How much do you bench?

[Powerlift66]

Blows my mind how many people on here have got hurt from bench pressing. Especially in the chest and the shoulders and really not with a lot of weight. 20 years in the sport and I have never had a shoulder injury or a pec injury. Hell I've never really had and major injuries from lifting at all until here the last few months. My elbow has finally decided enough is enough and is basically bone on bone so my heavy days are over.

But for who ever said a 315 was not a big bench you are freaking CRAZY!!! I would be willing to bet less then 10% of people that lift weights and go to the gym on a consistent basis can do a legit 315 bench press. I own and operate my own gym and other then my power lifters there are only a handful of guys who can bench 3 plates a side. 315 is a good solid bench, 405 is a great bench and 500 plus raw is GOD LIKE to most people!!!! Just saying!!!

End of Thread...

[Mr Anabolic]

For the last 29 years I started my chest workouts on the flat bench.  After giving my shoulders a year off from benching, I just started again 2 weeks ago.  I thought I would never be able to bench ever again.  I was happy yesterday when I put up 185 for 10 strict reps.  My goal is to work back up to benching my bodyweight (currently 205lbs) for 10 reps.  Shoulders feel good so far.

[Hulkotron]

Blows my mind how many people on here have got hurt from bench pressing. Especially in the chest and the shoulders and really not with a lot of weight. 20 years in the sport and I have never had a shoulder injury or a pec injury. Hell I've never really had and major injuries from lifting at all until here the last few months. My elbow has finally decided enough is enough and is basically bone on bone so my heavy days are over.

But for who ever said a 315 was not a big bench you are freaking CRAZY!!! I would be willing to bet less then 10% of people that lift weights and go to the gym on a consistent basis can do a legit 315 bench press. I own and operate my own gym and other then my power lifters there are only a handful of guys who can bench 3 plates a side. 315 is a good solid bench, 405 is a great bench and 500 plus raw is GOD LIKE to most people!!!! Just saying!!!

x2 315 is a very strong bench that most will never achieve even with a good effort devoted to it.

Everyone acting all "it's no big deal everyone in my gym does it" is full of it or is speaking from a very narrow perspective that doesn't generalize to your average gym lifter.  I think someone in this thread even made this claim of 405

[Hulkotron]

There are real lifts and then there are internet lifts.

I also find it amusing how everyone's reported max benches on the internet are multiples of 2x45-lb plates (e.g. 315, 405) about 99% of the time

The exception to this is that nobody reports a max of 495 since rounding it up to 500 looks a lot more impressive .

[headhuntersix]

Always throw the 2.5 on when deading if 495-500 is the weight range...technically my last bench comp bench was 363.7 or 165Kg's.

[Fortress]

Blows my mind how many people on here have got hurt from bench pressing. Especially in the chest and the shoulders and really not with a lot of weight. 20 years in the sport and I have never had a shoulder injury or a pec injury. Hell I've never really had and major injuries from lifting at all until here the last few months. My elbow has finally decided enough is enough and is basically bone on bone so my heavy days are over.

But for who ever said a 315 was not a big bench you are freaking CRAZY!!! I would be willing to bet less then 10% of people that lift weights and go to the gym on a consistent basis can do a legit 315 bench press. I own and operate my own gym and other then my power lifters there are only a handful of guys who can bench 3 plates a side. 315 is a good solid bench, 405 is a great bench and 500 plus raw is GOD LIKE to most people!!!! Just saying!!!

Someone who knows.

I'd like to add another thing.

How many here who have pushed 405 or greater did so NOT using any juice?

Exactly.

Regardless of bodyweight, if you're pressing over 400 pounds totally drug-free, you are a serious rarity. Steroids can make a ridiculous difference in how much you bench press.  

(405 at around 275 pounds bodyweight is simply awesome if you're drug-free.)

P.S. Benching isn't all that harmful to your shoulders IF you know how to bench press PROPERLY. The technique that usually gets trashed around here with the tucked elbows, medium grip and arched back (not ridiculously arched, obviously) is how heavy pressing should be done if shoulder health means anything to you. In other words, placing the shoulders BEHIND the chest throughout the repetitions.

 

[CalvinH]

treefiddy

[SuperTed]

I also find it amusing how everyone's reported max benches on the internet are multiples of 2x45-lb plates (e.g. 315, 405) about 99% of the time

The exception to this is that nobody reports a max of 495 since rounding it up to 500 looks a lot more impressive .

