# What are you benchin?



## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

Currently I'm pushin 2 sets of 6 reps of 70kg's.

What about the rest of you?


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

im benchin weights lol


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

i currently am training at around 5-4-3 on 120kg bench, aiming for eventually 8-7-6, then i will start training at 125, and so on.

Nick


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

Nice numbers Nick. How long have you been training for mate?


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

Not been training my chest heavy (15+ reps) also just stopped cutting. Did use a heavy weight at the end of nov and got 65/70kg for 6-8 I think but this was too much coming back from cutting so I took it easy and tapered my cardio down to 20 mins and built the weight up slower

Went back to heavyish weights on monday. 60/65kg dumbells for 8-10 reps. Maybe heavier next week.

J


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

XXLTank said:


> Nice numbers Nick. How long have you been training for mate?


semi-seriously through my late teens and then very seriously from late 19 (i'm now a few months into 21), so i guess about 18months seriously.

when i started training seriously i was doing 6-5-4 of about 85kgs with crap form. now 5-4-3 120 with good form !

Nick


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## dongle (May 19, 2006)

im shifting 3 sets 8-12 reps 90kg's i can do a little more but i need a spot and my form goes to the wind.. 6 months ago i struggled to do 3 sets of 50 -60 kilos with a very helpfull spotter.when i use dumbells i normally do incline (slight)and use 25 -30kg dumbells.


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## tahir (Feb 15, 2008)

devilsquest said:


> im benchin weights lol


really,

so am i :lol:


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

well thats what he asked lol,now if he said how much weight you benchin that would of been 130kg


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

120kg on the smith maching for about 8

46kg on the db's for about 8 too


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## RJ Magnus (Aug 14, 2005)

I wobble and sturggle with 20kg barbell. Feel so weak compared to you guys. I swear to god its my stabilizer muscles


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

RJ Magnus said:


> I wobble and sturggle with 20kg barbell. Feel so weak compared to you guys. I swear to god its my stabilizer muscles


could be m8 i had to do a couple of years trainin mine before i could start trainin right,but i was recoverin after an injury :idea:


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## razg (Nov 23, 2004)

I don't do barbell bench press, I think it's overrated and injury-prone, however the best I ever did was 112.5kg.

Nowadays I stick to dumbells, I think my 1RM would be around 2x45-50kg, I can shift 2x37.5kg for about 10 reps, and 2x40kg for around 3-5 reps.

RJ - lift with your brain, not your ego. As soon as the rest of your body catches up with your chest and triceps, your bench will go through the roof. Just train sensibly and reap the rewards.


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## T-Unit (Sep 8, 2005)

4 x 8 @ 100kg just at the end of a bulking cycle


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## finephysique (Dec 20, 2005)

I never do the flat bench not a great exercise for building chest just for building ego, I incline press the 50kg dumbells for 8 and decline press 120kg for 8


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## Andy1981iron (Dec 16, 2004)

finephysique said:


> I never do the flat bench not a great exercise for building chest just for building ego, I incline press the 50kg dumbells for 8 and decline press 120kg for 8


I tend to agree with you there.....I use my shoulders too much with the barbell bench press


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

Point taken about the ego aspect however for many bodybuilding is a sport that one uses to look good in order to feel good, its all linked to ego.

Motivation plays a huge part in our sport nothing wrong with a little ego massaging.

Regardless of the merits of the exercise if the hope of powrering past your previous bench PB is what keeps you focused in the gym then good luck to you.


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## finephysique (Dec 20, 2005)

young gun said:


> Point taken about the ego aspect however for many bodybuilding is a sport that one uses to look good in order to feel good, its all linked to ego.
> 
> Motivation plays a huge part in our sport nothing wrong with a little ego massaging.
> 
> Regardless of the merits of the exercise if the hope of powrering past your previous bench PB is what keeps you focused in the gym then good luck to you.


Personally I am into bodybuilding and I don't want to risk injury by going heavy on an exercise which is notorious for causing injuries


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## Poom (Aug 4, 2005)

For me 10 8 8 of 100kg then maybe 10 10 10 of 80kg if im feeling strong

Its the only exercise i actaully enjoy (strange huh) and as young gun said.



> Regardless of the merits of the exercise if the hope of powrering past your previous bench PB is what keeps you focused in the gym then good luck to you.


This is true for me, the bench press for me is a measure of how much i have improved my overall strength, wrong i know , but for me ill just be ignorant and think that , because Ive done the exersice for 4 years now and its my own personal strength test.


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2005)

Yeah, it's one of the few I enjoy too - that and squats. What sort of injuries is it responsible for?


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## FAT BOY (Dec 19, 2005)

mainly shoulder with the ocasional torn pec

.

Although bench press is a dam fine massbuilder there are a lot of alternative exercises that you can use to create the look you want


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2005)

Injuries from bench pressing are usually as a result of bad form and RELATIVE excessive weight, using a weight you know to be too much for you.

