How much should I try and bench??

**Fkarl** · 08-15-2011, 04:07 AM

Ok, I am a total rookie and don't use weights as of yet. Bodyweight stuff and a TRX system are about to reach max potential soon though in some areas. For instance I can put my feet in a chair and still crank out 30 pushups. I have a bowflex and put all 210 "lbs" on it and benched it 21 times without a ton of effort. Probably could have gotten 24 times. So, a buddy is going to take me to his gym on a day pass so I can see how much I can bench just out of curiosity.... where should I start?
My pushups when don normal on the floor are 166lbs of weight. (tested by placing my hands on a digital scale in the start position). Should I start with 175? 200? I don't really have any idea how all of this translates. Thanks.

**Kenny Croxdale** · 08-15-2011, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by Fkarl

Ok, I am a total rookie and don't use weights as of yet. Bodyweight stuff and a TRX system are about to reach max potential soon though in some areas. For instance I can put my feet in a chair and still crank out 30 pushups. I have a bowflex and put all 210 "lbs" on it and benched it 21 times without a ton of effort. Probably could have gotten 24 times. So, a buddy is going to take me to his gym on a day pass so I can see how much I can bench just out of curiosity.... where should I start?
My pushups when don normal on the floor are 166lbs of weight. (tested by placing my hands on a digital scale in the start position). Should I start with 175? 200? I don't really have any idea how all of this translates. Thanks.

Fkarl,

Reality Check

You're not going to be able to bench press 175 lbs, let along start with it. 175 lbs is going to be tatooed to your chest.

Starting Weight

You need to start with 95 lbs. See how it feels and then gradually increase the weight.

Kenny Croxdale

**the_predator** · 08-15-2011, 07:31 AM

So with the pushups on the digital scale...166pds but what is your total bodyweight?

**brad1224** · 08-15-2011, 07:36 AM

405 at least

**SloppyJ** · 08-15-2011, 07:40 AM

Start with 315......

Actually I'd be impressed if you could get 135 for 3 sets. Start with 25's and work from there. You need to work on your form first and foremost.

**ANIMALHAUS** · 08-15-2011, 07:47 AM

Don't get your hopes up on lifting heavy weight, because odds are you will be discouraged and want to quit. Walk into that gym as if you have no idea what you are capable of. Start low, and work your way up if necessary.

**Gazhole** · 08-15-2011, 08:19 AM

Start with the bar. If you can even press the bar with good technique on your first try you're a fucking prodigy.

Add 10lbs a set untill its hard but not hard enough to cause you to break down technique. Stay with this weight for a few sets then call it.

Next time you can pick a few warmups before you get to that work weight rather than working up gradually.

**CowPimp** · 08-15-2011, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Start with the bar. If you can even press the bar with good technique on your first try you're a fucking prodigy.

Add 10lbs a set untill its hard but not hard enough to cause you to break down technique. Stay with this weight for a few sets then call it.

Next time you can pick a few warmups before you get to that work weight rather than working up gradually.

Agreed. Start with the bar. Nothing happens if you start too light, but starting too heavy can result in an injury, particularly in someone inexperienced. Hell, I still warmup with the bar when I'm trying to bench 300 pounds. Talk to elite level powerlifters and they'll tell you the same thing.

**Fkarl** · 08-15-2011, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by the_predator

so with the pushups on the digital scale...166pds but what is your total bodyweight?

245

**Fkarl** · 08-15-2011, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by ANIMALHOUSE

Don't get your hopes up on lifting heavy weight, because odds are you will be discouraged and want to quit. Walk into that gym as if you have no idea what you are capable of. Start low, and work your way up if necessary.

I have no idea. That's the point. A few years ago buddy put me on a machine at 180 and I had no problem with that. I feel way stronger now than then though and I'm really just looking for a one rep max. I'm not sure what to make of some of the answers here...315? 405? 95? Not sure how much the bar weighs. Does that get added in to what folks say they can bench or not? If the bar weighs, oh I don't know say 25 lbs, and you put 150 on it, is that 150 or 175?

Won't "working my way up" wear me out and detract from my one rep max?

**M4A3** · 08-15-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Fkarl

I have no idea. That's the point. A few years ago buddy put me on a machine at 180 and I had no problem with that. I feel way stronger now than then though and I'm really just looking for a one rep max. I'm not sure what to make of some of the answers here...315? 405? 95? Not sure how much the bar weighs. Does that get added in to what folks say they can bench or not? If the bar weighs, oh I don't know say 25 lbs, and you put 150 on it, is that 150 or 175?

