What are my chances of benching 225 for 15 reps?

[MuscleGainer]

I've been lifting weights for 6 years pretty much consistently. About 5.5 years ago I could bench 185 for 9 reps. Right now I can bench 185 lbs for 6-7 reps. I don't usually do free weight benching because of no spotter. I usually use the hammer strength machines for benching. I didn't get stronger at barbell benching during these past 5.5 years even though I got stronger at hammer strength benching and machine dips but can't go heavier on machine dips even though I'm strong enough because I don't weight enough to stay down. I'm right now doing a routine where I try do to 3 sets of 15 with the same weight following a warmup set and if I can do 3 sets of 15, then the next workout I increase the weight by 5 lbs and try to do the same thing. What are my chances of benching 225 for 15 reps before July if my bench press didn't get any better these past 5.5 years of consistant training?

[dbcb314]

well it took you 5.5 years to learn that machine strength does not transfer over to free weight strength.

[HeebieJeebies]

I dont mean to sound like a a**hole but... 5.5 years and your 155lbs? wtf were you doing all this time?

[itslocke]

Well you should probably eat a **** load of food and find out some alternate exercises in order to increase your strength. The number one strength building exercise for your bench press is BENCH PRESS!

[rsheele]

Back away from the hammer strength machines. They have their place but don't seem to be doing crap for you. Go grab some light DB's and work on your form....then get heavier and attack them with a vengeance. Do that long enough and you will notice some nice improvements.

[Overload]

You should list your routine. It's hard to tell you what to do or change without more info. Other than saying eat more, which you should, you need to work on building tricep strength, shoulder strength and heck, overall strength for a bigger bench.

So basically, squat, pull, row, close grip presses, and military press will all help your bench in one way or another. Squatting will help your whole body grow which will make it stronger in other exercises. It's all connected IMO so don't just focus on benching to meet your goal. If you have weak shoulders and weak triceps you probably won't hit that goal any time soon.

Point being... eat and get stronger all around.

Good luck.

[MuscleGainer]

I dont mean to sound like a a**hole but... 5.5 years and your 155lbs? wtf were you doing all this time?

Well I've been worrying about so much stuff, maybe that's the problem. But I don't want to get into details of what things I've been worrying about. I also don't think I'm eating enough calories to gain weight but that's not the issue in this post. I use to weigh 158 lbs about 10 months ago but last week I was around 151 lbs. Today in the bench press I did 1 set of 95lbs for 15 reps, and the last 3 sets of 135 lbs for 15, 8, and 8 reps respectively as I was too tired to do 15 in the last to sets and I will not increase the weight until I can do 15 reps in the last 3 sets. I didn't have a spotter and so I didn't go to failure. I'd like to be able to do at least 225 for 15 reps in my last 3 sets someday.

[DiamondDelts]

Well I've been worrying about so much stuff, maybe that's the problem. But I don't want to get into details of what things I've been worrying about. I also don't think I'm eating enough calories to gain weight but that's not the issue in this post. I use to weigh 158 lbs about 10 months ago but last week I was around 151 lbs. Today in the bench press I did 1 set of 95lbs for 15 reps, and the last 3 sets of 135 lbs for 15, 8, and 8 reps respectively as I was too tired to do 15 in the last to sets and I will not increase the weight until I can do 15 reps in the last 3 sets. I didn't have a spotter and so I didn't go to failure. I'd like to be able to do at least 225 for 15 reps in my last 3 sets someday.

[MrSinister]

well it took you 5.5 years to learn that machine strength does not transfer over to free weight strength.

touche.... ouch

[smokeater]

If you're doing 185 for 7 reps now it's not realistic to think you'll be doing 225 x 15 reps by July. It'll take you probably 18 months minimum to do that.

Based on what you said you are a little weaker than you were 5 years ago. If that is the case, whatever you're doing now is not working and you need to change it immediately. Read the articles on this site, and listen to the advice reputable people here give.

It'll take time to achieve what you want to. Train smart, not just hard.

[Hikeon3]

It may be reasonable to think that if you train hard and eat well, you can lift 225 by July. But for 15 reps? Why is that important?

Even I can max out around 225 on bench, but I only rep 185 like 5-6 times. It takes a long time to build up the muscular strength and endurance to crank out the higher rep ranges. Also a lot of work on breathing. When you start getting up into those rep ranges, your breathing is often the first thing to struggle. Getting a good rhythm and breathing pattern is key.

[PhreEkGarden]

You said consistently, somehow thats hard to believe. Even if you still did only machines and got alot stronger on them. Your BB bench would probably go up some, no way it would go down... 5.5 years is along time. Did your machine weights improve ALOT?

[MuscleGainer]

You said consistently, somehow thats hard to believe. Even if you still did only machines and got alot stronger on them. Your BB bench would probably go up some, no way it would go down... 5.5 years is along time. Did your machine weights improve ALOT?

My Leg press went up alot. It went from 270 lbs 17 reps to 560 lbs 10 reps. My squat went from 105 lbs 15 reps to 215 lbs 6 reps and I could probably have done 2 more reps but I couldn't tolerate the pain of the bar resting on my traps and that was with the pad and my Manta Ray won't fit on the bars at the gym I go to. I've been avoiding heavy squats for a long time, mainly because of the pain from the bar resting on my traps.

As far as machines, I one time did 250lbs on the wide chest hammer strength for 6 reps, and that was about 4 months ago but I decided to not go so heavy on that machine and do more reps with a lighter weight instead. About 4 years ago I could do 150lbs-160lbs, don't quite remember, for 15 reps on the wide chest hammer strength.

