How strong where you when you started lifting?

[Crazy03]

Hey everyone,
I see that there are some strong people on this board. What I want to know is how much weight you could lift when you first started lifting, in the squat, bench, deadlift, military press, curl, and rows. Also how many chins and dips you could do at whatever your bodyweight was if you do them. Thanks

 

[spatts]

In 2000- May 2002, using terrible form as a bodybuilder, I was squatting 315, benching 155, and deadlifting 285 for around 3 x 15. I walked away pretty messed up and in May 2002 when I started powerlifting:

Squat 225lbs (squat went down due to rotator cuffs)
Bench 0-45lbs (rotator cuffs)
Deadlift 0-45lbs (Deadlift injury in Jan 2002)

 

[casualbb]

I didn't even squat or deadlift, so I don't know those.

Bench - 135 max.

I could do 17 pullups though, cause I was thin as a rail.

 

[bigguns15]

My first meet was in October 1996. I had been training for about 4 months prior to this meet.

Squat 230
Bench 120
Dead 290
Total 640

 

[Becoming]

I started about 8th/9th grade. I think I maybe benched 135 on a good day, I don't know for sure what I squatted, but it was sad.. maybe 150?... by the end of my first full year of training I had almost gotten my squat up to 300 (maybe 275 or so..) and I could get a couple of reps with 135... that was a long time ago...

 

[Becoming]

By the way, I had a cheapy cement-filled weights and bench at home, so that "almost 135" I started at was not a true "untrained" number.

 

[from zero]

I remember way back I did this bench press machine, because I hated free weights. I did 70 lbs for reps. Oh yeah.

 

[IronLion]

I think i benched about 65 pounds the first time I tried it...lol

I was about 14 when I first squatted and I remember using two plates on each side and being all stoked about that

 

[Liftbig]

lol, i was weak as hell. i think when i first benched i did something like 75 lbs barely. i wasnt even strong enough to get my bicycle down from the hooks in the garage(we have our bikes hanging from hooks on the garage ceiling).

 

[MULE1]

My first meet big meet at york :

squat a hudge 680 hahaha
bench: 460 ahhh!!
d/l 585


No my bench is bigger than my d/l

 

[pwr_machine]

My first meet was in October 1996. I had been training for about 4 months prior to this meet.

Squat 230
Bench 120
Dead 290
Total 640

Impressive cause I firmly believe she'll double her total one day! And stay in the same weight class.

 

[b fold the truth]

I remember going into the gym and missing 95 pounds on the towel bench and not being able to squat the smith machine bar...

B True

 

[Scotsman]

My first maxes in the gym.

bench 85lbs
squat 185lbs
deadlift 225
couldn't do dips or pullups then.
Military press the bar maybe
Curls like 40-50lbs
rows machine 250 or so, i have always had a strong back.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

Four yrs ago-- I was curling the pinks & then moved up to the purples...

 

[louden_swain]

In 1993, I was able to tiple 86lbs on the bench press.

When I discovered squats, I was able to use 120lbs for sets of 8.

 

[Zander1983]

I remember my "long-term" goal used to be a 135lb bench press.

 

[Tiervexx]

I have mentioned before that i really started from scratch. I did pushups with bad form for about a month before i could do bench presses with 40lbs.

 

[Backlash]

I remember going into the gym and missing 95 pounds on the towel bench and not being able to squat the smith machine bar...

Is that a joke? The smith bar is counter-balanced so it's basically weightless right?

For me, I can't remember what I started at when I first started in college... definitely less than 135 on bench though. And I never squatted until a few months ago.

 

[louden_swain]

In high school, we had weightlifting records posted up on this huge board above the gymnasium. There were several weight classes. At the time, I was in the 135lb and under class. I looked up at the board and it displayed:

135lbs and under

BENCH - J. Dunne 190
SQUAT – J. Dunne 345
DEADLIFT – J. Dunne 370


At the time I was working towards breaking the record. . I was at 175lbs. Dunne was a couple years older than me.