Not a bad exercise at all and not a bad exercise to use with heavy weight, ie 6 reps to failure. Just be sure about your form and dont arch your back from the bench to aid the lift.

Always add declines and inclines to hit your pecs in different ways for overall development, and dont always train heavy.

J


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## RJ Magnus (Aug 14, 2005)

I preferr to do Dumbell chest presses, i can use a bit more weight on those and i feel much more confident. Maybe i should stick to those for now until ive built up a bit more strength in the stabilizer muscles.


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

finephysique said:


> young gun said:
> 
> 
> > Point taken about the ego aspect however for many bodybuilding is a sport that one uses to look good in order to feel good, its all linked to ego.
> ...


Agreed. I personally Bench maybe 1 in three workouts if that. I was just making the point that ego plays a big part for a lot of people, I certainly wasn't saying this is a more significant factor than risking injury just saying thats part of the justification as to why so many people still flat bench each and every chest workout.


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

I think that ego plays a big part in bodybuilding. The feeling of being 'strong' and 'big' and the wow factor from other people when you lift bigs weights is a huge motivation to get the intensity up in the gym.

its only when that takes over and you are more concerned with lifting too heavy and appearing massive rather than solid training is it a problem

Nick


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2005)

razg said:


> I don't do barbell bench press, I think it's overrated and injury-prone, however the best I ever did was 112.5kg.
> 
> Nowadays I stick to dumbells, I think my 1RM would be around 2x45-50kg, I can shift 2x37.5kg for about 10 reps, and 2x40kg for around 3-5 reps.
> 
> RJ - lift with your brain, not your ego. As soon as the rest of your body catches up with your chest and triceps, your bench will go through the roof. Just train sensibly and reap the rewards.


lol this comment is so incorrect and wrong please change your way of thinking, for your own benefit.

How people can say this is an injury-prone exercise :shock: anyone who thinks this is 1 either a novice to lifting weights or 2 doesnt no how to lift correctly.

3 core exercises are and will always be Bench Press, Deadlift & Squat.

Whether your bodybuilding, powerlifting or wanting to be a strongman you should always perform these at least once a week.


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## finephysique (Dec 20, 2005)

TheDaddy2003 said:


> razg said:
> 
> 
> > I don't do barbell bench press, I think it's overrated and injury-prone, however the best I ever did was 112.5kg.
> ...


Well I am certainly not a novice trainer, I hold powerlifting championships and when I did I bench pressed twice a week every week, yes I was strong but like most other powerlifters I did not have a big chest.

People are so wrapped up in the what can you bench mentality, how many times does somebody ask what can you squat or what can you deadlift.

The way to build a big chest is from all manner of inclines and declines and flat work with dumbells. Ask any good chiropractor what they think of the barbell bench press and they will tell you just how many injuries happen because of it. I train around a lot of top bodybuilders and not one of them does the flat barbell press.

I fully agree with with razg if you give the same attention to the rest of your training as most do to the bench press then improvements will be much greater


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## FAT BOY (Dec 19, 2005)

Agreed m8 i benched for years, until a bad shoulder forced me to rethink.

i now do mainly incline which i think, is a good idea pec shape wise as you get older anyway.

wen you stand on your own in a pair of lycras infront of a crowd it dont matter how strong you are :lol:


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## razg (Nov 23, 2004)

TheDaddy2003 said:


> lol this comment is so incorrect and wrong please change your way of thinking, for your own benefit.
> 
> How people can say this is an injury-prone exercise :shock: anyone who thinks this is 1 either a novice to lifting weights or 2 doesnt no how to lift correctly.
> 
> ...


All I see from you is stupid comments related to training and anabolics with no real backup. I've been lifting for getting on to 6 years, and guys like finephysique who are competitive bodybuilders have clearly been training even longer. Bench press is notorious for causing injuries, as it's a completely unnatural movement - it puts a massive amount of strain on both the shoulders and the elbow.

Go do some reading before you shoot your mouth off in future.


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## splinter1466867924 (Aug 5, 2005)

> Bench press is notorious for causing injuries, as it's a completely unnatural movement - it puts a massive amount of strain on both the shoulders and the elbow.


I thought bench press was a natural movement in comparison to say a smith bench press as its not just a vertical movement. And there is slight rotation.

Bench press does cause injury for sure it caused my impingement in my shoulder.


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2005)

yep it was the bench press movement that stuffed my shoulder up meny moons ago,when i use it now i only use light weight


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## finephysique (Dec 20, 2005)

razg said:


> TheDaddy2003 said:
> 
> 
> > lol this comment is so incorrect and wrong please change your way of thinking, for your own benefit.
> ...


