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I was a respectable bencher 10 years ago,I'm 56 now & Its been a nite mare trying to comeback..my size is coming back but strength is slow ..I think it just comes down to dedication..I'll do as you say about just keep mixing things up
@@suprafluid3661I'm sure he was just talking about 315 pounds and not metric lol.. cause my best bench was just 500 lbs..I think 315 metric would be around 600 pounds & over so no way I could do that but in my dreams lol
I had to incorporate speed work that a powerlifter taught me to help me get over my plateau. I thought it was stupid at first until my bench jumped 35 pounds in eight weeks
And I am sitting here trying to hit 15 resps with 100kg. I mean I can move more weight, I just move it less?! Like what is the rep size here? Moving tje same weight 3 times is very different from 10 times or 25 times. Even tho at some point it becomes less importand aka 30 - 40 I ques.
@@suprafluid3661 if you actually wanna increase strength, you gotta stop wasting time with 10+ reps on barbell lifts and do more sets with heavier weights for months and months. 5 reps or less. You don't get good at sprinting by running marathons.
and amount of people especially atheletes lieng about it is crazy. most of them are young too so you can not tell if it was just newbie gains or gains with steroids.
@@MrTommy2143 I'm used to being around men, that may be the difference here. It took me 3-4 months to hit 2 plates and I've met tons of people more naturally strong than I. If you ever do real manual labour you'll see that lots of people are relatively strong. 1 in 20 is a laughable metric. Are you a twig or just that egotistical about your accomplishments? 225 is average man shit. Not everyone feels the need to hit the gym, just because they aren't there to impress you that doesn't mean they don't exist.
Was lifting 7 years when I hit it, many of those years training like a straight moron but still, nearly cried. It's naturally possible. I have long arms n was skinny before I lifted so don't gimme excuses
Agree. It took me about 3yrs of lifting from senior in high school to hit 315. I’m 6’6 and at the time was 252 and could get 315 for 5-7 reps but then started doing push-ups every morning and night same number and would increase it by 2-3 every week and keep that number for the week and on and on. 4 months in, my strength was nuts (of course my tendons above the elbow were hurting, but pushed through it). I was at 75 push-ups every morning and night. I was repoing 405 for 5. Then my tendon got real bad and had to back off a good deal and so my strength dropped. That was 10yrs ago. I can still reps 315 for 5 or so reps, but I need to get focused in gym and be more consistent. What they say is so true…if you don’t use it, you lose it
@@ThunderXSurge It’s just progression & volume. Worked like a charm, but just have to be aware of overworking your tendons. In hindsight, when they first started hurting, I probably should’ve scrapped for a few days until the tendon soreness was gone instead of work through it. For years afterwards, I had issues with those tendons. They’re all good now, but whenever they start to get sore (the bad kind of sore) I immediately stop. Pushing through = more damage that’s likely long term. Of course, that’s just my experience.
When I was in high school, I never worked out, never hit a gym, never hit a bench press, never ran nothing. I was always skinny and had problems putting on weight. I started working out in my mid twenties and it took me 3 years to get to 225. It doesn’t matter when you start, it’s just a matter of starting
Everybody is different. When I did work out "back in the day" my body weight was around 155, at 5.6 ft.I got to where I was able to bench press 310-double my body weight. I never did crack the 315 mark. Never used PED's, but I knew I would never be a world class bodybuilder or powerlifter either. There were a few guys I knew that were genetic freaks that would get big by just hard physical labor, about my size but have arms way bigger than mine. Those are the guys that can have a chance winning in bodybuilding and powerlifting. I started out with one of those hollow metal bars that come with the plastic coated cement weights,but it got to where it was bent pretty good and the most I could do with that bar was 290. One day a friend of mine brought me a 6ft. solid steel bar and immediately was able to do 305 the first time I used it.
I've always been very weak as well, especially pressing. I used to climb, so I have a fairly good upper back, but I'm 6ft 185lbs and right now I'm benching 135lbs for 4-5 reps, that's it. I've struggled with a shoulder injury for a year and a half, so that held me back significantly, but now at last it's at least moving forward for me, both bench and overhead. For comparison, I'm probably just a couple months aways from doing Lat pulldowns with 220lbs 😅 So the discrepancy between my pushing and pulling is quite large 😅
You were not training properly or eating right. It should not take you that long to get 225. I'm a personal trainer and I've taken small little guys with terrible genes who started off benching 100 and got them to 225 in a couple months. You just gotta train properly and eat a lot.
Based on your comment I'm guessing it was you not eating enough. Thats typically the problem with ectomorphs. Sometimes they need like 5000 calories a day to really get much stronger.
If you have problems putting on weight that means you aren't eating enough. I tell people this and they whine and say "ohhh I ate a lot and I feel sick blah blah". To get to 315 I had to eat until I looked pregnant and felt sick all the time and id wake up choking on stomach contents several times a week. Its just about how bad you want it.
As a short guy in my early 40's, it took me 2 years to get to 2 plates. We'll see if I live long enough to reach 3 plates. Might get too busy yelling at kids, and how expensive things are now.
U have time it's just u have to cut something else out and replace it with workout. Its funny how I see people say this and spend so much time watching tv are on their phones its just they dont want to give up that personal time to train they feel it's more of a choir. I'm busy I just sacrifice an hour of sleep instead of 7 its 6 and I take a power nap during the day when I can and take 1 day to sleep as much as possible and theirs your time I'm going for 400 already hit 350 1rm in 2 years naturally I started at 40.
Getting to 2 is much harder than getting to 3 from my experience, you've done the ground work now, just got to keep hitting the gym and you'll hit 3 plates faster than you hit 2.
Just remember that 315 is an arbitrary number. It just happens to be a mark to chase because of the weight of standard plates and bars. If plates happened to be 40 or 50 as the standard, the goals would shift accordingly because we like patterns and see X number of plates on a bar as a goal to chase. 315 is achievable for a lot of guys, but so is 330 and hitting 305 shouldn’t be viewed as a failure to get to some “next level”. It’s great to have a goal and a specific number is fine to target, but it’s not like 225/315/405/etc define strength tiers and being just over or under one makes you somehow much better or worse of a lifter.
All numbers are arbitrary. Who said 12" should be a foot.? Why the standard of an "inch" .? 315 is a benchmark (no pun intended) for a REAL measure of strength, based on the standard plates available.
Competition plates are 25kg, so in powerlifting circles a three plate bench is closer to 375lb and that is a more significant standard among competitors. Just an example of your point
3:06 is great advice "If you're only going to pursue difficult things because success was guaranteed ahead of time, then you're not going to amount to sh*t anywhere in life"
I got stuck at 305 for ages. I really did feel like 315 was round the corner, but I had to scale back due to health issues. I hit my 500lbs deadlift. But was 20lbs shy of my squat goal, and 10 shy of my bench Hopefully next year I will be in a place where I can push again and get those numbers, but I have a feeling I hit as strong as I'm ever going to get.
Have u dabbled with narrow bench and worked on bent over rows? I got to the point where my narrow bench was way over my reg bench. And tris were crazy strong
Oddly enough the one thing that made the biggest differnce in my bench was switching to dumbells and also adding machine work in. Creating a place where you can overload without the risk of public Autoerotic asphyxiation is great. Sometimes you can get a partner, but honestly you put alot of trust in someone that they'll loosen the belt before you drift off to the forever siesta.
@@AzizPhilosophyat least it's better than the Brazilian version of laughing, just spamming the letter k (literally, some people type kkk and they are laughing 💀)
It took me 16 years to get there. I'm tall and not built for it. Squats and deadlifts were much easier to improve. What finally did it was sub-maximal training, a lot more volume and lots of time. I stopped caring about my max and focused on work capacity and technique with relatively light weights. Then I slowly increased the weights over the course of many training cycles and finally improved my max.
I do low volume training and it took me an year to hit 115 kg ( 250 pounds ) , I don't think it should take longer than 2 and a half years to get to 315 unless you're training badly and have low testosterone and a bad diet . Im 17 and I started working out at 16 , I had a subpar diet but I'm in a calories surplus , I weight 76 kilos now.
@@Regulus-e9p If I remember correctly it took me six weeks to go from 90 to 125kgs but I’ve never benched 140 2 years later. Granted I didn’t train well and it wasn’t my focus at all but sometimes this math doesn’t work
My unpopular opinion about a 3 plate bench is that it's achievable for like 80% of men and can be done in 3-5 years if people actually took bulking and strength training seriously.
@@branominal Yeah, no. There are the people who lfit 225 in a year. I'm one of them (short arms help). I benched 315 after three years @170lbs. Never did any periodization or anything like that, just added weight to the bar when I could. Could've probably done it sooner had I bulked at all in my first two years. But then those guys who don't bench 225 after a year or so, they probably won't bench 140 in even 5 years if not ever. I know serious lfiters who use PEDs, who struggle with 315 aftter years of lifting, and these guys are over 200 lbs, and these are powerlifters with actual strength programs. Guys who squat in the 500s.
I never understood the fuss about 225. I hit 225 bench within a year of lifting and 315 just after 2. I started skinny and am 5’11. I don’t think I’m particularly gifted either, I just think most people have no idea that they are not actually training as hard as they could be.
San Antonio Warren High School, class of 2007. We had 7 guys, one as small as 185 who benched 315 in HS. 1 RB, the rest lineman. (that 185lb guy went on to play for TX state and briefly for the Houston Texans) I myself didnt hit 315+ until 18, 405 @ 20, started training freshman year, 14 yrs old, so 4 years to go from 140 to 325, and another 1 year, 8-9 months to add 100 after that. Weight started at 165 @ 5'9 at 14, ended at 244-248 @ 5'11.5 at 20. 100% natural during that time other than whatever protein and vitamin supplements you could get at GNC.
@@edmundnlemadim8480 If that's true you're insanely gifted. I go to a gym where a lot of decent powerlifters go, 80% probably geared up, decent amount of 315 benches and a few 405s. Maybe one or two people who have a social media presence and can bench like over 600, and are legitimate 'name' people. With that profile I am fairly confident that you would blow away all of them .. except maybe those best 1-2 guys (who are definitely not natural).
Vast majority who can bench over 300 are overweight with shorter arms, using PEDs, or not doing them properly. It can also be a combination of all three 😂
The reason it seems so hard is because pretty much anyone can hit a 225 by just showing up to gym enough. 315 seems difficult, but in reality you just need to follow a real program and eat/sleep right. Once I hit 315, I finally realized that 405 could be possible
i don't see how 405 is anyway possible for me tho lol... unless i hop on something lol. so close to 315 tho.. 5'8 currently 185lbs.. think i got 300+ next week 🙏.. lifetime goal is just being able to rep it for a few reps.. getting to 225 was really easy tho..