It was the summer of 1993, and I started to train serious because I wanted the new record. Come Fall, I was hoisting 200lbs as a sophomore. I went to check the boards, and Dunne had benched 250lbs!!!! I felt like I was light years away!! At the end of the year, Dunne ended up with a 275lb bench at 135lbs and under before he graduated. I also attempted to beat his deadlift record, but a 325lb dead was no where near close to a 370lb dead.

To this day, I can still remember the numbers. . .to me Dunne was my idol, but I could never match up to him. . thinking about his records fueled my passion for training during the high school years. Dunne never did break his squat and dead records. I would like to visit my H.S. sometime to see the new records.

 

[Zander1983]

louden, it sounds like you managed to get yourself off to a brilliant start by going to a school that encouraged squats and deadlifts!!!

All we cared about was how much we could bench.

 

[coolcolj]

I was weak

 

[louden_swain]

louden, it sounds like you managed to get yourself off to a brilliant start by going to a school that encouraged squats and deadlifts!!!

All we cared about was how much we could bench.

We had some impressive lifters!! It was in Kansas and we had numerous powerlifters at my high school. Squats were essential!! I remember the coach had us working with percentages.

There was one guy who competed at local meets who weighed 152lbs (E. Saville - lived right behind me!!!)

He registered a 308lb bench press and could deadlift 500lbs. . .his squat was 435lbs.

In the weight room, we saw this senior working out with 100lb dumbbells on incline presses.

 

[Corey2007]

I could barley do anything....I just had natural strength....I just have worked out on and off

 

[Mr.Kachok]

Louden Swain, your story is exactly like myne, im chasing records in my high school right now!!!!!!

thats sad that you never cought up though :{

 

[MeatHead57]

i did 180 the first time i picked up a free weight but i worked out on the bowflex for 1/2 the year i repped 210 on it the first time for 4 reps i started free weights in jan. 2003!!

in jan 2003

bench-180
squat-200
deadlift dont kno

 

[louden_swain]

I think for a high school trainer. . school records are something to train for.

This will help develop hunger and the need to get stronger.

 

[revexrevex]

The first time I had benched was 4 years ago, in high school. I never done bench before, and embarassed myself by lifting 70 lbs on the machine, which was the smallest out of 30 people class. The first time I squatted was 1/4 squats with 95 lbs for 4 reps. I remmeber doing curls with just the bar itself, barely for 10 reps. Ah, the memories.

 

[sinjinsmythe33]

bench 50 pds. friends were so amused that they started to roll the bar on my chest and towards towards my throat. now i can do that same fifty pounds at least twenty five times. they dont mess with me any more. owe it all to anabolic mega pacs.

 

[louden_swain]

How many people here used plastic and concrete weights during the early days of training?

 

[bigguns15]

Re: i did

dp all the way

dp???

 

[sinjinsmythe33]

i did

dp all the way

 

[louden_swain]

I remember that I had to make an extra trip to Target to purchase 2 15lb plastic and cement plates. . .I was getting stronger.

I never forget the time, I was able to bench 4 wheels per side (15lb plates that is lol). . .I thought I was king of the neighborhood!!

 

[sinjinsmythe33]

that was the logo/insignia on the plastic plates. i think it stood for diversified products, or dementia producing, something like that.

 

[bigguns15]

that was the logo/insignia on the plastic plates. i think it stood for diversified products, or dementia producing, something like that.

Ok, that's good

 

[b fold the truth]

Is that a joke? The smith bar is counter-balanced so it's basically weightless right?

I think that theirs was like 60 pounds. The OLD school smith machines...

B True

 

[jeremys]

i wonder what the bench record is at my school..should be pretty damn close

but as to the original question, the only thing i remember training with was a set of 6 w/ 95 lbs when i was 11-12 y/o

 

[Peckz]

bench 50 pds. friends were so amused that they started to roll the bar on my chest and towards towards my throat. now i can do that same fifty pounds at least twenty five times. they dont mess with me any more. owe it all to anabolic mega pacs.

 

[gopanthers]

16 years old. needed a spot to life the bar by itself. Was trying out for football team. Decided I was too little to play. Nuff said.

