I am pretty confused about my bench press. I currently max at 315-320. For my bench test of 225 I can only do it 10-11 times, however my friend who can only max at 300 can do 225 17-18 times. Is there an explanation for this? Thank-you.
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Bench Press Question
- Thread starter tonybaloney
- Start date
tonybaloney said:
This goes to muscle fiber makeup. This is a very simplistic explanation, but your friend more than likely has a greater percentage of slow twitch (endurance oriented) muscle fibers to fast twitch muscle fibers than you do.
He should be doing about 345. GoPro may well be right, but I would also question his warmups. I am not as strong if I dont warm up properly, I do about 5-6 warmup sets, starting with the bar only - 7 warmup sets if I am doing a 1RM.
Bar
95
135
185
225
275
315
Bar
95
135
185
225
275
315
I agree regarding the warmup. it takes me forever to warm up my chest properly.sometimes the light sets of 315 are harder than doing my sets @ 450+.
Yeah it was not always like this for me, I used to walk in and max out right off the bat, now it doesn't work like that for me at all. Plus its just plain good for injury prevention.
Tiny Meeker has hit 800.5 and warms up starting with the bar.
Of course, I haven't even seen 400 yet but I'm DAMN close.
Tiny Meeker has hit 800.5 and warms up starting with the bar.
Of course, I haven't even seen 400 yet but I'm DAMN close.
LAM said:
Oh you poor bastard LAM! That sounds like such a serious problem. Jerk.
Mudge said:
The warmup theory is certainly a possibility, but I have seen the described phenomenon many many times in the course of my years of PT. Because of fiber type makeup some people are natural "reppers," while others are natural "short burst" athletes.
Yep it was just a thought, could very well be both things. I have found only one person that I can recall off the top of my head, maybe more that I am forgetting, that the max calculator #1 in my sig does not work for. Some people are indeed just different.
It's also in how you train. If you train a lift low reps, thats what your body will be trained for. I deadlift 600+ once. I can't deadlift 405 more than 3 or 4 times before I feel exhausted.
This is as much a mental block for lifters as it is physical.
This is as much a mental block for lifters as it is physical.
I agree with the mental block theory and also the "reppers" vs. "maxers" theory. I can get 225 for 12-25 reps easy, but have only gotten 315 once and that was on a damn good day. I see those six plates up there and just freak the fuck out.
yea, calculators never work for me
They always overestimate for me by 5-10 pounds
They always overestimate for me by 5-10 pounds
SRC said:
Dude if you are doing 225 for 25 reps 3 plates is a bag of peanuts, why would another plate per side be such a big deal, it isn't. I can't say that I see people benching 315 all day long every day (not at my gym) but come on, its hardly anything to hit a mental block over, if you are doing 225x25 "easy."
I haven't seen a mental block yet in terms of plate numbers.
I need to correct myself - I was typing too fast! I meant to say that I can get 225 for 12-15 reps easy, not 25! My bad. And by easy, I mean I can do it every time I do bench but that's not to say that I'm popping up rep numbers 10-15 like it's cotton candy. That was a bad case of internet-annonymous testosterone talking. I don't need a spot and I don't cheat, but for some reason, when I go up to 275, my mind kicks in and my base level strength suffers, so 315 just baffles me. It's weird, because my pecs have alway been huge, even when I was a beanpole in high school, but there are dudes out there that weigh 175 and are putting up close to 400 on bench. It's a good thing I'm not trying to become a powerlifter cause' I'd be out of my league.
SRC said:
I see them all the time in the gym. for the most part their lifts would not count in competition. IMO..if it wouldn't count in a meet it's BS
Yeah your calculater is pretty damn accurate... for me anyway.Mudge said:
And Lam, what's up with this 450 + stuff.... Can you send me some of your PHS's
.
Gopro's response is right on. Most people have about a 50/50 mix of fast twitch and slow twitch muscles. For those people, like me the calculators are very accurate. I can routinely do 225 for 12 reps, and my max (controlled rep, no bounce) is 310.
No Bounce?... Heck, you take the fun out of it 
am i too young
soory guys but this is a little off track...
hey im a 15 year old and i was wondering whether its ok for me to continue weight training. Am i stunting my growth? because i have been told that i am by some sources and that its ok from others
soory guys but this is a little off track...
hey im a 15 year old and i was wondering whether its ok for me to continue weight training. Am i stunting my growth? because i have been told that i am by some sources and that its ok from others
SRC said:
My school was a tad nerdly, but other than the couple certified juicers that did not play football (one of them was huge and ripped, only about 5'2" though) - our best bencher on record was a guy doing 330, I even remember his name. He was a heavy guy though, I never saw anyone put up 4 plates in high school big or small, and 175 would have been a bit stickly. Back then anyone doing 2 plates was respectable.
