Bench press

[bdpettit]

Sounds like your on the right track. These guys who say the 400+ is average....smh. You don't see many guys tossing 400 around most gyms.
Like someone said earlier, BW @ 10 reps and you're doing pretty damn good.

 

[ZOFO1973]

Im early 40s , weight around 220. Don't know max because I haven't maxed in almost 10 years because of past shoulder injuries. I keep it 315 for sets of 12. Over 315 for me is injury territory.

Sounds to me like you are doing well. Keep up the good work!

 

[BigDM]

1RM is sitting around 360 lbs. 45 y/o, 210lbs. Wouldn't mind be able to press 400lbs when I turn 50

 

[kinglewy]

Got 405 for 3 not too long ago, had a tooth pulled and was prescribed vicoden. Without that vic I would have never got it, my joints mess with me before I even finish my warm ups which forces me to do a higher-rep routine most of the times instead of trying to go heavy.

 

[wizim]

my best bench is 335 at 180lbs bw.

 

[Jefe]

With aging, you're at more of a risk for injury doing one rep max.

Maybe for safety sake, look up a chart where you take your weight for say, 4 reps to failure, and it will give you an estimate of your one rep max.

That way you won't be at as much of a risk of injury.

Glad you're so enthusiastic about it!

:headbang:

 

[titocnb13]

425 lb max at 230 lbs bw. My shoulders are shot so its hard to go heavy, so I go more for volume now

 

[patricio2626]

Pretty shameful, I'm down to 225x7 for my 'heavy' set now at a *natural* bodyweight of 186. Profile pic is from several years ago, could do 315 for a few reps at that time. I guess I can take solace in the fact that I can definitely smash that 'bodyweight for 10' rule I saw earlier.

 

[joyfull]

Man I think that's great. These questions are all relative really. Are you comparing yourself to the best in the world or average or what?

Performance depends both on things you can and CAN'T control. If you're consistently doing everything in your control to be the best then IMO you should be proud no matter what your performance is. Of course it should be good if you really are on top of everything.

 

[wizim]

my best bench is 335 at 180lbs bw.

btw...im 43yo

 

[Kaladryn]

Maxing out for a single lift is completely pointless and the best way to get injured. Powerlifters don't even max except on rare occasions, usually meets. True bodybuilders almost never, a lot, if not most bobybuilders don't even do benchpress anymore. For every guy you know who maxes out in the gym, I know 2 stories of guys who have serious permanent injuries from maxing out. Just some friendly advice...

 

[Aliendogstar]

Any bench press with 3 plates or more is respectable. 405 is average? Please tell me where that gym is. I would like to visit it so I can be the weakest guy in the gym. It would also makes sense when insurance companies do their stats and realize there is a higher percentage of shoulder surgeries in that surrounding area than the rest of the world. Why do all these people in this little town need shoulder surgery? Oh, it's because they can all bench press over 400 lbs.

As for a gauge, I like the strong = (10-15 reps @ body weight) comment.

 

[Aliendogstar]

btw...im 43yo

Pretty good for a cross-fitter. I'm not joking either. Bench press isn't exactly part of the WOD at most cross fit gyms.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Ugh...worst thread ever.

Get ready for EVERY SINGLE POSTER ON HERE to say they bench 405 when they were 19 and 580 at 215lbs....

Complete bounce off your chest then let your friend curl it up bullshit from 99% of people

 

[ECB]

Maxing out for a single lift is completely pointless and the best way to get injured. Powerlifters don't even max except on rare occasions, usually meets. True bodybuilders almost never, a lot, if not most bobybuilders don't even do benchpress anymore. For every guy you know who maxes out in the gym, I know 2 stories of guys who have serious permanent injuries from maxing out. Just some friendly advice...

I'll certainly agree, a true max is something best saved for rare occasions and not something you want to be doing all the time. But to work in the lower rep range on compound movements can be a smart idea. You can build volume with # of sets.

I know more people who've gotten injured doing "rep work" than a heavy single, or even max effort lift by far.

If you're using heavy enough weight, you're going to be exposed to injury. On 1-3 rep sets you're able to stay tighter and keep technique better. You can physically see people losing tightness as reps increase. You can see bar path change, they start touching in different areas of the chest, form breaking down, etc. All this leads to injury.

There's a lot of pec tears and bad shoulders on here and I would wager many didn't happen on heavy singles.

 

[bigboy05]

I'll agree that maxing out on bench just for bragging rights is ridiculous ( guilty as charged). I will even agree that the bench press has the ability to cause serious shoulder issues. However, its no more ridiculous to max out on the bench as it is on squats or deadlift. Both of those movements done incorrectly can cause serious injury as well..maybe even more so than the bench. Hell, any exercise done at a persons one rep max can cause injury.
Bottom line is we are men. And as men it is built in our DNA that competition and being king of the hill is a measure of our worth against other men. That's how maxing out and PR's came to be...show of strength..so to speak.
Max lifts are not a measure of ones overall fitness, endurance, conditioning, etc. All it says is at that one moment in time that is the most weight a person could lift on that particular exercise. It may be more or less than the next attempt depending on a variety of conditions.

 

[tobyivey]

bench

You can do it Brother with a lot of sweat and hard work. I wish that I could bench but I have shoulder issues.

 

[eshaw3]

20lbs of muscle on the body looks a lot better than 40lbs more on the bar.

Great post! If only more people could that through there heads.

 

[ape of god]

Got 405 for 3 not too long ago, had a tooth pulled and was prescribed vicoden. Without that vic I would have never got it, my joints mess with me before I even finish my warm ups which forces me to do a higher-rep routine most of the times instead of trying to go heavy.

Fuck, I gotta get a tooth pulled this week, haven't thought about scheduling my training around my pain meds, lol.... seriously with a twice torn rotator cuff on one side and torn peck on other, the best I've gotten is 275 for 6 on an incline barbell press. I'm 51, and weigh around 230.

 

[dabeast75]

315 x 3 reps at 169 lbs.