Bench Press progress

Running Bing

Ok so I started a weight trainign program last week after having done nothing for over a year(Im 21, 5'7, 75 kg).


Anyway it got be down a bit becuase I never looked at myself as a particularly weak bloke and was always one of the stronger out of my peers.


Problem is I can only bench 30kg for three sets of eight reps. I DL 50kg and Press 20kg so I am not to worried about them and I have the feeling I could progress in them quite quickly.

But I would really like to start benching more than 30kg:o How fast do people usually progress with the amount they can bench?

The reason I am asking this is becuase I want to start setting myself goals with an eventual view of being able to bench my own bodyweight but I would like a timeframe to do this.

Also just wondering do people usually include the weight of the bar when saying how much they Bench (Im not btw)?

Thanks.

mikemac

Babybing wrote:

Also just wondering do people usually include the weight of the bar when saying how much they Bench (Im not btw)?

You should be including the bar since you're lifting it after all.
Do you know if it's one of those Olympic bars that 20kg? If it is then you're more than halfway to your goal and if not then you're still doing better than you thought.

Diamondmaker

Im a lite weight at 68kg, when at my leanest and fittest ( which was see other post 4 weeks ago )

At that point I was benching 70kg without a spot to 4 reps x 3 sets.

I could do a 75 kg 2 RM alone and did not get the chance to test my 1Rep max with spot due to an illness and other events recently.

I pressed my 1st bench, if ya know what I mean, In Feb.

So your a little stockier than me as Im just over 5' 9" so you should well move up similar and better than above.
My 1st bench was 30 kg and a struggle in Feb.

When you say 30 that DOES NOT inc the bar?? then you are prob at 50 kg and thats gotta be good for your 1st lifting?? Id say any way!

Running Bing

micmclo wrote:

You should be including the bar since you're lifting it after all.
Do you know if it's one of those Olympic bars that 20kg? If it is then you're more than halfway to your goal and if not then you're still doing better than you thought.

No its not a 20kg one micmclo. I imagine it is between 5-10kg(Its theone with 50kg cast Iron weight set from Argos)


Thats great going Diamondmaker. 40kg in six months, I would be well happy with anything like that.

farva

I'm similar to yourself OP, I'm 21 5'6" and 73kg, I started going to the gym just over a year ago. I remember before I started I struggled to get 1 rep at 40kg. I did resistance machines for 7/8 months, shoulder press and chest press for the triceps and moved to free weights about 4/5 months ago. I started doing chest press with dumbells at about 20kg (4 sets of 8 reps), now I'm up to 32kg (again, 4 sets of 8 reps). And I started doing benching about a month ago, and I'm doing 4 sets of 8 reps at 75kg, I could probably go higher but I dont have any one spotting for me and my technique isnt amazing either.

I'd say that you should see quick improvements if you go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I find the cable pull down very good for the triceps.

Colm_OReilly

As a beginner you should see big gains pretty quickly, and pretty much everything you do will help your bench. It's as you progress you'll need more complex training programs to elicit results.

You're on the right track with your lifts, so keep it up!!!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Babybing wrote:

Ok so I started a weight trainign program last week after having done nothing for over a year(Im 21, 5'7, 75 kg).


Anyway it got be down a bit becuase I never looked at myself as a particularly weak bloke and was always one of the stronger out of my peers.


Problem is I can only bench 30kg for three sets of eight reps. I DL 50kg and Press 20kg so I am not to worried about them and I have the feeling I could progress in them quite quickly.

But I would really like to start benching more than 30kg:o How fast do people usually progress with the amount they can bench?

The reason I am asking this is becuase I want to start setting myself goals with an eventual view of being able to bench my own bodyweight but I would like a timeframe to do this.

Also just wondering do people usually include the weight of the bar when saying how much they Bench (Im not btw)?

Thanks.

At this early stage don't worry about getting into the numbers game. If your achieving failure at eight reps, then relatively speaking your getting the same results as working that same muscle at twice (or more) that weight.