[Briggsy]

machines in general suck the big one. get with the free weight, they are better in soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many ways.

greater degree of core devopment. increased effect on directly involved muscle. stabalising muscle develop.. this could go on for a long time.

i am will to bet if you stop going near machines then your weight will go up, as will you strengh and muscular density.

[JOHN GARGANI]

You should list your routine. It's hard to tell you what to do or change without more info. Other than saying eat more, which you should, you need to work on building tricep strength, shoulder strength and heck, overall strength for a bigger bench.

my old buddy Overload sounds a lot like me here....we are both old school! LOL....how are things doing amigo?


but I have to quote our OP on this:

Well I've been worrying about so much stuff, maybe that's the problem. But I don't want to get into details of what things I've been worrying about. I also don't think I'm eating enough calories to gain weight but that's not the issue in this post.

well, now, you made it our business! you brought it up...and it is obvious, that you have other problems not mentioned in your original post, which are affecting what you are doing.....


you are here looking for a superficial answer, while the true solution lies within.........


but if you just want superficial, I will give you superficial:


NO!

you will NOT do 15 reps with 225 following the scheme that you mentioned.....heavy benching does not follow those simple rules....it is a different animal: in benching, there can be a big dropoff between one weight and another... a guy could do 8 with that 225 of yours, and then barely get up 2 or 3 with 245......

as such, increasing strength in benching is more complicated and MUST involve doing sets of very few reps along with the higher reps to get the strength going.......

a gradual pyramid type progressive resistance program....that is what does it in getting your bench higher......

[SDFlip]

at 155lbs a 225lbs ONE REP MAX is tough for alot of casual gym goers.

for you to rep 1.5 times your bw for 15 reps is gonna take alot of work/time and i think to be able to reach your goal by July would be almost impossible.

[TJ2000]

Yeah, they are right man. I don't mean to sound negative but its not that likely you'll be benching 225lbs 15 times this summer. Maybe, who knows? God made our bodies different, maybe your genetics are good and you'll get it up or it'll just get there almost overnight, you never know what could happen. Crazy things have happened believe me on this! But, at 155lbs I'm suprised (no offense) if you can even bench 180 that many times. You really have to get a workout partner or someone really experienced (trainer maybe?) to help you (this is what I want to do soon) and maybe you can do, who knows? But if you don't, which is really likely, don't become frustrated man. Even 200lbs 5-8 times would be an accomplishment for you. I consider me benching 180lbs one time an accomplishment so you should too! Just keep working at it, add 2.5lbs each week, or even just 1lb a week if you can to your bench and do that every week or so and you should gradually get stronger. For instance
if you can bench 135lbs, which I'm pretty sure you can...do it for a set of 15 (if you can, which like I said I'm sure you probably can!) and if you get 15 successful reps out on that set try 140lbs next time for 15 reps, and if you can't do 15 try lowering the weight (if you have micro weights) a few lbs and do like 137-138lbs 15 times and keep doing that until you get to 140-145lbs and once you get to around 200 do lower reps for a few weeks to build better strength by doing 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps and get some good strength going on
pretty soon you should be doing 200lbs for atleast 9-10 reps. Once you get over 200lbs it should be a bit easier to keep adding weight since, imo, 200lbs on bench press is a milestone that many of us have yet to get over (atleast for me)

[SDFlip]

Yeah, they are right man. I don't mean to sound negative but its not that likely you'll be benching 225lbs 15 times this summer. Maybe, who knows? God made our bodies different, maybe your genetics are good and you'll get it up or it'll just get there almost overnight, you never know what could happen. Crazy things have happened believe me on this! But, at 155lbs I'm suprised (no offense) if you can even bench 180 that many times. You really have to get a workout partner or someone really experienced (trainer maybe?) to help you (this is what I want to do soon) and maybe you can do, who knows? But if you don't, which is really likely, don't become frustrated man. Even 200lbs 5-8 times would be an accomplishment for you. I consider me benching 180lbs one time an accomplishment so you should too! Just keep working at it, add 2.5lbs each week, or even just 1lb a week if you can to your bench and do that every week or so and you should gradually get stronger. For instance
if you can bench 135lbs, which I'm pretty sure you can...do it for a set of 15 (if you can, which like I said I'm sure you probably can!) and if you get 15 successful reps out on that set try 140lbs next time for 15 reps, and if you can't do 15 try lowering the weight (if you have micro weights) a few lbs and do like 137-138lbs 15 times and keep doing that until you get to 140-145lbs and once you get to around 200 do lower reps for a few weeks to build better strength by doing 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps and get some good strength going on
pretty soon you should be doing 200lbs for atleast 9-10 reps. Once you get over 200lbs it should be a bit easier to keep adding weight since, imo, 200lbs on bench press is a milestone that many of us have yet to get over (atleast for me)

[DJAuto]

Hammer strength machines are great. But always mix in free weights. Free weights should be the backbone of your workout.

[Drag]

Yeah, they are right man. I don't mean to sound negative but its not that likely you'll be benching 225lbs 15 times this summer. Maybe, who knows? God made our bodies different, maybe your genetics are good and you'll get it up or it'll just get there almost overnight, you never know what could happen.

WTF?

[renglander]

"Back away from the hammer strength machines. They have their place but don't seem to be doing crap for you. Go grab some light DB's and work on your form....then get heavier and attack them with a vengeance. Do that long enough and you will notice some nice improvements."

agreed. Or just start doing free weight bench presses with lighter weight you can handle with no spotter and slowly increase from there.

[JOHN GARGANI]

hey Guys, look at it this way: at least we saw a post from TJ that OFFERED advice, as opposed to his usual "I'm Scared, I'm weak" whiny posts.....

a step in the right direction.......

[cujo23]

Are you preparring for the NFL Draft or something