Why am I so weak for my size

[Athlete102]

As the title says:

well my stats are; i stand at about 5'6 150lb with a 14% bodyfat, yet I struggle to barbell bench 35kg (77lb), why is this? I don't understand why I'm so weak for my size. I've seen on this site etc people my size benching more than double what I can bench.

Can someone please explain why this is happening?

Thanks

[SuffolkPunch]

Probably not really 14%. Bodyfat is the most difficult to measure and most under reported stat on this site.

[sshin]

Depends on if you are just starting to workout. If so, you won't be able to lift as much. People on this site that are in similar physical stats have been working their ass off to be able to bench that high.

Just keep on pressing and you'll see triple digits

[Athlete102]

Depends on if you are just starting to workout. If so, you won't be able to lift as much. People on this site that are in similar physical stats have been working their ass off to be able to bench that high.

Just keep on pressing and you'll see triple digits

Nah, I started working out back in June 2010, and the thing is when I bench with a olympis barbell (20kg) I can bench 45kg, but when I bench with a 5kg barbell and put more weights on I bench much less...why is this?

And In terms of other exercises on other body parts im kind of weak too.

And to the first replier, I checked it on my home scale, which I know is not 100% accurate, but considering im an ecto, I think im more or less there?

[gnomepunter]

yea shin is right i am 142 pounds and bench 230 at the moment but i had to work and work AND WORK for that you shouldnt worry to much about it.as you workout youll gain strength you just have to stay motivated.when i started i was lifting only the bar ....yea i said it lol i was lifting only the bar but i kept at it and over a lonf period of time i got to where i am now.just remember to keep a good diet that is the most important thing above all else.and dont forget to rest that is as important as diet actually.also a good protien supp would be helpful as well.so i want to wish you goodluck on what i hope to be a long and enjoyable journey for you my friend.

[SuffolkPunch]

In a year you should be benching 200lbs.

Either you have been starving yourself or your program is totally inappropriate.

[Athlete102]

yea shin is right i am 142 pounds and bench 230 at the moment but i had to work and work AND WORK for that you shouldnt worry to much about it.as you workout youll gain strength you just have to stay motivated.when i started i was lifting only the bar ....yea i said it lol i was lifting only the bar but i kept at it and over a lonf period of time i got to where i am now.just remember to keep a good diet that is the most important thing above all else.and dont forget to rest that is as important as diet actually.also a good protien supp would be helpful as well.so i want to wish you goodluck on what i hope to be a long and enjoyable journey for you my friend.

Yea, thanks brah appreciate it.

But what im saying is, im quite happy with my size atm, but sure I want a much better physique, I mean I've gained alot of mass since I first started but it just dazzles me that I am this size and yet I bench only this much :S I mean, you say you bench 230 at 142 pounds which is very impressive, but does that mean you have to go even higher to gain mass on your chest?

[Athlete102]

In a year you should be benching 200lbs.

Either you have been starving yourself or your program is totally inappropriate.

Nah ive been countin calories and gettin at least over 120g of protein per day, but I usually like workout for 1 week and due to other things i gotta do I skip like 1-2 weeks and then go back to workin out :S

ANd in terms of my program, well I do like barbell bench 3 sets, followed by dumbell press and flyes 3 sets ea.

[gnomepunter]

while it is true that muscle mass correlates with strength it is not the only determining factor of strength.try a 5x5 routine or i have went as far as doing a 3x6 routine and had great strength gains like this.my chest is only 39 inches flexed.as far as strength to mass i once read a book about the relationship of the two and it said that doing strength training (5x5 or like i did 3x6) will gain you more strength faster.and at some point your muscles will have to grow larger to continue getting stronger but,the book also stated that the anatomy of the muscle was amazing as far as size to strength ratio goes.so i say give a 5x5 routine a shot for 3 or 4 months then if you see good gains in strength try a 3x6 program.but i want to warn you the low rep high weight training is more prone to cause injury so aboe all else make sure to use proper technique

[UltimateAeroSSC]

As the title says:

well my stats are; i stand at about 5'6 150lb with a 14% bodyfat, yet I struggle to barbell bench 35kg (77lb), why is this? I don't understand why I'm so weak for my size. I've seen on this site etc people my size benching more than double what I can bench.

Can someone please explain why this is happening?

Thanks

Based off of a few online calculators and my caliper it seems I'm AROUND 14% body weight and I'm only 5'4'' at 124 lbs now that I took a good 45 days off of dieting/lifting for tennis. So yeah, your BF% is probably higher. I have a minor amount of fat yet I'm no where near 4-6% like the guys who are completely shredded.

