Bench press sorry its random

Interesting to see this on a BF forum sub topic. But I'll chime in at 64+ I can still manage a 300+ bench and a 400+ squat. Once you get started powerlifting, it is difficult to not try or do the heavy weight. Good Luck in the future, but be careful not to damage joints.
 
stabman said:
Dear God, how tall are you?
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5 '6. In my field, you realize early on that size is not always indicative of strength. Past the genetic limitations imposed on the body, strength gains are made due to neuromuscular adaptations. Certain forms of training can help with that neuromuscular adaptation. In this case, take neuromuscular adaptation to mean the body's ability to recruit as many motor units as possible to generate force. From a purely functional standpoint, big muscles are all but worthless if you can only recruit a small number of motor units for that muscle.

In defense of being so lightweight, if you ever saw me on the street, you'd think I'd look more 150ish. I've gotten more than one passing remark in the gym asking if I was on steroids. The answer is no. Just a strong background in the science behind exercise.

To the OP, try substituting dumbbell bench press for barbell benchpress. Dumbbells are much harder. You'll find after a few weeks on dbell benching, your barbell bench would have increased. Most big guys benching 300+ have a hard time putting up 100 pound dbells. I'm working on 105, with my long term goal of 128 (my dbell bars maxed out) for reps.

Thunder47 said:
Interesting to see this on a BF forum sub topic. But I'll chime in at 64+ I can still manage a 300+ bench and a 400+ squat. Once you get started powerlifting, it is difficult to not try or do the heavy weight. Good Luck in the future, but be careful not to damage joints.
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Great to see older people working out. I often tell people that it's not enough to live to be a centurian if you don't have your health. Some pretty impressive lifts as well. My training isn't powerlifting anymore. These days I favor high reps in the 7 - 10 range. Then again, how my training is structured, I get a bit of both. Basically, an increase in weight means I'll be powerlifting for a couple weeks til I develop the strength to rep more. Every increase in weight has that phase for me. After I get a few sets of 10 in, I know it's time to increase again.

Regards,
-Hark, CSCS.
(National Strength and Conditioning Association, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
 
harkamus said:
5 '6.
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That helps explain it.
I can bench 300 pounds on a good day, but I'm 6'2 at 170 pounds.
I've seen guys who were 170 pounds but about 5'6", and they can, if they train hard, bench a good deal more (body mechanics and muscle cross-section and all that jive).
I agree about dumbell bress being a good thing; gets all those stabilizing muscles involved.:)
I can only get 2 reps of the 100 pound dumbells...those things are waaaaay harder than the solid bar.
 
Got nothing to do with height. Weight is weight.

Well...that's what I always told the tall guys, anyway.
 
stabman said:
I agree about dumbell bress being a good thing; gets all those stabilizing muscles involved.:)
I can only get 2 reps of the 100 pound dumbells...those things are waaaaay harder than the solid bar.
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10 reps at 128 would put my 1 rep max on dbells per arm at 171 pounds; there's a nifty chart in one of my reference books that's pretty accurate. I think at that milestone, I'll need to commission another pair of custom dumbbells. Mine only hold a max of 12 ten pound plates for 120 pounds + the 8 pounds that the actual dbell bar and collars weigh. 128 is like a 6 - 12 month goal for me. It takes me about a month to two now to go up in weight by 10 pounds. The other goal I'm working on is a 400 pound deadlift.

I notice a lot of guys in the gym struggling with getting in position with heavy dbells. Those are usually the guys that emphasize barbell training for bench. Oh yea forgot to mention that a heavy dbell press ends up giving you an iron grip. If I'm not careful and go up in weight too fast, I'll notice my grip strength not going up in the same proportion. I tend to go up more cautiously and deliberately when it deals with my shoulders. Rotator cuff injury is painful, and I already have crepitus.
 
The bench press is all about how long your stroke is. The shorter distance the weight has to travel the stronger you will be. You look at great Bench pressers they basically never have long arms and if they do they make sure they can arch they're back enough to shorten the stroke enough to allow them to press big weight.
 
harkamus said:
10
I notice a lot of guys in the gym struggling with getting in position with heavy dbells. Those are usually the guys that emphasize barbell training for bench.
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True, but it seems far more people have wised up to the benefits of dumbell press.
It would be cool to do deadlifts, but my lower back won't handle it. Injured it about 10 years back, and ever since it likes to periodically spasm all over the place...and the malignant hyperthermia (genetic muscle condition) just makes that worse and more likely to reoccur.
But hey, the doctor who discovered MH thought that weight lifting would be an impossible activity for malignant hyperthermic individuals, so I guess I'm doing alright.:)
 
im 6'4 215lbs coming back from a major arm surgery, just now got my work out weight back up to 245 (10rep, 4 sets) My hope is to be able to max at 400 by my birthday next year
 
smiley500 said:
The bench press is all about how long your stroke is. The shorter distance the weight has to travel the stronger you will be. You look at great Bench pressers they basically never have long arms and if they do they make sure they can arch they're back enough to shorten the stroke enough to allow them to press big weight.
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Pretty sure that if you arch your back it's considered an improper bench press.
 
stabman said:
Pretty sure that if you arch your back it's considered an improper bench press.
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That's what I would call cheating. Let's call these people "archers." I bet if one were to hold an archer down during bench, he/she would not be able to lift the same amount of weight. If I do any lift, I prefer knowing I got stronger instead of knowing some controversial technique made the lift easier. I say the same thing about benching shirts that require another person to put on the lifter.

In the end, the person is only cheating him or herself. A guy benching X amount of weight with their body flat on the bench is stronger than another guy lifting the same amount of weight with an arched back.

smiley500 said:
The shorter distance the weight has to travel the stronger you will be.
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Strength has nothing to do with the length of travel of anything. Strength is defined as the maximum amount of weight that can be lifted in proper form for one repetition.
 
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On the arch thing, old timers would call you on it during meets if it was too high, now the basic rule is that the head and butt must stay on the bench(feet/toes on ground also). Amount of arch doesn't matter anymore as long as those rules are met.
 
So so so true that dbells help with your bench, as stated by harkamus. Another little trick I found that helped boost my bench was lifting (and keeping) my legs in the air until I was done with my set. It prevents lower back arch and forces the necessary muscles to do the work, prevents injury and cheating as well. I'm 6'1 and weigh 215lbs. I'm not quite sure if I could put up 405 on bench or not....maybe I'll give it a shot next week. I generally stick 315 on the bar for my last two sets and get 8 reps in, on the day's I do barbell. Mostly stick to dbells though. Kind of in a maint. I guess........pretty happy with where I'm at.
 
Something tells me I need to get another pair of custom dumbbells soon. It only holds 12 plates.

Eh, I'll just make them myself and put on knurling.
 
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