race to 300 lbs bench press - who's in?

[JP]

Joe C suggested in the training logs a race to 300lbs bench press - i'm not one to turn down a challenge

Who would be up for it?

Looking at the vegan strength table there are several people knocking on 300lbs mark from joe c, michaelhobson, veganessentials, silverback, jonathan, blaz etc. Some closer than others though - i think J only has couple lbs to go!

Anyway, no real harm in a bit of a race, who would be up for it?

It might take me a while, so this is a long term race, perhaps even up to a year for me to be honest.

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300lbs bench table:

Code: Select all

Name                         Starting Bench            Current Bench

Bigbwii                           286               Mission Accomplished
VeganEssentials                   280               Mission Accomplished
Jonathan                          264                       292
JP                                242                       281
Daywalker                         275                       275
J                                 265                       265
michaelhobson                     225                       255
Hannibal                          246                       254
Kadett8                           253                       253
Silverback                        250                       250
bronco                            237                       237


[J]

I'm already there really. I mean if I want to bench 300 I can do so in a couple of weeks by doing certain things that I know will give a short term boost so I shouldn't be in a competition to get there. I'm looking at 400 anyway. Going to go and finally buy a bench today as a matter of fact.

[Jonathan]

im in. got a way to go though.

my current max is 120kg (264lb) and i hope to be benching 122.5kg at the fitness week, though maybe 125kg. i aim to benching 130kg by mid august and then 136.4kg (300lb) should fall sometime mid september onwards. that said, my plans never work out!!

good luck everyone!

jonathan

[JP]

I'm already there really. I mean if I want to bench 300 I can do so in a couple of weeks by doing certain things that I know will give a short term boost so I shouldn't be in a competition to get there. I'm looking at 400 anyway. Going to go and finally buy a bench today as a matter of fact.

ah but you need to get 300 before going to 400 Any chance you could try to make it on the VF week powerlifting event? That would easily be the biggest bench there.

Jonathan, you are the closest to the 300 i think of the bunch, and while pausing the bar on the chest may shave a touch off your bench, you will get it back quickly, and then some! Anyways, don't think we will let you off that easy, so watch your back

[Jonathan]

ah whilst you seem to be a natural squatter i seem to be a natural bencher (have only really been training for about 1year 10months) so you may have a battle on your hands!!

jonathan

[Joe C]

Fantastic, count me in, also. Just multiply Jonathan's timeframe by about 4 to account for my old age and I should eventually get there.

I think it would be great to have a bunch of vegans benching over 300 pounds. That seems to be the magic number everyone respects in all the gyms I've ever lifted in. It's funny, if I told people I could deadlift 600 pounds their eyes would glaze over, and then they'd just ask how much can I bench.

Jonathan, you are the closest to the 300 i think of the bunch, and while pausing the bar on the chest may shave a touch off your bench, you will get it back quickly, and then some! Anyways, don't think we will let you off that easy, so watch your back

Geez, imposing real PL rules here, JP? I guess a video showing proper chest pause would be necessary? And what about a prize for the winner? Maybe the last place person (which very likely would be me! ) could provide that.

[littlegirlbunny]

hmmm - lots of testosterone floating round in this thread!!!!!!!!

[silverback]

Awesome - let's get out of the weak ass 200s together, and then we can talk about moving on to a truly respectable 400 (right J? glad to see you are in the race). I have been working toward a 2 step goal of 300 and 315 (6 45lb plates) and will be making these lifts ASAP so let's get it on!

I have every intention of smashing 300 in 2005 and definitely both of these by the time I graduate in May 2006. My previous best is 275 from several years ago. I have been lifting consistently during the past 5 months and have gotten my bench back up to 250 (1 rep max on May 22) with a current calculated max of 256 (based on 220 for 5 reps: 220*5*0.033+220, the Epley formula). I am benching twice per week most weeks with usually about 3 sets of 5 or fewer reps with heavy weight adding 5 pounds each workout. At twice per week, the strength is coming fast!

I think there are people on this site who have benched 300 or close to it and are not on the strength table, so let's hear from them too!

VEGAN EDGE REVENGE XXX

[VeganEssentials]

I'm in for it. I plan to actually start benching every week soon (for the first time of regular consistent benching in almost 2 years) so I hope that 300 won't be too far out for me. We'll see what happens!

Ryan

[V VII Hero]

ahh crap I just changed my routine. I was benching 350 on machines and switched over to actual benching to involve stabilzer muscles.

I was pumping out like 15 reps of 265lbs like nothing on the actual bench. a couple sets too.

I could have easily gone up to 300lbs. but instead i decided to try a different type of training. and with the new training. I dont focus on strength or how much weight I am doing....I focus on technique and isometrics. my strength has decreased but I have managed to pack on some muscle with my new routine. crap. maybe I will try to get my bench up again. but in the meantime I am focusing on building up all my body parts in proportion. my legs have to get a lot of attention...as my chest is probably my strongest body part, it overpowers my upperbody. and i want my body to be in proportion.

[JP]

fantastic! It's exiting to think that in 12 months time there could be 4-6 new 300lbs benchers on the board!

LGB: testosterone is what we need Put a bunch males in a room and they will come up with some sort of a challenge or competition

[littlegirlbunny]

LGB: testosterone is what we need Put a bunch males in a room and they will come up with some sort of a challenge or competition

indeed - i think its great. certainly dispells the myth that vegan men are wimps

[silverback]

I was pumping out like 15 reps of 265lbs like nothing on the actual bench. a couple sets too. I could have easily gone up to 300lbs.

Very impressive...unless you have lost an awful lot of strength I would be surprised if you cannot do 300 right now. I would think multiple sets of 265 for an easy 15 reps should translate to a much higher 1 rep bench than 300, probably higher than 350.

There's also a post from xdarthveganx where he reports a 295 bench, so let's hear from him too. And I talked to Frank who has mainly been working on strongman training but he may get in on this 300 bench quest too.

With some effort we could have double-digit membership in our vegan 300 bench club within a year! JP maybe you've got a vegan fitness t-shirt idea here...how about "vegan fitness 300 bench club" t-shirt for the winner(s)?

ANIMAL LIBERATION

[J]

I think Jonathan is the most likely to hit 400. Which for a guy with a 6 foot 10 wingspan will be pretty damm impressive.

Silverback, are you lifting without a spot? You look like you had more in you than 250 when I saw you.

[V VII Hero]

I was pumping out like 15 reps of 265lbs like nothing on the actual bench. a couple sets too. I could have easily gone up to 300lbs.

Very impressive...unless you have lost an awful lot of strength I would be surprised if you cannot do 300 right now. I would think multiple sets of 265 for an easy 15 reps should translate to a much higher 1 rep bench than 300, probably higher than 350.

I did lose some strength but not a lot...but its wierd how i lift.
somedays I am extremely strong and other days I am medicore. then certain days I am unbelieveablly strong, as in that day I was benching that. that day I was insane with my chest workout and I wasnt even feeling a pump.
I dont know if anyone else can relate to this. but I noticed with being bi-polar I go through moods, and that affects my performance. sometimes to my advantage, and other times against me. and some days I am just normal. that day I was extremely stressed out. so unless you can stress me out again I doubt I could perfrom again like that.

but i mentioned to my friend that I want my strength to go up again. so we're alternating weeks. one week we lift high reps, medium weight, and do isometrics, and the next week we work with high weight, low reps, and trying to get me back to what I was doing.

I also noticed I was eating about a lot of carbs, which ive stopped cause of money. I guess i should go back to eating them, as they obviously gave me a lot of energy.

when im there in england, i need yous to push me to get my strength back. im probably putting up like 240 right now...