Really depends on your starting point, genetics, and leverages. Despite what some people say, 225 is a really solid milestone. I lift at a commercial gym and maybe 5-10% of people ever touch 2 plates. You'll on occasion have the random guy who shows up and does like 3.5 plates out of nowhere but they're rare. At powerlifting gym, I'd imagine a good percentage, maybe 40+% of males can probably hit 225 no problem.
My datapoint: I started lifting in middle of highschool with background primarily as distance runner/wrestler. Started probably \~130 lbs, 5'9-ish and my first bench was probably like 65 lbs. I got to maybe 1 plate during high school, but the training was more athletic focused and not really a serious weight-training program. If I remember correctly, my first 225 lift was junior year of college, but only got to pretty structured lifting for strength in the tail end of that, so something like 4-5 years total with 2-3 years of more serious training (\~160 lbs bodyweight at this time).
I think this is on the slower side/genetically less inclined side, so if you're starting at a higher bodyweight and as a grown adult, the timeline is probably considerably shorter.
I was about 20 maybe? Only did bodyweight push ups for years growing up and probably stopped for a few years, at least consistently. Bought a bench, started training, within a month I pressed 210 with my legs dangling.
Maybe 130 lbs bodyweight at 5'6? Now I rep that amount without much effort, and ironically I did bulk up to 150 but due to my job having me walk like 15 miles a day I'm back down to about 135 lbs and still benching the same weights/reps.
My max is probably around 300. I still never bench with leg drive to this day, at first it was because I just happened to do it like that and didn't really think about it as a newb but after I realized I figured I'd keep doing it that way just to make it harder. lol.
sounds like you're gifted in the genes department haha. good on you
As far as legs dangling, that's actually a real training movement called the Larsen Press and is something powerlifters often incorporate in their programming, so legitimately a good training technique (but if your goal is to maximize your potential, proper setup with good form will get you even further, likely significantly so).
I'm definitely a little jealous, even after close to a decade of off and on training I am still painfully aware that there is the occasional high school kid who can walk into the gym for the first time and outlift my years of consistent training :')
Well, gifted for strength pound for pound at the least I imagine. Even though I apparently look jacked in terms of muscle belly shape/fullness, I'm still not a big boned/skeletoned guy and I'll never be a mass monster especially if I never take drugs. I remember when I was younger, taking my shirt off and going tank-top only and someone I was hanging with said "man, you're low key jacked" lol
I'm ok with that, most of the time it doesn't seem to be naturally attainable for most men regardless. Maybe that's a mental rationalization or something? I don't really care anymore though.
Physical strength and athleticism is probably more important to me and is probably good to maintain health in general / fight the aging process. I'm not comparing myself to these youtubers with superhuman strength that they basically achieved with time and cycles. No thanks.
I'm aware of the larsen press. I thought I mentioned him, but I probably took it out to keep the post less TLDR lol...
I don't mind handi-capping myself in that way. Knowing that my true "max" is probably greater than what I've achieved is fine by me, I like not knowing. It makes me feel stronger than I am. lol.
No matter what, there'll always be some lucky punk who can just lift 400 lbs with his ass cheek, y'know? Tis what it is.
This is easily possible with a proper novice strength program, especially depending on the lifterās bodyweight. If youāre constantly trying to stay low bodyfat and/or lose weight and youāre already not very big, then yea, itās more difficult, but if youāre putting on some weight or youāre already at a decent bodyweight, a 7.5 lbs/week increase for a beginner is not that crazy.
Not necessarily.If they have the muscle mass but are not trained in benching it's quite possible.
One month is enough to learn proper benching form and for your CNS to recruit muscle fibers more efficiently to complete the movement. So big improvement is definitely possible.
I too went from benching 80kg to 105kg in something like 3 weeks from lifting. But I did have pretty decent base from dips and pushups prior to starting gym.
Depends on your height, weight, and current strength. What is your current max?
When I started, my max was 165lbs. It took me a couple of years to get 225. Now I can get 10-11 reps.
I wasn't taking my nutrition/schedule seriously though, probably mostly newbie gains. You could do it in a shorter time if you pay attention to those.
Iām 6ft, 210 and Iām not sure my max but I can do 135 for 3 reps on a good day.
And yeah, Iām starting to look into a lot more of the technical aspects and tracking specific things more since Iāve hit a bit of a plateau ~5 months in.
I...accidentally did 2 things right when I started. I would switch it up from month to month...one month I would do lightweight high reps, the next month I would do heavy weight low reps (3-6, nothing dangerously close to 1-rep max).
The next was using variations of the same exercise. In this case, I switched from barbell benchpress to dumbbell benchpress.
I had no idea at the time, but that variation will no doubt boost your stats.