As you become stronger your weights lifted will increase, but try to get to failure at that same rep range and you'll always achieve good results as your fatiguing a muscle to failure regardless of weight lifted.

If your going for strenght/mass gains keep your routine simple and stay away from complex routines, you don't need them, in fact you'll rarely need them. Learn about your body & the iron game first.

As regards adding weight, I tell novice lifters all the time "slow and steady wins the race". Don't be in a hurry to show off to your buddies by adding 10/15 or 20kgs to a lift just to make a balls of it, or to boost your ego. Slow steady gains are the way to go.

Remember, never, EVER scarifice technique for weight.

As someone stated earlier, as a beginner your gains will come quick and strong so have a little patience and don't try to make a science out of something very simple.

rubadub

I think the argos bar is 6.5kg, so benching 36.5kg for 8 reps sounds fairly good for a beginner. After a few months I had doubled a lot of the weights I started on. I remember having only a few plates and thinking I got to many and that I would never be lifting them- a few months after and I was buying loads more.

Remember, never, EVER scarifice technique for weight.

Yes, very important, you will see lads swinging wieghts around, lifting with momentum and bad form- no only fooling themselves, but wasting their time and risking injury.

Diamondmaker

Forgot to mention, I found in the beginning the left arm was always weaker and a tendency to fall one way when lifting. APart from practising technique etc I found raised leg press ups ( you know what I mean ) about 18" from ground excellent.

Press slow and steady ensuring your body stays flat and even, its much easier to press evenly in the beginning with a press up ( safer too ) than the bench I found.

Press ups are also great any time any where if you miss a session, not benched in 3 weeks lately due to holiday and other events but hopefully Ill be [pretty decent tomorrow as I kept up the press ups.

rubadub

Diamondmaker wrote:

Forgot to mention, I found in the beginning the left arm was always weaker and a tendency to fall one way when lifting.

That is common enough, I presume you are right handed so would be working that arm more in daily life. I just didnt do much work with my right arm for a while, so the left arm had a chance to "catch up" in strength. You can end up unconciously lifting more with one side to, so dumbells can help with that- i.e. you have to lift the same each side.

TerrorFirmer

I had such a **** day today, usually I can do at least 70kg x 4/5 but today I could barely do one. I don't know what it was, I'm not sick, I feel fine, my bicep work/even floor presses was fine. Just....urghhhhhhh. It annoyed the hell out of me. Sorry, the point being - does this ever happen anyone else? Like, I know everyone has bad days, but today moving down the weights, it felt like there was an invisible weight on the bar, it was awful, not just a one or two rep difference.

rubadub

HavoK wrote:

does this ever happen anyone else?

Yep, always mondays too, with me I have no doubt it is dehydration from the weekends drinking!

Running Bing

HavoK wrote:

I had such a **** day today, usually I can do at least 70kg x 4/5 but today I could barely do one. I don't know what it was, I'm not sick, I feel fine, my bicep work/even floor presses was fine. Just....urghhhhhhh. It annoyed the hell out of me. Sorry, the point being - does this ever happen anyone else? Like, I know everyone has bad days, but today moving down the weights, it felt like there was an invisible weight on the bar, it was awful, not just a one or two rep difference.

Like I said I have only been training two weeks but I think most people feel that at some stage.


I used to do a lot of jogging and it was the same thing. Somedays everything seems fine and for some reason you feel absolutely ****, I imagine it's no difference in weight training.


I also realised it makes a big difference when you do the excercises in your workout. Like if I do the bench first the 30kg 3x8 is actually handy enough but if I leave it til last after doinf Dead lifts, upright rows and clean and press it kills me.