Yes, its almost like they stop benching altogether once they reach a nice round milestone so never progress after this point.

Also, a lift needs to be seen by others in order for it to be truly judged.
For instance, a few weeks back I saw a guy "squatting" 405. I use the word "squatting" in inverted commas because it basically consisted of him un-racking the bar under immense strain, bending his knees a few inches seven or eight times and then re-racking it.
This guy will probably then go brag to his mates about how he squats 405 for reps.

[Grape Ape]

treefiddy

Current?  Damn....

[Hulkotron]

Current?  Damn....

Calvin is one of the more inconspicuous strongmen on getbig.

[CalvinH]

Current?  Damn....

Yup

[liquid_c]

Someone who knows.

I'd like to add another thing.

How many here who have pushed 405 or greater did so NOT using any juice?

Exactly.

Regardless of bodyweight, if you're pressing over 400 pounds totally drug-free, you are a serious rarity. Steroids can make a ridiculous difference in how much you bench press.  

(405 at around 275 pounds bodyweight is simply awesome if you're drug-free.)

P.S. Benching isn't all that harmful to your shoulders IF you know how to bench press PROPERLY. The technique that usually gets trashed around here with the tucked elbows, medium grip and arched back (not ridiculously arched, obviously) is how heavy pressing should be done if shoulder health means anything to you. In other words, placing the shoulders BEHIND the chest throughout the repetitions.

 

Great post from both Wolf and Fortress.   Couldn't of said it much better. 

[funk51]

bill anton was the 13th  man to bench press 400 lbs i know because  ironman maggy told me so. doug hepburn the first to do 500 with reg park second. the first to 600 was pat casey. the first to 700 was either ted arcidi or jim  big bear williams. these were all raw lifts no slingshots  catapault suits required.

[the trainer]

Time to embarrass some people in this thread.

[A Righteous Sort]

bill anton was the 13th  man to bench press 400 lbs i know because  ironman maggy told me so. doug hepburn the first to do 500 with reg park second. the first to 600 was pat casey. the first to 700 was either ted arcidi or jim  big bear williams. these were all raw lifts no slingshots  catapault suits required.

According to 'TEMPER' 400 is 'no big deal' and everyone in his gym is throwing up 405 with ease. 

[Mawse]

Blows my mind how many people on here have got hurt from bench pressing. Especially in the chest and the shoulders and really not with a lot of weight. 20 years in the sport and I have never had a shoulder injury or a pec injury. Hell I've never really had and major injuries from lifting at all until here the last few months. My elbow has finally decided enough is enough and is basically bone on bone so my heavy days are over.

But for who ever said a 315 was not a big bench you are freaking CRAZY!!! I would be willing to bet less then 10% of people that lift weights and go to the gym on a consistent basis can do a legit 315 bench press. I own and operate my own gym and other then my power lifters there are only a handful of guys who can bench 3 plates a side. 315 is a good solid bench, 405 is a great bench and 500 plus raw is GOD LIKE to most people!!!! Just saying!!!

The bench itself never hurt me, but since I tore my pec muscle STRETCHING (yes, crazy huh) I cant bench pain free anymore. I benched elbows in, tuck, 1 second pause etc but its still no good anymore. Thankfully incline and DB is pain free.

agree on the weight numbers, even when I was training at Gold's Venice there was usually only one or two other guys who would go over 4 plates with me on the bench and they were 260+ NPC superheavy monsters. 405 is something you hardly ever see done properly in any gym outside of PLing gyms.

that was using the slingshot... I could do 405 for 5 without it at the time, and for 3 with a pause. It was a complete waste of time imo.

[A Righteous Sort]

The bench itself never hurt me, but since I tore my pec muscle STRETCHING (yes, crazy huh) I cant bench pain free anymore. I benched elbows in, tuck, 1 second pause etc but its still no good anymore. Thankfully incline and DB is pain free.

agree on the weight numbers, even when I was training at Gold's Venice there was usually only one or two other guys who would go over 4 plates with me on the bench and they were 260+ NPC superheavy monsters. 405 is something you hardly ever see done properly in any gym outside of PLing gyms.

that was using the slingshot... I could do 405 for 5 without it at the time, and for 3 with a pause. It was a complete waste of time imo.

