Post your all-time 1 rep max bench

LionsAndBears

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I was recently involved in a discussion about this and there were varying opinions about what was respectable and what wasn't, so I thought I'd bring the discussion here. Also, feel free to include your ahem status when hitting the max.

385, lifetime natty, weight 225 lbs
 
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Nits1989

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I was recently involved in a discussion about this and there were varying opinions about what was respectable and what wasn't, so I thought I'd bring the discussion here. Also, feel free to include your ahem status when hitting the max.

385, lifetime natty, weight 225 lbs
I thought 100 over your weight was considered strong? You were way over that.
 

LionJim

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245. I do dumbbell bench presses exclusively now, 150 x8 x3. I also use the seated press machine as a closer, 225 x6 x1. Safer. Pro tip on the bar bench press: don’t use clips. Adrian Dantley once had to dive in and save my life.

You tend to get much better form on dumbbell bench presses than on the bar bench press. That’s what I tell myself anyway. And I feel much safer on dumbbell presses, it’s easy to drop the weights if you need to.
 
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psuro

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A car in the Champs parking lot.

* mic drop *
Film Car GIF


Here is video You must have dropped a quarter under the car.
 

psuro

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Truth be told....

480 at the age of 48, but it was on a Smith Machine - not free weights. I weighed 245-250 at that time.

My goal was to lift 10 times my age.

Meme Success GIF by MOODMAN
 
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Bkmtnittany1

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Oct 26, 2021
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245. I do dumbbell bench presses exclusively now, 150 x8 x3. I also use the press machine as a closer, 225 x6 x1. Safer. Pro tip on the bar bench press: don’t use clips. Adrian Dantley once had to dive in and save my life.

You tend to get much better form on dumbbell bench presses than on the bar bench press. That’s what I tell myself anyway. And I feel much safer on dumbbell presses, it’s easy to drop the weights.
At my age I would be a dumbbell to even think of bench pressing!
 
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Bison13

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245. I do dumbbell bench presses exclusively now, 150 x8 x3. I also use the press machine as a closer, 225 x6 x1. Safer. Pro tip on the bar bench press: don’t use clips. Adrian Dantley once had to dive in and save my life.

You tend to get much better form on dumbbell bench presses than on the bar bench press. That’s what I tell myself anyway. And I feel much safer on dumbbell presses, it’s easy to drop the weights if you need to.
Honestly surprised he would, he's a jerk.
 
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LionsAndBears

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I work in
245. I do dumbbell bench presses exclusively now, 150 x8 x3. I also use the seated press machine as a closer, 225 x6 x1. Safer. Pro tip on the bar bench press: don’t use clips. Adrian Dantley once had to dive in and save my life.

You tend to get much better form on dumbbell bench presses than on the bar bench press. That’s what I tell myself anyway. And I feel much safer on dumbbell presses, it’s easy to drop the weights if you need to.

I agree. I hit my max 7 years ago at the age of 43. I was on my way to 405 but I messed my shoulder up it's been dumbbells ever since. As an added tip I turn my wrists inward in order to protect my shoulder even more.
 

TheBigUglies

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225 in high school as an 18 year old in the mid 80s(weighed 160) but in my early 40s I was able to comfortably do 3 sets of 10 with 225 but never tried to max out because I was lifting alone in the basement at work where they had a small gym. However, apparently I have arthritis in my shoulder bone where the arm muscle goes through because I had to stop benching because I could no longer lift my arm up sideways(got MRI and went to PT). I love to bench and now in my late 50s(ugh) and just stick with 135 at 3 sets of 10 but not coming all the way down to the chest due to the should issues. Trying to keep lifting to age sort of gracefully and healthy to stay active.
 

LionJim

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I work in

I agree. I hit my max 7 years ago at the age of 43. I was on my way to 405 but I messed my shoulder up it's been dumbbells ever since. As an added tip I turn my wrists inward in order to protect my shoulder even more.
I’m thinking I’m going too heavy on my db bench. At my age best to focus on form. I always start with my bench then a pull sequence and then an incline bench. Nice trick for incline bench: On your last set, push at 30 degrees and then go down to 15 degrees, then go down to flat, use the same weight (50 lb dumbbells, 100 lb total). easy peasy drop sets.
 
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LionJim

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300 pounds on chest press machine last year at age 52 while weighing 215.
I’d say this would be equivalent to 275-285 on a standard bench press. Thoughts?

The machine is so much safer than the standard bench. You do not get the same ROM as on a standard bench press but really, who cares.
 
