, including my labrum tear.

[punchoutsb]

Three weeks out from my next comp. Benched 174.5 for 2x2 today pretty easily. A recovery day really. Hit 143 for 13 after the two doubles.

I am REALLY hoping ( and working ) for a 190-195 bench in this comp. Only 1 more kg of bodyweight to lose as well.

[punchoutsb]

Last rep day.

62 k for 45 reps, 102 k for 35 reps, 143 k for 6 reps, 161 k for 3x2 reps.

Really good pump, nothing too taxing aside from the 102; that's always a rough one.

Wednesday I'll hit triceps heavy, Friday will be very light recovery day with maybe two singles at 75-85% and then nothing next week til the comp. De-load and rest is always the most difficult for me. I hate cutting back.

[punchoutsb]

Yesterday was the last day I'll bench before Saturday. Worked up to a 175 single as I plan on opening around 180. 175 is my heaviest opener ever, but I always pick an opener I "know" I can get.

Still about 1-2 kg to lose. Doing some light running through Thursday. After I weigh in on Friday I plan on eating...a lot!

After the comp on Saturday I am officially 8 weeks out from my next one...this will be a brutal stretch with three comps in 13 weeks.

[punchoutsb]

Weighed in a hair over 106, so plenty of room to spare.

Opener set at 177.5, well below my best but my heaviest opener ever by 2.5 kilos.

Tomorrows the big day!

[punchoutsb]

Laaaate update on this.

Competition did not go my way at all BUT...I still managed to take home first.

I only hit my opener, but it was roughly 30 kilos heavier than the next best opener. No one else caught me despite that being my only successful lift. Made the most stupid mistake of my lifting career on my second attempt: pressed 185.5 easy as you please only to receive three reds. When asked I was told I hadn't waited for my press command. STUPID mistake which I then let get in my head and badly missed my third attempt at 190. I've hit all these lifts multiple times in training, felt really good to go but the day was not mine.

I jumped right back into my training cycle on the 5th, no time off. I'm 50 days out from my next comp, with three comps coming in the next 99 days. It's going to be a brutal schedule but I then plan on hitting the offseason until my next big meet in September.

Trainings been great again. Monday I hit:

61 k (135 lbs) for 47 (not failure...I add one rep each monday)
102 k (225 lbs) for 37 (again, not failure)
143 (315) for 5
and then my work sets of 166 (366) for 6 sets of 2. I add one pound every Monday and Friday to my 6 doubles if I am successful on the previous 6. Tomorrow I'll be at 166.5 (367) for my 6 doubles. I don't do all the volume leading up to my doubles on Friday though.

The goal for my next meet is to open over 181.5 (400) for the first time in my career. 204.5 (451) is the National record, and I've got that in my sights for September if my offseason goes well.

[punchoutsb]

Gonna start the lift in about 20 minutes; just wrapping up a few work related emails first. A little tired and drained today but hoping for a good one nonetheless.

[lillywhite14]

Always enjoy reading your updates in here Punchout.

[punchoutsb]

Always enjoy reading your updates in here Punchout.

Thanks mate, I ended up getting all six sets yesterday. How has your lifting been? I'm also goofing around with Sumo deadlifting again and for the first time it actually feels right.

[lillywhite14]

Always enjoy reading your updates in here Punchout.

Thanks mate, I ended up getting all six sets yesterday. How has your lifting been? I'm also goofing around with Sumo deadlifting again and for the first time it actually feels right.

Nice one. My lifting hasn't been going too well, very erratic, not in terms of performance but in frequency. Been hitting some decent weight though when I have, which is a great feeling. Didn't lift a muscle for nigh on 3 weeks, had a few blowouts party wise but increased my pb on the bench twice in one session a couple of weeks ago! Came out of the blue big time. Was previously 170kg, but I equalled that, then hit 172.5 and then 175! I don't really go for pbs that often but it's something I might start throwing in. Hardly big numbers considering I'm around 100kgs myself.

Having said that, about an hour ago I failed on 165kg! Ive not been eating properly the past week and overall feeling like shite to be honest but it's given me a real insight in to how much the mental aspect plays.

[punchoutsb]

Always enjoy reading your updates in here Punchout.

Thanks mate, I ended up getting all six sets yesterday. How has your lifting been? I'm also goofing around with Sumo deadlifting again and for the first time it actually feels right.

Nice one. My lifting hasn't been going too well, very erratic, not in terms of performance but in frequency. Been hitting some decent weight though when I have, which is a great feeling. Didn't lift a muscle for nigh on 3 weeks, had a few blowouts party wise but increased my pb on the bench twice in one session a couple of weeks ago! Came out of the blue big time. Was previously 170kg, but I equalled that, then hit 172.5 and then 175! I don't really go for pbs that often but it's something I might start throwing in. Hardly big numbers considering I'm around 100kgs myself.

Having said that, about an hour ago I failed on 165kg! Ive not been eating properly the past week and overall feeling like shite to be honest but it's given me a real insight in to how much the mental aspect plays.

The more you learn about yourself the better the results will always be. Sometimes my best gains have come after semi-long layoffs. The important thing is to never let yourself down--sometimes thats the only thing that gets me into the gym.

One interesting little anecdote about my learning experience--I used to think I needed massive carbs before a workout. The night before I would pack away all the carbs I could, and in the morning lead up to a lift I'd snack. I used to eat an entire box of crackers about four to five hours pre-workout. That led to awesome pumps and (I thought) performance. Then money got tight for a while and I convinced myself I couldn't lift like I used to without the carbs. One day I basically forgot my workout was supposed to suck because I had no carbs and I PB's pretty much everything. I didn't really think about it til later. Then I basically decided I'd have great workouts regardless...and I did. Obviously I won't say its all in your head, but more of it is than we ever think.

[punchoutsb]

So one of my on-going goals for myself is to bench 102 (225 lbs) over 51 times in my warmup.

This weight is the weight used at the NFL combine where the best college football players attempt to show off their abilities to pro football scouts. The record is 51. Back when I was a pup out of high school I could not do 225 more than about three times. I've done it 44 times once. I'd bet I can hit 50ish right now if it was all that I did that day. So I decided to build it in to my warmup on Mondays. Last week on Monday I hit 37, today the goal is 38. At this pace (if I can keep it up...it's very difficult hitting that many right after doing 61 kg for ~50 as well...another goal) I should "break" the NFL combine record during my warmup on March 27th.

It is mentally VERY taxing, but its quite a euphoric feeling once I find my groove. It hurts. I love it.