o.O wrote:
Double your body weight is 310, that is by far more than excellent, as that is impressive for just about anyone.
I've done a 400 lb. strict competition bench press, but I was 275 lbs. at the time. Not impressive at all, it was actually a joke among serious lifters, but I was a squatter and deadlifter. If I had a decent bench I could have won some meets.
I'm 44 years old and weigh 155. After many years of running or triathlon training, I got to a point about 9 months ago that I had to run less and do something else to stay fit, so I started lifting.
As of right now my 1RM on bench is 220. I can do 2x205 or 3 195. I'm so close to 2 plates that I can taste it, but I've been stuck there for a while.
Funny thing: I can bench quite a bit more than I can back squat. I can also bench more than I can deadlift.
How much running or aerobic conditioning can someone do before it starts to effect training for strength in bench pressing? How successful can a distance runner be at both?
Strength training and distance running:
I don't think you can put a number on it but needless to say, they are typically somewhat counterproductive.
"The truth lies somewhere in between. I think some people on this board are full of crap, but at the same time, it is possible to have both good strength and be reasonably fast, as strength comes from finer muscle fibers (a lot of the big body builders you see aren't necessarily all that strong)."
Define "all that strong"?. As strong as the strongest powerlifters? No, probably not. Stronger than 90% of those out there? Yes. For the most part if you take someone who benches 150lbs for one rep to 450lbs for one rep that person will get much bigger.
The problem with BBing is the steroids. You'll get much bigger in relation to your strength. Also PLers train in very specific ways using very specific techniques that can add a fair amount of poundage to their lifts AND PLers use suits and whatnot as well.
Basically PLers train in such a way to make those competition lifts as much of a full body exercise as possible while the BBer is doing the opposite, generally training and using the big lifts to focus on a muscle. Very small but very important technique and training adjustments.
An example would be limit strength vs strength density. Take a PLer and a BBer and the PLer will have much higher limit strength or the maximum amount of weight they can lift for one rep. The BBer on the other hand may in fact have higher strength density, say the ability to pump out 10-20 reps with a high weight.
Alan
Surprised wrote:
So I've been lifting on and off for the past two years. When I first started I could barely get up two 45s for DB bench press with my lowest possible weight at the time being 148 at 6'. After a year of lifting 5 days/wk I worked up to doing 3x10 at 75lbs each for DB bench press. I started feeling heavy though so I backed off the lifting and now only going about 2 days/wk and lift 3x10 at 70lbs. I thought these numbers were pretty high for a distance runner, and once tried BB after finishing my chest workout because my friend was on the bench. I put up 155 a handful of times but really struggled beyond that. I now at my lowest possible weight am about 158.
Although I was never fat by any means, I always felt like a thicker/heavier runner and not ultra skinny like most other successful distance runners. While increasing muscle weight I'm sure I've also lowered my body fat so my muscle gain is greater than 10 pounds. I'd like to continue lifting and improving my marks to reach about 3x10 @ 80 on DB but I'm afraid of being over 160 and how it will affect my running performance (5k-half marathon).
Does anyone feel that their lifting is hindering their running success? I feel like most of the people that have posted in this thread are stronger than me, but I just feel like the lifting I'm currently doing could be hurting my running as I've always feared how much I weigh. How much did some of you weigh before lifting?
Still interested in some thoughts on this. How many people that are able to bench over 200 are sub 15 5k/ sub 70 half mar runners?
I've run just under 15, and can bench over 200 (I think the most I've done is 235). But I couldn't bench that much while running, though perhaps if I was actually trying at the time I may have gotten close.
i am 6'1", weigh 165 lbs. I can rep my body weight 10 times for a warm up set. Could probably get it 18-20 times. Never tried more than 10 though since its my warm up. Bench 225 5 times, 250 twice. Not sure what max is. Probably 265ish.
i'm 5'11 150 and could maybe bench 130 once
i don't even run anymore
uh oh
1.13 x your actual weight. is considered healthy
1.45 x your weight is considered very healthy or strong.
1.8 x your weight, is considered abnormal, or drugs.
Well, I'M a girl, and at 5'1, and 101 lbs, am steroid-free, and I can bench 140! Granted, I started three years ago benching about 70 lbs... but with training and the right diet, even girls can get good at the bench press! (without getting bulky, btw....:) Just FYI
o.O wrote:
LOLOLolllllll wrote:I am about 107 and bench maybe 60 lbs twice. Hahhahaha..oh boy.
Yes, but you sit down when you pee
Jill wrote:
Well, I'M a girl, and at 5'1, and 101 lbs, am steroid-free, and I can bench 140! Granted, I started three years ago benching about 70 lbs... but with training and the right diet, even girls can get good at the bench press! (without getting bulky, btw....:) Just FYI
Um, great, do I need to ask.......
answer wrote:
When I said pretty great mid distance times, I meant for me personally. I can see how it seems like I meant pretty great in general, which I agree, they are not. I put on 8 pounds of muscle in 4-5 months lifting. I don't know if that's consistent or above average or below average with weight gains with lifting, and how that would correlate to lifting talent. But that's what happened with me.
If you're 130lbs, claiming to bench 285, you need to provide some proof. Please don't expect us to just take your word for it. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Imagine you find yourself on letspowerlift.com, and a weightlifter claims to have run a 3:55 mile while running three times a week for 4 months with a couple of distance runners he knows. Would you take his word for it? F*** no, you'd ask to see the video. That's basically what's happening here.
Chauncey, lots of people on this thread are outright lying about their bench weights. A person would have to be a damn fool to flat bench anyway, when there are better exercises that accomplish more with less chance of injury.
I'm about 160 lbs (at 6 3) and my max rep is 200 lbs. It's taken me a couple years to get to this point though. I've read that how you know you've become decent at the bench press is when you either can do 1.25 times your body weight or 225 lbs, which ever comes first I guess.
i weigh right now 168 and and did 275 4 times... last time i maxed was about 4 months ago and i did 325!
brandon wrote:
i weigh right now 168 and and did 275 4 times... last time i maxed was about 4 months ago and i did 325!
Who do you think would believe that BS? 325LBS! You insult our intelligence. Did you put two little nickels on either end of your three plates, just for shits and giggles? Niggah, please!
I'd say BMI x 9 as a 1rep max on the bench is a better target for a basic healthy level of upper body strength than using body weight. Body weight is irrelevant without considering height.
I weight 156lbs and i can do 225x5 and my max out for one rep is 315
retard trap wrote:
If your a runner you don't need to do bench press at all. stop worrying about weight lifting or you will end up like Alan Webb. And for all you retards out there I mean go get significantly slower due to having extra muscles you don't need.
Oh no! I would hate to have a 3:53 mile in high school! i better stop benching right away!
snatch wrote:
Has anybody here benched twice their weight while in decent running condition? If you could double your weight and run 17:00 5k I would say you are a very good all around athlete.
I benched 220lbs while weighing 155lbs and running 49 400m and 1:54 800m, 26:23 8k. No way am I running 26:23 while dragging around the muscles to bench 310lbs. That being said, I am far from a world class / top level type of athlete.
Up to my early thirtie when still consistently hitting the weights, I could run a 5k in the 17's and a 5 miler in the 28's while benching 400 lb(universal) and 360 lb(bar) while weighing about 160-165 lb.
The 10% difference between the bar and the stacks is typical.
At a hotel year before last I tried the universal in the workout room and put up 230 lb. but could feel some strain in my back, so I left it there. I haven't benched in about ten years to limit weight for the marathon. I'm now about 160 lb and age 52.