Solid post

[Melkor]

Blows my mind how many people on here have got hurt from bench pressing. Especially in the chest and the shoulders and really not with a lot of weight. 20 years in the sport and I have never had a shoulder injury or a pec injury. Hell I've never really had and major injuries from lifting at all until here the last few months. My elbow has finally decided enough is enough and is basically bone on bone so my heavy days are over.

But for who ever said a 315 was not a big bench you are freaking CRAZY!!! I would be willing to bet less then 10% of people that lift weights and go to the gym on a consistent basis can do a legit 315 bench press. I own and operate my own gym and other then my power lifters there are only a handful of guys who can bench 3 plates a side. 315 is a good solid bench, 405 is a great bench and 500 plus raw is GOD LIKE to most people!!!! Just saying!!!

Yes this is so true. In fact the number of people you seeing do a legit bench with 315 is very rare, probably LESS than 10%. And by legit bench I mean lowering the bar under control, pausing briefly on the chest and pressing up to lockout (obviously with no spotter touching the bar at any point). This trend of dropping the bar and bouncing it off the chest is not a legit bench in my opinion; it's like doing quarter squats or rocking barbell curls.

[JasonH]

Most I've ever benched = 340lbs for 6 reps. No idea what I could have done for a single.

[TEMPER]

According to 'TEMPER' 400 is 'no big deal' and everyone in his gym is throwing up 405 with ease. 

397# @ 106 BW ... Strictest judging in the world, strictest drug testing in the world.

You're bragging about 405 @ 275...You fat weakling scum.

[Eric2]

Yep anybody that thinks 315 is a weak bench does not know what they are talking about. Same goes for anything over 400. I worked very hard as a natural, have never taken p.e.d.s I am 6'2 with longer than average arms. I remember going to a local bench meet with some people from my gym,some from others. When they got around to loading 315 and each (that could) put it up my turn came. After noticing some of their form and performance I decided to show my power. I took the bar off rack unassisted lowered it to my chest and paused.......long enough for them to think I was buried by the weight. When they moved in to help me I rammed it up hard and fast.
  The one training method I used for this power was to bench in a power rack and always work a few sets for raw power by starting at the bottom with an 80 percent max weight. I would arm it up once rest one minute repeat rest one minute repeat over and over until I could no longer push up from the bottom. At my best I could incline 315 for 5 close grip 365 for 3-5 max . As much as I trained for a big bench naturally and raw I really enjoyed reps and sets with over 300 pounds. I really would get puffed up from it especially after doing heavy bent over barbell rows.

[polychronopolous]

Yes this is so true. In fact the number of people you seeing do a legit bench with 315 is very rare, probably LESS than 10%. And by legit bench I mean lowering the bar under control, pausing briefly on the chest and pressing up to lockout (obviously with no spotter touching the bar at any point). This trend of dropping the bar and bouncing it off the chest is not a legit bench in my opinion; it's like doing quarter squats or rocking barbell curls.

"Bouncing off the chest" bench pressing is so late 1990s. The vast majority of people in the gym today quarter rep weight that would bury them for one quality full rep.

[Fortress]

Just so happens tonight was my heavy bench day.

I worked up to 415 ... and some guys from my work (who were there) started saying, So-and-so from work can press 400, and, Yeah, so-and-so from work can shoulder press 400 ... And then, towards the end of my session, this juiced "physique competitor", who says he's prepping for a contest in six weeks, says, When I am heavy in the off season at around 245, I do about 450 for six.  

I know the first two guys from work for whom my workmates make those claims. The first is some 170-pound dude who is muscular but would get buried under 400. The second is a husky-looking fellow who'd suffer a crushed cranium if he attempted shoulder pressing 400 (the guy who made the claim says it was on a machine ... oh, brother). And the third guy, with the 450 for six claim? I SERIOUSLY doubt this.

Just another wank talking out his ass.

Why is it when someone who has a decent bench is lifting, all these claims come out of the woodwork from those in the peanut gallery?

Yeah, my uncle's best friend's cousin can bench 650 for eight, dude!  

Totally pisses me off.

[trapz101]

i can bench more than i can squat,but my chest sucks my leg is my best bodypart

[Roger Bacon]

Time to embarrass some people in this thread.

Between her and Vladamir "Fuck the NWO" Putin, Russia can't lose.