Bench goal reached! Plus a workout tip.

[RearAdmiral]

I weighed in today at 159.4lbs 11% fat(5' 9.5") according to the machine. It has been my goal since I started working out a good 8 months or so ago to be able to bench 225. Those two plates just look so good.

I started out at 166.8lbs 13.8%. According to my sheets I fluctuate between 9.1 and 11% BF it seems. I had skipped a few months previous to this 8 solid-ish months of working out where I started around 14-15% fat.

My previous max was 210 with pretty good fluidity. I wasn't planning on maxing today. I never took a serious approach to benching until this 8 months. Maxed at 185 at the start of the 8 months, although I would rarely test my max. I hold my hands about 1/2 inch in from the outer rings.

My sets went like so...
10 x 135 - These went up super strong, I was feeling really good. Was not planning on trying 225.
7 x 185 - These also went up strong, feeling like a tough guy. Was not planning on 225...
1 x 225 - My spot partners talked me into trying it. I felt strong and took a good 20 seconds to get my mind right. Felt strong and psyched and got a nice rep out and struggled on the 2nd.
1 x 225 - Had to see if I could repeat! Struggled on 2nd rep again.

I was all smiles and my guys noticed. It did feel really really good to reach a goal I really didn't think I'd ever see. I'm built pretty small. Now I out lift people that "look" a lot bigger/stronger than me, which feels good for the psyche.

In summary my workout tip is:

Workout with black guys. They are 10x the motivators us white folk are.

 

[blackdogdeek]

congrats, op! keep up the good work!

 

[z1ggy]

Fairly racist but you are probably right.

 

[RearAdmiral]

Fairly racist but you are probably right.

I've never been motivated by a white guy in the gym haha

 

[z1ggy]

I've never been motivated by a white guy in the gym haha

Could be because you aren't fearing for your life while they are yelling at you?

 

[Onita]

Fairly racist but you are probably right.

That word gets thrown around way too much.

 

[RearAdmiral]

Could be because you aren't fearing for your life while they are yelling at you?

Me(previous to a set): Hey coworker, make me angry.
Him: Man you should be angry at yourself.
Me: /rages and pounds out a monster set.

Zero yelling required!

 

[repoman0]

^haha.

Nice job dude, we're the same height and weight (I'm 5'10 160-165, low body fat as well but no idea on %) and I can't get my bench past 150ish. RAGE. Started lifting 3x/week about a year ago with body weight 135-140lbs.

 

[Zivic]

Workout with black guys. They are 10x the motivators us white folk are.

.... if the black guys motivated you to a measly 225 bench, they aren't very good motivators either.

Find lifting partners that go beyond motivators and you will be benching twice that.

edit:
how much do you squat and dead?

 

[RearAdmiral]

.... if the black guys motivated you to a measly 225 bench, they aren't very good motivators either.

Find lifting partners that go beyond motivators and you will be benching twice that.

edit:
how much do you squat and dead?

I don't really want to be benching close to 500lbs...I'm not a body builder or something heh

Well I very very rarely max out on squat, and I don't dead lift yet. When I did attempt max on squat I was ~300. For squats I do the 5x5 setup first warming up with 135, then going to my 5x5 weight. That ranges from 235 to 265 depending on how I'm feeling. I typically don't like to go heavy on squat as I have a defect in my ankle, a bone that fuses my ankle/heel together(bar bone I believe) and really restricts my ankle range of motion. It also has knocked my left leg out of alignment. As in when I point my toes straight forward my left knee is pointed inward. This makes finding a good squat stance tricky and I don't want to lift a ton of weight. I feel pretty good at the above weights and they do challenge me with the 5x5 setup.

A few weeks ago I sprained my ankle though, so no squats lately.

 

[RearAdmiral]

^haha.

Nice job dude, we're the same height and weight (I'm 5'10 160-165, low body fat as well but no idea on %) and I can't get my bench past 150ish. RAGE. Started lifting 3x/week about a year ago with body weight 135-140lbs.

Wow you put on a lot of weight! What kind of bench work do you do? I wonder why you are hitting this block.

 

[Zivic]

I don't really want to be benching close to 500lbs...I'm not a body builder or something heh

Well I very very rarely max out on squat, and I don't dead lift yet. When I did attempt max on squat I was ~300. For squats I do the 5x5 setup first warming up with 135, then going to my 5x5 weight. That ranges from 235 to 265 depending on how I'm feeling. I typically don't like to go heavy on squat as I have a defect in my ankle, a bone that fuses my ankle/heel together(bar bone I believe) and really restricts my ankle range of motion. It also has knocked my left leg out of alignment. As in when I point my toes straight forward my left knee is pointed inward. This makes finding a good squat stance tricky and I don't want to lift a ton of weight. I feel pretty good at the above weights and they do challenge me with the 5x5 setup.