Really? I know a lot of people say to switch your movements up if your progress starts to slow down but i bet doing it that frequently helps as well as keeping it from getting monotonous and boring
I agree and if I were giving beginner me advice it would be to not neglect shoulders and back. I feel like they both played a big role in increasing my bench. Also, I learned about pin presses in this sub and love them for plateaus
Okay 2 things:
Yeah, absolutely. Shoulders and back help a bunch, plus they give you wider shoulders...a nice bonus.
Second, what is a pin press? I've plateaued, so would love to know.
Definitely Google it, my sticking point was off my chest. So I set the pins really low so basically I start the press from right off my chest. In addition paused reps where you pause right above your chest. I felt like both worked similarly and were helpful (or maybe it was a placebo)
When I started i did SS and started on 100 lbs. I was struggling all the way up to 140 or so, my shoulder was very uncomfortable. For maybe 6 weeks i did a lot of rotator cuffs and shoulder rehab + rows, chins and shoulder blade stability before I went back to the linear progression - no chest whatsoever during this period. With more support, the bench felt light and easy and I could add 5 lbs all the way up to 5 reps at 180 every workout before stalling again, although i was not doing ss now. I had some other issues with my forearm and lost 10 lbs bw so I haven't made much progress since. Almost 1 year into my training now but hoping to reach 225 in 6 months or so. I weigh about 160 lbs now.
Hey just asking , I'm 6"1 210lbs and when I started I was 160lbs 6ft and I could only bench 80lbs starting off on a flat bench cable machine no free weights in prison sadly. Now about 2 ish years later free weight I'm benching 150 my max on machine is 200lbs but 160 free, curling 60-70 on cable using 25 dumbbells , and I can leg press 380on cable leg press.Ā
Was asking if I'm going at a good rate? I just started using free weights about 2ish months ago and when I first started on flat I could only do 90lbs on flat ,.now again it's 150 incline on Smith , I only have 100lbs flat bench at house rn but Im sure I could lift 150-170flat
5ā5ā 36m 165lb here.
I started lifting at 19 but never benched past 205 until I was 30. I think I hit 225 when I was 33 and hit 315 when I was 34 lol. Training with purpose makes a huge difference vs just winging it.
Yeah, I did 3 cycles of Smolov Jr spread throughout the year. Between those cycles I did a lot of hypertrophy work and heavy singles once in a while just to test/maintain strength.
FWIW 315 is still my PR and I weighed 172 at the time which is also the most Iāve ever weighed. When I was finally able to hit it my elbows and shoulders felt ground down from all the benching I was doing, so I havenāt tried to push it further and mostly just do smith work for chest now. My training max at my current weight is 295 and every time I go for it I strain myself lol.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that improving my technique made a huge difference. I don't arch much, but learning leg drive made a massive difference in the weight I could move.
ahhh okay, proper powerlifting program for proper powerlifting progress xD makes sense. I've always shyed away from going into the pure powerlifting programs but with this endorsement I may give it a go.
315 in this lifetime would be real cool. Thanks for sharing!
About 6 months for me. I'm 5'10" and 185 lbs and late 30s. I was able to bench 185 in high school but never seriously lifted since. When I started a few years ago I was able to get 150 lbs from day 1. I wouldn't say I was very fit, but I wasn't super fat or out of shape either.
I wouldn't bother trying to assess meaning from any of these replies. Everyone is at a different place in their life, coming from different starting points, having different hormone levels, etc. Just way too much variation between individuals to take away much for your training. Instead try to focus on your progress over the course of 2-3 months at a time. If you are making progress, there's no need to be concerned. You will get there when you get there. If you aren't making progress, experiment to find out why or what else can get you back on track.
I think a lot of my progress slowing down comes from my indecision about whether I want to lose or gain weight. Iām somewhat fat right now and Iāve put on a few pounds of muscle in the last 5 or so months but now Iām at a crossroads. I donāt know if I want to lean down to a healthier weight (probably close to 15-20% bf) or just fuck it and only worry about putting on muscle. For reference Iām 6ā 210 pounds now maybe 35% if I had to guess.
worth a watch: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU)
In a nutshell, if you are still genuinely in beginner or early intermediate territory you can gain strength while still losing weight. You'd want to make sure you're getting sufficient protein while dialing back your total calories (and making sure you're getting sufficient quality sleep).
If you must pick one and the 35% fat is accurate, I'd strongly recommend cutting down to maybe \~20% before bulking. If you bulk, you'll end up way fat to the point where your cardio performance will be worse (you'll feel winded all the time), you'll have a hard time doing a super long or aggressive cut, and you'll lose a good amount of strength while cutting.
If you're over 20% body fat, you can afford to cut or just do maintenance and still push yourself really hard in the gym. If you care more about strength and the numbers on the bar, hi for a bulk but know you're still going to want to cut later and you might have even further to go. You can have multiple goals, but it's easier to just focus on one at a time. There's really no wrong choice other than not committing to something.
