How many times can you bench press your own BW?

[bonobo]

The simple explanation is that it's not a linear relationship. There is a lot more going on than most people realize in terms of energy systems. Doing a 1rm or a 3rm is going to utilize a totally energy system than doing 10 or 12, and doing 20-25 is going to fatigue you through different mechanisms again.

The complicated explanation is more...well, complicated.

The low reps (1-3) probably mainly uses the ATP/Phospho-Creatine system, and doesn't really use a lot of substrate like glucose because it doesn't need to and barely has the time to. If you always train low reps, this system will be trained to be more efficient.

10-12 reps will likely mainly use glycolysis, and because it's anaerobic it'll produce a shedload of H+ ions pretty quickly, but in this rep range you're probably going to stop just as they reach painful enough concentrations and have time to buffer them between sets.

In the super high rep ranges like 20-40, its still glycolysis for the most part, but maybe it shifts a little towards aerobic metabolism near the end. The main problem is those H+ ions, which aren't a linear relationship either. As more H+ is formed from ATP hydrolysis, more and more muscle tissue is going to get denatured because of the drop in pH, so the remaining muscle is going to work harder, creating more H+ and so on and so on. The weight your muscles are able to lift and the point at which they can't lift ANYTHING anymore don't necessarily have to match up.

Basically, if you never train at one of those specific rep ranges, you aren't prepared for it at physiological level. The more you train at those rep ranges, the more efficient you'll be due to higher expression of the required enzymes or better substrate storage.

If a sprinter can run 100m in 10 seconds it doesn't mean he can run 800m in 1:40 or the 1500m in 2:30. The 800m is technically possible but unlikely, and the 1500m is just not a possible time. The reason for this is the same - they are totally different in terms of training, energy systems, and physiology.

People would never assume the same sort of illogical shit about other sports as they do about weight training.

So yeah. This turned into a bit of an essay.

Nice post until you hit the condescending bit at the end. Of course no one expects weightlifting to be linear. Somewhat trigometric (taking the limits of the body and the law of diminishing returns, for example) , possibly, but not linear. And I, for one, was not assuming "illogical shit" about it.

I was asking about relationships between various weightlifting patterns. And yes, I would assume that my 185 and 155 lb lifts would at least be different. Why they weren't is what sparked my curiosity.

 

[bonobo]

Just out of curiosity, I decided yesterday to do an own-weight (185) set of 4. I am in better bench shape than when I had tried it before, but I still was stuck on 23 for the first try. Then I dropped to 14, then 12, then 11. I guess my endurance strength is not that great given the huge drop between the first and second sets.

I was also hoping to up the 23 I did before when I just started working on my bench, but no deal.

 

[Ogedi]

Never tried. I guess between 10-20 idk. I can do 100 single arm bw bench press on a pea sized bosu ball can u do that stfu

 

[Doublebase]

Just out of curiosity, I decided yesterday to do an own-weight (185) set of 4. I am in better bench shape than when I had tried it before, but I still was stuck on 23 for the first try. Then I dropped to 14, then 12, then 11. I guess my endurance strength is not that great given the huge drop between the first and second sets.

I was also hoping to up the 23 I did before when I just started working on my bench, but no deal.

You realize you lifted over 5 tons of weight during that session? Pretty crazy huh? Nice work. 185 x 23 is damn good.

 

[Gazhole]

Nice post until you hit the condescending bit at the end. Of course no one expects weightlifting to be linear. Somewhat trigometric (taking the limits of the body and the law of diminishing returns, for example) , possibly, but not linear. And I, for one, was not assuming "illogical shit" about it.

I was asking about relationships between various weightlifting patterns. And yes, I would assume that my 185 and 155 lb lifts would at least be different. Why they weren't is what sparked my curiosity.

The bit at the end wasn't aimed at you, so im sorry if it came off that way. You seem like a good guy from the posts i've seen of yours

It was more aimed at people who think they can do insane amounts of reps with a lighter weight, or insane weight for a 1RM, because they use some stupid formula they made up in their heads, lol. I think people rely on 1RM calculators way too much.

 

[jimm]

last time i checked wich was a while ago id say about 15-20 body weight 155lb! theres alot of talk about this if some1 weight 220 but can only rep there bodyweight 5 times and i can bench my own 20 whos stronger? hmmm

 

[bonobo]

The bit at the end wasn't aimed at you, so im sorry if it came off that way. You seem like a good guy from the posts i've seen of yours

It was more aimed at people who think they can do insane amounts of reps with a lighter weight, or insane weight for a 1RM, because they use some stupid formula they made up in their heads, lol. I think people rely on 1RM calculators way too much.

Sorry I took it that way.

Peace out!

 

[Doublebase]

hahah for some fat fuck who is over 300 pounds!!! NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

well? vids?

 

[KelJu]

I am a fatty now at around 230, but my friend and I had a 225 competition to see which one of us could lift it the most times. I managed 18 times with absolutely shitty form after the 12th rep.