Vegeta

HavoK wrote:

I had such a **** day today, usually I can do at least 70kg x 4/5 but today I could barely do one. I don't know what it was, I'm not sick, I feel fine, my bicep work/even floor presses was fine. Just....urghhhhhhh. It annoyed the hell out of me. Sorry, the point being - does this ever happen anyone else? Like, I know everyone has bad days, but today moving down the weights, it felt like there was an invisible weight on the bar, it was awful, not just a one or two rep difference.

yup i get that too. Usually happens when I haven't eaten well pre-work out and I crash big time. light headed and weak as a kitten.

try to learn from it, was there anything unusual about that session. did you train that muscle group relatively close to the session. do you usually bench first and then put it last, did you eat correctly before hand. were you tired from sh1t nights sleep or stressed. were you getting your liquids in???

it feels awful when it happens, it really annoys me too.

Akfisher07

I have a question about the self spot benches and squats... i recently used the self spot to bench and i was wondering if anyone knew how much weight that actually took off your bench, like how much easier is it. My max with the self spot was 255 but my gym lacks an actual bench for me to find out for safety reasons...any help?

brianthebard

Do you mean a smith machine? Some of them are counter balanced, so that reduces the amount you are lifting, but they are all easier to use (or to hold and keep steady at least) so its not really comparing like with like.

Celtic67

I weigh approx 80kg and am about 5'11.

Currently doing 3 alternating full body routines of 2-3 sets of 8 reps per exercise.

I am making progress at D/Lifts and Squats but for the last couple of weeks every time I do bench @70kg I can get 8 in 1st set but only 7 reps in 2nd set. Its bugging me, should I just increase the weight to approx 72kg or any other tips to go heavier?

Thanks

WolfForager

I'm 17, 5ft 11" 73kg and i've been benching for 3 months now, i started repping 3x10 at 50kg, and now i'm on 57.5kg and have been for quite some time!! (A month and a half at least). Don't know what's going on, pissing me off though, i see guys in the gym repping 80kg-90kg and i feel weak in comparison, which puts me off a bit it must be said, it's only natural.

Don't feel bad if your not making strenght gains, your not the only one whose feeling weak atm. I think we should start a support group...

kevpants

The bench is a bitch. No doubt about it. If you stall you need to change something though. It won't just go away by itself.

Drop the reps and up the weight and try and build that way or drop the weight back and keep to the same number of reps and slowly add weight over a few weeks. Kind of like taking a running jump at going beyond your own best.

Oh..... and train your back and learn to bench. 99% of people don't know how to bench. I've seen a few bench instruction vids but this is without a doubt the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

Degsy

I was stuck on the same weight for bloody ages(or what felt like ages).
My problem,as was explained to me was that i was going to failure in every set and its not the way forward.
I changed to a 5x5 routine and started seeing big improvments after 4 weeks.
It works i tells ya!

kevpants

kevpants wrote: »

The bench is a bitch. No doubt about it. If you stall you need to change something though. It won't just go away by itself.

Drop the reps and up the weight and try and build that way or drop the weight back and keep to the same number of reps and slowly add weight over a few weeks. Kind of like taking a running jump at going beyond your own best.

Oh..... and train your back and learn to bench. 99% of people don't know how to bench. I've seen a few bench instruction vids but this is without a doubt the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

Man I've been reading a lot of stuff. Do you really arch your back like in the video? Because I have read otherwise.....and I just don't know.

Oh, and any tips on how to get or get near to your 1 rep max when on your own?

brianthebard

kevpants wrote: »

The bench is a bitch. No doubt about it. If you stall you need to change something though. It won't just go away by itself.

Drop the reps and up the weight and try and build that way or drop the weight back and keep to the same number of reps and slowly add weight over a few weeks. Kind of like taking a running jump at going beyond your own best.

Oh..... and train your back and learn to bench. 99% of people don't know how to bench. I've seen a few bench instruction vids but this is without a doubt the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

I see what he's doing with the elbows, and can mimic it without the bar or when doing press ups and have thus been trying to do it with the bar for a while but I'm not sure if its happening. The guy I train with, bless his cotton socks, wouldn't be the best person to ask to watch for these small things. Can you give me any tips to ensure I am making that correction when benching, without having someone watch it or videoing it? (atm you're not allowed bring camera into the college gym :rolleyes: but I'm going to ask about that policy soon).
cheers.

delllat

kevpants wrote: »

The bench is a bitch. No doubt about it. If you stall you need to change something though. It won't just go away by itself.