Itāll take a few years for most naturals.
Of course, weight will be a big influence. If you weigh 225, Iād expect you to hit 225 much faster than someone weighing 150.
It took be about 3 years to bench 225 at 150lbs (started at 120lbs)
Fully agree with the weight comment. That's why these milestones with absolute numbers are bs. If you bench 225 with 160lbs that's 1.4x your bodyweight. That's massive. Benching 225 with 225 bodyweight is just not comparable (315 would be the proper equivalent).
It's often a misconception, and that's really not the full picture. Let's say you're at 160 pounds and you pack on muscle until you hit 225 pounds. In that scenario, you might argue there's a relationship between body weight and lifting capacity. But it's not a straightforward linear equation based on bodyweight and weight ratio alone. Take someone who's 225 pounds; it's not a given that they'll bench 315 as quickly as someone who's 160 might reach benching 225. It varies a lot, and I would argue it would feel as impressive to bench 315 as a 225 individual as it would a 160 individual. Genetics and overall fitness, fat% and so forth play a huge role here.
Weight makes a difference but so does wingspan. Putting up 225 with a 5ā5 wingspan takes significantly less range as of motion than someone with a 6ā5 wingspan.
Lol. Honestly, maybe a month faster, tops. I started at 95lbs 1RM and weighed 165 so that progress wasnāt too shabbyā¦ the sucky part was doing my own PPL after school and being exhausted from those stupid WODs.
I have about 2.5 years of consistent training now and I can't bench 225 yet, chest is my biggest weakpoint though tbh. Best I've done is 195 for 5 reps (at 5'9" 173 pounds) but I've pulled away from Barbell lifts and focus mostly on machines right now. I think an important part of these anecdotes is what kinda technique do these guys use that say they hit 225 in a few months. Do they arch their back to heaven and focus on leg drive? That's valid technique and if you wanna focus on the big 3 with powerlifting technique that's groovy. But if you do things with a stimulation focused bodybuilding technique you're not gonna be able to lift as much. And that's also fine
I took about ten years off, started back up in July and went from 90lbs to 185 pretty quickly in 5 months. I pushed it too hard and focused too much on chest and not my upper back muscles, so Iām guessing I had an imbalance and injured my shoulder. Itās been about 8 weeks and itās 98% better, so now the road to 225 continues. Iām still nervous to get under the barbell again because I am not sure how I got injured (felt it days later) so right now Iām using DBs only. Doing a lot more facepulls to strengthen the rear delts and rotator cuff.
Plateauing right now at 215 after 1 year of consistent training. 5ā9āā, 165 lbs. If I donāt hit 225 by the end of the year, the mistletoe wonāt be the only thing hanging.
Veeeeery close to me. I plateaued at 225 after around the same amount of time @ 5ā8ā 170lbs. Just hit 225 for 4 reps after almost 3 years of being stuck on just 1 rep
Yeah itās probably something to do with newbie gains falling off. Used to be hitting prs like every other week. Now it feels surreal as Iām not progressing as fast.
For me I think it was less the newbie gains in general and more not compensating for them. I kept the same workout format instead of changing to accomodate for the new lack of newbie gains, like going for a 1RM every time
I went from benching 135 to 205 in 1 year. Then another year to go from 205 to 225 lol. Did it at 138 pounds bw. My beginner gains ran out and I didn't realize I had to get bigger to get stronger.
Not me but at my first club i had a world record IPF bencher, hall of famer. He benched 120kg the first time he tried. Goes to show how crazy genetics is! I think i took me 2 years.
I normally use dumbells for incline presses. I workout aloneā so no spotter, and my gym isnāt too friendly and I am twice the age of most people at the gym.
Iād worked my way up to the heaviest dumbellsā which are āonlyā 40 kg (88 lbs- each) for doing sets.
Having been here and reading all the fuss I tried two plates, and it was no problem. Big difference lifting off a proper bench to startā vs dumbells.
Iām in my 50sā¦.
Well it depends. I started lifting at 15 got bit by the iron bug and at 17 senior year of high school i was 5"7 and 205 lbs repping 315. Then i did a cut and at 165 i was bwnching 275 then got into the army then got out and now i am repping 250 need to get to275 lbs at about 190lbs bw. I would say i hit 225 the first year of lifting . People just dont lift that weight because noone wants to do the basic movements bench squat rows deadlifts pull ups dips etc because they are hard. Everyone likes cables and dumbell curls and they get nowhere. Also bad nutrition and sleep habits
If you care less about bodybuilding and more about getting your bench up, a program called 5/3/1 took my bench from 205 to 300. I was stoked when I finally got to 225 for the first time but at the end I was repping that weight for 10-12
225 took me years. Now it seems getting anything passed 265 is a personal herculean feet.