Anyway, your BF% doesn't correlate with your strength. That would be muscle. Lift more and eat more and over time you will get stronger. Simple enough.

[Athlete102]

while it is true that muscle mass correlates with strength it is not the only determining factor of strength.try a 5x5 routine or i have went as far as doing a 3x6 routine and had great strength gains like this.my chest is only 39 inches flexed.as far as strength to mass i once read a book about the relationship of the two and it said that doing strength training (5x5 or like i did 3x6) will gain you more strength faster.and at some point your muscles will have to grow larger to continue getting stronger but,the book also stated that the anatomy of the muscle was amazing as far as size to strength ratio goes.so i say give a 5x5 routine a shot for 3 or 4 months then if you see good gains in strength try a 3x6 program.but i want to warn you the low rep high weight training is more prone to cause injury so aboe all else make sure to use proper technique

Yea, thats what I mean, whats the point of benching 230 if your only 142lb still? I mean, no offense, but doesn't that mean you have to go to like 250+ if you want to hit over 160lb at the same bf? whereas for me its easier since I can gain much more size by the time I will be able to bench 230.

Can someone explain this to me?

[UltimateAeroSSC]

Yea, thats what I mean, whats the point of benching 230 if your only 142lb still? I mean, no offense, but doesn't that mean you have to go to like 250+ if you want to hit over 160lb at the same bf? whereas for me its easier since I can gain much more size by the time I will be able to bench 230.

Can someone explain this to me?

Well if 142 lb is his ideal weight, there's nothing wrong with it. And what do you mean what's the point? For 142 lbs, that's pretty strong. Who cares if he isn't X lbs more? Now if he jumped up to 150 lbs at the same BF%, yes he would want to increase his bench solely because he gained weight/muscle.

That's like telling someone that there's no point in squatting 350 lbs at 150 lbs body weight because they could lift heavier if they weighed 160 lbs. Why does the weight matter? Compare the lift to their body weight, not the lift to potential body weight.

Here you go: http://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLiftin...Standards.html

[Athlete102]

Well if 142 lb is his ideal weight, there's nothing wrong with it. And what do you mean what's the point? For 142 lbs, that's pretty strong. Who cares if he isn't X lbs more? Now if he jumped up to 150 lbs at the same BF%, yes he would want to increase his bench solely because he gained weight/muscle.

That's like telling someone that there's no point in squatting 350 lbs at 150 lbs body weight because they could lift heavier if they weighed 160 lbs. Why does the weight matter? Compare the lift to their body weight, not the lift to potential body weight.

Yes I know, my point exactly, for 142lb its very strong. You didn't understand me, im saying, it matters about physique and not how much someone lifts...you misunderstood me i think.

[UltimateAeroSSC]

Yes I know, my point exactly, for 142lb its very strong. You didn't understand me, im saying, it matters about physique and not how much someone lifts...you misunderstood me i think.

Ah got ya. Well yeah it depends on what YOU want. Some people want strength and couldn't care less about appearance. Some want to have very little body fat and don't care so much for strength. Then you got most of us that want to be lean and muscular.

But yeah if you're happy with your appearance, strength, health, etc then nothing else matters. Become what you want and be happy about it.

[SleepingPeace]

Try flat, incline and decline bb presses, then throw in a cable exercise too. Also, what's your tricep workouts look like? A lotta' your bench strength comes from your triceps, mine happen to be large and strong which I attribute to most of my bench strength.

[abg]

And In terms of other exercises on other body parts im kind of weak too.

Nah ive been countin calories and gettin at least over 120g of protein per day, but I usually like workout for 1 week and due to other things i gotta do I skip like 1-2 weeks and then go back to workin out :S

You are specifically asking about bench, though in this post you are establishing that you are, at least by your own definition, weak. Is there a reason you would expect your bench to be strong when everything else is also weak, and you are at best admittedly inconsistent at even making it to the gym?

IMO, the first thing you need to do is decide what it is you want out of going to the gym, and with that, if it's even worth it to you. Presuming you decide you want to go to the gym and get strong (this is implied by the initial post about bench strength), then you need to dedicate yourself to it. Plenty of people on these boards can come up with tons of "other things i gotta do," but instead choose to go to the gym an lift and work towards their goals.