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s1uggo72

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225 in high school as an 18 year old in the mid 80s(weighed 160) but in my early 40s I was able to comfortably do 3 sets of 10 with 225 but never tried to max out because I was lifting alone in the basement at work where they had a small gym. However, apparently I have arthritis in my shoulder bone where the arm muscle goes through because I had to stop benching because I could no longer lift my arm up sideways(got MRI and went to PT). I love to bench and now in my late 50s(ugh) and just stick with 135 at 3 sets of 10 but not coming all the way down to the chest due to the should issues. Trying to keep lifting to age sort of gracefully and healthy to stay active.
olden days 305 at about 190#
now about 15 yrs ago while doing incline presses on a machine, and kept hearing a bunch of noise, grinding like. The MD said I had bone on bone, nothing they could really do about it. Hips ? yes, knees? pretty good Shoulder replacement? it didnt do too well
so I live with it. I get a shot every once in a while and that helps but not for long. So the stuff that makes it really hurt, like lifting I cant do any more. My left is good, so when I get a chance I work my left side. I am not too worried about symmetry any more! lol
I was ready to look into shoulder replacement, but ran into a guy at the watering hole who just had it done in the last yr. He says his hurts worse than before. They are trying to redo it but currently they took out the old stuff and pinned and needled a shoulder back together. Soon when the infection is gone, they will try again.
So for now I'll live with what I have , do what I can do, and dont do what I cant. The biggest pain I get is trying to wash my boat, so luckily I hire that out now! I keep forgetting I am 70, but I hate that excuse!
 

Moogy

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I don't think I ever maxed out when I was actually strong. Between a wonky shoulder from years of pitching, and the other being wonky from a car accident, it didn't seem prudent. I remember repping out 225 ... I got to 18 and got bored and racked it when I was about 18 or 19. Whenever i went above 225, though, I felt twinges. But ever since then, I just stuck with DB presses. Much better on the joints. My heaviest set is 120 lb. dumbbells for 10 ... I don't go up higher because it's a pain in the *** to get them up in the air.

My boys weight train now for sports, and they mostly do DB presses, too. Just a smarter exercise. The youngest still uses the bar sometimes when the meathead football crew requires it.
 

LionJim

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I don't think I ever maxed out when I was actually strong. Between a wonky shoulder from years of pitching, and the other being wonky from a car accident, it didn't seem prudent. I remember repping out 225 ... I got to 18 and got bored and racked it when I was about 18 or 19. Whenever i went above 225, though, I felt twinges. But ever since then, I just stuck with DB presses. Much better on the joints. My heaviest set is 120 lb. dumbbells for 10 ... I don't go up higher because it's a pain in the *** to get them up in the air.

My boys weight train now for sports, and they mostly do DB presses, too. Just a smarter exercise. The youngest still uses the bar sometimes when the meathead football crew requires it.
Yeah, it’s a pain in the *** to get them up properly. There’s a way to do it where you swing them up as you proceed to lie down but it’s very difficult. 120 x10 (240 total) is awesome. My best db press was 85 x10 (170 total), last year, but someone pointed out that my form sucked.

Knock on wood, I’ve never been injured.
 
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LionJim

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Yeah, it’s a pain in the *** to get them up properly. There’s a way to do it where you swing them up as you proceed to lie down but it’s very difficult. 120 x10 (240 total) is awesome. My best db press was 85 x10 (170 total), but someone pointed out that my form sucked.

Knock on wood, I’ve never been injured.
I should mention that I’m a fairly recent convert to free weights, maybe 20 years. I used Nautilus machines primarily before that.
 

Catch1lion

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In the gym, 540 max at 242# with belt and wrist wraps, no bench shirt. It was a clean lift with a pause and no bounce or *** lift. In a sanctioned meet ,515 lbs at 220# belt, wrist wraps and a bench shirt.
Years later, have detached long heads of both biceps, unrepaired. Bilateral repairs of complete tears with retraction of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis (3 of the 4 rotator cuff muscles). SLAP tear repaired right shoulder only. Currently, 5 weeks out from anterior cervical discectomy fusion at two levels. Weight lifting future will consist of pounder Miller Lites.
 

JohnJumba

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I lifted a regulation pool table while under it. About 27 at the time.

I also saw a guy curl a 10 pound dumbbell with his twonky 🤣.
 
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BriantheLion

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Vertical bests, all in my 40s(now in my 60s)..

Military press-175
Push press-215
One hand snatch (barbell)-130
Turkish get-up(kettlebell)-106(that is a bit dangerous…takes 100% concentration)

I never had the flexibility for jerk or two hand snatch.
 

1995PSUGrad

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Truth be told....

480 at the age of 48, but it was on a Smith Machine - not free weights. I weighed 245-250 at that time.

My goal was to lift 10 times my age.

Meme Success GIF by MOODMAN
That's going to get more impressive as you get older!
 

northwoods

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320 on the bench press machine in first quarter of 2020 at the Human Wellness and Performance Center in N. Myrtle Beach, SC, at age 77. i weighed 200 lbs. Dr. David Haught, the Director, said I was in the upper 1% of my age group in overall strength (I took a lot of pride in that). Unfortunately, Covid closed all the Fitness Centers, and I switched my concentration more to biking and walking. As a result, my strength has diminished significantly over the past five years. Hard to believe, but my peak accomplishments on almost all upper body and lower body lifting occurred in my 70's. That's because I made a serious commitment to working out after a knee replacement in 2015 and was in the gym 4 - 5 days a week for five straight years (I also had great guidance and support). My son-in-law was a professional hockey player in the St. Louis Blues organization and half my age when I challenged him to try to do my complete upper body routine --- he was able to do it but confided to me later "that I couldn't let the old man beat me, but it truly busted my ***".