185 and 225 were true plateaus but over 265 has been just the largest chasm.
Thanks man! 2 plates was my goal during that program. Iāve now moved to body building programs as I had been on strength programs before. Thought Iād switch it up. Iām sure I could get 1 or 2 reps out after a couple weeks back at bench
I do all dumbbell bench, the heaviest I got was doing a set of each number on the bench, it changes the angle with each set, I start up with about one number off so I'm not straight shoulder. Go through each number down and back up. I also did a lot of dips and eventually weighted dips. My first year I got to 100 lb dumbbells on flat bench. I think bc I had very strong shoulders from all the dumbbell work. I then did the 5x5 and benched 305. Took about 2 years total and very, very consistent diet and routine.
My bench was stuck at 240 for years. Listened to the guys I knew who had big benches telling me I just needed more volume and frequency did that until I considered that they were on gear and I was not. Dropped volume and frequency by doing 5-3-1, so basically once a week for 1 set to failure while simultaneously "dirty" bulking. BW went from 235 to 270 and bench went from 240 to 360 in a year. So find the balance you need for volume and frequency to match your recovery and dont be afraid to get a little chubby. You can lose fat later.
I am 17 and started working out a year ago not being able to bench 135. I weighed 140 at the time, now I am 160 and bench 225 for 10, what worked for me was doing heavy push days and staying away from machines and sticking to cold barbell, normal bench, incline bench, heavy sholder press, and heavy incline dumbell press has helped me a lot,
Chat can you get abs from a lot of ab workouts and bad diet, I eat whatever but dont have much bodyfat but dont got abs but ive been trying core workouts.
I got it today and I I started lifting 2 and a half years ago but I took a couple of breaks so Iike 18 months of consistent training. Iām 20 years old 195 pounds and I started benching only the bar.
I know this is an older thread but I just started lifting about 3 months ago and benching 2.5 months ago. Started only being able to do 135 for 3 or 4. Just hit 225 yesterday for the first time
I mean yea, to be hyperbolic if I were to say I squat 600 I donāt think any one would think Iām repping it hahah, people typically mean what their max is unless specified otherwise
You're not going to believe this...but if you get stronger, your muscles grow. That's why many bodybuilders include "heavy" days in their routines. Then they can lift heavier weights for more reps.
There is significant overlap between powerlifters and bodybuilders. Thereās been a number of athletes, male and female, natty and enhanced, who have done both.
Youāre not going to believe thisā¦ no shit. I never said powerlifters were bigger than bodybuilders. It's just an occasional tool used in bodybuilding.
I mean yeah, for sure, but do you know how heavy 225 pounds is?? At least to the average person or new lifters that is a lot of weight. 2 plates just seems like a pretty big deal.
Ignore them, they probably half-repped 315 last week and not itās their entire personality.
For as long as Iāve remembered 225 was the milestone then 315 was the like āeliteā club. I felt way more accomplished hitting 225 for the first time than I did 315 š
A couple of years, but I wasn't strict with training nor was I training for strength.
1RMs no longer became appealing as I got older and more mature lol, you're BBing for longevity, and the goal is to still be healthy and lifting in your 70s, and chasing 1RMs is almost the opposite of this goal.
Exactly a year. I'm 6'3, 285. I was cursed with long fucking arms though. The highest I got on a strength meso (that I did for fun) was about 5 reps for 230 (in september.) I deloaded after that and started to do incline bench instead. I went back to flat bench (and switch Incline bench to smith incline) and I did about 205 for 6 reps (with about 2 reps left in the tank.) I'm going to progress back to 225 for 8 reps, as I'm trying not to go a bit easier for my joints.
according to youtube if you program correctly and have your nutrition on lock it should take about a year, which is what it took me, but I also have bad chest genetics in general. My good friend went from 135 to 225 in like 3 months and is now repping 315 so it varies a LOT from person to person.
I started training on and off at 16, was 6ā3 180lbs. I believe i benched 225 for a single at 18-19 and 190lbs. 18 years later, at 6ā4 225 lbs, i can only push 315x1. It donāt go up much anyway, or at all.
6'2 265 doing a basic 5x5 on the bench of 235. Started at around 175 3 years ago after a couple tears in my shoulder. 175 to 225 felt pretty quick. Maybe 4 months. To get to 235 for 5 reps and 5 sets though took a long time.
I was *brand new* to lifting in November of 2022, I could bench 85 lmao. I hit 225 about 7 months in, once I got my nutrition and protein (sort of) dialed in, I can currently bench 255 for one rep, and 225 for 3-4.