Once you decide on that, don't go into the gym and just bench. Get yourself on a program. A program will have 1) a starting point, 2) a goal, and 3) a defined method of getting there.

For example, if your goal is 100kg for 3 sets of 5, then work in the 3x5 set/rep range and progressively add weight to the bar each time you get all 3 sets of 5. Do this with good form eat well and you will be benching 100kg for 3 sets of 5. This is definitely overly simple, though it gets the point across.

[MEGALO]

I think you should be evaluated for a neurologic disease. You are not only weak for an adult male of any size, you're weak for a 12 year old girl. I've never heard of a 21 year old man who struggled to bench 77 lbs. This cant be normal. You should see your doctor and make sure you aren't suffering from some bizarre mitochondrial problem or some odd muscle wasting autoimmune disorder. I'd get there quick before a strong wind comes up and sends you tumbleweeding down the street.

[tagger]

Can someone please explain why this is happening?

1. Because you workout for 1 week then take a couple weeks off
2. Because you haven't been working out very long.
3. Because you're not following a reputable strength program and you don't know enough about programming to design your own


4. Possibly because your form is subpar
5. Possibly because you have weird body proportions, some sort of disease, or a very small skeletal frame.
6. Possibly because you don't let your body recover - you're out partying and doing drugs until 5am every other day, or you go a few days barely eating and then binge, or you go running for a few hours every day

[martial-man420]

I think you might actually be the perfect candidate for starting strength. I don't normally recommend it but I think if you've been working out for that long and are only bench 45KG then you would greatly benefit from it. Would get you to at least 70 / 80 for 5 in a couple of months if you actually follow it. And higher after that.

Having said that if you take miss frequent weeks then you're never going to progress. I have / had the same problem. And now that I am actually determined to workout I'm injured for a bit haha. You just can't let yourself miss a week.

[martial-man420]

1. Because you workout for 1 week then take a couple weeks off
2. Because you haven't been working out very long.
3. Because you're not following a reputable strength program and you don't know enough about programming to design your own


4. Possibly because your form is subpar
5. Possibly because you have weird body proportions, some sort of disease, or a very small skeletal frame.
6. Possibly because you don't let your body recover - you're out partying and doing drugs until 5am every other day, or you go a few days barely eating and then binge, or you go running for a few hours every day

I think in terms of importance and likelyhood of problem it probably goes 1, 3, 6, 4, 5, 2.

[Athlete102]

I think you should be evaluated for a neurologic disease. You are not only weak for an adult male of any size, you're weak for a 12 year old girl. I've never heard of a 21 year old man who struggled to bench 77 lbs. This cant be normal. You should see your doctor and make sure you aren't suffering from some bizarre mitochondrial problem or some odd muscle wasting autoimmune disorder. I'd get there quick before a strong wind comes up and sends you tumbleweeding down the street.

vid of you benching please.

[MEGALO]

If you want a video of someone benching 77 lbs, go to a gym class at your nearest elementary school and get it yourself. In the meantime, you can save some money by canceling your gym membership and working out with soup cans at home.

[emp1acur]

If you want a video of someone benching 77 lbs, go to a gym class at your nearest elementary school and get it yourself. In the meantime, you can save some money by canceling your gym membership and working out with soup cans at home.

MEGALO - you joined in 2003 and this is your third post?! OP, doesn't matter what your starting weights are - lift weights and they'll go up. That is what everyone else does.

[Deviation]

So what does your routine look like? How long have you been at it (may have been somewhere but I lost it with the "soup can" comment)? How's your diet?

It takes time and dedication. Lots of both. I took me sometime (4-5 months) to hit above the 200 mark on more than one rep. I started lifting with the bar only if that makes ya feel any better.

[YeahBuddy2]

Like Deviation said, you havent told us what your current program looks like. What are you currently doing? Exercises, muscles, sets, reps... if we know that it will be much easier to help you out. Otherwise, you are going to get a million different suggestions and have no idea where to start. People are giving advice assuming you are doing certain things for your training. Let us know so we can better help you.

[YeahBuddy2]

...and a 5kg bar? Why does your gym have a barbell that weighs 11lbs? Or better yet, why would you choose to load heavy weight onto it when you could use the standard olympic bar that everyone and their mother uses?

[MEGALO]

Emp...You keep posting, I'll keep lifting. BTW, these aren't his "starting weights". He's been lifting over a year. My initial recommendation that the OP pursue a comprehensive neurological evaluation stands with the additional advice that you get a take a critical reading course.