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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Nov-14-07, 02:08
Demi's Avatar
Demi Demi is offline
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Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160 Female 5'10"
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Default How much can you bench?

The Guardian
London, UK
14 November, 2007


How much can you bench?

While other gym crazes come and go, the bench press is still considered the ultimate measure of strength. Andy Darling examines its enduring appeal

Rhydian Roberts, the most entertaining contestant on the current X Factor, has no tearful back-story, no ashen-faced aunts recounting tragedies that have beset him during his 24 years. He utterly lacks humility, reckons he should be knighted, and there's no suggestion that elimination will see him return to thankless, low-paid work. None of this will hamper his chances, though, for Rhydian has a claim to fame from a decade ago that ensures he'll get the votes of weight trainers across the land. Roberts, it turns out, was the junior Welsh bench press champion, and fifth best in the UK.

The bench press involves lying on a bench and pushing a barbell upwards with both arms from chest level until the arms are straight, then lowering it again. Dumbbells can be used instead, and there are machines which simply require users to do the pushing part. The main muscles worked are the pectoralis major (the pecs or chest), the fronts of the shoulders, and the triceps, or backs of the arms. That's the front of the upper body pretty much covered, and most gym-goers, male or female, will regularly do three to five sets of 8-12 reps.

In 1957, Muscle Power magazine declared the bench press "The greatest exercise of them all". But it's more than just an exercise: it's the movement most gym members use to measure their absolute strength. The standard Olympic weightlifting techniques, such as clean and jerk and snatch, are far too complex to attempt without specific coaching, but anyone can lie on a bench and push a weight upwards. Lou Schuler, author of The New Rules of Lifting, says, "the bench press is the default exercise in modern gym culture - it's the one we all do, and the one most of us, at some point, have 'maxed out' on. Almost every meathead, mook, and gym rat in every American health club has a pretty good idea of how much he can bench. Whether he's doing it subtly or obnoxiously, you know almost every guy in the gym is measuring himself against you every time you load a barbell in the bench press station."

Schuler cites five reasons for the bench press's long reign as king of the weights room: it's easy to learn and practise; beginners make quick gains; it works muscles you can see in the mirror; it's easy to work out if you completed the lift or not; it's a legitimate, contested lift in the sport of powerlifting.

The desire to answer the question "how much can you bench?" can start early. Rob Smith, a personal trainer and sports physiotherapist, who teaches strength and conditioning at Hurstpierpoint College, a private school in West Sussex, explains: "The one thing all the young lads at the school gravitate towards is the bench press machine. There's that idea that all men want bigger chests and arms, and with the bench press you can [lift weights] and feel safe at the same time. Unlike with squats or other exercises, you're supported by a bench. If it's a machine, then you try to lift it and it either goes upwards, or it doesn't. I think there may be something instinctive too, though, especially when you're using free weights: you're underneath a weight, and if you can't push it up then you're stuck. It's that primal response: I've got to get this off me, or I'm trapped." Indeed, since 1996 there have been 11 deaths in home gyms across the US, with the majority being caused by asphyxiation brought about by a hefty barbell pressing down on the windpipe.

If a benched barbell were to go awry during one of Andy Bolton's training sessions, he would be unlikely to live to tell the tale. The 37-year-old from Dewsbury, Yorkshire, has been world powerlifting champion six times, and is the first and only man ever to "deadlift" more than 1000lbs (71st). The deadlift, along with the bench press and squat, completes the trio of ultimate powerlifts. Deadlifting simply involves picking a barbell off the floor until your legs are straight, squatting requires resting a barbell on the backs of the shoulders, lowering the thighs until they're just below parallel to the floor, and then straightening up again. Bolton has squatted an unimaginable 1,214lbs - nearly 87st - which is also a world record. Unlike most powerlifters, he has never suffered any serious chest or shoulder muscle tears, but for those seeking less extreme ways to build their upper body strength, there are plenty of options.