Drop the reps and up the weight and try and build that way or drop the weight back and keep to the same number of reps and slowly add weight over a few weeks. Kind of like taking a running jump at going beyond your own best.

Oh..... and train your back and learn to bench. 99% of people don't know how to bench. I've seen a few bench instruction vids but this is without a doubt the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

i was always told to bench with my lower back tight to the bench but this guy in the video does the opposite of that


anybody know which is better?

cardio,shoot me

i always thought i should keep my feet on the bench to keep my back straight

kevpants

The arch in the back is important. You may have heard the internet bodybuilders claim it's cheating because it decreases range of motion. That's pretty much like saying bending your knees decreases deadlift ROM. It's just the right way to do it.

The arch allows you to drive with your legs down into the ground which helps enormously with the bench. I often get cramp in my hips or legs after benching. Leg drive is important.

The arch also allows you to really squeeze your shoulder blades together and press them down hard into the bench to give you a solid base to push from.

The arch is 100% essential to keeping "tight" on the bench. Remeber your legs, glutes, lower back and lats should all be tight when you're benching. You don't just drop the bar ontop of yourself and then hope to push it back up.

Most people don't know how to bench and most people want a big bench, the only guys I see benching properly are the guys who compete.

I have no idea why anyone would put their feet on the bench or that other one where you raise your legs up, WTF is that about? You're in danger of falling of the bench.

The only element of benching that gets debated is bar path on the way up. Some say straight up, some say diagonally up form your lower chest to over your face.

The straight up crowd say it's the shortest path therefore the most efficient.

The diagonal crowd say moving the bar back towards your face creates some momentum which in turn make is easier to push the bar upwards.

I used to be a straight up man but diagonal seems to be the way forward. It's a matter of opinion. Plenty of strong guys doing either. Get the setup right first.

kevpants

brianthebard wrote: »

I see what he's doing with the elbows, and can mimic it without the bar or when doing press ups and have thus been trying to do it with the bar for a while but I'm not sure if its happening. The guy I train with, bless his cotton socks, wouldn't be the best person to ask to watch for these small things. Can you give me any tips to ensure I am making that correction when benching, without having someone watch it or videoing it? (atm you're not allowed bring camera into the college gym :rolleyes: but I'm going to ask about that policy soon).
cheers.

You'll know on the way down. If your elbow flare outwards they were in the wrong position starting off.

If they stay closer to your body then you were doing it right.

brianthebard

Why do you want to keep your back straight though? when you stand up, your back is naturally curved in in the lower portion. When lifting you should strive to emphasis that, not negate it. By arching your back on the bench you create a nice bridge effect, its just simple physics/engineering. It also makes the rom of the lift shorter, but personally I think that's just a nice side effect, not as important as the first part. Although perhaps it becomes more important on 1rm attempts.

Damn, kev got there before me. Thanks for the pointer dude.

cardio,shoot me

well i keep my feet on the end of the bench to help my balance improve, cause i always thought arching was "cheating" and that it could be bad for my back, feel free to correct a noob

kevpants

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

well i keep my feet on the end of the bench to help my balance improve, cause i always thought arching was "cheating" and that it could be bad for my back, feel free to correct a noob

If you want your balance to improve go outside and stand on a wall.

Arching won't damage your back at all. The back muscles should remain flexed throughout the lift and the natural position of the back with the muscles flexed is with an arch.

Money Shot

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

well i keep my feet on the end of the bench to help my balance improve, cause i always thought arching was "cheating" and that it could be bad for my back, feel free to correct a noob

You may have been told to stop arching, as your ass was coming way up from the bench. You should keep your butt on the bench while keeping an arch. I've seen people lifting more weight than they could normally lift by a combination of 1) bouncing it off the chest to gain momemtum then 2) pushing through the legs to the point where the only part of the body actually in contact with the bench is the shoulder blades.
This aint good for your back - or terribly good for your chest.