bench pressing

[denim 5,000+ posts]

ok right now I am in rehab for my ACL and MCL, so my max as plumeted, and I mean dropt a lot, but when I training in approx July of 2002 with a few pros, I did 342lbs, I never really train for power, more so endurance, but some times for power, but anyway, I am 5'9" my weight varies from 179 to 202 depending on my training and diet, right now I am on the low side due to my knee, //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif but I am slowly gaining back again, and once I can get back on the feild again than I will be 100%,

 

sorry no periods

 

[TIGERFOR2 10+ year member]

6'1" 242lb max press about 430. The other day 10 reps of 305.

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Awesome. SO I'm not the only person with shoulder issues from benching with a barbell. I think it's a cross between having really long arms and a not so good shoulder to begin with. When I go down to my chest it really puts a lot of strain on my shoulder and stretches it way out. I also find I have to take an extremely wide grip because if I take a regular grip the bend that occurs in my elbow when I bring it to my chest causes a nerve in my elbow to get inflamed. This caused me to stop lifting barbell and just do dumbell bench.

Doesn't sound very good at all.

I have fairly short arms and use a narrower grip than most. My shoulders are fine and everything.

It's good that you've found alternatives that don't strain you. Sometimes it can get hard to find something that doesn't hurt your body, and sacrificing results by making changes to a different exercise.

- Steve

 

[joshpoints 10+ year member]

a spotter definitely helps dude...not just safety-wise but with the whole process
cause they're the ones that make you do that last rep even though you know you ain't got it

I only go down so far so that the angle my chest makes with my biceps are alittle about 200 degrees

been lifting since I was in 7th grade (graduated hs in june '03), no problems. my whole family's short; I'm actually taller (by less than an inch) than my brother who's a year older than me

Not necessarilly true. I've had spotters that nearly cause you to injure yourself and spotters that help so much that it is pointless in lifting the weight. I remember doing dumbell bench one time and I told the spotter I needed help up on the first one (this is always the hardest rep on dumbell bench) then I start pushing up and the guy doesn't help at all nearly injured myself getting the dumbells up by myself and I expended so much energy that it recked my set. Then you have spotters that are busy looking around the room forget they are spotting you and you nearly hurt yourself. Then I've had guys you tell them okay I need help up on the first rep and that's it and then they help you up on the first like you asked and then they keep spotting and helping you push it up on every rep which makes the whole set useless. I've even pushed the weight up fast to show them that I can do it on my own but they didn't get the message. I'd say there are few good spotters out there.

 

[slick rick 10+ year member]

thats why i train my friends on what to do. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif i see no point in doing a set if i cant get at least 2-3 reps by myself. other people i see doing big weight but getting a spot the whole time.

 

[slAVeGiRL 10+ year member]

That's not a spotter, that's an idiot.

 

[joshpoints 10+ year member]

That's not a spotter, that's an idiot.

That's the experiences I've had. More bad spotters than good ones.

There's always the ultimate spotter (steroids)

Just kidding. There are very few things that I use a spotter for. I've used them for bench press and shoulder press. No longer do shoulder press because I hurt my weak shoulder. Everytime I get up to 65-70 dumbell sets on I have problems with my rotator cuff. So that leaves bench for spotters, but I won't be doing heavy weight on this for a while so fortunately I don't have to rely on a spotter right now.

By the way what's that quote at the bottom of your post about men and cards? That's not very nice.

 

[gellis4 10+ year member]

250 when i weighed 220..

was going for 350 then i blew out my shoulder. ouch.\

:edit:

as of now i think the records for my gym are 700lbs on the bench.. and 1025 on the squat.. like 800 for a dead lift.

i'm just approximating, but i did see the 1st 1000 lb squat in my gym w/ my own eyes.. was amazing, and the guy is like 340 lbs and built like a brick shithouse. he also has a 600-700 lb press. the record might be 850-900 on the bench @ my gym... but i'm pretty confident in saying it's at least 700. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[Phatillusion 5,000+ posts]

That's not a spotter, that's an idiot.

You can be my spotter.

 

[anaranchi 10+ year member]

i can see some dishonesty in this thread........people r starting 2 pull numbers out there azz

 

[phoneman 10+ year member]

Oh yeah, Well I can do push-ups with 10 people on my back.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

I can pop off 15 one-arm pushups with my right arm; no lie

I think weight lifting is so overrated; people just do it just to do it. I can see if you're just trying to stay fit and stuff, but me, I only started lifting cause I didn't wanna be that short, weak guy. That's pretty much it; then I liked the experience of pushing myself to the limits. It's fun.

just do what you wanna do at your own pace and don't follow in someone else's footsteps.

about the spotting, yea you need better spotters...when I hear someone yelling at me at the top of their lungs saying I'ma get a mouth-shot if I don't pull this last rep off, that inspires me to put in my all (even though I know they're kidding). you need that mean spotter. ever watch any like football training videos where weight-lifting ain't no joke? that's how it is

 

[TIGERFOR2 10+ year member]

Anaranchi who do you think is pulling numbers out their ***?

 

[joshpoints 10+ year member]

250 when i weighed 220..
was going for 350 then i blew out my shoulder. ouch.\

:edit:

as of now i think the records for my gym are 700lbs on the bench.. and 1025 on the squat.. like 800 for a dead lift.

i'm just approximating, but i did see the 1st 1000 lb squat in my gym w/ my own eyes.. was amazing, and the guy is like 340 lbs and built like a brick shithouse. he also has a 600-700 lb press. the record might be 850-900 on the bench @ my gym... but i'm pretty confident in saying it's at least 700. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

I've never seen anyone at my gym even approach 700. The most I've seen was slightly over 315. But this guy weighs around 160-165 and is short. He's pure muscle though. His body fat can't be very high. He's on a strick diet and I believe a strict sleeping routine. Does creatine and protein and that's it. His form is absolutely amazing too. He doesn't cheat it or bounce it off his chest. He brings it down slowly and controlled to his chest and then brings it back up in the same manner.

What's sucks is bench is used to measure absolute strength, yet it is my weakest excercise besides abs. I'm genetically big in the biceps, back and shoulders, but it is a pain to get a chest and triceps. Those of you that are gifted in this area should be happy afterall no one is going to ask you your max on curls or pull downs etc.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

the core is where it's at though...as so I've heard; build up your core (abs, obliques and stuff) and it'll give you better stabilization when doing other exercises, in essence, making them seem slightly easier to do. I don't have any hard proof or evidence, but doesn't hurt to try.

can't mess with creatine & protein. can't trust that stuff no matter how much science says it won't do any harm