I'm 35 and two years past getting off active duty. I never really lifted, and was more of a runner my entire career, but that messed my knees up. At first I was happy with getting 135 up for reps (3x10) , after about a year of going to the gym regularly (2-4 times a week, usually 3) I'm just now getting to 225 being comfortable. I think I can get up to 315, but I've decided to not make weight lifting something I'm crazy about/obsess over. If I get to 315, cool, if not at least I'm adding years to my life and feeling better.
@@noone-um4hk pretty chill i reckon, but 315 isn't something you hit by accident. You can definitely get there, but you may have to make it an obsession for a little bit, then you can dial out of it again. I reckon it's worth it
You can 100% do it man. I finally got it last Saturday at 34. My biggest cue was to have the bar a centimeter below my nipples to truly engage my triceps. I've got long arms and a small torso too.
In the process of chasing 315. It's been slow, especially since I've never hit it before and I'm in my 40's. However, watching your videos gets the little voice in my head to shut up so I can keep working the program. Much appreciated, man. Keep up the good work.
I remember when I first got 1 plate (7th grade), 2 plates (just before 10th), 3 plates (11th grade), then a few years later 4 (i think i was 20 maybe 21). Those are milestones for a young meathead
People are good at different lifts tbh. I deadlifted 250kg in just under 2 years of training with no strength specialisation and no actually program and doing a lot of running trying to get ripped in my late teens. Still couldn't bench 3 plates either. It's genetics. Didn't bench 3 plates paused until I got to my 30s while significantly heavier at 220lb at 5'10. It's realistic but some people just suck at benching.
Exactly. For some, no matter how hard they train for it, just physically aren't capable of benching 140kg. Same goes for any other lift. Your 250kg DL is bloody good though.
Yup 100% I benched 435 before i ever even got to a 500 lb deadlift. I mean i didnt really train the deadlift that much till recently. But still leverages go a long way.
@@GeneralHellsing You are a monster bro. For me a 435lb bench is way more impressive than even a 650lb deadlift. I literally know I will never bench that in my life lol.
Definitely realistic. My group of lifters and I were/are lifetime nattys (I'm 44 now). I hit 351 in comp (weighed in at 213), 360 pause in gym (weighing 2300), 380 touch and go (weighting 338) all natty ( have a video of my AAU meet back in 2007 posted on my channel.). All my comps were 220 weight class. I did 340 at 34 years old (making a small come back), and 330 in a supertotal meet), etc. I partially tore my right pec, rehabbed it and still hit 320 at about 40 years of age.
I chased 315 for a couple of years, felt good one morning, and tried 320, did it for 1 rep, racked it, and never did it again, it was a lot of work for me, i got the video, now im good.
I like that this video is less about a 315 bench and arguably more about how to progress in one’s training, generally. Maintaining applicable fundamentals is what makes it happen. Good reminder. Thx, for posting.
Hit it at the end of my sophomore year of highschool. Lot easier to do when your only job in life is eating, school and lifting weights when your test is naturally through the roof. I think its more impressive to hit it when you're later in life with actual responsibilities and a family and time management becomes a huge part of your life.
Yep. People in the comments saying kids are not benching 315 forget all that. If they lifted consistently for 2-4yrs, could eat and sleep as much as they wanted, with the hormones of a teenager, they could do it. School program start them lifting young. So by 18 they might have 6yrs of consistent lifting, eating, sleeping
I just turned 36 and started training a month ago and feel like a god for being able to lift 90lbs after failing on 70lb when i started, i know its laughable but its i'm 25% stronger on paper, got a long way go for 3 plates but i'm humbled by how much i'm learning.
Congrats, everyone starts somewhere. You will probably see significant %gains and then hit a plateau. Then start watching these videos to switch up your training and try different things
I know I'm late, but wanted to offer some encouragement to you. I have a "hotel gym" at work and only convinced them to get a smith machine (no power rack due to liability) about 14 months ago. I started benching at 35 at around 95 lbs and have progressed to 170 on a more "crossfit" style program (lots of supersets) I'm hoping to be 225 (1x bodyweight) by the end of the year but will 100% have to change my programming to go beyond that. Keep at it and you will find success in time.
Took me 10 years absolutely natural to get 315. I weighed 230 at 6’3 and 28 years old. It wasn’t till I was in my 40’s I maxed out at 455,weighing 288. Now in my mid 50’s I max at 385 at 267. I’m fortunate to have extremely strong joints.
3 years of strength training and lots of pause reps. But I always had a decent upper body. Unfortunately, I'm also one of those weirdos who's bench is almost equal to my squat 😂
I'm right there with you brother. My squat is only 10% higher than my bench. I skipped too many leg days when younger. Not anymore. Squatting is a new point of emphasis. As I get better at it, I'm starting to like it. Funny how that works.
Genetics reign supreme. Obviously diet and prolonged, good, training will help to maximize the chances of hitting a 3-plate bench, but a lot of men just can't do it. Especially amongst the smaller framed guys. It's like saying every man should be able to do a 3:30 marathon.
But most men are capable of a 3:30 marathon, given time, motivation and resources. It's important to distinguish between "possible with dedicated training" and "likely, given whatever the hell I'm doing". It's in the best interest of people who fall short to muddy that line, and its to the detriment of the field as a whole.
@@AlexanderBromley With a sub 3:30 marathon you are nearing advanced level for males across most age brackets. This is the distribution of times across participants. Plenty of people who dedicate a lot of time and resources never reach advanced level. They just aren't great runners. Same with lifting. I don't think there are many people with an interest in muddying some random 315 line. Saying 315 is possible, how does that inform an individual lifter?
Yep: My 58 year old dad got two reps with 315 (no TRT) after just 18 months of training which followed a nearly 40 year layoff from lifting weights. He got there doing 2 sets of 2 reps three days a week with 90% of his 1 RM.
@@brandonyoung4910 twelve reps per week at 90% is absurdly low tonnage and no smart program has that low volume, unless his warmup sets have tons of reps in them. He will make tons of more progress as soon as he does anything beyond that. So it's great that he can make do with so little, that indicates he's a great responder with great genetics.
I’m not really into strength training and have gotten 275 on the bench for 5 and I’m very proud of it. Been training for 9 years and never compared my progress with other strength athletes since I focus on hypertrophy training but your videos inspire me to get stronger.
@@EthanDavid22why are there so many liars in the comments lol. None of you have ever set foot in a gym. 315 bench is a rarity and every single person who does it gets 2-3 reps MAX and they are a massively oversized adult male on gear.
@@pendragon7600 I go to the gym very often and have seen many other people benching 315 such as 14, 15, 16, and 17 year olds. My brother is 16 and can bench 315 with a really weak slingshot and I can almost bench 225 as a new 14 year old.
Wendler 5-3-1 was a gift and a curse. I did that program in my late 20s and got my bench (which has traditionally been very weak) up to 265 in my hopes to get to 315. Unfortunately, I jacked up my shoulders. One of the things that I also played against was the failure to establish a good foundation during puberty. I didn't lift heavy during that time because I played baseball and wasn't very smart about how to balance shoulder mobility and strength. I continue to play baseball now into my late 40s and appreciate all the content from folks like you out there that educate on the safe ways to get to milestones like this. But, in all honesty, I rarely do barbell flat bench anymore so it would definitely be a huge uphill climb to get there but I am interested in the process and take value from that.
I do 4 plates on each side I've never done a roid in my life! Took me 20 years though ! I'm 235 btw ! I curl 100's also now but recently i unfortunately developed real bad tennis elbow so i had to take a 2 month break and it sucked ! I'm 45 so most likely ill start decreasing my weight and just look good now because id rather not tear a peck next lol .
Thank you man, this really helps. I've had a really hard time to just stay at 2 plates like is a usual thing to do, most because I had problems staying consistent for more than 3 and a half months. I did work hard and consisten while in the semester, but as soon as vacation time arrives it all go to waste, so any new semester I just had time to catch up to my previous 1RM. I hope that from now on I can really give it time to make progress.
Find a training program that works for you, good nutrition, and recovery are what you need. And remember, some kid in high school is benching it somewhere right now.
with a titanium left elbow, and a 80x1 beginning max it took me 4 years and 1 month, so 3-5 years is a pretty good fuckin estimate. If anyones curious, the timeline was - body weight 160 (80x1) > 205 february 2020 (180x1?), > 170 june 2020 (160x1? 3 months no gym cuz of covid just calistehtnics > 215 february 2021 (225x1) > 185 september 2021 (210x1) > 215 february 2022 (275x1) > 220 may 2022 > 195 summer 2022 > 215 november 2022 (290x1) > 170 may 2023 (265x1) > 196 september 2023 (315x1 bench) > 215 may 2024 (350x1, 315x4). in short i got fat multiple times, but made actual progress, then was able to swallow my ego and allow my strength to fade in order to cut down and not be a lard ass for the sake of a bigger bench, im happier benching 315x1 with visible abs than 350x1 lookin like a chonker, just me personally. goal after my current cut is to rep 315 at 175-185 and or with abs.
I started lifting in 2007 using dumbbells only along side machines. In 2014 I got into PLing and was my first year benching. Hit 315 in competition and set the record for my weight category here in NZL
ive only ever gotten 315 for 2 reps when i was younger, im 30 now im more focused on muscle hypertrophy than strength i'll be happy to bench 225 for many sets and reps
I’m so very happy that you are a part of the fitness industry. You are the best of putting the big gigantic scientific knowledge into good common sense. I wish you would’ve been the industry vocally 30 years ago. But I’m still training and still learning so thank you.
Injuries suck, I had a shoulder impingement about a year ago. At 55 I warm up a lot more these days and use bands in between sets to get a stretch. Back at 145 kg at the moment (315 pounds?). I was doing reps of 8 with that before the injury. I never used and peds, I wouldn't get any satisfaction out of that
Finally hit 3 plates after deciding to focus on strength training (3-5 reps) for the past six months, after training ~10 reps for the past three and a half years since I started. Once your diet and training is actually in check, it will come in due time.
At 50 I find I can do 4-8 weeks max of heavy lifting (3-5 reps) and then my joints are done, so I then switch to 12-16 weeks of much higher volume BB type work (15-20reps). Keeps the muscles big while giving the joints less strain.
I'm 35 but always seem to hit a wall again and again. Last couple of months I took a week of after 3 weeks of heavy lifting 4 times a week, seems I finally found a thing that works for me. Also combination of the heavy compound lifts(Deadlift, Squat, Bench,OHP,Row) with bodyweight exercises, seems like really good combination for longevity. Also Bodyweight and light Kettlebells during the off week, if I feel like it.
