broke the 405 bench press barrier

[red5150]

Congrats. I still remember benching 405 x 1 rep for the first time. 1987, junior year in hs. I had no idea what I was doing, but had a boatload of the old syntex 2902 candies that I ate all day long back then along with the BSF program. I was lifting in a meet they used to call Buckeye/Penn or Penn/Buckeye. I was competing at 187lbs and had to shed like 8 pounds in the last day. I had did maybe 20 lbs more the previous week, but I eeked out that 405 and my nose starting bleeding shortly after.

What uneducated idiots we were back then. Had some nolvadex, nothing else. Pyramid abombs, para, and deca and then crash like an equally hormonal version of Ronnie from Jersey Shore crying at Hallmark commercials and Dirty Dancing off cycle. I can only imagine my blood levels at that time. No shocker I have massive shoulder issues now. I'll never sniff that weight again.

405 @ 187 lbs as a junior in high school????

 

[Stewie Griffon]

2. Mr Dorian Yates- i told him the same and asked him the same question, he said--"it`s up to you man, if u wanna do it you`ll do it".

yet met dorian in person? i'm jealous

i remember when he first became really popular, it was inspiring. at that time, in my opinion, he had a new look. i will never forget those black and white photos from 1994 i think

 

[SecondAct]

405 @ 187 lbs as a junior in high school????

Yep. We had a rogue doctor in my town long before it became something common place. I first went and saw him at 15 and he gave me scripts for 160anadrol monthly and 600mg deca with 5 refills. It was a steel town, so everyone's father worked at a factory, which then meant good prescription cards. With insurance, $2 per script for all that shit.

Dude was an extremely strange doctor. He was gay ( I say this not as insult, but as to the only explanation why a doctor would prescribe an office full of 15 year olds gear) and I guess liked having young men around, but to my knowledge never made any advances. It was insanity, at one point having a script for 400mg of anadrol daily. Guys were coming from hundreds of miles to see this guy, literally a few hundred patients high school and early college age. By the time I was 18 or 19, no local pharmacies would fill his scripts, and eventually the state moved in. Needless to say, we had pretty good football teams during that period. A hell of a lot of pec tears and other injuries also though.

I found the case file:

**broken link removed**

 

[dr intensity]

Great job for sure! Feels great to exceed your goals. May I ask if it was on a smith or an incline barbell press? If you are gettin 6 at that weight you could certainly "max" one rep at 435. What is your single bench press personal best on a flat barbell press and what is your BW? And again props to you as those are some impressive numbers.

-i have never tried 1 rep max in my life,
-i use free barbell movements only for chest pressing movements
-have not done dumbell presses for many years
-i use smith machine for shoulder press only.
-i have not done flat bench press in the last 6-7 years.

i have always logged my workouts so to give you an idea i`ll provide my log (i never change my workout...never ever)

so today for CHEST SHOULDER TRICEPS
DECLINE BENCH PRESS (warm-up set) 225 x 8
INCLINE BENCH PRESS (WARM-UP SET) 285 X 8 (AFTER THIS NO MORE WARM UP SETS) for any exercises, i go straight to worksets

WORKSETS(i perform one workset to positive failure)

INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS--1 X 405 X 6 (6TH REP WAS A FORCED REP)
DECLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS--1 X 405 X 6
FLAT DUMBELL FLYS--1 X 85 X 17
SMITH MACHINE SHOULDER PRESS--1 X 295 X 16
LATERAL RAISES 1 X 30 X 10 (SLOW NEGATIVES)
TRICEP PUSHDOWN 1 X FULL STACK X 22 REPS (EXTRA SQUEEZE AT THE STATIC PORTION OF THE REP...even the full stack is bit light now)
REVERSE DIPS--BODYWEIGHT + 3 PLATES ON THE THIGHS X 13.

i never change my workout, unless injured or something...use excellent form

i am 236lbs today at 5 feet 8 inches (at may be 11-12 percent bodyfat...assumption)...based on i can see my 6 abs Abs clearly along with the iliac crest.

