I feel like a bitch at the gym - bench press

E

Extremecon

0
Hey guys,

I'm a big guy, i'm 6'6 and have a big chest, I've been hitting the gym for about a month now, doing cardio and some weight lifting, but I only bench like 70lbs( it's a 25lb weight on each side plus however much the bar is)

I feel like a bitch that I'm this big but can only do 25 on each side while guys that are like a foot shorter and way smaller frame can do twice as much or more.

What exercises should I be working on to increase my bench press?
 
You just explained why your weight is lower than other SHORTER guys. Their arms are shorter, requiring a shorter ROM and also allowing for more powerful angles within their joints. While your joints are set up for more fast type movements. But as far as strength, you've got to get stronger the same way as everyone else, just lift and eat.
 
There's a lot involved in the strength behind the total weight lifted. As it's already been mentioned, your biomechanics are one such issue that will make different things easier or harder. Another is neural firing and muscle mass (two seperate factors which, multipled together, equal total force exertion). Another, which should be no surprise, is training experience and progression. Who would you expect to bench a heavier weight: the 150 lb guy who's been doing quality strength training for 3 years, or the 200 lb guy who walked into the gym for the first time last week? The truth is, there are some guys who've been lifting for years and will be weaker than guys walking in off the street, but generally speaking, the guy whose training age is greater will be stronger than the guy whose training age is less.

PS: A standard olympic barbell weighs 20kg, or 45lb, so if you're using one of those, your bench press is probably 95lb all up. Increase weights in the smallest progressions possible each session. In most commercial gyms, this is 2.5kg or 5lb jumps, putting 1.25kg or 2.5lb on each side of the bar (so aim for 100 lb next session, 105 the session after, etc).
 
Don't worry what evryone else is doin, any REAL man will respect gym users lifting less and offer advice if asked. Any that don't are the douche bags that curl in the squat rack and blow kisses to themselves in the mirror and they aren't worth bothering with.
Just a point though, don't be overly concerned about bench press, whilst a good compound lift, stuff like deadlifts and squats will improve strength/muscle growth more. And don't forget to work them lats good and hard.
 
Last edited:
Don't worry about others could be thinking about you, chances are they are too involved into their own workouts that they hardly pay attention.

Don't focus on bench press. Be sure to perform exercises involving dumbbells because these allow you to workout all the little muscles too because you use natural movements to perform them.

Along with the other recommendations from previous posters.
 
assuming its a standard olympic bar, its 45lbs. plus 25x2 lbs gives us 95 lbs.

there, I just up'd your bench by 25 lbs :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top