One thing I've found now that I'm in my 50s to help me maintain my bench strength over 3 plates (@210lbs bw) is the deload week. For the past 4 years now I've had a once a month day of maintenance chemo. So instead of bailing on that whole week around the treatment day when I feel like cr@p, I go in and do same/similar workouts, but a much reduced intensity and volume. The three "normal" weeks explode after that and I'd say I may even still be building a bit of bench strength back towards my all-time best from my 30s. The deload definitely increases my work capacity on regular weeks, which leads to overall gains - play the long game, be the old bull on the hill.
315 is normal for anyone doing powerlifting consistently for 3 years. What most people don't get is that you won't be achieving this while being single digit bf% 365 days a year
I wouldn’t say it’s “normal” for everyone. For instance, a smaller guy who weighs like 120lb is going to take a lot longer than a naturally big guy who weighs 220lb. In my view, numbers are arbitrary and what is important is the weight relative to your own body weight/frame. 315 is very much elite lifting level for the 120lb guy but isn’t elite at all for the 220lb guy *shrug*
@@Backman6 I stopped lifting for a few years after highschool. I only picked it up again about 3 years ago and haven't been totally consistent. I'm up to a 275 bench at 230lbs.
What got me there was really focusing on slow, full reps, getting the maximum time under tension of every set weight that I was at during that progressive overload phase. Training to failure overtime on the smith machine was very helpful during the first month and a half or so until I got comfortable heading to the bench. Then after that 2 months later I was 1 rep maxing 350 and repping 315 4 times. Also along with the chest sessions, I finally started incorporating full body push and pull sessions which obviously dialed up all my other muscle groups involved in bench. So far, for the first 3 and a half months back weightlifting relatively consistantly with an actual push pull split I've only seen progress nearly every week. Just last week i was only repping 300 lbs for 4, just yesterday I was hitting 315 for 4 reps. My physique is abnormal though. Extremely muscular with some chub handles but can still see my abs so I don't really have to worry about gaining any dirty weight, just letting my muscles grow. Weighed 242 yesterday at 5'10 and a quarter height based on my last physical from this year in april.
At 17 I worked out regularly and benched 75kg @73kg bodyweight - stopped working out - At 28 I got back in the gym and on day 1 was able to bench press 120kg @90kg bodyweight You will come into your strength by your late 20's and as you fill out your frame more. Pretty stoked to be able to press 120 as a starting point. 5 weeks later I was doing 135kg , and then I kinda stopped working out again 😆
We sound similar. I am 34, 96kg stuck at a 137.5kg bench. My lower back is now injured and I've been sick adding stress to hitting my goal. I will hit it one day! Hopefully you can get back in the gym.
Im 18 rn ,190 cm (6'4) Started lifting when i was 16 after getting to 140kg in the pandemic , went down to 125kg . Didnt do a lot of chest the 1st year, mostly arms and back ( had back pain issues , working out fixed it ). Only worked out for like 5 months , took a brake , My school built a small gym , and then started lifting seriously since i had a good teacher and i had a stable 2 times per week in school + 2 days at home . It took me 6 months to get from 40kg bench to 100 (225lbs ) for 5 reps, Then started seriously going to the gym on top of that , around 4-5 time a week . Rn im doing around 70-80kg , Started takeing creatine and Cutting , Rn im at 22% ish body fat, Want to get to 15%. . The cut has made so much weeker . I had a goal of 315 lbs by the end the year , ITs not happening . Im going to try get to 120kg , ( 270lbs ) Also get my deadlift to 200kg ( 450 lbs ) witch i know i can 100% do . But currently 3000 ccal has never felt so little ,
I started my march to 315 lbs bench one year ago after I turned 40. I didn’t have the discipline, mental health, “clean” injury history, or eating habits that would support getting to that level. At Age 41, I’m hitting 205 lbs for double digit reps per set. Part of how I’ve progressed is by adhering to the Progressive Overload principle and by comparing myself to stronger lifters **by aiming for a percentage of their gains**. I don’t try to get to be as good as them. I try to be 3/10ths as good as them. When I get to that level, I then set my sights slightly higher. I’ll probably hit 315 lbs within the next 8-12 months. I’m not rushing. I’m enjoying the road to defeating that goal.
At 14 I started with a 95lb Bench Press. At 16 I hit 135lbs Bench Press. 11th grade I did a year of calisthenics. At 17 Thanksgiving of 12th grade I hit a 220lb Bench Press. At 18 Fall semester of Freshman year of university I hit a 305lbs Bench Press. Hit a near 2 year Bench plateau then got my first 315lbs Bench Press at 20 years pld natty. At 21 years old I hit 315lbs for 2 reps, 335lbs, 350lbs, and 365lbs Bench Press. At 23 years old I hit a 385lb Bench Press. At 25 years old I hit a 405lb Bench Press natty. Still being 25 I hit a 315lbs Bench Press for 12 reps. At age 27 I hit a 425lbs Bench Press. Age 28 I hit a 430lb Bench Press. Age 30 I hit 440lbs Bench Press then 450lbs 3 days later. Naturally. Shortly after I hit a rep PR of 300lbs Bench Press for 17 reps. Volume I've done 315lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps and 315lbs for 4 sets of 7 reps, a set of 6 reps, a set of 5 reps, until I did 50 total reps with 315lbs. Nowadays I still do volume with 315lbs and over on Bench Press at 32 years old. I know by the time I'm 40 I will hit crazy volume PRs with 315lbs and over on Bench Press. I believe every male can Bench Press 315lbs natty. Not even be very fat to do it. They just have to train correctly and do it long enough and eat. Only outliers with very bad geentics won't. Took me until being a natty 18 year old to bench press over 300lbs with 4 years of natural training.
In 2021 I started working out, barely hitting 3 reps of the 45 lbs dumbells as a 150 lbs 18-year-old. Now at 20 years old, I'm sitting at a 285 bench and still relatively lean. Never had a coach, was forced to stop lifting for almost 6 months after a little over a year in the gym(joined the military), and even faced a couple injuries along the way. 315 coming soon hehe
i also think the hardest part of hitting 315 is getting over the mental intimidation of it bc once you finally start hitting it suddenly its not nearly as hard
This. You HAVE to lift heavy low reps, gotta feel that weight. Gotta force yourself up to 275 for reps, then overload to 285, 295 etc… get a spotter, do those tough heavy ass tough 2-3 reps. In my experience you’ll stall out doing 10-8-6 with 225-265. You also have to be ok with being heavier. Only when I ate more and gainer weight to 200 pounds could I break through to 315.
I was able to get to 315 on bench in my early 20's after I started lifting in high school. It's definitely doable natty. I think the most I ever hit was 385. Now that I'm in my 40's I use 315 as a 'floor' to make sure I'm still strong but I'll rarely ever go higher than that.
He is comparing high school football guys and himself a strongman to average guys haha 🤣 The logic is cuz someone did it we can all do it within a reasonable time frame
the biggest tip is to become obsessed with it, think about it at work, think about hitting it all the time, go minimalist with it, train nothing but bench, technique is a huge part of it, i stopped benching years ago, i jumped on bench recently and i was struggling with 2 plates (didn't get a single rep) yet i can dip my bodyweight 100kg+40kg for 5 reps
I always feel enormous embarassment for guys when I learn they've been lifting for years and can't bench 315. Fuckin' put in some effort, guys. You're 100% certainly sandbagging, 0 intensity.
No consideration for differences in weight? There's a reason there's weight classes in everything, the bigger you are the stronger you typically are/strength potential. Benching 315 at 150 is way crazier than benching 315 at 250.
@@Ezratal typical meathead response, my bad, didn't know every dude is a 6'4 gigachad with 250 lbs of lean mass. Put in some effort lol, as if it's even hard to bench 315 when you weigh nearly the same as the bar
@@Pozzy Bro if you're a grown man and weigh 150 lbs, maybe you can hit 'fairly good' numbers for an average guy, if you absolutely max out your potential. Probably not, though. And even if you did, you're still probably not even close to the strongest guy at your gym. And every other guy, and every girl, is going to look at you like you're either a child or a gross skeleton. Sorry man, but them's the facts
@@Ezratal some people look completely fine at 150 if they're short enough and live normal lives 😂 your ass is on a ego trip thinking everyone who's smaller than you is less of a man than you. My whole point is no, not everyone can bench 315, some people won't ever in their lifetime cause they just don't have the mass on them for it. In that case you're less of a man than everyone strongman, like halfthor who 400 plus pounds but I'm sure ur childlike state can't weigh that much surely.
Honestly, I used to believe hitting 315 was impossible but now that I am at 305 pr, I feel like the impossible is possible now even though Im 18 and 180 pounds bw
I have been stuck on a 115kg/250lbs bench press for a while now, but now I just changed my grip closer and have done pause reps only. I have started seeing some results again. Edit: I think that doing pause reps have resulted in progress because I used to bounce the bar, and pausing helps me time the legdrive and keeps my whole body stable when pressing the bar off my chest.
Tried bench (as a calisthenics athlete) manages 315 for a few singles at 168 bodyweight. Not too bad. I know other calisthenics guys who have tried and hit 365 as well. You just dont train hard enough lol thats the only reason people dont get it
I'm going for my first 315 attempt this weekend. I feel like I have a pretty good chance. Hit 285 for heavy singles last month, but I've been focused on incline ever since and hitting that 8-10 rep range so I hope that hasn't killed any of my strength.
I just find that there is a massive psychological block for me. I overreached twice, failing to 1 rep weight I had previously done for 3 reps. No good spotters at my gym, no safeties. I lack the confidence to bench without them, but I won't be able to until I move and save up for a home gym. I am really excited from the prospect of doing pin presses from the bottom, or just doing static holds to get a feel for heavier weight. Right now, I'm basically failing to repeat my 110kg max from all the way back in march. Everything but flat bench has improved despite maintenance and cut phases, My back lifts have all gone up, while form has gotten stricter. Chest wise, it's just the pesky flat bench. Incline, db or bb, I've maintained; ring dips: setting prs; ring flys and fly presses: setting prs; delt and tri exercises: also setting prs regularly enough.