Dr intensity

 

[strongrhino]

Im impressed as those exercises and numbers are solid.

-i have never tried 1 rep max in my life,
-i use free barbell movements only for chest pressing movements
-have not done dumbell presses for many years
-i use smith machine for shoulder press only.
-i have not done flat bench press in the last 6-7 years.

i have always logged my workouts so to give you an idea i`ll provide my log (i never change my workout...never ever)

so today for CHEST SHOULDER TRICEPS
DECLINE BENCH PRESS (warm-up set) 225 x 8
INCLINE BENCH PRESS (WARM-UP SET) 285 X 8 (AFTER THIS NO MORE WARM UP SETS) for any exercises, i go straight to worksets

WORKSETS(i perform one workset to positive failure)

INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS--1 X 405 X 6 (6TH REP WAS A FORCED REP)
DECLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS--1 X 405 X 6
FLAT DUMBELL FLYS--1 X 85 X 17
SMITH MACHINE SHOULDER PRESS--1 X 295 X 16
LATERAL RAISES 1 X 30 X 10 (SLOW NEGATIVES)
TRICEP PUSHDOWN 1 X FULL STACK X 22 REPS (EXTRA SQUEEZE AT THE STATIC PORTION OF THE REP...even the full stack is bit light now)
REVERSE DIPS--BODYWEIGHT + 3 PLATES ON THE THIGHS X 13.

i never change my workout, unless injured or something...use excellent form

i am 236lbs today at 5 feet 8 inches (at may be 11-12 percent bodyfat...assumption)...based on i can see my 6 abs Abs clearly along with the iliac crest.

Dr intensity

 

[strongrhino]

Why no flat bench BTW? And Dr. Intensity is a great name for you. Ya sound focused, disciplined and intense! Hitting a PR is quite the adrenaline rush and lasts for days- only thing I can compare it to is bangin a beautiful chick for the first time. Ya better set some new goals now....

 

[dr intensity]

Are you saying that you are starting to have a craving for grapefruit?

no,way buddy---grapefruits are for the "real kai" only.

 

[nuteboy]

Man that's really good. I'd be all HYPED too. Welcome to the 405 club. The heaviest i've benched was 365lbs

Good going big guy

 

[dr intensity]

Why no flat bench BTW? And Dr. Intensity is a great name for you. Ya sound focused, disciplined and intense! Hitting a PR is quite the adrenaline rush and lasts for days- only thing I can compare it to is bangin a beautiful chick for the first time. Ya better set some new goals now....

thanks alot, i appreciate it

medical student who is training intensely = Dr Intensity

as for not doing flat bench presses...
1) we body builders can never have a toooo big upper chest therefore the inclines.
2) I think the free weight exercises that allows u to use max weight at the same time you can control it--grind it--for reps after reps is possibly the best exercise, so i could always lift more on declines than others.
after 2 such movements done with Intensity---its kind of enough "growth stimulus"
so i eliminated flat bench presses long ago.

chicks are good, but sometimes bodybuilding wise they become a pain in the ASS ( i am straight no homo)..lol

 

[BigChef]

Do you control the weight or you let it bounce off your chest?

 

[Michaelthomasj]

Great job for sure! Feels great to exceed your goals. May I ask if it was on a smith or an incline barbell press? If you are gettin 6 at that weight you could certainly "max" one rep at 435. What is your single bench press personal best on a flat barbell press and what is your BW? And again props to you as those are some impressive numbers.

If he is doing 405 x 6 nice and controlled..he is going to certainly do more then 435 x1...probably more like 455-465

 

[Michaelthomasj]

Do you control the weight or you let it bounce off your chest?

I was wondering this as well..or if he is coming down to his chest. only because it seems like a huge jump from previous numbers? especially for reps
from 365 x 7 to 405 x6 ??? in a week???

if thats what it really is..then that is a truely amazing jump.

 

[hotnuts]

Natural right?

