Where do you guys fall?

[Augustine5I]

I have done 405 a few times in my life. Currently hitting 365 for 2 reps.

 

[Milford King]

I hit 315 on the bench for 3 reps about 5 years ago. I weighed 168lbs at the time and was using deca/test and dbol. Since then I have been plagued with injuries and life obstacles and haven’t gotten back to anything close to that. I actually ended up rupturing my pec tendon a few years after achieving my best bench using nothing more than 225lbs. Lol

at 35 years old I have come to the conclusion that the numbers game is over and I should focus on longevity, appearance and health moving forward. However, I’m sure I will change my mind once I get back balls deep in the iron grind this winter especially once I start messing around with DC and fortitude training.

I find when working out alone you’re only competition is yourself. In order to stay motivated you really have to try to beat the log book and that in itself forces you to play the numbers game.

Its a great feeling knowing you can push or pull heavier loads than you used to be able to.

Honestly I can’t wait till I get my son interested in this lifestyle. Being able to measure his progress and a lil father - son competition in the gym will help me stay motivated and make it much easier to push myself. And him.

 

[E.J.D]

I've done 405 for a double. Self unrack with no spotter.... I highly don't recommend doing that. I did have dreams of doing 500 range but my shoulders hate me.. my groove was around 375... I would do that for 8-12 then throw on my red slingshot and do 15 and on a great day 18 reps..

 

[dnewell2004]

340x1 is mine. 405 is my goal

 

[FM19]

My highest is 385x1 at 161 lbs BW (raw - no bench shirt). Always wanted 4 plates, but backed off due to lingering shoulder issues. Can still do 315 for a triple, but shoulders take too much time off to recover, so I rarely go over 225 these days. I like lifting more than satisfying my heavy weight ego.

Form was everything for me - I didn't really gain any size when my numbers increased the most. Learning how to arch, leverage your lower body, lats, etc.

 

[Augustine5I]

I hit 315 on the bench for 3 reps about 5 years ago. I weighed 168lbs at the time and was using deca/test and dbol. Since then I have been plagued with injuries and life obstacles and haven’t gotten back to anything close to that. I actually ended up rupturing my pec tendon a few years after achieving my best bench using nothing more than 225lbs. Lol

at 35 years old I have come to the conclusion that the numbers game is over and I should focus on longevity, appearance and health moving forward. However, I’m sure I will change my mind once I get back balls deep in the iron grind this winter especially once I start messing around with DC and fortitude training.

I find when working out alone you’re only competition is yourself. In order to stay motivated you really have to try to beat the log book and that in itself forces you to play the numbers game.

Its a great feeling knowing you can push or pull heavier loads than you used to be able to.

Honestly I can’t wait till I get my son interested in this lifestyle. Being able to measure his progress and a lil father - son competition in the gym will help me stay motivated and make it much easier to push myself. And him.

That's a good bench at 168 body weight.

IMO don't limit yourself bc of age. I did 405 for the first time at 45 years old. At 51 I did 365 this weekend for 2 reps. Did 285 for 2 reps in like February. But hurt my left shoulder for a bit.

I say, when you physically can't do it anymore your body will tell you. Both my shoulders definitely ache at night when I sleep on them.

My son is 16 now. I started him in the gym two years ago ( light weight full body). He is getting the benefit of my experience. This weekend he benched 215 for a rep. That's his third time doing it.

It's great working out with him. He never realized how heavy my bench was until he started seeing how hard it was for him to do.

I imagine when he starts driving, he will probably break off from me and start lifting with his buddies. Will be a sad day for me.

 

[Augustine5I]

340x1 is mine. 405 is my goal

First time you take that bar off...it will feel like a refrigerator in your hands.

 

[Augustine5I]

I've done 405 for a double. Self unrack with no spotter.... I highly don't recommend doing that. I did have dreams of doing 500 range but my shoulders hate me.. my groove was around 375... I would do that for 8-12 then throw on my red slingshot and do 15 and on a great day 18 reps..