A few weeks ago I sprained my ankle though, so no squats lately.

the key to a big bench (beyond genetics) is squats and deads. 500 lb bench would be a world record at your weight. maybe upwards 400 though, would be pretty cool. 225, while it might have been your goal is, meh, at best. You obviously care about your bench press, or you wouldn't be posting about it. and being a bodybuilder does not always equate to being strong.

whether you work out with black, white, mexican, or asians, it doesn't take much to get to a 225 bench. while I think people are too hung up on race, I do find it odd you point out the race of your workout partners. I say find some workout partners that push to to lift a bit heavier and also incorporate more deads and squats. Making your whole body stronger > your chest

 

[RearAdmiral]

the key to a big bench (beyond genetics) is squats and deads. 500 lb bench would be a world record at your weight. maybe upwards 400 though, would be pretty cool. 225, while it might have been your goal is, meh, at best. You obviously care about your bench press, or you wouldn't be posting about it. and being a bodybuilder does not always equate to being strong.

whether you work out with black, white, mexican, or asians, it doesn't take much to get to a 225 bench. while I think people are too hung up on race, I do find it odd you point out the race of your workout partners. I say find some workout partners that push to to lift a bit heavier and also incorporate more deads and squats. Making your whole body stronger > your chest

Jeez party pooper. 400 lbs would not be cool for me, that's insane. I care about getting stronger all around, but seeing 2 plates on a bench felt really good for me given my fairly scrawny build. My partners consistently push me to work harder/heavier and I am a firm believer in squats and did them plenty before my ankle got sprained. I have numerous other goals besides bench(pullups, 40 time, 100m time, squats, vertical, hamstring, balance, form, etc.). This was a bigger goal that I thought would take WAY longer or possibly be unattainable. So it is not meh for me. I am also a sprinter by nature and I'm very not obsessed with my chest, I am with my legs.

You may find it odd because it is half joke/half truth. I've never been pushed harder than with these guys and I find it to be the personality of the non-white folk to work harder in the gym and push each other as a team. All the white guys are usually worried about their own workout. Now if you want to actually dig deeper I've never really met a black person I haven't enjoyed being around, plenty of non personable white people I don't like though. They've been way more social and generally more enjoyable to hang out with, also way more likely to call out bs, something I appreciate.

I don't mind pointing it out because it is the truth for me, and I don't get hung up on it. I appreciate the cultural differences and actually recognize them.

 

[Zivic]

Jeez party pooper. 400 lbs would not be cool for me, that's insane. I care about getting stronger all around, but seeing 2 plates on a bench felt really good for me given my fairly scrawny build. My partners consistently push me to work harder/heavier and I am a firm believer in squats and did them plenty before my ankle got sprained. I have numerous other goals besides bench(pullups, 40 time, 100m time, squats, vertical, hamstring, balance, form, etc.). This was a bigger goal that I thought would take WAY longer or possibly be unattainable. So it is not meh for me. I am also a sprinter by nature and I'm very not obsessed with my chest, I am with my legs.

You may find it odd because it is half joke/half truth. I've never been pushed harder than with these guys and I find it to be the personality of the non-white folk to work harder in the gym and push each other as a team. All the white guys are usually worried about their own workout. Now if you want to actually dig deeper I've never really met a black person I haven't enjoyed being around, plenty of non personable white people I don't like though. They've been way more social and generally more enjoyable to hang out with, also way more likely to call out bs, something I appreciate.

I don't mind pointing it out because it is the truth for me, and I don't get hung up on it. I appreciate the cultural differences and actually recognize them.

twice your body weight is a goal I would go for. at my peak, I could do about 220% of my bodyweight. factoring that in, at 165, 400 might be a bit much, but 325-350 should be attainable.

I guess I am happy for you, but kind of like the guy that buys a v6 camaro and says I bought my 'dream' car. I don't think you set your goals all that high

 

[RearAdmiral]

twice your body weight is a goal I would go for. at my peak, I could do about 220% of my bodyweight. factoring that in, at 165, 400 might be a bit much, but 325-350 should be attainable.

I guess I am happy for you, but kind of like the guy that buys a v6 camaro and says I bought my 'dream' car. I don't think you set your goals all that high

Benching twice my weight? That seems like a bit much for me. I've heard of squatting twice your weight is good. Now my goal is changing so 235 is the next step. The line can obviously change.

My main goals are unrelated to my bench. The bench was like getting my dream rims. Nice and shiny. I never knew I could bench that much, therefore it excites me. I know I can do the 100m in under 11 seconds, so getting back there will feel good, but not the same as seeing unheard of territory for myself.

P.S. I don't have dream rims.

 

[Zivic]

Benching twice my weight? That seems like a bit much for me. I've heard of squatting twice your weight is good. Now my goal is changing so 235 is the next step. The line can obviously change.