 

[tenny]

Natural right?

no....

a CJC1294, APA4532, with alil ADHD on the side, cocktail

oh........and follistatin, myo propep as a garnish

 

[hotnuts]

no....

a CJC1294, APA4532, with alil ADHD on the side, cocktail

oh........and follistatin, myo propep as a garnish

That is exactly what I used that got me over the 455 mark! AWESOME!

 

[strongrhino]

Never really can tell- so many limiting factors. there is no equation to determine a max based on reps. Especially when you are moving big weight. I have seen so many variations in lifters on what they rep and what they max. I got combine guys I train who can rep 2 plates flat for 15 that get crushed by 3 plates and I have some guys pushin 2 plates for 10 that nail 3 plates. You have ligaments, tendons, joints, muscle limitations and of course most important mental state at time of lift (adrenaline, norepinephrine etc) so it is impossible to determine a max until you try a max and reevaluate depending on outcome and go from there. Thats why I hate those "max" charts and formulas based on reps to determine a max lift. It predisposes the mind into either over or under lifting and as we know its not one size fits all. Based on his numbers on all of his listed lifts I stand by my guestimate at 435 and if he were my client and wated to max thats where we would begin. And guess what- if he nailed it then during next workout we move up by 10 or so. My rule to my athletes is never more than one max attempt per session whether they nail it or not. But he is not interested in a max I believe he never does less than 2 so I guess we wont know but again based on his figures and my experience I stand by my guestimte but respect your opinion although I feel your number is way high.

If he is doing 405 x 6 nice and controlled..he is going to certainly do more then 435 x1...probably more like 455-465

 

[Michaelthomasj]

Never really can tell- so many limiting factors. there is no equation to determine a max based on reps. Especially when you are moving big weight. I have seen so many variations in lifters on what they rep and what they max. I got combine guys I train who can rep 2 plates flat for 15 that get crushed by 3 plates and I have some guys pushin 2 plates for 10 that nail 3 plates. You have ligaments, tendons, joints, muscle limitations and of course most important mental state at time of lift (adrenaline, norepinephrine etc) so it is impossible to determine a max until you try a max and reevaluate depending on outcome and go from there. Thats why I hate those "max" charts and formulas based on reps to determine a max lift. It predisposes the mind into either over or under lifting and as we know its not one size fits all. Based on his numbers on all of his listed lifts I stand by my guestimate at 435 and if he were my client and wated to max thats where we would begin. And guess what- if he nailed it then during next workout we move up by 10 or so. My rule to my athletes is never more than one max attempt per session whether they nail it or not. But he is not interested in a max I believe he never does less than 2 so I guess we wont know but again based on his figures and my experience I stand by my guestimte but respect your opinion although I feel your number is way high.

well i certainly dont agree with those charts either. espeially as more weight is used...the more its off..imo. Yes there are a lot of factors that go into one rep lifts, but i do feel 435 is low for someone moving 405 x 6. and if he is doing quality reps with that weight i feel 435 would go up no problem.

 

[strongman456]

im built terribly for benching. my best max on the sauce was 420 but when i go off i dont even bother going over 365. 405x6 is pretty legit

 

[dr intensity]

Do you control the weight or you let it bounce off your chest?

terrific control, no bouncing--i am proud to say my form can never go wrong . i derived it from none other than dorian yates (his videos), its always been explosive exhaling positive, and controlled inhailing negative.

 

[dr intensity]

I was wondering this as well..or if he is coming down to his chest. only because it seems like a huge jump from previous numbers? especially for reps
from 365 x 7 to 405 x6 ??? in a week???

if thats what it really is..then that is a truely amazing jump.

yes sir,
previous cycle i did, i went upto last cycle 365 x 10 on declines and 365 x 7 on inclines i started a cycle 7 weeks back i mean i am on 7th week....i just donno how i could just do it? but the feeling is awesome.... may be i did
inclines first this time and declines after that--may be this can be a factor....but this is something even i never expected, i just did it.

while i was off cycle between the 2 cycles for 5 months i never went down less than 325-330 x 6-8..