i impressed myself

[Buddy_Christ]

last week of august i started lifting. took me 2 weeks to get all the soreness out, then i started hitting everything pretty hard. bout 3 weeks into it, i couldn't flat bench 165, and was lucky to get 5 reps of 145. hell, even nailing out 3 sets of 10 at 125 wasn't happening, maybe the first 2 sets, but not the third.

then i went to pyramids and dumbbell work. 2 months later.....

just starting to really improve my diet. wasn't putting enough carbs into me at the right times before, but was getting a lot of protein. i've tried for a 205 max a few times, but havn't gotten it yet. last wednesday, went for a max again, but dropped it to 195. i managed to put it up 3x, the 3rd time with just an ever so slight assist, barely anything (i think it was more mental than anything else).

at 5'6", 160lbs, and only a few months into it, i didn't think that max was too bad. also, i had done 3 sets of inclines with dumbbells and 3 sets of flat bench with dumbbells before doing 195. all of the dumbbell sets were pyramids. i think my last set of inclines were with a 60lb in each hand and last set of flat bench were with a 50lb in each hand., but do'nt quite remember. i did everything i could to keep my form good also, and tried my best to explode to put it back up, and i think it helped quite a bit.

is 200 or 205 possible this week? dunno. even if it isn't, i'm still pretty happy about 195.

still kinda psyched over it, and it was almost a week ago. told a guy i chat with in the gym what he missed last wednesday, and he was almost as happy as i was to hear of it. feels good to know i'm making progress.

hey, it may not be an impressive max bench, but everyone has to start off somewhere, and i'm nowhere near done yet

 

[Dave949]

Right on and good for you Bro !!!!

Stick with it and you can only imagine what you will be doing a year from now, not to mention the size you will have attained.

 

[WalkingBeast]

205 is completely possible and 225 isnt far off with consistent training and eating

 

[Buddy_Christ]

thanks for the support! fiance just looks at me like "uh, you're gonna hurt yourself" when i tell her what i'm lifting. she cares, but she really doesn't have too much of a clue. guess i get to do my "bragging" here

thanks agian!

 

[Backlash]

Good work! That's a great gain for just a few months. Some here would disagree, but I think trying to max out your 1RM too often will actually slow your gains down a bit. I wouldn't shoot for 1RMs more than once a month, or even less often.

 

[Toozee]

Awesome man!
Congrats on the gains.
Onward and upward.

-2z-

 

[Lord_Suston]

205 is completely possible and 225 isnt far off with consistent training and eating

now this is truly good advice

 

[big4life]

Congrats and keep pushing yourself!!

 

[bebasshome]

Congrats on the progress bro! I had the same problem when I started lifting heavily last year beginning on Sept 1st. You gain ALOT in the first few months, but after that, your progress starts to slowwwwwwwww down. Thats when you gotta keep motivated. One thing that always motivated me....was when I was doing a SET, of what I was at one point MAXING at! Thats ALWAYS a serious pump when you do that. If you keep a journal of your progress, thats always a good thing too. SEEING your progress on paper, is nearly as good as seeing progress in the mirror IMO.

Back to your ??, sorry I got off track there.....I'd say 205 is DEFINETLY attainable for you. Just DO NOT CHEAT! I dunno about you, but I'd rather do less weight, with proper form, then more weight, and bouncing it off my chest. Not only will you get more benefits this way, but you'll also reduce your risk for injury at the same time.

This quote from Yoda pretty much sums it up I'd say:

"TRY NOT.....DO....or DO NOT.....there is no TRY!"

Goodluck Bro...let us know how it turns out

Brian

 

[Smurfy]

Great job on the progress!! Keep working hard and you will continue to see improvement.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

thanks again all.

i depressed myself today when i decided to go for 200 and had some problems. my spotter told me he barely touched the bar, and he isn't the type to bs someone either. i know where my weak point is....it's the low and mid part of the execution. lockout i'm fine. i've read the sticky that has all the links that tell about proper form and how to build up to eliminate your weak points. i need to re-read it since i've found out where i'm weak in my bench so i know exactly what i need to work on. i could've held that 200lbs up at lockout for a while, and i prolly had it there making sure i had it balanced right for no less than 3 seconds. did my best to keep proper form and explode to drive it back up. guess i hit a mental block today. i'm sick of my routine, and i think that had something to do with it. switching to 5x5 real damn soon. might be in 2 weeks, might be in a month. depends on a few medical things.

again, thanks! if i can get this block out of my head i know i can put 205 up. i've got the strength for it and i know it, but something inside is keeping me from doing it.

 

[MnFguy49]

You are doing great bro! Keep up the hard work! I think your bench is great for your bodyweight and considering you just started training!
You are only a few lbs behind me with your flat bench...and I've got a couple years of training under my belt, so GREAT JOB!!

 

[magman1]

[hey, it may not be an impressive max bench, but everyone has to start off somewhere, and i'm nowhere near done yet [/B]

thats the key bro...great work, and keep on truckin

 

[Backlash]

Make sure when you start the 5x5 that you start with a weight you can do easily, so that you don't plateau after 3 weeks and you can blow by your old max. After a few months you'll be doing 5x5 with 205!

 

[jackangel]

you're already quite strong for someone who's only been training for a little over 3 months. keep that in mind whenever you have a less-than-perfect day in the gym.

225 is yours, and soon.