Again I agree raz, I have been reading this guys posts and they are just full of negativity, I have not seen a positive comment directed towards anybody


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

i think bench press is awesome. its what has put most of my chest size on without a doubt. Never had an injury in the 5 or 6 years i've been doing it.

N ick


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## Poom (Aug 4, 2005)

on another note aside from the ego stuff

Ive had huge gains in look and strength from flat bench, this is the only chest exersize i do anymore and i have not had an injury from it in 5 years , and also i do get alot of complements on how i got my chest so big compared to the rest of me.

Saying this though i think its only logical that Dumb-bell press is more effective , as it probably gives a better stretch and also builds better balance i would guess,

But personally i get such nice gains from bar bell ill stick with it.


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## FierceFrets (Sep 29, 2005)

I got to admit i like the flat bench. But for me, you cant beat the extra feeling of sqeezing at the top of the rep. You only get that with DB's so in the end, thats what I go for.

:twisted: Fierce


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

Trying to stay out of this as obviously both Nick and Raz are friends of mine in the real world, bench is an exercise which does cause more injuries than others but I don't think its a one way ticket to certain injury.

Also Daddy2003 whilst not commenting on the validity of your posts BB knowledge wise I will say that you were entirely negative in a thread to Jay123 who I find to be a pretty knowledgeable all round pleasant guy, and your criticism or Raz in this thread was way over the top regardless of your feelings towards bench, it served no purpose.

In a thread a few days ago me and fine physique completely disagreed on something to do with PWO nutrition. Read it its a much better way to go about things I completely respect his opinion and am not about to tell someone I know they are wrong I am certainly not the omni - potent God of bodybuilding yeah I have my opinions but so does everyone else do what works for you. Personally unless someone is completely spouting s**t so detrimental to people reading it that it warrants being pulled up, then I think responses like yours to the posts I've mentioned have been out of order.


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## FierceFrets (Sep 29, 2005)

here here YG.

:twisted: Fierce


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## finephysique (Dec 20, 2005)

Healthy debate good- slagging off other members bad

Well said YG


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2005)

off topic here...but...yes, even aggressive disagreement and convesation is acceptable, but flaming others is not cool in this case...btw, I'm workin out with 230 pounds for two sets of six and 195 pounds for two sets of six on incline...


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2006)

razg said:


> it puts a massive amount of strain on both the shoulders and the elbow.
> 
> .


Welcome to weightlifting mate.

btw i wouldn't take advice off a 9 stone book reading chiropractor on whether or not Barbell Press is a good exercise or not.

I'd only take advice off those that i can see are stronger or more developed than me.

On a forum ill find answers for my questions that i have some idea to what the answer is likely to be in the first place, if i agree with it then ill be greatful for the advice cheers.

Also i dont consider it to be "FLAMING" if the guys been training 6 years and can only bench 112kg then he clearly needs some advice, you also need some advice on those dumbell presses your doing too.

Dont recall giving "Advice" on anabolics only asking questions.. and please feel free to point out any "Stupid" advice ive given with training.


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

TheDaddy2003 said:


> razg said:
> 
> 
> > it puts a massive amount of strain on both the shoulders and the elbow.
> ...


try and stay on topic guys

Raz takes a scientific and researched approach to bodybuilding and offers solid advice, you are more a man of experience and learning by doing (which is probably what i'm doing). You 2 are bound to disagree a bit.

I can see both your points, personally if some 10 stone skinny fool came up to me in the gym and criticised my benching i'd be not inclined to take any of his advice  On the other hand, if a well respected doctor/surgeon/physiotherapist told me that I should consider changing the way I train because I could seriously injure myself, or that my knees are getting weak again (i have a history of knee problems), then i'd be incline to at least take his advice on board and possibly follow it.

Be men and stop bitching 

Nick


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

C'mon everybody likes a good bitch. (See Rant forum)


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

TheDaddy2003 said:


> I'd only take advice off those that i can see are stronger or more developed than me.'
> 
> Thats a smart approach I gotta say
> 
> ...


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2006)

Nick has hit the nail on the head i guess, so lets stick to the topic and "Agree to dissagree".

Ill try and be abit more constructive :wink:


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2006)

RJ Magnus said:


> I wobble and sturggle with 20kg barbell. Feel so weak compared to you guys. I swear to god its my stabilizer muscles


Same for me, only started the free-weight bench several weeks ago, p1ssed off with not having a shooter but would sooner risk a bar on my chest than poxy gains. Stabalisers that were being pampered on the smith are having to cope now, yours will get used to it.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2006)

Found how much strength I have lost since cutting (also not training cheast heavy or as frequent) and having no gear for 3-4 months

Managed 3 reps with 140Kg on my 3 or 4th set. Bit dissapointed with it but It'll soon go up again and I could be weaker. Plus I'm not not there to train my ego  just curious after this thread.

Back to adding size and eating more. Adding test cyp and masteron soon and also cut the cardio down to 20 mins 3xweek

J


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