I got to a 425 double natural at 39. My testosterone total was ~150, free test between 8-10. In a lot of ways, I was symptomatic of Low T. It CAN be done. Would share my natural split if asked. As of April 2024, I believe I lost the right to call myself "natural" as I started TRT. Since, I've steadily progressed to a 475lb double. I don't KNOW if I could have got there "naturally," but I DO know the TRT has helped the other symptoms and therefore I don't claim anything over the 425lb double as natural. Update: that was April. I've been on 200mg per week since April as of this post. So five months. I don't feel superhuman, but my rbc is through the roof. If you go this route, understand that you are NOT hydrated. You think you are, but you are not. That goes for everyone. You aren't hydrating properly, I guarantee it. Strength? Hard to tell. I started back into lifting 2 years ago at a 300lb bench, 315 squat, 500lb deadlift after a 15 year absence from the gym, in my late 30's. Currently so my bench went, effectively, from 300 to a 425 double in a year and a half. I bench 500 now. Idk if the additional strength piled up and I was just able to handle heavier weights or what, or if it's all the trt. I know I work out til failure and rest 10 days between benching, and I have 2 accessory days per 10 day bench cycle. It's really hard to tell, that's why I don't "claim" 500 "naturally", bc trt isn't natural. Idk.
I recently went back to my old gym to check some numbers after about 7 months of home gym, losing over 15 kg (33 lbs), and recovery from an injury (badly pulled right biceps, some ligaments in my shoulder, and all the way down to where the biceps connects with the elbow). I'm about 13 months into my training and started at 36. I wasn't happy with what I saw. My bench fell from 10x 70 kg (154 lbs), 3x 80 kg (176 lbs), and 2x 85 kg (178.4 lbs) to 5x 70 kg (154 lbs) and 0x 80, nevermind 85 kg. Granted, all of the above are large mitigating factors and in a few sessions I should see massive improvements but... still. I've grown in terms of muscle mass and look miles better, but the siren song of the PR is telling me to renew my membership and push those old PRs to new heights for a month or three. To PR-chase or not to PR-chase, that is the question. Haven't quite answered myself yet.
I was lifting for maybe 5 years before I got it but I only really focused on it for about a year during my 4th training year,biggest change up was Dumbell bench over bar and heavy for maybe 4 months then I got it randomly when deciding to go back to barbell one day, I had been doing alot of overall strength training and had bulked up to about 249-250 my new goal is to do 315 at a sub 200 BW. I do want to add that I do not use wrist wraps a belt or sleeves, I may have gotten it sooner or for reps had I used all that
Yes of course you can do 315. I did 140 Kg plus through my 20's and 30's and after a dip in my early 40's. I was nothing special but was natty and not sure others were not but saw many better than me. Overwhelming advice is do not become obsessed with Benching.
I didn’t do bench at all… just dumbbells, cables and machines for a couple years… finally decided to hop on the bench recently and it yielded the best bench I’ve ever had… could press 225 almost 10 reps easily, which for me was the best I could do.
For the longest time I could never understand why I couldn’t reach 225 on bench. 6’2” 325 29M. The first was good form, I learned to retract my scapula, hand placement, slight arch in my back and leg drive. It definitely increased my bench. It took me a while to reach 225 but I did. One day when I did lab work it included testosterone, total, bioavailability, etc. my testosterone was 104ng/dl “Not due to PEDs” I think if I take TRT to get my levels to 600 “average for my age group” This combined with training specifically for the bench and the muscle groups associated with them I can reach 315 at some point.
90% chance your low test is from your diet, bodyfat % and/or lifestyle. You do not need TRT. Just cut to a reasonable bodyfat, cut out sugars, get good sleep. Plus TRT is not natty. You can’t claim natty even if you “just get boosted to the normal level”.
just hit 285lbs, only been benching for a year and a half, i gotta say its really not hard if you get the technique right, ive been using 5/3/1 pause benching all the sets and my bench has blown the hell up.
I finally hit it at 54. Did 2 sets of singles the first time. Then have done 2 sets of 2 the past two weeks. Want to get up to sets of 4 or 5 in the next 30 days.
One of my buddies in high school hit a double bodyweight bench. He didn't weigh much, like 140-150 but he definitely had the best pectoral development I've seen at that age. He got really big later on. Nice guy.
Started lifting when I was 12-13 years old. 95x5 was hard work and 135 shortly after was hit or miss. By end of freshman year I maxed out at 205. Fast forward to going into senior year, I hit 315 before the football season. Ended the year with 335. Fast forward 10 years was the first time I hit 405. Since then it has been a journey and never attempted more than 4 plates but worked to maintain 315x10. The takeaway? Adjusting programming, learning and better understanding nutrition and recovery, and understanding the importance of building the other muscle group to contribute to a strong bench (triceps I’m talking about you). Set the marker for you, don’t focus on others, and just be consistent. Get buried, get after it
I'm currently at a 275 bench (non paused, but will be attempting paused in a +-5lb range for a comp in about a week). Current volume has been 3 working sets, 4 days a week, for a total of 12 sets. after the comp, im changing my program to 10 working sets, 2 days a week, for a total of 20 sets a week. VOLUME
47 yrs old, supplements only and I hit 315 for 3-12 sets weekly. Pause, close grip, reverse grip, wide grip, low inc(10-15 ° ) and the three diff position neutral bar. Decline as well but with decline i can do the same with 325-235.I usually do 10 sets of my first compound excersise and any day I know I'm at least getting 3-4 reps but some days up to 8-10.
Ha! I remember when 315 was my goal. I was either 38 or 39 years old when I finally got it. I think there are many reasons that it eventually happened. But, I would like to mention a big one... the group of folks that I had around me to help with motivation and provide a little trickery. The day that I got 305, my spotter clandestinely had added some plates. For some reason thinking I was doing 295 took away a mental block I guess and it went up so easy. Beyond that, having a diverse workout routine also helped. There was a guy in the gym I'd lift with on Saturday mornings. That was superset Saturday and he kicked my butt. But, it felt so good afterwards. One interesting thing I recall is that once I got 315, afterwards I actually was more into increasing my reps with 225 rather than getting even heavier. Everyone has their own goals and reasons for being in the gym.
I never did really did any lifting until I was about 30. I did a lot of kettlebell work for several years, then shifted to powerlifting. Took me about 2+ years of focused effort to get 315 at a BW of about 240. Funny enough I didn't get much in the way of chest development from moving up my bench. Seemed like I got more growth in my triceps than anything else, along with some front delts.
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I was a respectable bencher 10 years ago,I'm 56 now & Its been a nite mare trying to comeback..my size is coming back but strength is slow ..I think it just comes down to dedication..I'll do as you say about just keep mixing things up
Metric?
@@suprafluid3661I'm sure he was just talking about 315 pounds and not metric lol.. cause my best bench was just 500 lbs..I think 315 metric would be around 600 pounds & over so no way I could do that but in my dreams lol
315kg/695lbs
I had to incorporate speed work that a powerlifter taught me to help me get over my plateau. I thought it was stupid at first until my bench jumped 35 pounds in eight weeks
hitting 315 feels good for maybe a day then the 315 sized hole inside you becomes 405
and then 99% of 315 benchers don't reach 4 wheels
And I am sitting here trying to hit 15 resps with 100kg. I mean I can move more weight, I just move it less?! Like what is the rep size here? Moving tje same weight 3 times is very different from 10 times or 25 times. Even tho at some point it becomes less importand aka 30 - 40 I ques.
@@suprafluid3661 if you actually wanna increase strength, you gotta stop wasting time with 10+ reps on barbell lifts and do more sets with heavier weights for months and months. 5 reps or less. You don't get good at sprinting by running marathons.
@@suprafluid3661i hit 315 when I was able to do 18 reps with 225, so you are very very close. Good luck man.
@@DT_Worlds_Strongest_GothTruth. That's a huge jump.
I find lying about doing PEDs is the easiest way to do it natty
I don't know, sometimes lying is hard
and amount of people especially atheletes lieng about it is crazy. most of them are young too so you can not tell if it was just newbie gains or gains with steroids.
@@kntrishdekanoidze1382 wait, they are lying about being on PEDs, as in they are natty and saying they are on gear?
Yeah like the channel owner lol. I'll downvote the vid and click not interested, he obviously never did 315 natty. Bored of these liars.
@@EuropeDominate he def did 315 natty .
0:50 I remember when 225 was the gold standard, gymflation is real
@@aesop2733 I disagree not even 1/20 people that go to an average gym can bench 225 what are you on about
@@MrTommy2143 I'm used to being around men, that may be the difference here. It took me 3-4 months to hit 2 plates and I've met tons of people more naturally strong than I. If you ever do real manual labour you'll see that lots of people are relatively strong. 1 in 20 is a laughable metric. Are you a twig or just that egotistical about your accomplishments? 225 is average man shit. Not everyone feels the need to hit the gym, just because they aren't there to impress you that doesn't mean they don't exist.
225 is achievable under a year for most teenagers, it isn't really crazy
I blame powerlifting/powerbuilding trend. Now normal lifters feel the need to hit these arbitrary stanards
@@aesop2733 I just hit 225 today approaching the 2 year mark at 152lb. It was always a goal of mine but I sweat blood and tears for it.
Was lifting 7 years when I hit it, many of those years training like a straight moron but still, nearly cried. It's naturally possible. I have long arms n was skinny before I lifted so don't gimme excuses
Agree. It took me about 3yrs of lifting from senior in high school to hit 315. I’m 6’6 and at the time was 252 and could get 315 for 5-7 reps but then started doing push-ups every morning and night same number and would increase it by 2-3 every week and keep that number for the week and on and on. 4 months in, my strength was nuts (of course my tendons above the elbow were hurting, but pushed through it). I was at 75 push-ups every morning and night. I was repoing 405 for 5.
Then my tendon got real bad and had to back off a good deal and so my strength dropped. That was 10yrs ago. I can still reps 315 for 5 or so reps, but I need to get focused in gym and be more consistent. What they say is so true…if you don’t use it, you lose it
@@MCFCTheMadHatter Jesus man
@@ThunderXSurge It’s just progression & volume. Worked like a charm, but just have to be aware of overworking your tendons. In hindsight, when they first started hurting, I probably should’ve scrapped for a few days until the tendon soreness was gone instead of work through it. For years afterwards, I had issues with those tendons. They’re all good now, but whenever they start to get sore (the bad kind of sore) I immediately stop. Pushing through = more damage that’s likely long term.
Of course, that’s just my experience.
@@MCFCTheMadHatter Yep. I learned this the hard way with my biceps and forearms lol.
Trained 40 years, never reached it
When I was in high school, I never worked out, never hit a gym, never hit a bench press, never ran nothing. I was always skinny and had problems putting on weight. I started working out in my mid twenties and it took me 3 years to get to 225.
It doesn’t matter when you start, it’s just a matter of starting
Everybody is different. When I did work out "back in the day" my body weight was around 155, at 5.6 ft.I got to where I was able to bench press 310-double my body weight. I never did crack the 315 mark. Never used PED's, but I knew I would never be a world class bodybuilder or powerlifter either. There were a few guys I knew that were genetic freaks that would get big by just hard physical labor, about my size but have arms way bigger than mine. Those are the guys that can have a chance winning in bodybuilding and powerlifting. I started out with one of those hollow metal bars that come with the plastic coated cement weights,but it got to where it was bent pretty good and the most I could do with that bar was 290. One day a friend of mine brought me a 6ft. solid steel bar and immediately was able to do 305 the first time I used it.