"Bench press isn't the be-all and end-all," says Smith. "Press ups are often thought of as too easy, but you can do so much with them, and they work the core, because you have to keep yourself stable rather than have a bench to support you. Put the feet up on a bench or exercise ball to increase the resistance; put the hands on an exercise ball and keep the feet on the floor; slow the pace down."

Perhaps it's indicative of society's superficiality, but resistance exercises for the back of the body, the bits that men don't see in the mirror, are often overlooked.

"I insist on clients and pupils doing as much pulling as they do pushing," says Smith. "Pull ups, seated rows, they're vital to create balance in the body, rather than just working on the front with bench press. The school's a good place to instil those kinds of values."

It's highly unlikely that any other single weight training exercise will inspire a book such as Bench Press, written by Sven Lindqvist. The Swede, whose oeuvre includes literary novels, philosophy and history, discovered the gym in middle age. One movement alone allowed him to come somewhere near metabolising the existential crises he encountered in midlife: "I lay on the bench and lifted divorce up and away, 90 times a week. In my bench press I was lifting both death and divorce off my chest".


http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk...2210112,00.html
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Nov-14-07, 07:02
galatia's Avatar
galatia galatia is offline
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Quote:


you know almost every guy in the gym is measuring himself against you every time you load a barbell in the bench press station."


Yep.
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, Nov-14-07, 21:44
Gostrydr Gostrydr is offline
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One of the most overated and dangerous excercise ever..
I cannot believe this guy is telling people to do those with your feet in the air??

Where is Louie Simmons when you need him.

This excercise jacks up more rotator cuffs, elbows and pecs than just about any other chest excercise.

That is mainly due to poor form..guys arching their backs,letting the weight drop down with no control..to many forced reps, too much weight..blah blah blah..

And for alot of us with a differnt biomechanical makeup, a very poor developer of the pecs.

Give me dips and inclines any day.

But damn, it is impressive when you see someone bench with 8 plates on the bar!!!!
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Nov-14-07, 22:05
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kbfunTH kbfunTH is offline
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What an almost useless write-up.

"The ultimate measure of strength" NOT!
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  #5   ^
Old Thu, Nov-15-07, 04:46
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dane dane is offline
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Plan: Lyle's PSMF
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Default

I like benching but agree it can cause problems if you're not careful. I also have a problem recruiting my pecs with this exercise--my triceps like to take over.

If I had to pick an "ultimate" exercise, it would probably be the deadlift, and variations of.
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  #6   ^
Old Thu, Nov-15-07, 07:09
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galatia galatia is offline
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Plan: low carb
Stats: 173/135.8/130 Female 5'4"
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Default

I don't flat bench much, not crazy about the "feel".

Steve: now I'm confused....I thought you said dips were on the "bad list"....so, are you "fer'um or agin'um?" Which dips are you talking about parallel or bench?

kb: I don't think there is an ultimate "show of strength" exercise....but you gotta admit....a strong bench press is impressive. However, since I'm a wuss at squats....they impress me more. Ah, heck....I'm pretty impressed with strength period. Heavy weights being lifted, muscles rippling.....oh yeah!

What are y'alls favorites for chest? I'm going with incline presses and flyes.

Last edited by galatia : Thu, Nov-15-07 at 07:16.
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Nov-15-07, 09:08
Gostrydr Gostrydr is offline
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Plan: close to zero carbs
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Galatia,, bench dips are a big no-no..Regular parallel bar dips are great. I used to do the Vince Gironda varieties with a wide grip and found that at that width, I got more of a serratus type of workout.

Inclines and Dips in my book are the best. I'll vary the degree of the incline..I have really long arms and a short torso so benching is not ideal for me. But deadlifting comes pretty easy for me.

How about the clean and press for ultimate strength..along with squats?
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Nov-15-07, 10:26
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kbfunTH kbfunTH is offline
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Plan: UDS
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by galatia
I don't flat bench much, not crazy about the "feel".