 

[cshea2]

hahah for some fat fuck who is over 300 pounds!!! NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

In the article, it said Allen got down to 11% bf when he benched 700. That's crazy. Top level athletes come in many different shapes and sizes...

 

[Gazhole]

In the article, it said Allen got down to 11% bf when he benched 700. That's crazy. Top level athletes come in many different shapes and sizes...

This is one of the reasons i think Sam Byrd is a fucking machine, and totally goes against the stereotype of the fat powerlifter:

YouTube Video

The guy is in great shape, and got a 1000+ squat.

 

[KelJu]

This is one of the reasons i think Sam Byrd is a fucking machine, and totally goes against the stereotype of the fat powerlifter:

YouTube Video

The guy is in great shape, and got a 1000+ squat.

My legs are bigger than his. How the fuck can he lift that? His muscle fibers must be 3 times as dense as the average person.

 

[Gazhole]

My legs are bigger than his. How the fuck can he lift that? His muscle fibers must be 3 times as dense as the average person.

I have no idea. He's insanely strong. He makes that look fairly easy. Have seen a vid of him doing 800 raw aswell :-S

 

[gtbmed]

Can I just say that I absolutely hate the way powerlifters squat? I'm not trying to take away from this guy's accomplishments.

 

[KelJu]

Can I just say that I absolutely hate the way powerlifters squat? I'm not trying to take away from this guy's accomplishments.

I squat the same way. I had far fewer injuries after switching to sumo.

 

[cshea2]

I kind of stray between the two. I love squatting all the way down, there's nothing like it. But , I also love how the low-bar hammers the post-chain and has such a great carryover to sports. I'm just going to keep doing high-bar squats with lot's of good mornings.

My legs grow much more with the deep squats...

 

[cshea2]

BTW, I had no idea a guy that size could move that kinda weight... Awesome.

 

[Hell]

I am going to do this test on monday. I will see how many times I can bench my own weight. 225lbs. Its gotta be over 10 reps.

 

[MDR]

The bit at the end wasn't aimed at you, so im sorry if it came off that way. You seem like a good guy from the posts i've seen of yours

It was more aimed at people who think they can do insane amounts of reps with a lighter weight, or insane weight for a 1RM, because they use some stupid formula they made up in their heads, lol. I think people rely on 1RM calculators way too much.

Great post. Like someone else mentioned, training for a high 1rm will not help you much with endurance lifting. No real correlation between the two. Powerlifting is entirely about putting up a high 1rm, not pressing your own body weight multiple times.

 

[bonobo]

Well, crap!

Since I hit my 300 lb goal on the 29th, I am somewhat aimless now, and with this thread, I have been curious about different weight combos/reps. I did my body weight lift last week, then wondered about the 225 as in the NFL combine. I am almost 53 and 185 lbs, but I figured that since I am lifting regularly, I would do better than many of the defensive backs, who maybe be quicker and younger than me, but of a same basic size.

I did a grand total of 12, which rates in the bottom of even the defensive backs. They seem to average about 15 or 16.

Went from 12 to 7 to 6 to 6 for the next 3 sets.

 

[jizwood125]

About 20

 

[Hell]

I did this last night. My weight is 225 and i flat benched 225 x 14 times. I think on a good day I could get a couple more. I was ok with that number.

 

[MMAWannabe]

I haven't tried in a long time. I got 27 the last time I tried, but my max has went up 40-50 lbs since then so I assume I could pull at least 30 off.

 

[stfuandliftbtch]

145lbs 8-10 reps but could squat it 20 times easy

hahahahh You can squaet 145 20 times easy!! No way bro!! 145 squats are fucking hardcore!!!!!

 

[papaaj]

Yeh the around 145 guys there will win for sure. They always do. A lot of them look bigger then they actually are.

 

[TampaSRT]

BTW, I had no idea a guy that size could move that kinda weight... Awesome.

I think my spine would colapse just trying to unrack that shit!

 

[Flathead]

Great post. Like someone else mentioned, training for a high 1rm will not help you much with endurance lifting. No real correlation between the two. Powerlifting is entirely about putting up a high 1rm, not pressing your own body weight multiple times.

++1, as a full time PLer I can tell you that endurance has everything to do with these high rep range competitions. I did something like this awhile back & it was an eye opener.

 

[tinyfighter]

hahahahh You can squaet 145 20 times easy!! No way bro!! 145 squats are fucking hardcore!!!!!

i know you big guys think thats funny and i couldnt care less,im not a bodybuilder im a fighter and i only weigh 145lbs.

last night i benched a set of 26 reps at 145lbs so in my eyes my strenth isnt bad,alot of my training is for conditioning and endurance.

for 1 rep max i expect i could go heavier but it wont help me when im rolling with a heavier,more skiller grappelier for 20 minuites.

il get my coat...................................

 

[mr intensity]

i am 235, however i did 225 x 34 reps once,

 

[Doublebase]

Dude did 225lbs for 49 reps at the most recent NFL combine.