I've always been very weak as well, especially pressing. I used to climb, so I have a fairly good upper back, but I'm 6ft 185lbs and right now I'm benching 135lbs for 4-5 reps, that's it. I've struggled with a shoulder injury for a year and a half, so that held me back significantly, but now at last it's at least moving forward for me, both bench and overhead. For comparison, I'm probably just a couple months aways from doing Lat pulldowns with 220lbs 😅 So the discrepancy between my pushing and pulling is quite large 😅
You were not training properly or eating right. It should not take you that long to get 225. I'm a personal trainer and I've taken small little guys with terrible genes who started off benching 100 and got them to 225 in a couple months. You just gotta train properly and eat a lot.
Based on your comment I'm guessing it was you not eating enough. Thats typically the problem with ectomorphs. Sometimes they need like 5000 calories a day to really get much stronger.
If you have problems putting on weight that means you aren't eating enough. I tell people this and they whine and say "ohhh I ate a lot and I feel sick blah blah". To get to 315 I had to eat until I looked pregnant and felt sick all the time and id wake up choking on stomach contents several times a week. Its just about how bad you want it.
As a short guy in my early 40's, it took me 2 years to get to 2 plates. We'll see if I live long enough to reach 3 plates. Might get too busy yelling at kids, and how expensive things are now.
U have time it's just u have to cut something else out and replace it with workout. Its funny how I see people say this and spend so much time watching tv are on their phones its just they dont want to give up that personal time to train they feel it's more of a choir. I'm busy I just sacrifice an hour of sleep instead of 7 its 6 and I take a power nap during the day when I can and take 1 day to sleep as much as possible and theirs your time I'm going for 400 already hit 350 1rm in 2 years naturally I started at 40.
tren brother, youll be repping it in no time
@@ace.45-g8e I've seen espenstoro on many great channels comment sections, I think his mindset should be good and he's putting in the work.
Getting to 2 is much harder than getting to 3 from my experience, you've done the ground work now, just got to keep hitting the gym and you'll hit 3 plates faster than you hit 2.
@@declanosullivan8749ridiculous. getting to 2 is almost automatic. getting to 3 is hard.
Just remember that 315 is an arbitrary number. It just happens to be a mark to chase because of the weight of standard plates and bars. If plates happened to be 40 or 50 as the standard, the goals would shift accordingly because we like patterns and see X number of plates on a bar as a goal to chase. 315 is achievable for a lot of guys, but so is 330 and hitting 305 shouldn’t be viewed as a failure to get to some “next level”. It’s great to have a goal and a specific number is fine to target, but it’s not like 225/315/405/etc define strength tiers and being just over or under one makes you somehow much better or worse of a lifter.
This is some of the realest shit I think everybody needs to hear
All numbers are arbitrary. Who said 12" should be a foot.? Why the standard of an "inch" .? 315 is a benchmark (no pun intended) for a REAL measure of strength, based on the standard plates available.
Yea he trying to hard to be smart.
Competition plates are 25kg, so in powerlifting circles a three plate bench is closer to 375lb and that is a more significant standard among competitors. Just an example of your point
@@michaelbond72133plate bench is 385 in comp plates
Just hit 225 a few days ago. Really liked the visuals on this one
Good job king
@@davidkruglov9366 thx
225 is the gold standard for a strong bench not 315.
315 is like d1 college athlete in a big guy sport like football.
Keep going
@@MC-ep8cubeen lifting for like 2 years, I think I saw one dude ever do 3 plates
Even 2 plates is pretty rare to see
Fucking legend
3:06 is great advice "If you're only going to pursue difficult things because success was guaranteed ahead of time, then you're not going to amount to sh*t anywhere in life"
I got stuck at 305 for ages.
I really did feel like 315 was round the corner, but I had to scale back due to health issues.
I hit my 500lbs deadlift. But was 20lbs shy of my squat goal, and 10 shy of my bench
Hopefully next year I will be in a place where I can push again and get those numbers, but I have a feeling I hit as strong as I'm ever going to get.
And thats ok (not saying you shouldnt try) but what is even worse is getting some injury where you cant bench properly ever again.
Have u dabbled with narrow bench and worked on bent over rows? I got to the point where my narrow bench was way over my reg bench. And tris were crazy strong
@Freshprankstv1 That's sort of my plan right now actually. Volume, and "accessories "
With that mentality you guarantee it. Giving up is for losers
@Cokecanninja Yeah man. I just gotta thug out having a heart condition. Why didn't I think of that?
Oddly enough the one thing that made the biggest differnce in my bench was switching to dumbells and also adding machine work in. Creating a place where you can overload without the risk of public Autoerotic asphyxiation is great. Sometimes you can get a partner, but honestly you put alot of trust in someone that they'll loosen the belt before you drift off to the forever siesta.
The real 315 is the friends we made along the way
(Sorry...)
I laughed
@@AlexanderBromley
haha ❌
lol❌
lmao❌
I laughed. ✅
@@AzizPhilosophyat least it's better than the Brazilian version of laughing, just spamming the letter k (literally, some people type kkk and they are laughing 💀)
No shit 😂
@@F2a0bi0an5oin Thailand they go 555 , the number 5 is called ha, so they go 555
It took me 16 years to get there. I'm tall and not built for it. Squats and deadlifts were much easier to improve.
What finally did it was sub-maximal training, a lot more volume and lots of time. I stopped caring about my max and focused on work capacity and technique with relatively light weights. Then I slowly increased the weights over the course of many training cycles and finally improved my max.
How tall are you?
i know. I'm 6'4 and i was able to bench 3 plates pretty much instantly, then it took me 20 years to get to 4
I do low volume training and it took me an year to hit 115 kg ( 250 pounds ) , I don't think it should take longer than 2 and a half years to get to 315 unless you're training badly and have low testosterone and a bad diet . Im 17 and I started working out at 16 , I had a subpar diet but I'm in a calories surplus , I weight 76 kilos now.
@@Regulus-e9p I'm 15 and i've been training for 1 and a half year and I can only do 200😔
@@Regulus-e9p If I remember correctly it took me six weeks to go from 90 to 125kgs but I’ve never benched 140 2 years later. Granted I didn’t train well and it wasn’t my focus at all but sometimes this math doesn’t work
My unpopular opinion about a 3 plate bench is that it's achievable for like 80% of men and can be done in 3-5 years if people actually took bulking and strength training seriously.
Seriously, if you're an average guy three plates is easily achievable with a few years' training and eating
Not even remotely. @@branominal
Never need to bulk lol you do need to gain weight and I think people use the term bulking very loosely
@@branominal Yeah, no. There are the people who lfit 225 in a year. I'm one of them (short arms help). I benched 315 after three years @170lbs. Never did any periodization or anything like that, just added weight to the bar when I could. Could've probably done it sooner had I bulked at all in my first two years.
But then those guys who don't bench 225 after a year or so, they probably won't bench 140 in even 5 years if not ever. I know serious lfiters who use PEDs, who struggle with 315 aftter years of lifting, and these guys are over 200 lbs, and these are powerlifters with actual strength programs. Guys who squat in the 500s.
I never understood the fuss about 225. I hit 225 bench within a year of lifting and 315 just after 2. I started skinny and am 5’11. I don’t think I’m particularly gifted either, I just think most people have no idea that they are not actually training as hard as they could be.
I simply think it's hard to believe that 7-8 guys on your highschool football team benched 315 plus
Cause they either weighed 305, were gifted for strength or both.
San Antonio Warren High School, class of 2007. We had 7 guys, one as small as 185 who benched 315 in HS. 1 RB, the rest lineman. (that 185lb guy went on to play for TX state and briefly for the Houston Texans)
I myself didnt hit 315+ until 18, 405 @ 20, started training freshman year, 14 yrs old, so 4 years to go from 140 to 325, and another 1 year, 8-9 months to add 100 after that. Weight started at 165 @ 5'9 at 14, ended at 244-248 @ 5'11.5 at 20. 100% natural during that time other than whatever protein and vitamin supplements you could get at GNC.
I hit 315 in high school at 6'2" 245. Most of the other starting lineman did too. At a relatively small school it was probably less than 15 people.
@@edmundnlemadim8480 If that's true you're insanely gifted. I go to a gym where a lot of decent powerlifters go, 80% probably geared up, decent amount of 315 benches and a few 405s. Maybe one or two people who have a social media presence and can bench like over 600, and are legitimate 'name' people. With that profile I am fairly confident that you would blow away all of them .. except maybe those best 1-2 guys (who are definitely not natural).
Vast majority who can bench over 300 are overweight with shorter arms, using PEDs, or not doing them properly. It can also be a combination of all three 😂
The reason it seems so hard is because pretty much anyone can hit a 225 by just showing up to gym enough. 315 seems difficult, but in reality you just need to follow a real program and eat/sleep right. Once I hit 315, I finally realized that 405 could be possible
i don't see how 405 is anyway possible for me tho lol... unless i hop on something lol. so close to 315 tho.. 5'8 currently 185lbs.. think i got 300+ next week 🙏.. lifetime goal is just being able to rep it for a few reps.. getting to 225 was really easy tho..
I'm 35 and two years past getting off active duty. I never really lifted, and was more of a runner my entire career, but that messed my knees up. At first I was happy with getting 135 up for reps (3x10) , after about a year of going to the gym regularly (2-4 times a week, usually 3) I'm just now getting to 225 being comfortable. I think I can get up to 315, but I've decided to not make weight lifting something I'm crazy about/obsess over. If I get to 315, cool, if not at least I'm adding years to my life and feeling better.
@@noone-um4hk pretty chill i reckon, but 315 isn't something you hit by accident. You can definitely get there, but you may have to make it an obsession for a little bit, then you can dial out of it again. I reckon it's worth it
You can 100% do it man. I finally got it last Saturday at 34. My biggest cue was to have the bar a centimeter below my nipples to truly engage my triceps. I've got long arms and a small torso too.
I hit 225 freshman year of COLLEGE. Hit 300 at 30. At 42 I could do 385 for 2 and 395 for a single.
I took a long road and I'm fine with that.
Those are sweet OHP numbers bro.
@@JoshuaKevinPerry lol. That will never be me.
40 years of training here, never even close .
It's time to permabulk to FOUR-OH-FIVE. Don't let your dreams be memes.
