Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
I recently hit a 510lb raw bench in competition and felt that I had at least 520 in me. I'm starting this thread to keep myself motivated to keep moving forward. It didn't take me very long to get my raw bench into the 400's but it seemed to take forever to finally break into the 500's with a competition pause. Lately it's been taking off again and I'm hoping to make a run for a mid 500 competition bench. In the grand scheme of powerlifting a 500lb raw bench really isn't that rare but the further you can move forward from 500 the more rare it becomes and that's my goal.
Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of lifters here that can give me a run for my money. I would love to hear from you and what you are doing to make progress.
Join date: Jun 2010
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 1122
Following- you give me advice not the other way around so I can't help you there but based on your recent progress I'm going to guess you are less than a year away from 550.
For those who don't go into the over 35 forum- Meat's 510 competition BP video is posted in his log there. He also got 550 with a Titan on his fourth attempt at the same meet as the 510 raw.
Join date: Aug 2010
Location: Washington, USA
Posts: 331
Meat, when you made the most progress, did you train your bench supramaximally (basically, the way laid out in your log for the past year+)? I am thinking of switching back to that type of training. Been on pure Westside for the past 12 weeks and will test how went in a meet in June, but I feel weaker than before when i hit 315 bounce-and-go (hehehe) in the gym. There is just something to it - if i don't train with heavy weights, I get stapled by them. Like, yeah my floor press may go up, but since its less than my bench, the moment I try to bench heavy shit just feels like a ton of bricks.
Thanks big guy! Good luck. It would be great if you hit that within the next couple of years
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
DBasler wrote:
Following- you give me advice not the other way around so I can't help you there but based on your recent progress I'm going to guess you are less than a year away from 550.
For those who don't go into the over 35 forum- Meat's 510 competition BP video is posted in his log there. He also got 550 with a Titan on his fourth attempt at the same meet as the 510 raw.
thanks buddy. i appreciate all the support you have given me.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
mlekava000 wrote:
Meat, when you made the most progress, did you train your bench supramaximally (basically, the way laid out in your log for the past year+)? I am thinking of switching back to that type of training. Been on pure Westside for the past 12 weeks and will test how went in a meet in June, but I feel weaker than before when i hit 315 bounce-and-go (hehehe) in the gym. There is just something to it - if i don't train with heavy weights, I get stapled by them. Like, yeah my floor press may go up, but since its less than my bench, the moment I try to bench heavy shit just feels like a ton of bricks.
Thanks big guy! Good luck. It would be great if you hit that within the next couple of years
the way i train really hasn't changed. i've always trained suprmaximally. I have dabbled with 5/3/1 but, like you, if i don't train with weight above my max then i don't progress. I attribute my most recent increase in my bench press to training with the slingshot and titan. right before my last meet i got up to almost 600lbs with the titan. then i would drop back to straight weight and the weight would feel so damn light in my hands.
Join date: Jul 2008
Location: Tennessee, USA
Posts: 11517
spar4tee wrote:
Steel Nation wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
gorangers0525 wrote:
Hoornstra like technique seems to be working well for you.
yes it does... it definitely added a good bit to my max bench right off the bat.
How does the downward movement of the bar after the press command not get called?
Good question.
There are a a good number of good raw benchers that do that. I've actually been trying to teach myself to do it a little because I don't see it called.
Join date: Sep 2010
Location: District of Columbia, USA
Posts: 6774
DoubleDuce wrote:
spar4tee wrote:
Steel Nation wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
gorangers0525 wrote:
Hoornstra like technique seems to be working well for you.
yes it does... it definitely added a good bit to my max bench right off the bat.
How does the downward movement of the bar after the press command not get called?
Good question.
There are a a good number of good raw benchers that do that. I've actually been trying to teach myself to do it a little because I don't see it called.
Got an easy 385 CG with it. Definitely worth mastering.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
bench'n- started a new bench cycle. our main movement is bench press against bands. i'm using the minis with a pause. i looked back and my PR for touch and go is 505lbs. i worked up to 475 with a pause tonight. definitely have a good bit left in the tank. hopefully i can match my best touch and go this cycle.
i feel like my body is getting used to the carb deficient training. i felt good through the heavy stuff but was definitely slowing down once we got to our accessory stuff.
highlights
worked up to 475 agianst the bands. i estimate the bands at around 50lbs at the top.
neutral grip with the swiss bar- 375x4..long pause on each rep.
Join date: Mar 2009
Location: Arkansas, USA
Posts: 7751
maraudermeat wrote:
DixiesFinest wrote:
GVela is at a 455 raw bench currently
what??
I read the title wrong, thought this was to 500 not 550 lol. Me and GVela are good friends and former training partners irl, so I was just callin him out. I told him that I stupidly wrote him up in this thread, so now he has no excuse but to get to 550.