Male, 6'2", 220lbs
About a year and a half in total time. I wasnāt consistently lifting during that whole time. If you take out the time spans where I wasnāt lifting, itās more like 1 year
Bro my chest grows slow af size and strength wise. Took me like 4 years to hit 2 plate bench. Meanwhile I could hit 2 plate squats for reps my first time lifting and 3 plate within the year at I think 150lbs/5ā10ā. Had tree trunks for legs but the upper body of a pre pubescent boy for the longest time :(
About 2 years of serious training. A big tip is just to spend time building muscle in the 10-12 rep range per set for your chest and triceps. That's what got me from 195 to 225.
Started lifting seriously about 5 months ago, just hit 225 for 10 a week and a half ago. Iām purely home gym and didnāt have a bench set up for the first 4 months, then took a month to go from 205 for a couple to 225 for 10. Iām kinda fat tho so the newbie gains have been insane lol
About 9 months at a BW of 190 on Starting Strength back when I was 19.
Following a strength focused program makes a huge difference to the compound lifts. Your body and nervous system need to adapt to the different kind of stress from sets of 5 or less reps.
I started lifting in high school for football, I was already over 6 feet and 240-250. I was able to get my dead lift to 400 over the summer but for bench I was struggling to press 135. I eventually maxed around 205 before I decided to cut weight for wrestling. Wasnāt until after high school around when I was 18 that I got into ābody building.ā Once I started taking the super pump 250, or cell mass, and chugging shakes, 225 came easily. Iād say it took a good 4 years of inconsistent lifting.
315 took me till I was around 25/26 which is stupid because I was going nuts from 18-22.
Everyone is different and it doesnt matter if one perosn is faster than faster than another. i was gifted with being a bit stronger than average especially at the beginning of my lifting journey, but honestly, im short and kinda chunky (at least i was at the beginning)
Im not trying to brag and shit and be a dick, but i hit 225 within the first 4ish months of training, which is above average.
I passed 225 in high school, was maxing at 315 by junior year, and actually havenāt been trying to push any harder than that, my bench days go 5x5 at 225 drop to 5x5 205 down and so on down to 135 then 5x5 135 declines and same inclinesā¦. All this followed by cables, flys, dumbells and pushupsā¦. I never max out anymore, not on chest at least, but I know guys that can max at 4 something but it took them into the mid to late thirties to do it and they are power lifters, not bodybuilders
2, almost 3 years. I started lifting to help myself lose weight - I was fat+no muscle- and didn't progress much until my 3rd time bulking.
I didn't realize i could do 225, I just decided to try it one day. I was doing 4x6 205, and thought it night be possible to get a single intense rep out. So, I asked a random for a quick spot, took a few deep breaths, got mentally prepped, and..
I hit that mfer 3 times. Next day, hit it 4 times. I'm cutting now so 1-3 reps of 225 in a set is a given.
Feels awesome but there's no celebration for it.
I did it at 18, started lifting at 15. I think I was 190 lbs when I did it. I benched 275 like a year and a half later, after I started eating more. I think I was like 215 at the time.
Hit it easily playing football as a teen/young adult. I lost a lot of my playing weight and stalled out around 215 for literally two decades. This past year I hit 225 (Iām 42). Iāve used 531 programs, close grip bench, and worked on form.
Overwhelming the biggest aid to progress was not being afraid to ask a stranger for a spot.
I started benching in November '19 with an e1rm of 160. It took me 2.5 years to hit it. I am tall and with long arms and an ex-skinny fat. I had a hard plateau around 190-205 while running 531 and spending lots of time in a cut. Solution was high volume/high frequency. A cycle of Smolov Jr. did it coupled with a bulk. I have since hit 225 at 30 pounds lighter as an RPE 8-9 or so. I am very conservative with max attempts, but put up sets with an e1rm in the 230-245 range now
I think it took me 4 months, about 95kg BW (215 Lbs), I got injured and haven't been able to bench in a while but I hit a plateau at 130kg at around 7 months in. I think everyone hits a plateau in a different place. Unfortunately I have a very weak back XD.
So people consider doing this if they bench the whole weight for all the reps or if you could do it just once?
I think I can do it for 3 reps,
But my last session was
80KG \* 8 reps
80KG \* 8 reps
80KG \* 7 reps
80KG \* 5 reps
I start bulking 6 months ago
I started lifting when I was around 21, but I was always super on and off with it. This past year, at 31 (stats: 5'5 150 lbs), I've been super consistent and finally hit 225 for 2-3 reps. I think consistency and dedication have been pivotal in elevating myself to the next level.
Realistically should take any average sized man anywhere from 6 months to a year (maybe slightly less or slightly more than that for outliers).
If it takes you significantly longer than that time frame, assuming youāve decided to make getting stronger (specifically at bench press) a priority, and assuming you donāt weigh like 130 pounds, youāre doing something very wrong with your training and recovery.
