455 raw paused bench at 158

[smokinHawk]

In competition.
Cut a little bit of weight to try a 3x body weight bench but missed that.
Anyways hit my opener of 455 though I had to take it twice because they said I heaved it.
https://www.openpowerlifting.org/u/jonathanharder
https://www.openpowerlifting.org/m/xpc/2001

[binlogic]

I am totally amazed at this feat of strength. Unbelievable power. What did your routine look like leading up to this meet? How did your strength progress over the years you've been training? Great job!

[StinnerOzz]

Awesome job, I can't even imagine that weight:strength ratio!

[GatorBison]

Animal, just unbelievable. GJDM

[smokinHawk]

I am totally amazed at this feat of strength. Unbelievable power. What did your routine look like leading up to this meet? How did your strength progress over the years you've been training? Great job!

Thanks guys.

my routine wasn't very good leading up to this as I was still rehabbing my rotator cuff tear and had to limit my volume quite a bit which meant I couldn't do the press variations I like to do. I was still having quite a bit of pain and was taking some prednisone to get through my training.
I was benching twice a week. Tuesdays I would bench with my crew and was just rotating paused reps of 3 or 2, working up to a progressive max of 2's or 3's for that day. Fridays I would do touch and go reps of 10 working up to a top set of 10. Then would do some close grips with chains reps of ten if my shoulder had anything left. I was trying to do 3 sets of 10 for close grip with chains, but most times only managed 1 or 2. I was training for a 485 bench, but my shoulder limited me, think I got up to 455x2 in training.

I have been benching for 24 years consistently so you could say my progress has been steady and slow (in a total lifetime sense) I can make good gains quickly on bench if I don't get injured, typically putting on 5 lbs a week. But injuries have always slowed me mostly rotator cuff tears and a few small pec tears. I have always rehabbed it my self and came back.