That is my next goal...
Closing in...350 for 2 reps..
For those of you that have reached that level...
Can you share the amount of gear you were using at the time you reached the 400 bench level (and what were you using)? were you following any special training program? how much did you weight and what type of nutrition plan were you following (if any)?
405 is something you can do natural, if you think you need special gear to hit 405, you either have very bad genetics for pressing or need to re-evaluate your training etc. If you take Biglizard as one example and then Concreter as another, Concreter said himself about his struggles reaching a 405 bench and he is 260+ ripped and on plenty of gear. Lizard hit it at 240 natural in a year...Obviously gear will get you there much easier and faster...
Biomechanics play a tremendous role here.
So does your skeletal structure.
Mgs of gear don't mean anything when it comes to strength in that regard. Sure powerlifters take strong stuff leading up to a meet (some dont), but that has more to do with CNS involvement than gaining pure strength.
Larry Wheels has posted taking 500 mgs of test and 300 mgs of deca a week while benching 600+ lbs (yeah yeah, he's a liar, takes 6 grams minimum and we are all suckers [emoji3]). None of that has anything to do with gear; kid was stupid strong at 16, and is built for that.
Like BL stated; it's progression. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.
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Larry Wheels also take Anadrol, maybe only leading into meets though.
It will come down to many factors, not least genetics. However, what helped me the most was bands and benching twice a week. Bands really teach you speed and explosiveness. Just be warned you may need to de-load more with bands as I find they really grind you down due to the overload. Triceps were my weakness, so that is where I focused.
Main points
- Frequency (sheikos novice routine includes bench 3x per week, I also believe Kirill benched 3 times per week leading to the All Time record)
- Focus on the bench, you can't max everything all at once, you only recover so much.
- Cycle in variations, like bands, chains, the slingshot (look it up, it helps)
- Personally I cannot stress enough the importance of Tricep power
- Find your weak spot and address what YOU need to work on (where you get stuck)
- Do you train like a powerlifter or a bodybuilder? The fastest way will be powerlifting.
- How is your set up on the bench? Once again, powerlifter style bench with arch, elbows tucked, leg drive etc or bodybuilder style?
- Technique will play a big role, work to your mechanical leverages
- Bodyweight, for the most people, the heavier you are the more you can lift. If you weigh 180 you are very unlikely to bench 405. Although outliers exist. Look at powerlighting bodyweight vs bench, 2.5x bodyweight is about the best you will see. Don't forget they cut pretty brutally as well.
- Lastly, time and consistency along with staying injury free, do your pre-hab! Get soft tissue work or look up self-myofasical release. You won't bench big with wrecked shoulders and torn pecs!
You're going to find you get plenty of conflicting advice depending on where each person struggled or didn't as the case may be.
Find what works for you, experiment, stick with it and then take what works and build your own system.
Questions for you:
What is your bodyweight?
How do you train? How often do you bench?
How do you bench? You may get 30lbs by changing up your style of bench alone.
Hope that helps.