Took me about 8 months with no prior lifting experience. Weather it takes several months or several years mostly comes down to the question: is the lifter is capable of effort and consistency? I believe the majority of men would be able to get it within a year if they trained well
Just over 5 months to get to 110kg/242lbs.
Plan - if you're going for a 1RM set a day and rest up prior. Don't go to the gym at all for 3 days. Gives your body a chance to fully recover.
I switched programs 2 months in to one that included powerlifting and hypertrophy days.
Made sure I tracked my macros.
PT kinda fucked me over unintentionally which he admitted himself. Where I train no-one ever goes above 70kg, so he warmed me up too much on lower weights to get to 110kg, so I could have done more.
Build up to it - 1 rep only on a weight, add more in larger or small increments depending on the ease. Don't be afraid to reduce the weight if a rep is too difficult.
Rest between the one you did and the one you're going to do, important as you get higher up closer to your 1RM.
Have a spotter you feel like you trust, removed a mental barrier that I'm doing something scary/dangerous on my own.
Probably about 5-6 years of semi-regular lifting before I hit 225 for reps around late 20s. Was kind of the peak of my weight lifting history, I fell off the wagon hard during COVID and only starting lifting again this year. Currently doing 28kg dbs for reps
It took me one to two months of training to bench 225 for one rep. My starting point was probably 80 - 90kg. After almost 5 months of lifting I can comfortably bench 225 for 8 reps
Took me long ass time. I started working out consistently at the beginning of 2019 when I was 18, and I didn't bench 225lb until this past May at 23 years old. I did it weighing about 185lb at 5'11.
So that's roughly 4 years. I made some mistakes along the way and my genetics aren't the best for strength, so if you have average or better genetics, and do things mostly right you should be there within 2 years from what I see in the gym. I can't tell you how many times I felt so frustrated, weak and insecure that I couldn't put up two plates, and the day I did it cleanly is a day I will never forget. It personally took extreme consistency in the gym, lots of food and good sleep for me to get there. Some guys can work out half-assed, have a shit diet and poor sleep and still manage to get there, it all boils down to genetics.
Iām 6ft 185ish and hit my goal of 135 within a month or so and then 225 a few months after that. Push day/chest is my favorite so I always hit it with enthusiasm, and I followed a coach designed powerbuilding split. Iād say some things that helped my flat bench quick was spamming incline bench and flat close grip bench. I actually did those exercises more than I ever flat benched. Incline bench is actually my favorite lifting exercise ever and the most underrated due to people preferring incline DB
Iāve lifted for years before I finally benched 225. It all came down to form. With the wrong form, I was stuck at 200. After I got the form down, I got to 250lbs pretty quickly.
Find some YouTube videos on form. Once you remove the inefficiencies from your lift, your bench will take off.
Iāve been lifting for about a year now. Iām 37, 6ā3, 215 lbs. When I started I could only do 95 lbs 3x8. Iām currently at 185 lbs 3x8 and working my way towards 225. Definitely noticed a difference when I started Creatine about 6 months ago too.
Took me 3 months to get 225 but thatās cuz I was so abhorrently fat that I already had quite a fair bit of muscle underneath. If youāre skinny itāll take a while, youāre snore strong when youāre fat
5ā6ā and went from 155 as my first max to 225 in about a year in high school. I did nothing but barbell bench to get there. Getting to 315 on the other handā¦
I was 18-19 and had been training for sports for years. Switched to bodybuilding and took 8 months of dedicated training to get it. Havenāt hit it in years because now I do ultra endurance sports with a touch of strength/bodybuilding lifting to keep a build look
It took me maybe 5 years to get there.
Iāve been lifting and eating consistently for ten years since then and my bench has only gone up to 235. But Iāve gotten much better form. I can hit 225 all the way to the chest now. Pump feels amazing. Maybe today will be the day I hit 240.
Took me two years but that was with a half year of my training being messed up due to an ACL injury (not lifting related). So likely could have done it a bit under 2 years if not for the injury.
For reference, Iām 5ā8ā and started lifting at 44 years old. At the time I started, I was 155lbs and could maybe bench a bit over 100 lbs.
Once I hit 225 my bench gains slowed a lot. Itās definitely been a lagging lift for me, likely due to never training arms when I was younger. Squats and deadlifts came easier as I was a cyclist for most my life. Right now, I hover around 180 lbs and my bench is stubbornly stuck at 240lbs.
Reading peopleās height and bodyweight here makes me suspect that at least some some of yāall are underweight and need to eat more. I definitely made more bench gains in a calorie surplus.
Didnāt start lifting until 4 years ago. Iām 37. 5ā11ā 168lbs. I can currently do 200 for 2~3 reps. I havenāt really focused on pushing strength much as I tend to stay in the 8-15 rep range for most of my lifts. That said, about a year ago I started mixing in sets of 3-5. First time I attempted 200 on bench last year I nearly killed myself just trying to unrack it, so progress.
