Bench press

I'm not too big on bench pressing like most guys at the gym but how much do you guys bench? I am 5'8, 166lbs, and press 210 (max), is this good? Ive seen guys who are thin as a stick and can bench more than me. Whats wrong here?

I think the stats break down to something like less than half of the male population in the US can bench their own weight.  So I think your doing pretty well!  My max in highschool was 300,  I was 5'-7" 220 lbs at the time.  The odd thing was that I was never a bench guy either, only doing free weights and grappling etc.

It's not about how much you bench press but more how BIG you bench press.
It's a philosophy I was thought by my dad/ex body builder.

You don't see bodybuilders curling 200lbs, they'll do 8 sets of 100lbs though.

If you want to get big, it's not about your 1 rep max, but more about how many sets of 10 + can you do before crumbling lol.

you see?  even guys who don't bench bench more than me.  is it genetics?  I can do 10+ rep with 190 easily (1 set).

What do you mean by how BIG you bench press?

at some point you realize that the maxing out on bench press is more about yourself and your ego, rather than actually being relevant to your overall fitness.

my max was 285 at 5'11 at 190 pounds 2 years ago when i was working out consistently.  

not sure what it is now since i've been slacking on going to the gym.

but in any event, there are a lot of factors going into having a great 1 rep max, but your max isn't a great indicator of fitness. your endurance is a better indicator.

but if you just have to stroke your ego, and get your bench press max up, you've got to hit up the exercises to work your pectoral muscles (flat, incline, decline benches; flat & incline flys) as well as the other muscles that help you in the bench press such as the triceps and deltoid muscles.  your shoulders and extensor portion of your arms are just as important in the bench press as the chest muscles.

I have little/nothing to contribute to the whole "is this good" question, but I'm 6'0, 220lbs, and I bench 315.

[QUOTE=NYC03Alti;37395]I have little/nothing to contribute to the whole "is this good" question, but I'm 6'0, 220lbs, and I bench 315.[/QUOTE]

220lbs and benching 315 is good to me.  thats way more than your weight..almost 100lbs more actually..

You should be able to bench your own weight. Lifting heavy weight with only 4-6 reps at a time allows you to get stronger without gaining much mass. To gain mass you do lower weight, but do more along the lines of 8-12 reps. To get lean (I am going to start this routine after my stomach heals) you do even lower weight, but 15-30 reps.

Now back on topic...I am 185lbs and can do 8 reps of 225lbs. I have never done the max (my girl workout partner won't be able to lift the bar hehe). I don't think it's a lot, but I don't believe in protein powder, or anything like that. For a while I was doing more mass excersises and skipped flat bench in favor of incline and decline. It will drop down again when I start doing high-rep sets with 135lbs for about a month or maybe slightly longer. 

It may seem like everyone around you is lifting more, but you have to look at their weight, their training routine, their diet, supplements they take. I am sure genetics have something to do with it too. You would be suprised how many guys can't even bench their own weight...it's pathetic. Just set a goal and push yourself to achieve it (part of your new years resolution???). 

Do you eat before your workout? If not, you should consume some complex carbs and protein. Complex carbs take longer to digest, which means they release additional energy over long time periods, exactly what you need for those 2 hour workout sessions. Complex carbs are things like sweet potatoes, and actually just about all vegetables. For protein...tuna, turkey, chicken, lean read meat. You must consume some protein after workout as well. Why is this important? If you don't eat before your workout, you are not charged 100%, so you might be doing only 70% of your max weight.

Either way don't concentrate on how much weight a guy next to you is lifting...do your own thing and work towards a goal.

[QUOTE=TLontheDL;36852]I'm not too big on bench pressing like most guys at the gym but how much do you guys bench? I am 5'8, 166lbs, and press 210 (max), is this good? Ive seen guys who are thin as a stick and can bench more than me. Whats wrong here?[/QUOTE]


my ass is fat.

i'm 214.

i push 180 all day and do 225 once or twice but then my nikka cody bust me... dude can go 275 i think...

my old high school P.E. teacher and football coach told me if you can bench your own weight then you're all good....

i think you're good brah... shoots mayng :)

laters,

mikey

Im 41 years old.  yeah a dinasore, but back in the day my max was 330 but I could also and still can lift a K truck off the ground.

What I cant do is lift my cock up enough to keep from peeing on the rim.