I always self unrack.

It's hard to explain, but when guys unrack a heavy bench for me, that sudden loading freaks me out a little. I need to take it off myself. Never have used a shirt in my life.

IDK if I am understanding you exactly bc IMO if I was doing 375 for 8 -12 reps, I would easily do 405 for more then 2 reps. IDK if I have ever seen someone do 375 for 12 reps at the gym. That would be damn impressive.

Last year on some deca I was doing 365 for 5 reps. And I thought that was pretty damn good.

 

[E.J.D]

I always self unrack.

It's hard to explain, but when guys unrack a heavy bench for me, that sudden loading freaks me out a little. I need to take it off myself. Never have used a shirt in my life.

IDK if I am understanding you exactly bc IMO if I was doing 375 for 8 -12 reps, I would easily do 405 for more then 2 reps. IDK if I have ever seen someone do 375 for 12 reps at the gym. That would be damn impressive.

Last year on some deca I was doing 365 for 5 reps. And I thought that was pretty damn good.

Speaking only for myself. I think 375 was my sweet spot. When I start adding more weight over 375 the stress in my shoulders really started to ramp up. Then the reps came down. The 12 reps were on my strongest days where everything felt light. I've been a one rep type guy ever... So 375 was the spot where I could rep out without hurting my shoulders

 

[samgraves82]

I've hit 370 for 1

 

[heavyiron]

420 was my max, years later I was plagued with shoulder issues.

 

[dnewell2004]

First time you take that bar off...it will feel like a refrigerator in your hands.

I believe it. I never thought I'd get 225 back when I started. I don't know if I'll ever get 405 before I start declining but I'm gonna try like hell. 500 dead and squat look miles away though...my knees have been giving me issues.

 

[BodybuilderZepp]

Currently at 365 for 3 or 315 for 11.

Really want to hit 405 one point in my life.

 

[Augustine5I]

I believe it. I never thought I'd get 225 back when I started. I don't know if I'll ever get 405 before I start declining but I'm gonna try like hell. 500 dead and squat look miles away though...my knees have been giving me issues.

I also think there is a psychological component. Something about seeing those 4 plates is very intimidating. Was that way for me when doing 315 also.

Last time I tried I was doing 315 for 10 reps so I figured I could do 405 for 1 rep...but no go. lolz

My son would like to see me do it. If I can get strong again I will try it. I did 285 for 2 reps in Feb. It hurt my left shoulder for a few months. But I was hoping to leap from that to 405.

 

[AR-15]

Last time I really stacked the weight on was last year and I ended up hitting somewhere around the 425/430 mark for 1 clean. I can only do that shit anymore when I do a pyramid. If I try to just lay down on the bench and push anything around 400 it’s a no go. I gave up on that type of lifting though. For me it’s just not worth the risk of injury. I have nobody to impress plus I seem to get bigger and built better using weights that are way more manageable. Now I concentrate on form and reps.

I also think there is a psychological component. Something about seeing those 4 plates is very intimidating. Was that way for me when doing 315 also.

Last time I tried I was doing 315 for 10 reps so I figured I could do 405 for 1 rep...but no go. lolz

My son would like to see me do it. If I can get strong again I will try it. I did 285 for 2 reps in Feb. It hurt my left shoulder for a few months. But I was hoping to leap from that to 405.

 

[Montego]

I haven't touched a barbell for pressing in a long long time.

I also don't flat press with any free weights, just machines.

I might be able to press 365? No idea really. Just depends on how machines and Smith would transfer over to free Bb.

 

[christiantt]

Funny enough, I do more incline bar than flat bar.
Have hit 340 on incline for one a month ago at a weight of 210, oozing deca and test out of my pores, lol.
Best flat was 375 and that was about five years ago weighing around 210 range. I'm 39 now.

I would follow Montego's method, using machines frequently, more contraction/development, but my gym is somewhat limited in that fashion unfortunately.

Interesting thread so far.