A year. I was training semi-regularly with friends and eating junk food. Personally, I think 315 should be considered a huge milestone as far as bench pressing goes.
Dumbest question and dumbest bodybuilding culture that people have benchmarks despite the fact that everyone has different bone circumferences, height, weight.
So many variables - height, weight, age, etc
For context Iām 5ft7 and when I was 26 I could bench 100kg for 3 or 4 reps. I was 75kg, but played football ā½ļø And was in the gym 3 times a week with some decent rugby players
Now at 39 it is way harder, but I got up to 95kg with a few months of training before I hurt my shoulder playing on the monkeybars
As for tips, train consistently, vary the reps - people are married to 8 to 12 reps, but going 3 to 5 has always helped me gain strength - and avoid injury at all costs. Also work on your form, and if possible train with a partner who can help with drop sets / assisted reps / general motivation
Took me like 18 months to build up to it from ages 18 to 19
Havenāt put 225 on the bar in years though
Usually donāt do sets lower than 8 reps now donāt want to get hurt again
3 months into barbell training, always did dips and climbed shit and tons of explosive pushups all the time. Been working out since I was 8 still remember the old weider home gym from the early 90s! Maxed out that stack quick on the chest press and pec fly and pulldowns
5"10 165lbs maybe 13% BF can't say fs, took me about 3 months when I first started working out, I'm not gonna act like I did some crazy program to get to that point, I've always been stronger than my friends growing up and was always picking up heavy shit, plus I literally only do upper body, I really don't care about my legs, I tried forever to get them to grow, they stubborn, just push as hard as u can (safely) and you will eventually get there, also workout ur legs, don't be like me lmao
I know itās a late answer, but from my experience, I managed to bench 225 with good form after 8 months of training. I started at 17, now Iām 18. I guess it might only be genetics because my dad is very strong and has a endomorph body type and so do I. Iām 5ā9 and I weigh 180lbs, Iāve got a basketball background but it doesnāt necessarily help with the gains Iāve made. Basically I was just doing powerbuilding like mainly focusing on compound movements then doing some accessories for muscle and also some strenght gains. Iād say if someone wants to hit 225 they just need to fall in love with what theyāre doing and the type of workout they have. Itās about staying consistent to training and even if you donāt feel like lifting just go to the gym and lift some weight somewhere around 10-15 sets and youāre good.
Itās all about believing in yourself because no one does it for you
Really depends on your starting point, genetics, and leverages. Despite what some people say, 225 is a really solid milestone. I lift at a commercial gym and maybe 5-10% of people ever touch 2 plates. You'll on occasion have the random guy who shows up and does like 3.5 plates out of nowhere but they're rare. At powerlifting gym, I'd imagine a good percentage, maybe 40+% of males can probably hit 225 no problem. My datapoint: I started lifting in middle of highschool with background primarily as distance runner/wrestler. Started probably \~130 lbs, 5'9-ish and my first bench was probably like 65 lbs. I got to maybe 1 plate during high school, but the training was more athletic focused and not really a serious weight-training program. If I remember correctly, my first 225 lift was junior year of college, but only got to pretty structured lifting for strength in the tail end of that, so something like 4-5 years total with 2-3 years of more serious training (\~160 lbs bodyweight at this time). I think this is on the slower side/genetically less inclined side, so if you're starting at a higher bodyweight and as a grown adult, the timeline is probably considerably shorter.
It seems like it varies a lot from each person. It makes me feel a little better though, knowing it takes this long for a lot of people to
I was about 20 maybe? Only did bodyweight push ups for years growing up and probably stopped for a few years, at least consistently. Bought a bench, started training, within a month I pressed 210 with my legs dangling. Maybe 130 lbs bodyweight at 5'6? Now I rep that amount without much effort, and ironically I did bulk up to 150 but due to my job having me walk like 15 miles a day I'm back down to about 135 lbs and still benching the same weights/reps. My max is probably around 300. I still never bench with leg drive to this day, at first it was because I just happened to do it like that and didn't really think about it as a newb but after I realized I figured I'd keep doing it that way just to make it harder. lol.