@@JoshuaKevinPerry*bench press, numbnuts
In the process of chasing 315. It's been slow, especially since I've never hit it before and I'm in my 40's. However, watching your videos gets the little voice in my head to shut up so I can keep working the program. Much appreciated, man. Keep up the good work.
*takes notes*...
A wild natty bench more than your squat mogger appears
Ha ha
By taking notes, I'm sure you were just making a hand turkey while making your pecs dance
I remember when I first got 1 plate (7th grade), 2 plates (just before 10th), 3 plates (11th grade), then a few years later 4 (i think i was 20 maybe 21).
Those are milestones for a young meathead
Always dug your anatomical sketches on the form/technique vids but the doodles are a whole other level
People are good at different lifts tbh. I deadlifted 250kg in just under 2 years of training with no strength specialisation and no actually program and doing a lot of running trying to get ripped in my late teens. Still couldn't bench 3 plates either.
It's genetics. Didn't bench 3 plates paused until I got to my 30s while significantly heavier at 220lb at 5'10. It's realistic but some people just suck at benching.
Exactly. For some, no matter how hard they train for it, just physically aren't capable of benching 140kg. Same goes for any other lift. Your 250kg DL is bloody good though.
Yup 100% I benched 435 before i ever even got to a 500 lb deadlift. I mean i didnt really train the deadlift that much till recently. But still leverages go a long way.
I deadlifted 102 kg today
@@GeneralHellsing You are a monster bro. For me a 435lb bench is way more impressive than even a 650lb deadlift. I literally know I will never bench that in my life lol.
No ita not genetics, you just trained like shit
Definitely realistic. My group of lifters and I were/are lifetime nattys (I'm 44 now). I hit 351 in comp (weighed in at 213), 360 pause in gym (weighing 2300), 380 touch and go (weighting 338) all natty ( have a video of my AAU meet back in 2007 posted on my channel.). All my comps were 220 weight class. I did 340 at 34 years old (making a small come back), and 330 in a supertotal meet), etc. I partially tore my right pec, rehabbed it and still hit 320 at about 40 years of age.
no way. 2300 pounds natty is impossible
@@abcdefg-ox6muit’s a typo he meant he weighed in at 230 at the time
I chased 315 for a couple of years, felt good one morning, and tried 320, did it for 1 rep, racked it, and never did it again, it was a lot of work for me, i got the video, now im good.
I use to love your whiteboard videos, but this is a clear upgrade.
Always loved your drawings !
Thanks for sharing 👌
I like that this video is less about a 315 bench and arguably more about how to progress in one’s training, generally. Maintaining applicable fundamentals is what makes it happen. Good reminder. Thx, for posting.
Your point on novelty is absolutely brilliant and shouldn't "miss"
Hit it at the end of my sophomore year of highschool. Lot easier to do when your only job in life is eating, school and lifting weights when your test is naturally through the roof. I think its more impressive to hit it when you're later in life with actual responsibilities and a family and time management becomes a huge part of your life.
Yep. People in the comments saying kids are not benching 315 forget all that. If they lifted consistently for 2-4yrs, could eat and sleep as much as they wanted, with the hormones of a teenager, they could do it. School program start them lifting young. So by 18 they might have 6yrs of consistent lifting, eating, sleeping
I just turned 36 and started training a month ago and feel like a god for being able to lift 90lbs after failing on 70lb when i started, i know its laughable but its i'm 25% stronger on paper, got a long way go for 3 plates but i'm humbled by how much i'm learning.
Congrats, everyone starts somewhere. You will probably see significant %gains and then hit a plateau. Then start watching these videos to switch up your training and try different things
@@stevefromchicago8277 thank you for the encouragement, i can already see the limitations of only having access to smith machines, and cables.
I know I'm late, but wanted to offer some encouragement to you. I have a "hotel gym" at work and only convinced them to get a smith machine (no power rack due to liability) about 14 months ago. I started benching at 35 at around 95 lbs and have progressed to 170 on a more "crossfit" style program (lots of supersets) I'm hoping to be 225 (1x bodyweight) by the end of the year but will 100% have to change my programming to go beyond that. Keep at it and you will find success in time.
@@bobnewkirk7003 awsome dude, currently down 40lbs its been a good year!
Best comment award goes to you 🏆
Keep training and working hard, you’ll get there
Took me 10 years absolutely natural to get 315. I weighed 230 at 6’3 and 28 years old. It wasn’t till I was in my 40’s I maxed out at 455,weighing 288. Now in my mid 50’s I max at 385 at 267. I’m fortunate to have extremely strong joints.
Bro, you have some great lifting info videos. Legit good info.
Every natty can do it, I’m in highsxhool and have repped 315 its all about your work ethic and consistency
The “failure to grow is a failure to do more work” point is brilliant
Well said Bromley!
I've been stuck at 295 forever. Will implement some changes you recommended and looking to hit the 315 monster!
3 years of strength training and lots of pause reps. But I always had a decent upper body.
Unfortunately, I'm also one of those weirdos who's bench is almost equal to my squat 😂
I'm right there with you brother. My squat is only 10% higher than my bench. I skipped too many leg days when younger. Not anymore. Squatting is a new point of emphasis. As I get better at it, I'm starting to like it. Funny how that works.
@zilina1130 I'm glad to hear that man, I hope it keeps getting stronger 💪
My best ever was 425 around 200 bw and I decided that was good enough lol
I bench more than I squat. I have a bad chest and good legs. Bad training? Genetics? Lol
@@zilina1130 i can only do the bar.
Genetics reign supreme. Obviously diet and prolonged, good, training will help to maximize the chances of hitting a 3-plate bench, but a lot of men just can't do it. Especially amongst the smaller framed guys. It's like saying every man should be able to do a 3:30 marathon.
But most men are capable of a 3:30 marathon, given time, motivation and resources. It's important to distinguish between "possible with dedicated training" and "likely, given whatever the hell I'm doing". It's in the best interest of people who fall short to muddy that line, and its to the detriment of the field as a whole.
@@AlexanderBromley With a sub 3:30 marathon you are nearing advanced level for males across most age brackets. This is the distribution of times across participants. Plenty of people who dedicate a lot of time and resources never reach advanced level. They just aren't great runners.
Same with lifting. I don't think there are many people with an interest in muddying some random 315 line. Saying 315 is possible, how does that inform an individual lifter?
Yep: My 58 year old dad got two reps with 315 (no TRT) after just 18 months of training which followed a nearly 40 year layoff from lifting weights. He got there doing 2 sets of 2 reps three days a week with 90% of his 1 RM.
Well he’s got dad strength and with no mention of his height or weight we can’t tell if that’s impressive or not
@@redbullstatus I think getting there with just 2x2 3x per week is impressive regardless lol. Imagine where he'd be with more volume.
@@Lavabughe was training very specifically for his goal. He didn’t need more columev
@@redbullstatus 6'0, 205.
@@brandonyoung4910 twelve reps per week at 90% is absurdly low tonnage and no smart program has that low volume, unless his warmup sets have tons of reps in them. He will make tons of more progress as soon as he does anything beyond that. So it's great that he can make do with so little, that indicates he's a great responder with great genetics.
I’m not really into strength training and have gotten 275 on the bench for 5 and I’m very proud of it. Been training for 9 years and never compared my progress with other strength athletes since I focus on hypertrophy training but your videos inspire me to get stronger.
Same here I do 10 to 12 reps for 3 sets !
Genetics is a major factor I got to 315 with a little over a year of training no program and weighing 170
Are you 1,40m in height?
I’ve literally seen 170 pound 14 yos bench 315
@@EthanDavid22why are there so many liars in the comments lol. None of you have ever set foot in a gym. 315 bench is a rarity and every single person who does it gets 2-3 reps MAX and they are a massively oversized adult male on gear.
@@pendragon7600 I go to the gym very often and have seen many other people benching 315 such as 14, 15, 16, and 17 year olds. My brother is 16 and can bench 315 with a really weak slingshot and I can almost bench 225 as a new 14 year old.
@@pendragon7600 I know a 200 pound 15 year old who can bench 520
Wendler 5-3-1 was a gift and a curse. I did that program in my late 20s and got my bench (which has traditionally been very weak) up to 265 in my hopes to get to 315. Unfortunately, I jacked up my shoulders. One of the things that I also played against was the failure to establish a good foundation during puberty. I didn't lift heavy during that time because I played baseball and wasn't very smart about how to balance shoulder mobility and strength. I continue to play baseball now into my late 40s and appreciate all the content from folks like you out there that educate on the safe ways to get to milestones like this. But, in all honesty, I rarely do barbell flat bench anymore so it would definitely be a huge uphill climb to get there but I am interested in the process and take value from that.
I do 4 plates on each side I've never done a roid in my life! Took me 20 years though ! I'm 235 btw ! I curl 100's also now but recently i unfortunately developed real bad tennis elbow so i had to take a 2 month break and it sucked ! I'm 45 so most likely ill start decreasing my weight and just look good now because id rather not tear a peck next lol .
@@UnitedWeStandFreedom terrible genetics
Thank you man, this really helps. I've had a really hard time to just stay at 2 plates like is a usual thing to do, most because I had problems staying consistent for more than 3 and a half months. I did work hard and consisten while in the semester, but as soon as vacation time arrives it all go to waste, so any new semester I just had time to catch up to my previous 1RM. I hope that from now on I can really give it time to make progress.
Find a training program that works for you, good nutrition, and recovery are what you need. And remember, some kid in high school is benching it somewhere right now.
Fuckin' kids
I love Alex's drawings. He inspired me to set out into my own unique artistic journey.
3-5 years! But it could take longer or shorter depending on your training 💪
And what age you're starting at.
with a titanium left elbow, and a 80x1 beginning max it took me 4 years and 1 month, so 3-5 years is a pretty good fuckin estimate.
If anyones curious, the timeline was - body weight 160 (80x1) > 205 february 2020 (180x1?), > 170 june 2020 (160x1? 3 months no gym cuz of covid just calistehtnics > 215 february 2021 (225x1) > 185 september 2021 (210x1) > 215 february 2022 (275x1) > 220 may 2022 > 195 summer 2022 > 215 november 2022 (290x1) > 170 may 2023 (265x1) > 196 september 2023 (315x1 bench) > 215 may 2024 (350x1, 315x4).
in short i got fat multiple times, but made actual progress, then was able to swallow my ego and allow my strength to fade in order to cut down and not be a lard ass for the sake of a bigger bench, im happier benching 315x1 with visible abs than 350x1 lookin like a chonker, just me personally. goal after my current cut is to rep 315 at 175-185 and or with abs.
I’m 6 months in of training on the bench and for the past 2 months I been at 295.
