How Much Can You Bench?

[plnnr]

41 years old
5’10"
190#

My bench routine is:

1 set of 12 reps at 180#
1 set of 8 reps at 145#
1 set of 6 at 110#

I don’t think I’ve ever tried a maximum lift for bench press.

[Scuba_Ben]

I’ve led benching on several occasions, and I know the introductory psalm by memory. ;j

[caveman]

I’m 27, 5’9", 280 lbs, and rarely work out aside from my 2-mile morning walk. Last time I tried, I maxed out at 300.

[Kalhoun]

@Burrido

Depends, how long has he been lifting for?

Without knowing that, I would say that a 15 lbs gain in two weeks is very unlikely. But without knowing his routine I can’t really say. Even if you do everything right, 15 pound gain in a Month is pretty insane. Although beginners can put on mass very quickly, I’m assuming that he’s a little seasoned.

I have a pretty good routine for Chest. At 5’7" 165lbs, i can flat bench around 330. Im 28, lift 4 days on/1 off.

He’s been lifting about 2 years. Two three-hour gym sessions per week and 1/2 hour on 4 other mornings, generally.

[Kalhoun]

**Jesus! You guys are ANIMALS! ** Keep up the good work! I hope he’ll be able to do it by Christmas…but it sounds like the birthday wish may not come true.

Thanks for your responses!

[Sunshine_and_Smiles]

Hm. I’m 6’2" and weigh 140, and can bench 135. My bench went up from 110 - 135 in only a couple weeks, so it’s possible to make such gains. Unfortunately, I think I’ve been losing all my strength due to too much running and not enough lifting.

[Sauron]

For what it’s worth, I’ll chime in as well …

I gotta agree with those who said since your husband has been doing this for a couple of years, a 15-pound max increase over two or three weeks just isn’t in the cards, unless he’s willing to injure himself to achieve it.

I’m 39, and have been working out three to four times a week for nine months. When I started, I could bench 130 pounds (on a machine, not free weights) for two sets of ten each. I worked my way up to three sets of ten at 220 pounds before hurting my shoulder a month ago (although I don’t know if the weights caused the injury, or if it was something else). I never tried to max out, although I’m guessing I could get to 250. Maybe. With a good tail wind.

I weigh 205, and am six feet tall.

I hope I’ll be at the OP’s husband’s level of fitness when I’m 60. That’s impressive.

[Lakai]

5’ 10’’ and 147 lbs and I have maxed out 150. Good for my weight, but not that good overall.

[Burrido]

@Kalhoun

He’s been lifting about 2 years. Two three-hour gym sessions per week and 1/2 hour on 4 other mornings, generally.

He’s lifting too frequently. No one should be lifting for 3 hours in one session. There are athletes that train that much, but they sleep and consume alot more than the average person.

My chest routine is generally this:

Excercise Bike for about 15 mins at 130ish heartbeat. Just enough to get warmed up.
Stretch out.

Flat Bench
Decline Bench
Flys
Incline
all for 5 sets 6 reps

Next time Chest comes around in my cycle, I’ll swtich the order of the excersices but I’ll do 3 sets of 10 reps.

3rd time, I’ll swtich the order again, and superset each one for 4 sets of 8 reps. For example, Flat Bench for 8 reps, then immediately grab some weight and do dumbell flys for 8 reps. The trick is to constantly change your routine.