PTOManiac

Up until a month or so ago all I had to work with was a bowflex and according to the "power rods" the wieght I was doing was decent for me but now I have an actual bench and reality hit me like a whole rack of weights. The most I have ever benched for one rep is 165 and that was my senior year in high school in '99. I find now, that the most I can bech for one rep is about 140ish which is pathetic. I'm 6'1" 200lbs and I can't even bench my body weight... 135 damn near kills me when I try to go for reps. I usually start at 115 and work my way down to 95 in sets of 10. I just started benching a week ago, but I feel like theres something wrong with me, my chest is so weak in proportion to the rest of me. Any comments, tips, you can add?

Age: 25 | Height: 6'1.25" | Weight: 190 lbs.
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Mudge

If you can only bench 140 you should not be able to do 135 for reps, unless your problem is not strength but adjustment to what is a heavy weight for you.

A lot of the females I have worked out with have serious coordination issues that take time to get over, which just comes with practice. So by repetitions with lighter weights they are stronger than they look when attempting a max effort lift.

I have a bench form link in my sig, if you'd like to read. From there, it will just take time. If I didn't train I'd bench a little under my bodyweight too by some margin, a lot of people are like that.

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WilliamB

Will you please explain what you meant in the sentances that I have highlighted.

TriZZle305

He means that when using the lighter weights that they are more comfortable with they are able to do quality good form reps, however when they use a higher weight that their body is "unused" to they are awkward and unable to do it, or do it correctly.. I saw this a lot in some of my weight training classes in highschool..

Your 1RM will go up once you get used to free weights, ive never used a Bowflex so i dont know how close or far away it is to using free weights but im sure once you gain or regain some muscle memory you'll be able to increase your 1RM with the right routine

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TJ Cline

Post you're currant workout...How many sets, reps per set, if you train to failure on any sets and on how many, how many days a week do you train each muscle group...ect

clemson357

makes sense to me. they aren't used to maxing, so they don't max out at as much as you would think if they told you what they rep for 10.

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BiggerNstronger

Just remember that when your first starting out alot of people put benching their bodyweight as a GOAL for the future....not something that will happen right away. Work towards it slowly and gradually you will get it up easy in a few months.

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