- Joined
- Mar 8, 2013
- Messages
- 44
For many people who work out, the bench press is the measure of strength most commonly used. None of us can count the times we have been asked "How much can you bench?".
For many strength athletes, the squat or deadlift is reffered to as the true measure of strength. Often I wonder if this is the case or not. How many times have you seen contest lifts exceed the 600lb mark on the squat and or deadlift and a bench in the 300's? As somebody who often spends hours on the internet looking at contest results, I see this all the time. While attempting to increase my levels of strength, my squat and deadlift are nearly always on the rise.
My bench, is another story. Perhaps people who are not great bench pressers, put more effort into the squat and deadlift because gains come easier? I don't know, just a thought. I am not saying the bench press is a greater measure of strength than these other two exercises, I'm just starting a debate.
I hate and love the bench press. Even if it is not a true measure of total body strength, it can be used to measure the strength of one's upper body.
My bench press sucks. At nearly 240lbs, my best bench in recent times is 415 with a pause. At my weight, I hope to be around the 500 mark someday in the future. For the last month, I have been dealing with a pulled muscle in my right pec. Lots of ice, stretching and light chest work has helped a lot, but I still cannot go heavy yet. With goals of reaching 1/4 of a ton, setbacks upset me.
For me, the squat and deadlift are exercises that I can "will" to perform. Even if my warmups feel heavy, I can get my mind right and make myself have a good workout. The bench press is different. The feeling of a heavy weight being held over my chest can intimidate me, and it's always down hill from there.
I am interested in hearing what your thoughts are about the bench press. Do you struggle with it as I do? What have you done that helped you get past your sticking points on the movement?
I look forward to hearing the responses.
For many strength athletes, the squat or deadlift is reffered to as the true measure of strength. Often I wonder if this is the case or not. How many times have you seen contest lifts exceed the 600lb mark on the squat and or deadlift and a bench in the 300's? As somebody who often spends hours on the internet looking at contest results, I see this all the time. While attempting to increase my levels of strength, my squat and deadlift are nearly always on the rise.
My bench, is another story. Perhaps people who are not great bench pressers, put more effort into the squat and deadlift because gains come easier? I don't know, just a thought. I am not saying the bench press is a greater measure of strength than these other two exercises, I'm just starting a debate.
I hate and love the bench press. Even if it is not a true measure of total body strength, it can be used to measure the strength of one's upper body.
My bench press sucks. At nearly 240lbs, my best bench in recent times is 415 with a pause. At my weight, I hope to be around the 500 mark someday in the future. For the last month, I have been dealing with a pulled muscle in my right pec. Lots of ice, stretching and light chest work has helped a lot, but I still cannot go heavy yet. With goals of reaching 1/4 of a ton, setbacks upset me.
For me, the squat and deadlift are exercises that I can "will" to perform. Even if my warmups feel heavy, I can get my mind right and make myself have a good workout. The bench press is different. The feeling of a heavy weight being held over my chest can intimidate me, and it's always down hill from there.
I am interested in hearing what your thoughts are about the bench press. Do you struggle with it as I do? What have you done that helped you get past your sticking points on the movement?
I look forward to hearing the responses.