Takes about 9 months to reach if you train chest twice a week
Stop lying it doesn't take 3 years it depends on the person and how well you train
I started lifting in 2007 using dumbbells only along side machines. In 2014 I got into PLing and was my first year benching. Hit 315 in competition and set the record for my weight category here in NZL
Going off of all the teenagers at my local gym
To answer your title
sarms
lots of sarms LOL
ive only ever gotten 315 for 2 reps when i was younger, im 30 now im more focused on muscle hypertrophy than strength
i'll be happy to bench 225 for many sets and reps
I’m so very happy that you are a part of the fitness industry. You are the best of putting the big gigantic scientific knowledge into good common sense. I wish you would’ve been the industry vocally 30 years ago. But I’m still training and still learning so thank you.
Hit 395 natural, then tore my pec trying 400. Goal was to get to 405 of course. Basically tripping at the finish line. Fuck
Injuries suck, I had a shoulder impingement about a year ago. At 55 I warm up a lot more these days and use bands in between sets to get a stretch. Back at 145 kg at the moment (315 pounds?). I was doing reps of 8 with that before the injury. I never used and peds, I wouldn't get any satisfaction out of that
@homebrewznz3482 best of luck
Finally hit 3 plates after deciding to focus on strength training (3-5 reps) for the past six months, after training ~10 reps for the past three and a half years since I started. Once your diet and training is actually in check, it will come in due time.
Hello expert how do thing?
Expert: Hard work.
But what about..
Expert: Hard ass work.
When I was repping 225 for 20, 275'for 10 to 12, my 315 max reps was 3. My 1 rep max was 335. Things just got real heavy around 280ish for me.
got better at bench right up until age 40, 315 for 5 was my best, thhen my shoulders just couldnt take it anymore.
At 50 I find I can do 4-8 weeks max of heavy lifting (3-5 reps) and then my joints are done, so I then switch to 12-16 weeks of much higher volume BB type work (15-20reps). Keeps the muscles big while giving the joints less strain.
I'm 35 but always seem to hit a wall again and again. Last couple of months I took a week of after 3 weeks of heavy lifting 4 times a week, seems I finally found a thing that works for me. Also combination of the heavy compound lifts(Deadlift, Squat, Bench,OHP,Row) with bodyweight exercises, seems like really good combination for longevity. Also Bodyweight and light Kettlebells during the off week, if I feel like it.
And what he mentions to change the heavy compound for a variation, every now and then
What does shoulder pain feel like exactly because I stay sore throughout the weekend (3 days off) but I also hit shoulders like 3 times a week
One thing I've found now that I'm in my 50s to help me maintain my bench strength over 3 plates (@210lbs bw) is the deload week. For the past 4 years now I've had a once a month day of maintenance chemo. So instead of bailing on that whole week around the treatment day when I feel like cr@p, I go in and do same/similar workouts, but a much reduced intensity and volume. The three "normal" weeks explode after that and I'd say I may even still be building a bit of bench strength back towards my all-time best from my 30s. The deload definitely increases my work capacity on regular weeks, which leads to overall gains - play the long game, be the old bull on the hill.
My next pr attempt is 120kg/265lb bodyweight 77kg
Great title and topic to pull people in. For anyone paying extra close attention you can apply these tips to any weight or exercise.
315 is normal for anyone doing powerlifting consistently for 3 years. What most people don't get is that you won't be achieving this while being single digit bf% 365 days a year
I wouldn’t say it’s “normal” for everyone. For instance, a smaller guy who weighs like 120lb is going to take a lot longer than a naturally big guy who weighs 220lb. In my view, numbers are arbitrary and what is important is the weight relative to your own body weight/frame. 315 is very much elite lifting level for the 120lb guy but isn’t elite at all for the 220lb guy *shrug*
220 at 172 and 16 is this good?
Pretty solid tbh. By the end of my senior year, my best was 255 at 170lbs.
Yes
@elilachappa3330 what about now?
Really good. Well done
@@Backman6 I stopped lifting for a few years after highschool. I only picked it up again about 3 years ago and haven't been totally consistent. I'm up to a 275 bench at 230lbs.
1:26 guy got no legs
What got me there was really focusing on slow, full reps, getting the maximum time under tension of every set weight that I was at during that progressive overload phase. Training to failure overtime on the smith machine was very helpful during the first month and a half or so until I got comfortable heading to the bench. Then after that 2 months later I was 1 rep maxing 350 and repping 315 4 times.
Also along with the chest sessions, I finally started incorporating full body push and pull sessions which obviously dialed up all my other muscle groups involved in bench.
So far, for the first 3 and a half months back weightlifting relatively consistantly with an actual push pull split I've only seen progress nearly every week. Just last week i was only repping 300 lbs for 4, just yesterday I was hitting 315 for 4 reps. My physique is abnormal though. Extremely muscular with some chub handles but can still see my abs so I don't really have to worry about gaining any dirty weight, just letting my muscles grow.
Weighed 242 yesterday at 5'10 and a quarter height based on my last physical from this year in april.
At 17 I worked out regularly and benched 75kg @73kg bodyweight
- stopped working out -
At 28 I got back in the gym and on day 1 was able to bench press 120kg @90kg bodyweight
You will come into your strength by your late 20's and as you fill out your frame more.
Pretty stoked to be able to press 120 as a starting point.
5 weeks later I was doing 135kg , and then I kinda stopped working out again 😆
Same bro I currently hold the bench press all time world record
We sound similar. I am 34, 96kg stuck at a 137.5kg bench. My lower back is now injured and I've been sick adding stress to hitting my goal. I will hit it one day! Hopefully you can get back in the gym.
@@bobvanka I believe it's called dad strength
@@Waywind420 I don't want kids so I'm lacking dad strength haha
@@bobvanka I dont have kids either, but we're at that kind of age for them. therefore dad strength 💪
Im 18 rn ,190 cm (6'4) Started lifting when i was 16 after getting to 140kg in the pandemic , went down to 125kg . Didnt do a lot of chest the 1st year, mostly arms and back ( had back pain issues , working out fixed it ). Only worked out for like 5 months , took a brake , My school built a small gym , and then started lifting seriously since i had a good teacher and i had a stable 2 times per week in school + 2 days at home . It took me 6 months to get from 40kg bench to 100 (225lbs ) for 5 reps, Then started seriously going to the gym on top of that , around 4-5 time a week . Rn im doing around 70-80kg , Started takeing creatine and Cutting ,
Rn im at 22% ish body fat, Want to get to 15%. . The cut has made so much weeker . I had a goal of 315 lbs by the end the year , ITs not happening . Im going to try get to 120kg , ( 270lbs )
Also get my deadlift to 200kg ( 450 lbs ) witch i know i can 100% do . But currently 3000 ccal has never felt so little ,
i had to get to over 200 at 5 foot 10.
Yea bro I hit it at 180 I think you just lacked tricep and shoulder strength
Same. But barely over 200. My other maxes were crazy high too tho
I started my march to 315 lbs bench one year ago after I turned 40. I didn’t have the discipline, mental health, “clean” injury history, or eating habits that would support getting to that level.
At Age 41, I’m hitting 205 lbs for double digit reps per set.
Part of how I’ve progressed is by adhering to the Progressive Overload principle and by comparing myself to stronger lifters **by aiming for a percentage of their gains**. I don’t try to get to be as good as them. I try to be 3/10ths as good as them. When I get to that level, I then set my sights slightly higher.
I’ll probably hit 315 lbs within the next 8-12 months. I’m not rushing. I’m enjoying the road to defeating that goal.
At 14 I started with a 95lb Bench Press. At 16 I hit 135lbs Bench Press. 11th grade I did a year of calisthenics. At 17 Thanksgiving of 12th grade I hit a 220lb Bench Press. At 18 Fall semester of Freshman year of university I hit a 305lbs Bench Press. Hit a near 2 year Bench plateau then got my first 315lbs Bench Press at 20 years pld natty. At 21 years old I hit 315lbs for 2 reps, 335lbs, 350lbs, and 365lbs Bench Press. At 23 years old I hit a 385lb Bench Press. At 25 years old I hit a 405lb Bench Press natty. Still being 25 I hit a 315lbs Bench Press for 12 reps. At age 27 I hit a 425lbs Bench Press. Age 28 I hit a 430lb Bench Press. Age 30 I hit 440lbs Bench Press then 450lbs 3 days later. Naturally. Shortly after I hit a rep PR of 300lbs Bench Press for 17 reps.
Volume I've done 315lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps and 315lbs for 4 sets of 7 reps, a set of 6 reps, a set of 5 reps, until I did 50 total reps with 315lbs.
Nowadays I still do volume with 315lbs and over on Bench Press at 32 years old. I know by the time I'm 40 I will hit crazy volume PRs with 315lbs and over on Bench Press.
I believe every male can Bench Press 315lbs natty. Not even be very fat to do it.
They just have to train correctly and do it long enough and eat.
Only outliers with very bad geentics won't.
Took me until being a natty 18 year old to bench press over 300lbs with 4 years of natural training.
Thats inspirational. Thanks for sharing.
@billholland583 No problem man. Thanks for the kind words.
In 2021 I started working out, barely hitting 3 reps of the 45 lbs dumbells as a 150 lbs 18-year-old. Now at 20 years old, I'm sitting at a 285 bench and still relatively lean. Never had a coach, was forced to stop lifting for almost 6 months after a little over a year in the gym(joined the military), and even faced a couple injuries along the way. 315 coming soon hehe
i also think the hardest part of hitting 315 is getting over the mental intimidation of it bc once you finally start hitting it suddenly its not nearly as hard
I am 50, lifetime natty and can hit 315 for reps.
It's not impossible it just takes running 5/3/1 on repeat for a while.
This. You HAVE to lift heavy low reps, gotta feel that weight. Gotta force yourself up to 275 for reps, then overload to 285, 295 etc… get a spotter, do those tough heavy ass tough 2-3 reps. In my experience you’ll stall out doing 10-8-6 with 225-265.
You also have to be ok with being heavier. Only when I ate more and gainer weight to 200 pounds could I break through to 315.
The things I'd do to bench 3 plates
Long term consistent effort?
Add tren to your morning smoothie
Have you tried just lifting it?
@@jimaeua187most people will never be able to do it. I have trained consistently for 40 years, never even close to those numbers. Genetics
@@LarsRyeJeppesenno
Huge thanks Mr Bromley. For me returning to powerlifting after a 25 Yr hiatus and for younger generations getting going. Thank you
325 bench , 17 ,194 bw
Nice daddy
You forgot 3 feet tall
@@reesew71 actually 2
Midget? Then it doesn't count.
I was able to get to 315 on bench in my early 20's after I started lifting in high school. It's definitely doable natty. I think the most I ever hit was 385. Now that I'm in my 40's I use 315 as a 'floor' to make sure I'm still strong but I'll rarely ever go higher than that.