Won't "working my way up" wear me out and detract from my one rep max?

Why the fuck are you concerned about 1 rep maxes? To tell your non-big friends you benched "XXX" lbs? You should be concerned about building muscle and strength. 1 rep maxing isn't going to do much for either.

Fuck, you don't even know that the bar weighs 45lbs.

Learn how to work out before worrying about how much you're maxing.

ETA: At 17, I could bench 275. I think with all your bowflex experience you should start with at least 315, like SloppyJ suggested. LOL!

**Fkarl** · 08-15-2011, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by M4A3

Why the fuck are you concerned about 1 rep maxes? To tell your non-big friends you benched "XXX" lbs? You should be concerned about building muscle and strength. 1 rep maxing isn't going to do much for either.

Fuck, you don't even know that the bar weighs 45lbs.

Learn how to work out before worrying about how much you're maxing.

ETA: At 17, I could bench 275. I think with all your bowflex experience you should start with at least 315, like SloppyJ suggested. LOL!

I'm not concerned. And I am interested in building pure strength and muscle over some random number. A guy asked me and now I'm just curious. I'm pretty sure I can handle the bar.

**Cgrant** · 08-15-2011, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Fkarl

I'm not concerned. And I am interested in building pure strength and muscle over some random number. A guy asked me and now I'm just curious. I'm pretty sure I can handle the bar.

Did you try yet???? What weight did you put up bro?????

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

**Gazhole** · 08-15-2011, 02:02 PM

For the love of god don't max out on your first day benching. Stick with 5's for a while and build up technique and strength. Go buy Starting Strength and read it four times before setting foot in a gym. I didn't max out on Bench for like a year after i started because there was no need to, if your weights are moving up you're getting stronger.

**ct67_72** · 08-15-2011, 07:01 PM

Honestly with never benching with free weight your form will be horrible and you will hve a hard time holding the bar steady on anything remotely heavy for you. It would probably be some time before you could get an honest one rep max.
as others have said, work your way up. For 2 reasons.
one, you have no idea what you can bench. work up in 10-20 lbs. from 25's +bar. (95)
two, because you need to warm up and get your muscles ready for a max effort, you dont just go and exert max effort with cold muscles.

**gymrat09091974** · 08-15-2011, 07:14 PM

bro youre dangerous. lol dont kill your slf. start with low weight till you get used to free weights. dont worry about how much, worry about form

**Fkarl** · 08-15-2011, 07:43 PM

Ok ok. I get it. Lol
You guys are the pros so I'll listen. I guess I didn't realize a bar would be that different than dumbells. (65x8 each side last time I checked). I dug around my garage today and found an old bar that's solid. Not sure what it weighs 25 maybe? Anyway, did standing military press with 60 on it with really good form for 30 reps before I decided I'll need more weights. Nice and slow with nothing holding the weights on the bar. (I figured that would force good form and slow reps.
Thanks to those of you who actually helped. It's going to be a couple weeks before I go do this but I'll let you know how it goes.

**jackedntan** · 08-16-2011, 12:57 AM

Don't be discouraged if youcant put up what you thought u would be able to. When I was younger I thought I was a bigshot because I could max out the stack on all the machines but when I started benching with a real barbell I could barly put up 135lbs. It takes a little while for your body to adjust to the free weights and strengthen your stabilizer muscles.

**mlc308** · 08-16-2011, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Gazhole

For the love of god don't max out on your first day benching. Stick with 5's for a while and build up technique and strength. Go buy Starting Strength and read it four times before setting foot in a gym. I didn't max out on Bench for like a year after i started because there was no need to, if your weights are moving up you're getting stronger.

While I havent always shared the opinion of Gazhole, he is completely right. Doing pushups has very little translation into good benching routines and if you can move the bar evenly down and up then you are a prodigy. While I don't totally agree that you need to stick with 5's or 10's throughout the workout, you should definitely not go beyond 95lbs for now. Pushups at best equate to 1/3 of your total body weight so unless you are 550 lbs, you shouldnt be trying to max until you get down form. Lastly, bowflex is for shit and dont try to think of that as an actual weight you used. I know a few people that had them and got rid of them because it was so hard for them to press 100 pounds on a bar when the bowflex was telling them they were pressing 200 or more.

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