Training & Nutrition - What is your max bench press?

:) I think the upper body has a lot to do with your performance when cycling. My best bench press is 325lbs for five reps.Whats yours?

Now or in my prime? Now - who knows. In my prime 250 for one rep.

Zack

Originally posted by Gojohnnygo.
:) I think the upper body has a lot to do with your performance when cycling. My best bench press is 325lbs for five reps.Whats yours?

Okay, color me dumb. What does a bench press have to do with cycling, other than sprinting out of the saddle I can't think where the arms are involved other than balance etc.

take care,

Jester

I don't know about my max, but I've been doing 3 reps at 155lbs.

so... looking at a few max calculation guides online they say I should be maxing at about 200. maybe next time I lift with someone I'll see how close they are.

325 x's 5 is pretty good. Your max 1 rep would probably be about 350 or a little more.

Originally posted by Gojohnnygo.
I think the upper body has a lot to do with your performance when cycling.?

Sort of, but there are limits. Upper body strength is something that you can't develop on a bike any more than you can work on your abs. However, both will make you a stronger cyclist -- with respect to managing fatigue such as during long climbs and for strength intensive activities like sprints. But, you will reach a point of diminishing returns as a road or XC cyclist once you start adding excess mass. Track sprint specialists are a different animal since the activity is just about 100% strength intensive over a very short period of time. Weight also isn't a bad thing if you ride to the top of a DH course on a ski lift and bomb down hills.

Back to road and XC cyclists, take a look at the team rosters and bio data on most professional road cyclists and you might be surprised to find that they are -- for the most part -- incredibly lean, not all that tall and relatively lightweight. There are exceptions, but not many.


Originally posted by Gojohnnygo.
My best bench press is 325lbs for five reps.Whats yours?

My training target as a cyclist has always been about my own body weight -- 155lbs (no idea what Max might be as I haven't tried to find out in a long time). However, my favorite upper body work involves the long-neck, 16oz curl.

Lance lost 35# in his upper body and started winning.

I do 225 pounds, about my body weight.

I am more into overall fitness, and prevention of osteoporosis. Having a little extra upper body muscle weight doesn't bother me a bit, as I am not into high speed biking. Howver, having upper body fat DOES bother me!! :D

I'll see what he "Body for Life" program can add. If I can get to 250 or so, at age 63+ I might win some medals in power lifting contests (at least local contests where few in my age bracket enter!!).

Aside from using a spotter and piling on the plates, is there any way to estimate a 1RM for the bench press ?

Dan

Originally posted by DanFromDetroit
Aside from using a spotter and piling on the plates, is there any way to estimate a 1RM for the bench press ?

Dan

In my experience and from what other people have posted on strength forums - Not really.

It seems to depend on muscle type. If you are more of an endurance type, you might be able to bench press 75% of your max 10 or more times. If you are more of a sprinter type, you might lift 75% five or fewer times.

A couple years ago, when bench pressing only caused moderate pain in my wrists and shoulders, I benched 180lbs 10 times and according to a chart I found, I should be able to max out at
240. A few weeks later I tried for a max and could only do 210.
Which translates to an 85% of max for 10 reps.
In general my lifting ability doesn't match up with the chart. What little strength I have seems to be more towards endurance than single, maximum efforts. I

Here's a portion of the chart:

http://www.strengthtech.com/strength/percentp.gif

If you are doing more explosive lifts like power cleans, I don't think this chart works at all.

And if you are going to try for max reps on the bench press with any weight, you will still need a spotter. Getting pinned with 75% of max while you are completely fatigued isn't a good thing.

And if you are going to try for max reps on the bench press with any weight, you will still need a spotter. Getting pinned with 75% of max while you are completely fatigued isn't a good thing.

Or, you can use a power cage with a safety bar, which is what I do.

There have been folks killed attempting max lift weights to failure and having the bar fall on their necks, or simply having the bar fall due to a misjudgment.

And, not all spotters are created equally.

Since I don't have a spotter, I use dumbells and usually bail when the muscles start to stick or spasm. This should be right before failure. You can dump dumbells in an emergency more safely than a bar and plates. I think using dumbells instead of the bar would complicate figuring a 1RM with a bar because you have to "manage" each weight individually. Your stronger side can't assist your weaker side. Just handling the things is more work than using a bar.

I can manage 5-8 reps with 60# dumbells (120# total weight) on a flat bench, so I would guess my 1RM max with a bar would be around 135# or so. My body weight is 145#

Dan

:) Thanks every body for your tips.I think I'll cut back on doing the heavy stuff and go for the 12 to 15 reps routine Thanks again, John

Hehehe...my max for 8 reps is 95lbs (that's w/3 sets, though). I'm such a wussy little girl...;) (don't ask me about squats, though, I'm not so wussy! :D )

Originally posted by velo
Hehehe...my max for 8 reps is 95lbs (that's w/3 sets, though). I'm such a wussy little girl...;) (don't ask me about squats, though, I'm not so wussy! :D )

No, tell us about the squats, because that lift is more relevant to the type of cycling most of us do than bench presses.

In my youth (about 17), at a bodyweight of about 150 lbs, I could do a complete full squat (butt touching the ankles) with 250 lbs for 5 reps. I was competing in olympic-style weightlifting at the time and full squats and cleaning movements were essential exercises.

In my declining years (age 45) I can do 160lbs for 5 reps without excess effort. But I weigh a heck of a lot more than 150. I've found it better to exercise well within my limits else I develop lots of small injuries.

235 x 5 x 3, but I could do a lot more, just don't want to at age 63+

Originally posted by jester69
Okay, color me dumb. What does a bench press have to do with cycling, other than sprinting out of the saddle I can't think where the arms are involved other than balance etc.

take care,

Jester


Originally posted by livngood
Upper body strength is something that you can't develop on a bike any more than you can work on your abs.

I think these opinions are geared more towards road cycling. In mountain biking, I've noticed a considerable difference in being able to control the bike since I've focused on gaining upper body strength. Also, you can gain a lot of muscle up top from riding hard in the mountains. It takes a lot of pulling, lifting, and jumping the bike, which in my opinion is a much better workout than sitting on a bench and pressing as much as you can for a few reps.

Originally posted by DnvrFox
325 x's 5 is pretty good. Your max 1 rep would probably be about 350 or a little more. I bet by the and of summer I'll be down to 250 or 275lbs max bench press. Thank you DnvrFox and everybody.

Lifetime best bench, 345lbs, paused when in the Army ( 14 years ago) did 360 touch and go but would not have qualified in a meet.

Currently I bested at 310 for two reps in my last strength cycle back in february. Been phasing out the weights since then and just doing maintenance programs. Will not lift heavy again until fall.

The extra upper body mass does affect my riding but I like to look balanced.

Okay, squats are 200lbs. That's 6 reps for 3 sets at 90degree leg bend (that's a half squat, right?). 1min30sec. rest inbetween.