HELP! Bench Press 315 by May 31????

[Nathan]

Your squat and bench shouldn't be so close - sounds like you have spent a lot more time on your chest. I'm surprised your lifts ahve gone up as much as they have to be honest.

MY guess would be, as far as reaching your goals, is that it is possible given that you put on a considerable amount of fat.....actualyl I just read that you are coming BACK to this after along lay-off. That is making all the difference and I think it depends on what your lifts USED to be as far as determining how fast you can bring them up.

 

[roy2]

Update....

Heaviest Lifts:
Bench: 270 X 1
Squat: 275 X 1

It's amazing. My squat and bench press are almost the same. I must admit I haven't been doing heavy rows but I need to start. Now that I am moving heavier weights, I can definitley see some weaknesses big time.

Major weakness 1: Delts. I need to incorporate some heavy military presses b/c I feel a pain in my right shoulder. It's like my delts are giving out.

Weakness 2: Lats. I did some Lat pull downs for 10 minutes as a warm-up on Sunday. I started light with 100lbs and went up to 180. After i felt nice and toasty, I moved over to the bench and I felt this surge of strength. It's like I could feel my lats really contracting and moving the weight for me. I definitley need to incorporate either bent over rows or Pendlay rows.

I honestly do not think I will make 315 on May 31. If I can get to 300, then I will be happy. I am looking at my progression and it has been incredible, however. I never would have thought I could go from 225 X 2 in my bench and squat to where I am now in 4 weeks.

Additional notes:

Barbells kick ass. At the beginning of Feb. I began my workout routine. I had taken a few years as a layoff. After a month of heavy dumbell presses and inclines, I moved to strictly barbells. The pump I get afterward feels so much better. Maybe its because I am pressing more weight. I dunno. But a couple days after my workouts, my delts and tri's still burn like a mother. I never had this feeling with the dumbells.

Cardio: my current weight is 212lbs. I am still doing my nightly cardio because if I don't, I will balloon. I think if I laid off the cardio, I could easily gain 10 pounds in a month and boost my strength, however, I promised to not let myself go anymore. Maybe i can try slowing the cardio down a bit in the evenings.....

I wouldn't use muscle soreness or 'the pump' as a judge of how well I am working out my muscles, rather I would reference the increased poundages of my lifts. You've made some awesome progress, and if you can add 'about' 10 lbs a week for the next four weeks to your max bench, you'll hit your 315 on May 31. I would eat a ton and keep focusing on my bench.

 

[beerdrinker]

Bump! Any more progress Loco?

 

[roy2]

About a week till the end of the month..

http://www.criticalbench.com/Scott-Mendelson.htm

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

Thats a cool link, thanks roy!

 

[loco75_dfw]

Hey ya'll,

Thanks for keeping this thread alive
Anyway, here goes an update....Work kinda ramped up, I'm a computer programmer, so I was busy for a couple weeks and missed a few workouts. Anyway, I also joined a new gym (thread here: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=7374405) and either I got stronger because I missed a few workouts or the weights inside the new gym are lighter.

Anyway, I am up to 1 rep at 295 for the bench. This Sunday is my last heavy workout. Next week, I plan to rest up and do alot of pushups and light squats and get ready for May 31.

 

[xblitz44x]

Out of curiosity, are you using any gear? Supplements? It's pretty amazing to me that your all time max bench was 235'ish and after a layoff you came and packed 60lbs onto your bench in a month (without a whole ton of solid training knowledge, no offense).

Regardless, I give you a lot of credit and wish you good luck with your bet. You're silencing a lot of the doubters.

 

[loco75_dfw]

Out of curiosity, are you using any gear? Supplements? It's pretty amazing to me that your all time max bench was 235'ish and after a layoff you came and packed 60lbs onto your bench in a month (without a whole ton of solid training knowledge, no offense).

Regardless, I give you a lot of credit and wish you good luck with your bet. You're silencing a lot of the doubters.

Thanks xblitz. No offense taken. And, no I am not on any gear but I do take the following supplements religiously:

Centrum Performance every morning
Whey protein shake (2 scoops) twice a day
Creatine Monohydrate (1 scoop 30 min.. before workout)
Magnesium supplements (these are similar to ZMA but since i am a cheap bastard, I bought these at Walmart for like $5)

I am 32yo this August. I have been lifting since high school but I was never really serious. I had a home gym and the maximum weights I had were 225lbs so that's what I would use. Even up until a few years ago, I worked out in my garage and I would max out at 225 since that was the maximum weight I had. One thing I am happy with is that I still weigh 215. I was a chubby bastard earlier this year and weighed 246 so I went on a massive weight loss routine. I have been able to keep the weight off and increase my strength.

I honestly think I can hit 315 by July-August. I think I am pretty topped out for now. I think the biggest advantage working for me was that I knew deep down I couldn't get any weaker than 225lbs for squat and bench. I think all those years of just messing around in the garage with those weights wired my brain into seeing 225 as not a big deal. So for me, every single workout, ends in me burning out with 225 on the bench and squat. I'll do my regular routine and then when it's time to stop, I'll put 225 up there and squeeze out as many reps as I can and quickly drop the weight to 195, then 185 and finally 135 and just burn out.

Oh well, we'll see where I end up next week...

 

[H_T_]

i have never not been able to bench 315.

 

[beerdrinker]

i have never not been able to bench 315.

Wow, for the rest of us mere mortals, 315 is a big milestone.