Posted: 8/18/2006 12:01:38 PM EDT
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For you guys who are powerlifters or otherwise buff and strong I have a couple questions. Could you tell me what your max flat bench is raw, your workout weight/reps with barbell bench, and workout weight with DB bench. I have not done barbell bench for quite some time and would like to see what I can do with barbell bench but need a starting point. Currently I can do 10 reps with 110 lb DBs on flat bench. Where should I start on barbell bench to get a decent workout yet not risk injury since I am not used to flat bench with the bar? Any idea on what I might be able to do on BB flat bench once I get used to it in a few weeks? Its litterally been at least 3 years since I did a BB bench. |
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What is your goal? 1 rep max or say 3-5 rep max? Lifting for power and a true 1 rep only max is very different from your average weight trainer or even a powerlifter who lifts all 3 lifts or even a push-pull event. In other words a bench specialist might train different from a true 3 lift or push-pull powerlifter. Personally I hate posting numbers because they really are not relevant from one person to another and many people tend to call BS on numbers that they feel are too high. As this is the interweb numbers can be whatever. Learning and properly applying correct technique is also a huge factor. IMO a really good bencher should be able to do 2X their bodyweight raw. Once above 2X your bodyweight I feel that lifters should utilize safety gear (shirts, wraps, etc). A great bencher is 2.5X their bodyweight. World class is 3X and up. Taking these numbers into consideration, I can pretty easily lift 2X my bodyweight raw but when I go above this number I will always wear a shirt and wrist wraps (atleast 12" wraps), purely for safety reasons. |
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I'm not a powerlifter, but when I bench, I do it in three sets. No more than 12 reps per set, and the last set, I lift to failure and have to have a spotter. That's fine for me. To keep a GENERAL idea of my total progress, I make note of the reps I do and what weights I do them at. I multiply weight by reps. I add them up as I work my way through my circuit. I generally do the heaviest weights I can on the machines and only do one set per machine, and that works well enough for me. Right now an intense workout for me tallies out to about 50,000 pounds lifted, as calculated by this system. Of that, 30,500 of them are done on my back alone. (100 reps at 305 pounds on the back extension machine) CJ |
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What I want to do is determine what I should use as my promary workout weight on flat bench and rep range to test my 1 rep max in say 4-5 weeks from now. Just want to see where I am. Like I said no flat BB bench in 3 years and no 1 rep maxes in about 7 years. I just want to know what I am capable of not to compete. People often ask "How much can you bench?" And I honestly do not have a clue... Id just like to see. So what rep range should I shoot for to get used to a new lift and get ready for a max? Should I just do 6-8 reps each workout for my working sets or should I do heavier weight with lower reps? At what point are the reps too few to allow me to adapt and progess and just risk injury? Is 3 rep sets too few? Would it be too few in say 2 or 3 weeks? The 270 on working sets sounds like it should be about right I guess and I appreciate a figure work from. Twice my bodyweight is almost 440 lbs. I know I cant do 400 but I am somewhere over 300. I am NOT a powerlifter by any means nor even a "strong" guy relative to powerlifters. Just want guidance to see my potential for a single rep without getting hurt purely for my personal knowledge. |
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2 years ago when i was 21 i was benching 320 pounds flat bench, for a max of 1-3 reps depending on how i felt that day. now my shoulders grind click and pop from work and lifting, and im lucky if i can bench more than 275 right now... er, i mean before i tookt he last month off of lifting to focus on carido / running im 6'1" 200 pounds +/- |
And what weight were you doing for working sets of 6-8 reps? |
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I use the Westside Barbell template of one day a week using lighter weights with an emphasis on speed (Dynamic Effort) and one day a week using heavy weight in specialized movements working up to a 1-3 repetition max(Maximal Effort), always looking to hit a personal record. I make ample use of chains, bands and boards. This routine over the last three years has taken me from a flat bench max of 430lbs to 490 lbs. It is my goal to hit a drug free raw 500 lb bench press before the year is out. I don't do dumbell presses as they have little value in helping me bench alot of weight. My primary focus is the development of tricep strength. If were you, I'd transition slowly to the flat bench and I'd take the approach that others have recommended above. Hell, in my next training cycle I'm going to start with only the bar and and purple mini-bands. Good luck in your training!  Harp |
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DevL ... Are you currently doing incline barbell bench presses? If so, whatever you can do at about a 30 degree incline should be about 80%-90% of what you can do on a flat bench. I couldn't begin to estimate based on your flat dumbbell press numbers, as everyone's technique is different. Obviously it will be more than the combined weight of your two dumbbells. The only "raw" numbers I remember are from when I was still lifting last summer. From memory of my last workout in late July or early August of 2005: Flat bench: 135 x 15 225 x 12 275 x 5 315 x 7 350 x 3 375 x 1 390 ... failed! Inclines: 135 x 10 225 x 10 275 x 5 300 x 4 I wasn't working hard except on the 3rd rep with 350 and the 375. I think I might have done the 390 for a single had I just done single on the way up instead of using too much on the 315 and 350. I now hit the gym maybe once every month or two and I can do 2-3 reps with 315, but it's tough! When I was "strong" (maybe better to say "less weak"!) back in the early 1990s, I didn't do any max attempts "raw." Of course, the shirts we had back then were a lot closer to "raw" than they were to the shirts people use today. They gave maybe a 15-25 lb. boost at the most, if you knew how to use them properly. I only put mine on in meets and in the gym to test my opening weight one week before, so I didn't really know how to use it effectively. I could do 2-3 reps with 405 during a workout, though. When I could do about 215kg (a little under 474 lbs.) with my shirt, I felt completely different than I do now. 315 was still a "warm-up" because I could knock out 12 strict reps and still feel pretty fresh. I remember one time in the gym at Purdue in 1991 I was actually using 315 to stretch my shoulders a bit by letting it "roll" toward my upper chest. Some guy thought I was stuck and ran over, but I calmly told him I was okay. He thought I was crazy until I got to 10 reps and kept going, then he left me alone until I asked him for a spot later on.  I would guestimate that I could have done maybe 440-450 "raw" with a pause and strict form at that time. I was nowhere near doing a raw 500 like the poster above! |
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Howdy, After constantly injuring my shoulder joints from mountain biking I was away from weights for almost two years. To get the strength and rehab I tried lighter to medium weights with sets of wide and close grip. Really, really helped, and I saw gains quicker than when I was pushing heavy weights. Here is my routine: 3 sets of 70% max x 12 reps each, wide and close grip 1 set of 90% max x 4 reps each, wide and close grip On heavy days 3 sets of 90% max x 5 reps each, wide and close grip I've actually started to do more dumpbell presses and extend my range of motion (i.e. deeper movements....and dumblell fly's. This has truly helped in my flexibility and strength increases. Pat |
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So far I can only do 315 x 3. I guess I need to get to somewhere near 315 x 10 to even think about being able to do 405? I have some wicked tendonitis on my right elbow that may cause me to have to lay off weights for a while. I dont know if I will be able to do it. I just want to be able to do it ONCE ever. I have only done DB flat and incline for years. The bar feels odd still. |
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That's probably a good ballpark guess, but everyone is different and it also depends on your technique. Good, strict form with 315 for 10 is easily going to be a 405 single for most people. On the other hand, if the form is loose (e.g. bouncing off the chest, etc.), it's going to be tough to move a heavy single if the same "crutches" aren't as effective. From what you've said about yourself, 315x3 is pretty damn good. |