Which is harder to achieve: a 300 lb bench press, or a 5:00 mile?

Lots of thoughtful responses, with plenty of room for debate.

But I think we can all agree on one thing: This topic is not discussed on weight lifting forums. So thumbs up to LRC for being so cosmopolitan

bigger stronger & faster wrote:

Runners have opinions of a sub-5 mile based on experience. Most runners do not bench 300 lbs., so runners think most people don't bench 300 lbs. Think back to high school. There may have been a dozen to two dozen guys capable of running a sub-5 mile in high school. Can't we assume there were at least fifteen guys on the high school football team who could bench press 300 lbs.? You have wrestlers, basketball players, hockey players,

baseball players and throwers in track & field who can bench 300 lbs. who do not play football. I assume at least 10% of high school boys can bench press 225 lbs.

I don't think as many people bench 300 in high school as you think. Linemen and a few strong skill guys in football - maybe more players at bigger schools with elite programs, but 300 is strong for high school. I'll put it this way - there were more sub-5 milers than people that could bench 300. Hell, we even had a girl that was a sub-5 miler.

And, it's still easier for your average Joe to train for a 5 minute mile over time than to put up three plates a side. It takes special talent to go under 4:30 maybe, to a degree, but 5 minutes really is not that fast.

Strong and Long wrote:

Which is the more impressive feat for an average, healthy male between the ages of 15 and 30?

Also, do you think there are any athletes capable of both feats within the same training block?

I'm a pretty average joe. I did both within about 2 years of each other. There is no way I could have done them both at the same time. The difference for me, was about 25 lbs of muscle. There's probably people out there who could do both at the same time, I'm just not one of them.

sub 5 mile @ around 140lbs

300lb bench @ around 165lbs

I'm more proud of the sub five mile, but that's just me. Both of those required some substantial training and neither is a cake walk for your average ordinary guy.

I'm 47 and am currently sitting at 295 for the bench and about 5:15 for the mile. I hope to have both, concurrently, by the end of summer. I have run under 5 in the past and have benched over 300 in the past (20 years ago).

I benched 700lbs at IPA worlds years ago... I'll never run a 5:00 mile, my mile PR is 7:03 at 230lbs

sportinnz wrote:

From my experience the 300 lb bench was much, much harder

I think 15 - 30 year old fit and healthy males who have some talent for running could run a 5:00 mile. For most in this group a few sessions of running and learning to pace should be sufficient

For most a 300 lb bench is only achievable after a long time of training

I achieved an equivalent of a 5:00 mile at 15 at a school sports day (4:30 1500m) with no running training apart from playing cricket, bball,rugby and soccer

I achieved the bench press of 300 lb after attending the gym and weight training for 2 - 3 years.

And yes there are athletes who can achieve both,as I was able to do this in my early 20's, and I was not an exceptional athlete in the sports I competed in.

Just letting you know, a 4:30 1500 is more like a 4:50 mile.

I say the 300lb. bench press is more impressive, and more difficult to achieve, by far, especially for those of lower body weights.

In high school I ran a 4:33 mile. At the same time I was capable of a 185lb. bench press, at a bodyweight of 115lbs.

If I benched 300 at that weight, I would've been a world-class junior powerlifter. (The heavier one gets, however, the less impressive a 300lb. bench press becomes.)

But a sub-5:00 mile is nowhere near world class.

After I retired from competitive running, but still kept fit with cycling and powerlifting, I gained some muscle mass and went up to 123lbs bodyweight, and was eventually able to bench 213lbs. No way in Hell could I ever bench 300 at that weight, no matter how hard I trained for it.

Sprinter guy wrote:

I don't think as many people bench 300 in high school as you think.

A gym 300 or an internet 300?

I've been lifting in gyms for decades. Of the guys who lift regularly, maybe 5-10% can bench 300. About 85% of internet forum posters can bench 300.

elephino wrote:

I'm a large guy. I achieved a 300 lb bench press within 4 months of starting to train. I will never run a 5 minute mile.

I feel like most of us fall into this category or the reverse of it. I hit sub 5 after one summer of running cause i could already hit 5:45 or so naturally. Increasing my bench from 160 to 300 would be quite the feat though.

I would give major respect to anyone who could do both

You do know by January, 2016 or so, elephino admitted to making up everything he stated about a super strong guy who can run a sub-4:15 mile.

Years ago I trained trying to bench my marathon time.

Didn't get it. Benched 315 (touch and go,) and ran 3:37 at Columbus. (Yeah, I know...)

Bet there are some cross fitters out there who could bench well over their marathon times.

gymtimidation wrote:

I've been lifting in gyms for decades. Of the guys who lift regularly, maybe 5-10% can bench 300. About 85% of internet forum posters can bench 300.

Of those who weight 250lbs or more, very many can lift 300 with training.

Bench results are pretty useless if not considered proportional to body weight.

Within an hour or so we may see guys who can bench 300 lbs. AND capable of racing a sub-5 mile. They may race sub-4:35 1500m. The decathlon fellas.

Its interesting that so many letsrunners can bench 300lbs. I've been going to the gym regularily for years and i almost never see people bench more than 270. I've also been running for years and have never met a legitimately good runner who can push anywhere close to that kind of weight.

bigger stronger & faster wrote:

You do know by January, 2016 or so, elephino admitted to making up everything he stated about a super strong guy who can run a sub-4:15 mile.

I didn't make it up. Alex made it up himself:

This post intrigues me so much I started another thread. I'll never have the chance to bench 300, as I currently weigh 130 and can't even bench 150 at 50mpw and weights 3x weekly. But what would the 5:00 min mile equivalent be as a multiple of body weight? 1.5x? 1.75x?

I think it would be closer to 1.5 X body weight, although that is a very imprecise measure. If I saw a 130 pound runner benching 185 I would be impressed.

That is impressive, what is your height and weight?

bigger stronger & faster wrote:

Within an hour or so we may see guys who can bench 300 lbs. AND capable of racing a sub-5 mile. They may race sub-4:35 1500m. The decathlon fellas.

Yeah, I think most of those decathletes can bench 300, but most of them won't run a sub-5 mile equivalent, at least this week.