 

[Sebass67]

I remember doing bench with a quarter a side...
30-40pd dumbells a few years ago...it was a rec gym and when i saw a guy incline press 60s i thought he was strong as fuck...now i do 100s...
Squats were always my fav...i could pretty much leg press 8 plates a side rigth when i started and squatting 2 plates a side was no trouble really...once i got my form down no prob...now i am up to 480...
Deads...i am so lucky i didn;t kill myself when i started these...i pretty much saw some girl do like 300 pds in my gym...and i am like...i could do that...my form must have been horrible...first time i did deads i was prob using like 225pds...now i am up to 515...

So yeah...it's been a pretty good ride thus far...

 

[makedah]

Last summer, I couldn't squat the naked bar without trembling.

I'd done about a year of low-weight/high rep + aerobics before that: 8# bicep curls and such.

 

[sk*]

I'm gonna love this post cause I weak as anyone can be.

I used to be 220lbs @ 6'3 but then I went on a stict diet and cut down to 180lbs of bones. Even at 180lbs I had some flabby fat on my stomach but I redefined scrawny.

Here are what my lifts were:

squat: 115lbs for 4-6, half reps.

bench: 95lbs for 4, and it came down on my throat on the 4th rep. Had some guy curl the weight up.

deadlift: 135lbs for 4-6, but my back was arched like I was about to die. I imagine I couldn't do more than 95lbs with proper form.

military press: Used to do standing OHP when I started, and did 55lbs for 4-6 and my back was arched like it was gonna break.

curl: Did dumbbell curls and 20lbs for 10, I was SWINGING.

barbell rows: Arched back, worse form possible, maybe 95lbs.

chins/pull ups: HAHA, yea right. I couldn't do one if my life depended on it.

dips: Big Fat ZERO, just like chins and pull ups. Couldn't do one if my life depended on it.


Forgot to mention, I WAS 18 YEARS OLD haha.

-sk

 

[BIGJGrimm]

I don't remember my squat or dead lift but i will always remember my first bench. I was going into the ninth grade and I went to the high school weight room and got crushed by 115 lbs.(I was 230 at the time)

BIGJgrimm

 

[Exodus]

at the end of ninth grade i completed the following.

15 years old.......150lbs.
bench - 65 lbs x 1.
squat - 150lb x 1.
whats a deadlift????
ohp - 20lb dumbells each for 3 ( i couldnt do it with the bar)

22 years old.........260lbs
bench - 300ish x 1
squat - 405ish x 1
deadlift - 450ish x 1
ohp - 250lbs x 1

X

 

[crayonofdoom]

Freshman in highschool
bench: 165 INCREDIBLY hard

Never maxed on squat until sophomore year: 330

Never maxed on cleans until junior year: 225 was my first

And I do remember My first pec deck max (?!) was I believe 90 lbs. for one at about jan. of 8th grade.

bodyweight was always bout 180-190 until junior year

 

[IJ26]

I started as a frosh in high school and I was a mighty 140. I could do 145 once. My squat was around 165 for 3 x 10. I remeber just wishing i could rep out 135. I saw quick results though by sophomore year I was benching 205 and squatting 300 below parallel at 155 pounds. Its a far cry from where I am today. I always tell the new guys that I was there once and it takes a lot of time and hard work to improve but they dont believe it.

 

[erowana]

Hey everyone,
I see that there are some strong people on this board. What I want to know is how much weight you could lift when you first started lifting, in the squat, bench, deadlift, military press, curl, and rows. Also how many chins and dips you could do at whatever your bodyweight was if you do them. Thanks

When I started weight lifting after I left the army, I could do 27 pullups and 20 dips . I could incline bench only 40 kg, now its 80 kg for 2 rep. Military press was 40 kg now still 40 kg lol, but for 8-12 reps. Deadlifts was zero ( didn't know this exercise existed back then) now 50 kg for 10 reps. Rows just started doing at 135 lbs for 7 reps. Bodyweight more or less constant at 150 lbs since I don't really care about calories and such, just the post workout shake to prevent catabolism.