Steve: now I'm confused....I thought you said dips were on the "bad list"....so, are you "fer'um or agin'um?" Which dips are you talking about parallel or bench?

kb: I don't think there is an ultimate "show of strength" exercise....but you gotta admit....a strong bench press is impressive. However, since I'm a wuss at squats....they impress me more. Ah, heck....I'm pretty impressed with strength period. Heavy weights being lifted, muscles rippling.....oh yeah!

What are y'alls favorites for chest? I'm going with incline presses and flyes.


I think strongman type of competitions get about as close as you can for ultimate show of strength, but otherwise I agree with ya.

I have always LOVED bench pressing and watching a BIG bench in action. I like any angle of pressing and use quite a variety. I bench high volume and heavy many weeks out of the year, but never to failure. Never a problem to speak of so far. I'm a fan of strength as well.
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Nov-23-07, 13:58
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LacyOkey LacyOkey is offline
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Plan: low carb
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Default

I compete in strongwoman.Not all of us bench.I throw it it on occasion but my main focus is overhead pressing.We use different implements anywhere from an 8 or 12 inch log where your hands are side by side or a two inch thick bar where they are parallel.

Dane I am with ya I think the deadlift is the grandaddy of all the lifts.
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  #10   ^
Old Sat, Nov-24-07, 09:10
dane's Avatar
dane dane is offline
muscle bound
Posts: 3,535
 
Plan: Lyle's PSMF
Stats: 226/150/135 Female 5'7.5"
BF:46/20/sliced
Progress: 84%
Location: near Budapest, Hungary
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by LacyOkey
I compete in strongwoman.Not all of us bench.I throw it it on occasion but my main focus is overhead pressing.We use different implements anywhere from an 8 or 12 inch log where your hands are side by side or a two inch thick bar where they are parallel.

Dane I am with ya I think the deadlift is the grandaddy of all the lifts.

You're hella strong! Cute poms, too.
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  #11   ^
Old Sat, Dec-01-07, 18:58
Takh_Prime Takh_Prime is offline
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Plan: Atkins (Induction)
Stats: 352.2/332.6/230 Male 74 inches
BF:43%/40%/10%
Progress: 16%
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I hit 345 in college and it was great for bragging rights but I stopped benching seriously after that because there was no real advantage to be stronger. About 2 months back I started again and could barely bench 135 in sets. Took about 2 weeks to move through 155 -225 -245. Still doing 245 without feeling a need to go higher. Now when I see someone do more it doesn't make me want to bench more.
Oh I never liked the flat bench so all of those weights are on an incline bench.
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Jan-02-12, 08:07
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Equinox Equinox is offline
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Plan: dr. Boz Keto Continuum
Stats: 265/226/165 Female 175 centimeters
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Location: Oslo, Norway
Default

"you know almost every guy in the gym is measuring himself against you every time you load a barbell in the bench press station."

Absolutely. A couple sessions ago this guys came in with his obviously brand new gym program in hand. He had to be sixty at least, grey hair and skinny all over. He went straight for the bench, and put on two ten kilo plates for a total of 40 kg.

There was no. way. He barely managed to rack the bar without hurting himself. Took off the tens, added fives, so 30 kg total. This time he could lift the weight and did reps. In between my sets I was facing the mirror opposite him, and I kept staring at the bar when he was lifting, because he lifted it up crookedly, left arm leading, and the unsecured plate on the other side of the bar kept slipping toward the end... And he never noticed.

His form was sloppy too, and at the end of the sets he was barely lowering the bar ten cm, then twitching it back up.

I didn't dare make a sound. Because I'm a GIRL who was benching more than his first attempt and I didn't wanna scare him out of the gym forever, how sad is that... You see, I'm positive he only put the tens on because I was lifting 42,5 right next to him. Because there is no way his trainer (who put together the paper program he had in his hand when he came to the bench) would have encouraged him to lift that much above what he could clearly manage, not without good form and maybe a spotter.

Last edited by Equinox : Tue, Jan-03-12 at 05:59.
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