Going for Max Bench Tommorrow

The crown aint mine yet. I gotta take baby steps to get to it. Tommorrow morning is one of the many baby steps. I am going for a 275 bench at 190 lbs. Im thinking of starting off with 275, and then going down to 225 for 5 reps/3 sets, then 135 for maximum reps. Sound Good ?

ok…

If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?

[quote]Hanley wrote:
If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?[/quote]

this is an example of why this site ought to have rep points. Hanley, from here on out I’m going to be giving you rep. We’ll Just start you off with 20 points. I have no idea what that means, but im giving you one more for this post.

You keep track of this, i’m not good with numbers.

i would like to ask you how you’re 190 pounds when you weighed 175 1/28/08 about 2 weeks ago in your rate my physique thread. Just wondering how you gained 15 pounds of what im sure is muscle in 2 weeks.

I’m with Hanley on this, I very seldom miss a rep in the gym and only max out when doing a equipment test or preparing for a competition.
What are your other lifts? I get the feeling that you are doing this more for bragging rights then as a barometer in which to set up future training cycles. Best of luck tomorow.

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
i would like to ask you how you’re 190 pounds when you weighed 175 1/28/08 about 2 weeks ago in your rate my physique thread. Just wondering how you gained 15 pounds of what im sure is muscle in 2 weeks.[/quote]

Well I take creatine and drink tons of water and have been eating alot so its prolly not all muscle but im actually 193 now Im gaining weight like a mad-man.

Didnt get it up…got it down to my chest and up about 3-4 inches and came to a halt. Did put up 245 though shortly after, tried for 255 and got it half-way.

Oh yeah and we measured our wrists today in class and my wrists are the minimum diameter for a “Medium” framed male. 6 3/4 inches.

[quote]Hanley wrote:
If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?[/quote]

Im tired of old ladies at my school looking at me like im having fun and its ok to stand next to me and do what i’m doing. I want to seperate myself from all my peers as being the biggest, bulkiest, purely ripped guy out and I want people to look at me like a total different being from everyone else. Thats my goal, thats how big I wanna get. I wanna bench over 300 by may, and im only at 245 now. Any tips ?

If you want to be the biggest, bulkiest, purely ripped guy out then you may want to focus on more then just bench. Look at westside for skinny bastards, he has a 3 and 4 day a week program.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459321

Hanley might want to jump in here, but what about a Sheiko bench program. Just make bench your focus for the next couple of months…

[quote]Hanley wrote:
If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?[/quote]

Good advice!

[quote]triple-10sets wrote:
Hanley wrote:
If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?

Im tired of old ladies at my school looking at me like im having fun and its ok to stand next to me and do what i’m doing. I want to seperate myself from all my peers as being the biggest, bulkiest, purely ripped guy out and I want people to look at me like a total different being from everyone else. Thats my goal, thats how big I wanna get. I wanna bench over 300 by may, and im only at 245 now. Any tips ? [/quote]

Yes take the baby steps you said you were going to.
I mean if your current max is 245, don’t be trying 275!
Keep track and beat your best (or try to) by 5 to 10lb every 1 or 2 months.

I used the old Shawn Phillips “Add 40 to your Bench” routine to break the 300lb barrier many years ago. Went from the 250 range to 300.

Tried it and variations again later… not good.

LA

Im happy with increasing my bench press 5 pounds a month. shooting too high too fast can make you fail miserably. take baby step as boffin said, and the gains will come.

I’d kill you and everyone your love for 5lb per month on my bench.

[quote]Boffin wrote:
Hanley wrote:
If you’re testing a true max I probably wouldn’t bother doing major anything after it. Sure you’re probably gonna have to drop back and build up again over the course of a few weeks anyway.

When faced with choices like this, I always ask myself “what will this achieve?”. So, what do you think it will achieve?

Good advice![/quote]

I don’t entirely agree. Why does it have to be so deep (“what will this achieve”)? Why does it have to achieve anything other then getting under the bar and seeing what you can do. And nothing wrong with blasting a lighter weight after your max sets. Pulverize the muscle fibers more by bombing it with lighter weight after. I love hitting 225 for reps after hitting 250 to 300. It feels so much lighter and good to bang away on it after the heavy weight. Just allow adequate recovery after the session before you blast chest again.

D

[quote]Hanley wrote:
I’d kill you and everyone your love for 5lb per month on my bench.[/quote]

I lol’d.

got 50 pounds on my bench press in 8 months (280-330), that’s about 6.25 pounds a month, though my gains have slowed a bit as of late.