There are some impressive achievements on this thread.
My mile PR (1609m) is 4:24 indoor, age 19. That was my last mile race. I was always getting injured during track and hung up the track spikes after that. My 1 rep max on bench was probably 200 lbs or 205 lbs at that time.
My bench 1 rep max is 255 lbs, age 33. I stopped caring about maxing but probably could've done significantly more.
My HS teammate was built like a mid/distance guy but had tremendous strength. His HS mile PR (1600m) was 4:40 and his bench was at least 300 lbs. May have been 315 lbs. He stuck with weights his whole life, eventually his 1 rep max bench got to 365 lbs, deadlift 460 lbs, squat 505 lbs.
It is super rare. You would become an instantly famous influencer if you could do that.
Not hard at all, I could do both at the same time. When I wrapped up my college running career I started lifting weights, added about 25 pounds, and got to 225 within a few months. Couldn’t touch my college times but was still comfortably faster than 5:00 for a mile. A few years later I was probably back close to low 4:30s range with a 225 bench, weighing around 178.
Lots of "could" and "probably" in that post.
Did you actually run a sub 5 mile on a track within 24 hrs/ a week/ a month of actually benching 225 chest to lockout?
The week of my 21st birthday I dunked a regulation basketball on a 10’ rim, bench pressed 205 lbs, and ran a 4:16 indoor mile. I also drank 19 shots of vodka on my bday and was able to do our team 10-mile morning run the next day at 9:30am.
I was a college 400/800 guy that got into lifting. Sr year of college 1rm was 295. Mile was 4:18 (didnt run it but twice).
Last year at 45 I did 8 x 225. Didnt race any miles but ran a 1:17:06 half marathon. I maybe could have ran under 5 but fastest I actually did run was a 5:35 during mile repeats workout.
It is not a particularly hard feat IF you trained for it. If you trained for 1 and not the other then it would be hard. Most runners do not lift heavy and most lifters dont run enough.
Since I posted, I have read a couple of posts. I haven't read the entire thread. If what I am about to say has been addressed, excuse me.
For my upper body, I have rarely lifted, more freehand exercises. My upper body weight training had a purpose. Without minimum upper body strength, there was no way I was going into squat rack and working out with over 300 pounds. If I were only a 135 pound bench presser, no way was I going to be able to balance and support working out with 225 pound plus, squatting.
I have never benched more than 260 pounds, never tried. IMO, benching more would change my build. I was able to squat x 2 my weight to age 50 or 51.
Dang man, that’s wild. I have a sophomore brother who ran a 4:57 1600m pr and benched 225 the same night (technically he did it at 1 in the morning so it wasn’t the same day but whatever 😂) he’s naturally really strong and gets big fast. He’d probably bench 275 at 169 bodyweight within a couple months of dropping running. I’m a senior and weigh 140, and I can’t stick with him in the weightlifting (max is 205, much better at light weights and can do 12, 15, 20 for my three sets with 135 pounds) but I think my lighter build is better because I can run a 4:35 mile. I think 225 and sub 5 is impressive but extremely doable, you just gotta work your butt off.
I suspect I probably could have done both at the same time (and can do neither now). I finished competitive running (4:02 mile) and started lifting shortly afterwards. Put on around 35lbs within a year and benched 2 x 225lbs around 14 months after stopping running.
I was still running 3 x per week and had reasonable residual aerobic fitness. I recall running a 39 minute 10k (hard, but not a race) around the same time I was benching 225. I have to imagine I could have broken 5 minutes.
can't be that rare; i suspect many underestimate power to weight ratios for scrawny distance runner. about 20 years ago, at age 36, i was coaching an 800 runner who wanted to hit the weight room more regularly, requiring my supervision. after a couple of months, with almost no weight room experience post-collegiately for my part, i did a max/single rep of 225, 150% of my 150lb skinny distance runner frame. i had always been capable of lots of pull-ups (20-30 at a time, though sometimes requiring sets) and push-ups (multiple sets of 50), so i assume that helped.
i've been in sub-5 shape from age 14 to 56; that said, i don't think i've benched since that 225...
can't be that rare; i suspect many underestimate power to weight ratios for scrawny distance runner. about 20 years ago, at age 36, i was coaching an 800 runner who wanted to hit the weight room more regularly, requiring my supervision. after a couple of months, with almost no weight room experience post-collegiately for my part, i did a max/single rep of 225, 150% of my 150lb skinny distance runner frame. i had always been capable of lots of pull-ups (20-30 at a time, though sometimes requiring sets) and push-ups (multiple sets of 50), so i assume that helped.
i've been in sub-5 shape from age 14 to 56; that said, i don't think i've benched since that 225...
that's my story and i'm sticking to it,
cush
Power to weight ratios indeed!
Going on 31 year streak of 225. Of course just one rep, but around age 30- easy 10x225, now strugglingto do 1 at age 55.
100% true and was training for 800m at the time I did 225x10. My best was 235x10, but only 300lb once. Couldn't necessarily run a 4:12 at the time but certainly 4:26-28 mile.
I also won that goofy pump and run champs in Ohio one year and was doing 40x bodyweight. I'm till about 147 lbs. 5'9". Mens 50+ 1 minute world record holder for pullups- strict. Can do 48-49 in one set now and training for 70 in 2 minutes this summer, but will be racing masters champs, so we'll see how that goes.
If we believe the reports about Coach Gibby's runners are Harvard, the distance guys have to do 6 reps of 250 pounds during their distance training workouts. So this means that Graham Blanks is doing one-mile repeats at around 4:15 pace, and benching 250 x 6 between the repeats. Sounds super-human to me.
My 1500m pb (i havent run a mile, i am from Spain) is 3'49'35 and my bench press max is around 70kg (150lbs). Yes, I should hit the gym more
Exact same 1500 PB almost to the decimal and my max I've actually hit is 185 (although calculators say what I'm doing now should get me to 195-200). I would consider myself a fairly muscular guy for a distance runner, on my college team most of the milers put up similar numbers in the 175-195 range, but there was one guy who was the best of all of us who could barely hit 155.
I don't think it's super beneficial to get much stronger than that, it's a cool accomplishment but let's be honest the amount of muscle mass required to put up 2 plates is most likely going to be detrimental to distance running. The only people it really works for are 800/1500 guys that are powerful runners (like Symmonds) and wiry guys who have a lot of strength without a lot of mass (like Falcon).
If we believe the reports about Coach Gibby's runners are Harvard, the distance guys have to do 6 reps of 250 pounds during their distance training workouts. So this means that Graham Blanks is doing one-mile repeats at around 4:15 pace, and benching 250 x 6 between the repeats. Sounds super-human to me.
There is absolutely zero chance this is true. Graham Banks can't bench 225 once.
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