Pretty good day in the gym tonight.
I've decided I'm not going to increase my one rep max bench press anymore. Instead, I'm going to focus on 225 for reps, and try to beat my previous max of 225x25.
Considering I was 190 when I got that 225x25, I think [despite my age], I should be able to get 30. Even if I DON'T get 30...I should be able to at least beat my 25 rep lifetime max so far.
When I was at the gym today, I counted 23.5 reps, but I checked the video after and only got 22.5. Still though - that's two reps more than I got last week, and I did [stupidly drop those 3-4 pounds within the past two weeks].
So I've decided I won't be losing any weight. I can cut to 185 starting in the Spring. So I'm going to stay at 200-lb, and try to bench 225x30. I can't fathom not getting 28.
But considering the Northwestern Ontario record is 225x30, set by Luke Skaarup in 2012 [weighing 295-lb at 6'0", literally within months of him WINNING ONTARIO'S STRONGEST MAN], I'm somewhat skeptical of B. Hank's claim of 225 for 31 or 32. Also, why wouldn't he remember how many reps, considering that's a pretty incredible achievement?

Seems like you might remember that. Why was he even benching 225 for reps unless the point was to see how many he got?

I don't know...just seems like something you would remember.
Regardless, my goal is 30. The only other person similar in weight to me who I know who got that was Luke Skaarup's brother Dan, who got it on the same day is Luke, after Dan benched 455-lb in contest, while weighing 205-lb.
He also "unofficially" bench pressed 475 @205, then got 225x30. Luke and Dan are genetic freaks, and jointly hold the 225 for reps NWO official record.
So if I get 225x30 @199, I'll be pretty happy about that. I don't know any sub-200 pound lifter in Ontario who does that. So it will be a good challenge for me.
Of course, freaks like Walter Sobchak, who warm up with my workout, do 225x30 easily. It's a shame he has no video evidence of this outstanding achievement.
I'm sad I miscounted, and only got 22.5 reps on my first set. But my second set of 19.5 reps made up for that, as well as my 225x12 third set, where each rep was strict/paused:
Bench Press Day:
225x22.5
225x19.5
225x12 [strict/paused]
Lol, check out the guy in the background who started watching me on the 5th rep. At first, he was wowed, but then when the reps didn't stop, he got bored of watching.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzDPnAUso0f/