Before lifting.
After lifting.
I remember bench pressing for the 1st time when I was like 15 yrs old, getting pinned under EIGHTY-FIVE pounds after a few reps into a set at the local Y. Some big dude came over and grabbed it
“If you need a spot, just let me know”
…for 85 fucking pounds?
1st bench: 85 lbs (15yrs old)
bench: 165 (@ 19yrs old)
squat: 185 (after a yr or two in the gym) (~19 yrs old)
dl: 205 (somewhere around the squat max)
Now (I’m 23)
bench: 245
squat: 385
DL: 405x3
still a ways to go, maybe someday I’ll come back and quote myself in this thread with my new numbers 
Started lifting at 20 in the spring
bw: 145
height: 5’10"
bench: 95x1 half rep max and it was a grinder lol, of course half reps are the way to go so I don’t hurt myself
squat: aren’t those bad for your back and knees?
deadlift: who died while lifting?
A year later
bw: 175
bench: 185x1 half rep
Squat: 135x5 ugly, but to depth squats
deadlift: 225x5
Now I’m 24 so little over 4 years
bw: 180-190 when these maxes were taken within the past 6 months, most recent is the bench and squat max
bench: 300x1
squat: 355x1
deadlift: 455x1
I have gotten stronger but not nearly as much as I should have. With firefighting comes injuries.
I couldn’t push 40 lbs on the pec deck, at 14, probably 130 lbs.
I remember it was my 8th grade year. My mom got me a gym membership for my 14th birthday and went one day after I got it. I remember hopping on the bench and pushing up 95 lbs for 2 reps. Like many, I got pinned and somebody came by and got me.
I started out squatting in the Smith machine (why? I have no clue). I remember doing 135 for a few reps and even putting clips on haha.
Never deadlifted until freshman year of high school. Even then, I could only deadlift 225.
Now, I’m 16 (turn 17 in three weeks) and stronger than ever. So here’s my current numbers.
Start:
Age - 14
BW - 125 lbs
Bench - 95 lbs
Squat - 135 lbs
DL - Didn’t know
Now:
Age - 16
BW - 185 lbs
Bench - 275 lbs
Squat - 385 lbs
DL - 425 lbs
CS
i first joined the gym nearly 3 years ago now.
started out with machine weights.
struggled a lot to get through 3x10 with one plate for upper body exercises (i guess one plate is about 5kg lolz)
except lat pull down i could do three plates. lower body could do two plates. leg press could do three.
stability ball back extensions were really hard (glutes didn’t work) and couldn’t hold a plank for 3x 30seconds.
three months later i’d progressed to three plates for upper body exercises, four plates for lower body, and six plates for leg press.
at that time i started free weights.
couldn’t lunge without falling over. couldn’t squat (no mobility) then when i got my mobility sorted out i physically wasn’t strong enough to stand myself up! started with the 1kg dumbbells (blush) for upper body because my stabilizers were weak, weak, weak. couldn’t do a push-up or a chin-up.
now:
front squat 1RM 45kg
snatch 1RM 40kg
powerclean 1RM 50kg
deadlift 1RM 80kg
press 1RM 35kg (guess)
bench 3x5 can’t quite get the last rep @ 33.5kg
1 chin-up
3x10 push-ups (when i train them regularly)
3x 60sec planks @20kg (when i train them regularly)
i’m still pretty weak… but have been progressing. mostly my mobility is worlds better than it was. i needed to be shot before, really.
Couldn’t bench or squat the bar (started Jan 2009, started training - and eating - seriously when I joined this site) I remember curling 6kg dbs was tough for more than 5 reps and I could barely row the 10kg dumbell. Now I can bench 2 and squat 3 plates a side, and almost deadlift 5, and dumbell row 60kg for solid reps, which isn’t bad.
About ten years ago, Sept of 2001 I was a sophmore in high school, I was 14 going to be 15 in December. I had weight training as a class. I went in the weight room and put a 25 lb plate on each side of the bar (95 pounds total). After I lowered it to my chest, I was stapeled to the bench. As of now, my best bench is 385 and still working on adding 20 pounds to get that elusive 405.
When I first started I struggled:
Bench: 70 lbs
Deadlift: 140lbs
Squat: 120lbs
Taken weights seriously the last two years, currently around these numbers:
Bench: 200lbs
Deadlift: 308lbs
Squat: 265lbs
I’ve got a LONG way to go to reach my goals, never was athletic in school and I did I.T for 4 years. A lot has also happened in the last few years of my life where I wasn’t able to focus as much as I wanted in the gym. Looking to add 100lbs to all those lifts in the next year or two.
Been lifting for 28 years, been stronger in my life time but I do aight these days…