posted Mon, 06/16/2025 - 19:41
198
+ 8 Hit 225 lbs on the bench press for the first time!
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Apologies if videos aren't allowed to be shared, but I'm excited. Been lifting for about 11 months, and in a cut too. My calculated 1RM was 220 after doing 165 x 10, so I thought I'd make a push for 225. Never attempted a 1RM before. It took me a few weeks from hitting that calculated 1RM to being able to hit the actual 225. Focused on lifting really heavy, like 90% of my max 3-4 times a week. Ended up deloading after the first week of the hard push as it had been about 8 weeks since my last one and I needed it, but came back the next week, hard, then the week after I was able to hit it. Switching back to hypertrophy now and using dumbbells for a bit as I have noticeably weaker left arm.
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Right on man. Good job. That's a big milestone for anyone that achieves it. Keep it up.
Very nice!! And if you want to get super strong, I’d listen to press1. He’s knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff! I’d say reverse pyramid helped my strength, especially if you don’t have a lot of time to train.
+1 for keeping your butt on the bench. I see you’re using leg drive, so that’s awesome. Bar path looks legit! I am impressed with your technique!
Thanks, I had actually been doing reverse pyramid for a bit up until this final push! And technique is like 99% sure the reason I went from 210 to 225 so fast, working heavy and really focusing on keeping my back arched, driving with my legs, and not flaring my elbows.
Incorporating your legs, glutes, lower and then upper back is a huge part of effective bench pressing. This is why you should always leave it a day or 2 after doing deadlifts or barbell rows as those exercises knock all of those areas out. You can also see how much they aid the lift when you do a Larsen press with your legs straight out from the bench and not driving into the ground. In regards to not flaring the elbows, if you keep them totally tucked to the side then all that hapens is you end up just placing the work on the shoulders and triceps and will get zero chest activation and size from benching. I would say there is nothing wrong with flaring the elbows at around 45 degrees to the side, just as long as they are not being held at 90 to get a real forced stretch on the pecs. Do not do guillotine benching to the throat either as thats another way to tear things.
Press1 and Mikey gave me some advice that took my bench from 275 to 315 in about 2 months after I had been stalled there for close to 6 months. Not only that but my chest finally started to grow again while I was doing that. This site is solid gold when it comes to advice, you’d have to pay a coach thousands to get what these guys give away for free.
What did Mikey say - Just run 1 gram Tren??!!! Lmfao
Lol, it was actually his warmup routine that did it. I was getting really bad rotator cuff pain whenever I tried to go too heavy and it pretty much fixed it the first time I tried it. Probably just ignoring the fact that I’m not 22 anymore more than anything tbh
Press don't be surprised if my 13 years in prison i learned some serious good training methods.
They have jails in new york it called nappanack they do bodybuilding comps and have powerlifting meets with guys from the outside they have chains bands the squattracks that lock in from the top anything in a to level powerlifting gun in the street and guys are seeing records raw and natural of course you have the 3 ply pussies but nobody counts that shit especially guys who are just locked up and workout but are just strong, and benching 405 is nothing in there just about everyone in the jail hits 405 allot guys been in for awhile though and never going home this black kid skinny as fuck 205lbs he had the weirdest build tho dead lifted 855lbs but couldn't bench 315 barely and squat 495 but his body just had long ass arms tiny torso long legs so he could pull some shit, another prison greenhaven has boxing his come from the outside to box convicts.
405 coming next year (or maybe the year after) on the bench bro. My lifetime pr is only around 350 if I’m being honest but just getting back to 3pl8s has been a big confidence boost. I was feeing like maybe I was too old and didn’t have it in me anymore.
I am only Joking with ya mate!! Hell you are much stronger than me
I know. But isn't that pretty crazy how prisons in New York have everything still other states don't ny still does cuz of the Attica riots. They're trying to take the weights tho slowly. The day of the riot nobody used to go to the mess hall, people started going during the late teens, so now the co's are taking everything away and making it more strict.
Well Done Matey!! 275 it is next
I would also advise that doing 90% 3 to 4 times per week is too much and not needed, you will do better doing reps at that intensity 2 times per week. High intensity will hit your shoulders hard and can end up injuring your rotator cuffs if done too much. Reps at 85% of 1RM work well too.
Oh yeah, I was definitely feeling the increased intensity, only ran it for the two or three weeks because I was so close to hitting 225. Really wanted to get the PR in under a year. Did you see that study about the lifters who tested their 1RM, then did 5 sets of 80-90% of their max EVERY DAY for 34 days, supposedly saw a huge increase like 30% to their 1RM, that's what inspired me to hit it more often and really focus on heavy. It was hell on the joints, but it seems like it worked for a short burst to get over the hump I was at. As I mentioned, I'm taking a break from the barbell to focus on dumb bell presses to help strengthen my left arm, also doing more incline and decline and fly work.