How ableist. You just assume I didn’t get my arms blown off in 1939 Poland. Rude
Love to see you use your artistic talents in this video
315 is NOT a realistic expectation for a bench press.
He is comparing high school football guys and himself a strongman to average guys haha 🤣
The logic is cuz someone did it we can all do it within a reasonable time frame
@@snoopys14 that is still not a realistic expectation. Plain and simple.
@@above_average_fit i no he comparing average people
to Himself a strongman and high school footballers
Not with thay attitude
the biggest tip is to become obsessed with it, think about it at work, think about hitting it all the time, go minimalist with it, train nothing but bench, technique is a huge part of it, i stopped benching years ago, i jumped on bench recently and i was struggling with 2 plates (didn't get a single rep) yet i can dip my bodyweight 100kg+40kg for 5 reps
Also consistency. It will take years to achieve for most guys but a regular effort in your 20s will make certain you will achieve it before 30
You should also train front delt side delt and triceps. I focused only bench but after some time other muscles lacking started being a problem
I always feel enormous embarassment for guys when I learn they've been lifting for years and can't bench 315. Fuckin' put in some effort, guys. You're 100% certainly sandbagging, 0 intensity.
No consideration for differences in weight? There's a reason there's weight classes in everything, the bigger you are the stronger you typically are/strength potential. Benching 315 at 150 is way crazier than benching 315 at 250.
@@Pozzy I wasn't talking about girls and children.
@@Ezratal typical meathead response, my bad, didn't know every dude is a 6'4 gigachad with 250 lbs of lean mass. Put in some effort lol, as if it's even hard to bench 315 when you weigh nearly the same as the bar
@@Pozzy Bro if you're a grown man and weigh 150 lbs, maybe you can hit 'fairly good' numbers for an average guy, if you absolutely max out your potential. Probably not, though. And even if you did, you're still probably not even close to the strongest guy at your gym. And every other guy, and every girl, is going to look at you like you're either a child or a gross skeleton. Sorry man, but them's the facts
@@Ezratal some people look completely fine at 150 if they're short enough and live normal lives 😂 your ass is on a ego trip thinking everyone who's smaller than you is less of a man than you. My whole point is no, not everyone can bench 315, some people won't ever in their lifetime cause they just don't have the mass on them for it. In that case you're less of a man than everyone strongman, like halfthor who 400 plus pounds but I'm sure ur childlike state can't weigh that much surely.
Honestly, I used to believe hitting 315 was impossible but now that I am at 305 pr, I feel like the impossible is possible now even though Im 18 and 180 pounds bw
I have been stuck on a 115kg/250lbs bench press for a while now, but now I just changed my grip closer and have done pause reps only. I have started seeing some results again.
Edit: I think that doing pause reps have resulted in progress because I used to bounce the bar, and pausing helps me time the legdrive and keeps my whole body stable when pressing the bar off my chest.
Tried bench (as a calisthenics athlete) manages 315 for a few singles at 168 bodyweight. Not too bad. I know other calisthenics guys who have tried and hit 365 as well. You just dont train hard enough lol thats the only reason people dont get it
Thanks Bromly, your the man! I needed to hear this.
I'm going for my first 315 attempt this weekend. I feel like I have a pretty good chance. Hit 285 for heavy singles last month, but I've been focused on incline ever since and hitting that 8-10 rep range so I hope that hasn't killed any of my strength.
I just find that there is a massive psychological block for me. I overreached twice, failing to 1 rep weight I had previously done for 3 reps. No good spotters at my gym, no safeties.
I lack the confidence to bench without them, but I won't be able to until I move and save up for a home gym. I am really excited from the prospect of doing pin presses from the bottom, or just doing static holds to get a feel for heavier weight.
Right now, I'm basically failing to repeat my 110kg max from all the way back in march.
Everything but flat bench has improved despite maintenance and cut phases, My back lifts have all gone up, while form has gotten stricter.
Chest wise, it's just the pesky flat bench. Incline, db or bb, I've maintained; ring dips: setting prs; ring flys and fly presses: setting prs; delt and tri exercises: also setting prs regularly enough.
I got to a 425 double natural at 39. My testosterone total was ~150, free test between 8-10. In a lot of ways, I was symptomatic of Low T. It CAN be done. Would share my natural split if asked.
As of April 2024, I believe I lost the right to call myself "natural" as I started TRT. Since, I've steadily progressed to a 475lb double. I don't KNOW if I could have got there "naturally," but I DO know the TRT has helped the other symptoms and therefore I don't claim anything over the 425lb double as natural.
Update: that was April. I've been on 200mg per week since April as of this post. So five months. I don't feel superhuman, but my rbc is through the roof. If you go this route, understand that you are NOT hydrated. You think you are, but you are not. That goes for everyone. You aren't hydrating properly, I guarantee it.
Strength? Hard to tell. I started back into lifting 2 years ago at a 300lb bench, 315 squat, 500lb deadlift after a 15 year absence from the gym, in my late 30's.
Currently so my bench went, effectively, from 300 to a 425 double in a year and a half. I bench 500 now. Idk if the additional strength piled up and I was just able to handle heavier weights or what, or if it's all the trt. I know I work out til failure and rest 10 days between benching, and I have 2 accessory days per 10 day bench cycle.
It's really hard to tell, that's why I don't "claim" 500 "naturally", bc trt isn't natural. Idk.
I recently went back to my old gym to check some numbers after about 7 months of home gym, losing over 15 kg (33 lbs), and recovery from an injury (badly pulled right biceps, some ligaments in my shoulder, and all the way down to where the biceps connects with the elbow). I'm about 13 months into my training and started at 36.
I wasn't happy with what I saw. My bench fell from 10x 70 kg (154 lbs), 3x 80 kg (176 lbs), and 2x 85 kg (178.4 lbs) to 5x 70 kg (154 lbs) and 0x 80, nevermind 85 kg. Granted, all of the above are large mitigating factors and in a few sessions I should see massive improvements but... still. I've grown in terms of muscle mass and look miles better, but the siren song of the PR is telling me to renew my membership and push those old PRs to new heights for a month or three.
To PR-chase or not to PR-chase, that is the question.
Haven't quite answered myself yet.
I was lifting for maybe 5 years before I got it but I only really focused on it for about a year during my 4th training year,biggest change up was Dumbell bench over bar and heavy for maybe 4 months then I got it randomly when deciding to go back to barbell one day, I had been doing alot of overall strength training and had bulked up to about 249-250 my new goal is to do 315 at a sub 200 BW. I do want to add that I do not use wrist wraps a belt or sleeves, I may have gotten it sooner or for reps had I used all that
Yes of course you can do 315. I did 140 Kg plus through my 20's and 30's and after a dip in my early 40's. I was nothing special but was natty and not sure others were not but saw many better than me. Overwhelming advice is do not become obsessed with Benching.
I didn’t do bench at all… just dumbbells, cables and machines for a couple years… finally decided to hop on the bench recently and it yielded the best bench I’ve ever had… could press 225 almost 10 reps easily, which for me was the best I could do.
For the longest time I could never understand why I couldn’t reach 225 on bench. 6’2” 325 29M. The first was good form, I learned to retract my scapula, hand placement, slight arch in my back and leg drive. It definitely increased my bench. It took me a while to reach 225 but I did. One day when I did lab work it included testosterone, total, bioavailability, etc. my testosterone was 104ng/dl
“Not due to PEDs” I think if I take TRT to get my levels to 600 “average for my age group” This combined with training specifically for the bench and the muscle groups associated with them I can reach 315 at some point.
90% chance your low test is from your diet, bodyfat % and/or lifestyle. You do not need TRT. Just cut to a reasonable bodyfat, cut out sugars, get good sleep.
Plus TRT is not natty. You can’t claim natty even if you “just get boosted to the normal level”.
just hit 285lbs, only been benching for a year and a half, i gotta say its really not hard if you get the technique right, ive been using 5/3/1 pause benching all the sets and my bench has blown the hell up.
I finally hit it at 54. Did 2 sets of singles the first time. Then have done 2 sets of 2 the past two weeks. Want to get up to sets of 4 or 5 in the next 30 days.
One of my buddies in high school hit a double bodyweight bench. He didn't weigh much, like 140-150 but he definitely had the best pectoral development I've seen at that age. He got really big later on. Nice guy.
Started lifting when I was 12-13 years old. 95x5 was hard work and 135 shortly after was hit or miss. By end of freshman year I maxed out at 205. Fast forward to going into senior year, I hit 315 before the football season. Ended the year with 335. Fast forward 10 years was the first time I hit 405. Since then it has been a journey and never attempted more than 4 plates but worked to maintain 315x10. The takeaway? Adjusting programming, learning and better understanding nutrition and recovery, and understanding the importance of building the other muscle group to contribute to a strong bench (triceps I’m talking about you). Set the marker for you, don’t focus on others, and just be consistent. Get buried, get after it
I'm currently at a 275 bench (non paused, but will be attempting paused in a +-5lb range for a comp in about a week). Current volume has been 3 working sets, 4 days a week, for a total of 12 sets. after the comp, im changing my program to 10 working sets, 2 days a week, for a total of 20 sets a week. VOLUME
47 yrs old, supplements only and I hit 315 for 3-12 sets weekly. Pause, close grip, reverse grip, wide grip, low inc(10-15 ° ) and the three diff position neutral bar. Decline as well but with decline i can do the same with 325-235.I usually do 10 sets of my first compound excersise and any day I know I'm at least getting 3-4 reps but some days up to 8-10.
Did 315 @ 180lb in HS natty. 10 years later the most I’ve done is 355 sadly
Ha! I remember when 315 was my goal. I was either 38 or 39 years old when I finally got it. I think there are many reasons that it eventually happened. But, I would like to mention a big one... the group of folks that I had around me to help with motivation and provide a little trickery. The day that I got 305, my spotter clandestinely had added some plates. For some reason thinking I was doing 295 took away a mental block I guess and it went up so easy. Beyond that, having a diverse workout routine also helped. There was a guy in the gym I'd lift with on Saturday mornings. That was superset Saturday and he kicked my butt. But, it felt so good afterwards. One interesting thing I recall is that once I got 315, afterwards I actually was more into increasing my reps with 225 rather than getting even heavier. Everyone has their own goals and reasons for being in the gym.
I never did really did any lifting until I was about 30. I did a lot of kettlebell work for several years, then shifted to powerlifting. Took me about 2+ years of focused effort to get 315 at a BW of about 240.
Funny enough I didn't get much in the way of chest development from moving up my bench. Seemed like I got more growth in my triceps than anything else, along with some front delts.