That’s a huge lift - I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of 400 pound benches. But a 500 pound bench press is an anomaly. Congratulations on the performance!
I don’t care how you got there, I’m only happy that I made a difference somewhere along the way.
You absolutely did. Not just in getting that lift, but in kicking depression’s ass and giving me back my balls. Without your program, I don’t think that I’m a healthy, employed, married man today.
And for the record, 500 pounds is freaking heavy. After lifting it, I am even more impressed with elite powerlifters. I thought putting up 500 would make me view their accomplishments as more realistic. Now…I can’t believe the numbers some guys put up worldwide.
Congratulations. This has been one of my favorite things to read here. Thanks for sharing.
If it is bragging to overcome adversity, kill it, and meet your goals while becoming happier, brag away.
Thank you very much. It is going to sound conceited, at least to me, but I honestly hope someone who’s struggling with some stuff they don’t think they can overcome may stumble upon this and realize there is a lot to live for. I had life kick me in the nuts and take my legs out from under me, both literally and figuratively, time and time again. Yet, thanks to a lot of help from friends and family, and having someone I trusted give me 5-3-1, here I am today. Hell, even when I was attempting 500, it took me two tries. After the first try, my left hand was swelling up a little. Thought I’d broken it and would not get the goal I’d set when I was this close. I gave it another try and managed to get the lift. Then the hand really got swollen. I kept thinking how that was the hand my wedding band was supposed to go on, haha. My wife would have killed me had it not fit. Luckily it wasn’t anything serious and the ring went on fine.
I’ve seen a person or two mention this over the years, so I figured I’d update.
I’m still training, still doing 5-3-1, my bench press seems to be consistently in the 430-460 range, and I don’t max out anymore. I reset every so often, and when I have time, I use boring but big still. I coach high school football and Jim’s programs are at the heart of what we do in the weight room.
I also now have two beautiful kids. My son is turning three in a few months, and he now likes to see videos of me bench pressing and says he is going to lift with me soon. I can’t wait for that day, to be honest, but that’s a few years away, I think, lol. My other kid is a little 10 month old girl. I’m a blessed dude.
And my wife loves the fact that my arms are big and I can still lift heavy. It keeps her interested, I suppose, haha.
Great thread, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, appreciate it, and happy to share.
Even when you’re feeling up, something can knock you down. Literally two days after my last post in this thread on 1/29, I began developing excruciating pain in my midsection. Stubbornly waited it out, and found out I had acute appendicitis. On 2/3, I had an emergency appendectomy performed, and found out my appendix had ruptured in two different spots and was now gangrenous. A little over a month of sitting on my ass to recover from it coupled with eating way too much ballooned me up to a weight I hadn’t seen since summer of '18.
Back in the gym finally, I’ve lost 17 pounds and am using 5/3/1 once again. And I feel like I never even had the surgery. So, once again, thanks Jim. Appreciate this shit, man.
Damn, sorry to hear about that but I’m glad you pulled through. I had appendicitis a year ago (minus 2 weeks). But now I’m stronger than I was before so there’s that!
Any time people complain of abdominal pain I mention appendicitis because people tend to ignore it, like you did, and have severe consequences. Better safe than sorry!
Yea, I was lucky I decided to stop being stubborn when I did. I had to spend some extra time in the hospital because an infection had already started and my white blood cell count was high and wasn’t coming down. Anyone who says abdominal pain to me now gets that question. When I realized what I’d been feeling, I was kicking myself for being a stubborn ass.
Excellent thread. You’ve had quite the time! You’ve had setbacks, and great gains and achievements! Well done, and thanks for sharing.
What templates worked well for bench, in your experience? Were you using AMRAP sets with boring but big?
Any update years later?
I am on the same path to that goal. I have done 440.9 in competition as my last lift and it flew up. Looked like an opener.
I have changed my training to involve much more 2-5 reps in the 385 plus range. I used to mentally be scared to go for anything 400+ for anything other than a single.
in the last two months since the meet i have done 385.5 for 5 reps, 404.6 for 4 reps, 413.3 for 3 reps 429.9 for 2 reps and 451.9 for a single. All my reps and singles are competition pauses with calibrated weight/bar/collars. Each workout i go for 30-35 reps total. Always twice a week. Or at least twice in 8 days.
I feel i have made progress lately by ignoring how much the weight really is and just doing it and doing as many reps as possible in the ranges of 404.56 to 452. I will soon try a heavier single.
If anyone has lifter 500lbs and has any tips i would love to know.
Btw i am 6ft, 37 years old. Lift in 242 class even though i have been bulking (258 the other day! At end of the day) and going to probably lift in 275 class til i get where i want and then worry about weight. My rom is pretty long. Not short armed. Middle fingers on the ring.
Test E (0.5ml) every 3 days. Works out to be like 250-300 a week. Total T was 1612 Free T 470. 0.5 anastrazole every 3 days.
I would say to reach out to Josh Bryant.
He has online coaching and has coached some of the biggest benchers out there.