 

[christiantt]

Maybe an additional question to add to this fun thread would be what were you cycling, if anything, at the time of your best lift?

 

[Koolio]

I benched 405 dozens of times from my late 20s to early 40s...450 with a single ply inzer poly at 42 at a uspf meet in the 220s...then the injuries started...started with a ruptured quad tendon then a year later a torn pec...now at 62 I can still get a 315 single...that's at 6'2" and about 210...

 

[Riles]

350x1 for me, I really miss benching, my shoulders are shot, I can do push ups as long as I don’t get carried away and light db incline but that’s it for me now, I’ll be 55 weekend after next

 

[Augustine5I]

Maybe an additional question to add to this fun thread would be what were you cycling, if anything, at the time of your best lift?

When I was doing Test, Tren, Mast...did 410 for a single. My best of all time. Was around 45 years old.

Did 385 for 2 reps in Feb. was on test and deca.

I know using a lighter weight or dumbells or whatever is still effective. It's just that doing a super heavy bench press is still inspiring. You can sometimes see ppl watching from the corner of their eyes. Or the slight hush of the room to see if you'll get it.

And nevermind the fuckers who wish you won't get it. Nice to prove them wrong.

 

[frank zazz]

I don’t really go over 275 anymore but have benched 365 for 2 . It took me a while to hit 225 mentally but when I reached that it became easy . I had the same problem with 315 . I was able to rep 285-295 but 315 just couldn’t do it . I did mess up my shoulder pretty bad and didn’t bench any weight for like four months so now I just take it easy . I’m 40 now and don’t see the point in trying to compete with the younger guys anymore.

 

[Augustine5I]

I don’t really go over 275 anymore but have benched 365 for 2 . It took me a while to hit 225 mentally but when I reached that it became easy . I had the same problem with 315 . I was able to rep 285-295 but 315 just couldn’t do it . I did mess up my shoulder pretty bad and didn’t bench any weight for like four months so now I just take it easy . I’m 40 now and don’t see the point in trying to compete with the younger guys anymore.

Here is the thing....IDK about anyone else, but IMO I am rarely "wowed" by any of the younger guys lifting. If anything, I am wowing them right now at 51 years old.

They should be wowing me. I was benching 275 at 26 years old. Did 315 for 1 rep at 35 years old. I didn't touch steroids until I was 42.

Once in awhile I see a younger dude pushing heavy bench, but it's rare.

It's also not common to see guys using the incline bench. Too hard for them. They migrate to the hammer incline machine. Sad.

 

[IronRage]

I’ve hit 315 a couple different times for a single and once for a double. Was running roughly 250 test e and 100 npp every 3 days. I’ve never really been that strong and at 38 I don’t plan on pushing real hard.

 

[implicitnewt]

365 for three but I don't even bother with barbell these days. Shoulders being sketch seems to be a common theme here and I'm in that group

 

[Augustine5I]

365 for three but I don't even bother with barbell these days. Shoulders being sketch seems to be a common theme here and I'm in that group

TBH at 51 my shoulders are mostly okay...definitely get beat up when lifting heavy. But my shoulders were always pretty healthy.

I have seen many younger guys come into the gym and start benching heavy without so much as a stretch or warm up. That's a big issue.

IMO you have to do some stretching and warm up prior to the heavier loads. Or the shoulders won't hold up.

 

[heckler7]

on or off tren and Abombs

 

[Wardamn]

455 max and 365 for 8 at 23yo. I was benching 275 at 16 and 315 at 17yrs old. Been blessed with top tier strength genetics.

 

[Wardamn]

But now pushing 40 I don't barbell bench with anything over 315. My joints really starting feeling it.

 

[Augustine5I]

455 max and 365 for 8 at 23yo. I was benching 275 at 16 and 315 at 17yrs old. Been blessed with top tier strength genetics.

You went up 40 pounds in your bench from 16 to 17 years old?? That is quite impressive.

My son is benching 215. Just turned 16 in Sept. So hoping he can get to 225 by 17 years old.