I am 6'2, 180-190 lbs and I have the worst possible frame for benching. Small chest and long, lanky arms. I can do three sets of ten at around 115-120, which is pretty good for a tall, skinny fellow like me! I don't know my "max" and I don't care to try. The last thing I need is a busted tendon.
I just got into working out at the end of January. I have never really worked out on a consistent basis, but now I am. On Mondays and Thursdays, I work my back, biceps, and stomach with pull-ups, a "reverse form" of pull-ups (that are hard as hell), rows off a machine that work the back(you sit down and pull the machine down), lat rows (that work the biceps), barbell curls, dumbbell curls, leg raises off a roman chair, and crunches. On Tuesdays and Fridays, I work my chest, shoulders, and triceps with dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, flys with dumbbells, military press with dumbbells, an exercise that I don't know the name but you start with dumbbells touching in the middle while standing, you then extend your arms out and then bring them back in (reminds me of one of the many poses that Hulk Hogan does), another exercise that is similar to the one above but you flap your arms out like a bird and bring them back in without the weight touching your body, a triceps pull-down off a machine, and triceps extensions with dumbbells while lying on a bench. I have benched a little bit with a barbell since doing this routine, but I don't do it often although starting tomorrow, I will incorporate a barbell benchpress into my Tuesday-Friday workout. I was able to bench 155 lbs the other day which is not bad for me considering: 1) I'm 6-3 and weigh like 175 1lbs - not your ideal benchpress guy 2) When I first started, I would have been lucky to do 120 lbs one time. I think in a couple of months, I should be able to get to 200.
Since I've never actually bench pressed before (unless you count this one rep we did in 7th grade gym) what is that in comparison to say how much you could pick up off the ground. I don't mean like clean and jerk or anything, but just like bar w/ weights on ground, pick it up, hold it, move it up and down a couple of inches while holding, hurting my back a little and wishing i hadn't picked up the weight in the first place. So is that more than you can bench or should you be able to bench more.
You should be able to bench more than you can in a military press (standing, above the head), F4P. Sounds like you could use a gym. You won't regret it, and you won't realize how fundamentally out of shape you are until then.
Took the suspense right out of this thread. Not too many six platers around. You know, of course, that wings and beer have been proven to promote muscle growth and preserve brain cells. Are u serious??? Perhaps you should consider running a little less and adding some crosstraining???? This is true, but maxing out occasionally is fun, especially when your max is more than your wimpy friends. Some of the pros think its helps, but lifting does nothing for my 28 handicap. For the record, my personal best for a single rep within the last 6 months is 265. Last night I did a set of 10 reps at 225 and 3 reps at 250. I am 5'6" and weigh 155. I cheat, however, in that because of my old fart status (43), I no longer take the bar all the way to my chest as it puts too much strain on my shoulders. I take the bar down so my upper arm is past horizontal, which puts the bar a couple of inches off my chest (but I also don't get to rest the bar on my chest). My personal max was 275 about 5 years ago, when I weighed 145. I hoped to bench twice my weight, but never made it. For those of you just starting out, I have been lifting once or twice a week fairly regularly for 20 years. I didn't break 200 until I was in my 20's, and got stronger through my late thirties. So it is something that you can do and improve at for a long time. Have fun.
I didn't know being tall would hurt my bench press. I too am tall and have long arms. I guess that's what has hurt me all these years. Damn. I just thought I was weak. I am going to try that 10 second count and see if it helps. I generally go slow, but maybe even slower will help me out.
OK, I'll play. I like padding my post count. I am 6'2", 175 lbs. Personal best bench press: 190. And that's good enough for me. My He-Hunk roommate got all bulked up but in the process got a hernia.
Hmm, during my divorce, I was hitting the weights 6 days a week, of course hitting every body part 2x per week. Daily regimen included 5 X 50 crunches w/ legs on bench, and 5 X 50 pushups. No aerobics. Max bench was at 285, hitting 5X8 @ 225 w/ a spotter. Couldn't squat due to busitis in the hip joint, but I was leg pressing/calf raise 295 for 5x10. Size was 6"1 @195.
My last max was 140...But i guarantee it has fallen a good 5-10 pounds. I usually work out at no more than 90-105. How do you add non-showy muscle and in the process lose fat on the chest, stoumach, and arms?
I have a guy I work with he is probably 6'0 240 or so, he got in a motorcycle wreck and had sholder surgery, but before that he could press 365 I think, he competed in different tournaments. His best (a texas record) was 402.2 for his age (40-46) He is already back in the gym - he's a nut. 100kg/220 lbs. 402.2 NEAL GARCIA 09/01/01 http://www.wabdl.org/texas_records.htm#MM (down the page) Anyways, enough about the old guy. The first 6 months of 2001 I was lifting really hard for the first time ever. My Frame is 5'11 240lbs regular size arms. (22yrs old) Bench - best was 225lbs for 3 reps. Squat - 10 reps at 365lbs , never really maxed. I am going back to the gym when they open the new 24hr Fitness by the Woodlands Mall in May. Do you use Creatin or any supplements?
The best way to lose fat is to obviously be on a good diet (low fat foods) and to jod maybe a mile every day.
Right now weighing 155-160, I can max about 185....I think. About a year ago I could rep 205 for 6-8 reps.
thats what I was thinking. Well if it makes you feel better, I have up'd my bench pressing prowess in the last year or so.