My main goals are unrelated to my bench. The bench was like getting my dream rims. Nice and shiny. I never knew I could bench that much, therefore it excites me. I know I can do the 100m in under 11 seconds, so getting back there will feel good, but not the same as seeing unheard of territory for myself.

P.S. I don't have dream rims.

dream for the entire wheel, not just the rim

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Jeez party pooper. 400 lbs would not be cool for me, that's insane. I care about getting stronger all around, but seeing 2 plates on a bench felt really good for me given my fairly scrawny build. My partners consistently push me to work harder/heavier and I am a firm believer in squats and did them plenty before my ankle got sprained. I have numerous other goals besides bench(pullups, 40 time, 100m time, squats, vertical, hamstring, balance, form, etc.). This was a bigger goal that I thought would take WAY longer or possibly be unattainable. So it is not meh for me. I am also a sprinter by nature and I'm very not obsessed with my chest, I am with my legs.

You may find it odd because it is half joke/half truth. I've never been pushed harder than with these guys and I find it to be the personality of the non-white folk to work harder in the gym and push each other as a team. All the white guys are usually worried about their own workout. Now if you want to actually dig deeper I've never really met a black person I haven't enjoyed being around, plenty of non personable white people I don't like though. They've been way more social and generally more enjoyable to hang out with, also way more likely to call out bs, something I appreciate.

I don't mind pointing it out because it is the truth for me, and I don't get hung up on it. I appreciate the cultural differences and actually recognize them.

Don't mind Zivic. He's just your resident powerlifting troll, making people feel bad about improving themselves. Good on you for meeting your goal Now keep on goin

 

[RearAdmiral]

Don't mind Zivic. He's just your resident powerlifting troll, making people feel bad about improving themselves. Good on you for meeting your goal Now keep on goin

That's the plan! A major mental boost seeing that weight go up.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

^haha.

Nice job dude, we're the same height and weight (I'm 5'10 160-165, low body fat as well but no idea on %) and I can't get my bench past 150ish. RAGE. Started lifting 3x/week about a year ago with body weight 135-140lbs.

Probably form issues or a mental block.

I have the same problem except I weigh 220lbs and the most I've ever tried to bench was around 180lbs

If I had someone to lift with my mental block would probably go away. Too worried about hurting myself when I'm alone.

 

[Woosta]

^haha.

Nice job dude, we're the same height and weight (I'm 5'10 160-165, low body fat as well but no idea on %) and I can't get my bench past 150ish. RAGE. Started lifting 3x/week about a year ago with body weight 135-140lbs.

You need to eat more.

 

[Zivic]

Don't mind Zivic. He's just your resident powerlifting troll, making people feel bad about improving themselves. Good on you for meeting your goal Now keep on goin

Thanks for the kind words. I just lift because I enjoy it. Just coming off 5 months not lifting and was doing 225 for reps on military today. So forgive me if I don't think a 225 bench is a lot :0

And I don't work out with black guys... mainly 50+ yr old women

 

[RearAdmiral]

Thanks for the kind words. I just lift because I enjoy it. Just coming off 5 months not lifting and was doing 225 for reps on military today. So forgive me if I don't think a 225 bench is a lot :0

And I don't work out with black guys... mainly 50+ yr old women

Bench press two of them at once.

 

[Zivic]

Bench press two of them at once.

I know everyone's goals are different, so sorry if I came off as a d1ck.

And don't mind sociallychalllenged. He is just jealous he can't move the kind of weight I do

 

[prism]

I know everyone's goals are different, so sorry if I came off as a d1ck.

And don't mind sociallychalllenged. He is just jealous he can't move the kind of weight I do

Or happy that he doesn't look like an egg with stubby appendages like the powerlifters in the videos you post. You come off as a dick over and over again, so think about the fact that everyone's goals are different before you post.

 

[repoman0]

Wow you put on a lot of weight! What kind of bench work do you do? I wonder why you are hitting this block.

Yep, and really glad I did! I said I wanted to put on 25-30 pounds worth of muscle a year ago and 200+ gallons of whole milk later... I don't think I look any different because it was so gradual, but everyone who I don't see often says something.

I did the stronglifts 5x5 and 3x5 for a while, so just flat bench every other gym day, try to put 5lbs on the bar versus last workout day. Lately I've been trying a weight ramp up though, so only 1 set at max weight. I also bought a couple 1.25lb plates (that I had to sand the hole down for a good hour on one to get it to fit on the bar ) so that might help.

Probably form issues or a mental block.

I have the same problem except I weigh 220lbs and the most I've ever tried to bench was around 180lbs

If I had someone to lift with my mental block would probably go away. Too worried about hurting myself when I'm alone.

yeah a lot of it is mental. At my measly 150 though getting stuck isn't a big deal, you just look like an idiot pushing it down and deadlifting it off. My other lifts aren't too high either, 220 squat and 275 deadlift.


congrats again rearAdmiral, can't imagine being my size still and benching what I squat now! Someday maybe.