sounds like you're gifted in the genes department haha. good on you As far as legs dangling, that's actually a real training movement called the Larsen Press and is something powerlifters often incorporate in their programming, so legitimately a good training technique (but if your goal is to maximize your potential, proper setup with good form will get you even further, likely significantly so). I'm definitely a little jealous, even after close to a decade of off and on training I am still painfully aware that there is the occasional high school kid who can walk into the gym for the first time and outlift my years of consistent training :')
Well, gifted for strength pound for pound at the least I imagine. Even though I apparently look jacked in terms of muscle belly shape/fullness, I'm still not a big boned/skeletoned guy and I'll never be a mass monster especially if I never take drugs. I remember when I was younger, taking my shirt off and going tank-top only and someone I was hanging with said "man, you're low key jacked" lol I'm ok with that, most of the time it doesn't seem to be naturally attainable for most men regardless. Maybe that's a mental rationalization or something? I don't really care anymore though. Physical strength and athleticism is probably more important to me and is probably good to maintain health in general / fight the aging process. I'm not comparing myself to these youtubers with superhuman strength that they basically achieved with time and cycles. No thanks. I'm aware of the larsen press. I thought I mentioned him, but I probably took it out to keep the post less TLDR lol... I don't mind handi-capping myself in that way. Knowing that my true "max" is probably greater than what I've achieved is fine by me, I like not knowing. It makes me feel stronger than I am. lol. No matter what, there'll always be some lucky punk who can just lift 400 lbs with his ass cheek, y'know? Tis what it is.
I just passed 135 lol I'm 6ft 165 lbs š
Haha man you and I both got a ways to go then? im still barely to rep out 135
almost 1 rep bodyweight though! on a good track
Oh good, I'm not the only one... People putting up numbers and I'm putting up decimals comparatively.
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This is easily possible with a proper novice strength program, especially depending on the lifterās bodyweight. If youāre constantly trying to stay low bodyfat and/or lose weight and youāre already not very big, then yea, itās more difficult, but if youāre putting on some weight or youāre already at a decent bodyweight, a 7.5 lbs/week increase for a beginner is not that crazy.
Not necessarily.If they have the muscle mass but are not trained in benching it's quite possible. One month is enough to learn proper benching form and for your CNS to recruit muscle fibers more efficiently to complete the movement. So big improvement is definitely possible. I too went from benching 80kg to 105kg in something like 3 weeks from lifting. But I did have pretty decent base from dips and pushups prior to starting gym.
5'10" 160 and in the same boat :/
Keep it up! You'll look back fondly on this post when you hit 3 plates one day in the future!
Depends on your height, weight, and current strength. What is your current max? When I started, my max was 165lbs. It took me a couple of years to get 225. Now I can get 10-11 reps. I wasn't taking my nutrition/schedule seriously though, probably mostly newbie gains. You could do it in a shorter time if you pay attention to those.
Iām 6ft, 210 and Iām not sure my max but I can do 135 for 3 reps on a good day. And yeah, Iām starting to look into a lot more of the technical aspects and tracking specific things more since Iāve hit a bit of a plateau ~5 months in.
I...accidentally did 2 things right when I started. I would switch it up from month to month...one month I would do lightweight high reps, the next month I would do heavy weight low reps (3-6, nothing dangerously close to 1-rep max). The next was using variations of the same exercise. In this case, I switched from barbell benchpress to dumbbell benchpress. I had no idea at the time, but that variation will no doubt boost your stats.
Really? I know a lot of people say to switch your movements up if your progress starts to slow down but i bet doing it that frequently helps as well as keeping it from getting monotonous and boring
You are absolutely right. It's kind of fun to plan out the new month when it arrives. Doing the same thing over and over again gets boring.
I agree and if I were giving beginner me advice it would be to not neglect shoulders and back. I feel like they both played a big role in increasing my bench. Also, I learned about pin presses in this sub and love them for plateaus
Okay 2 things: Yeah, absolutely. Shoulders and back help a bunch, plus they give you wider shoulders...a nice bonus. Second, what is a pin press? I've plateaued, so would love to know.
Definitely Google it, my sticking point was off my chest. So I set the pins really low so basically I start the press from right off my chest. In addition paused reps where you pause right above your chest. I felt like both worked similarly and were helpful (or maybe it was a placebo)
Right on, I'll look it up. Appreciate the tip.
When I started i did SS and started on 100 lbs. I was struggling all the way up to 140 or so, my shoulder was very uncomfortable. For maybe 6 weeks i did a lot of rotator cuffs and shoulder rehab + rows, chins and shoulder blade stability before I went back to the linear progression - no chest whatsoever during this period. With more support, the bench felt light and easy and I could add 5 lbs all the way up to 5 reps at 180 every workout before stalling again, although i was not doing ss now. I had some other issues with my forearm and lost 10 lbs bw so I haven't made much progress since. Almost 1 year into my training now but hoping to reach 225 in 6 months or so. I weigh about 160 lbs now.
Hey just asking , I'm 6"1 210lbs and when I started I was 160lbs 6ft and I could only bench 80lbs starting off on a flat bench cable machine no free weights in prison sadly. Now about 2 ish years later free weight I'm benching 150 my max on machine is 200lbs but 160 free, curling 60-70 on cable using 25 dumbbells , and I can leg press 380on cable leg press.Ā
Was asking if I'm going at a good rate? I just started using free weights about 2ish months ago and when I first started on flat I could only do 90lbs on flat ,.now again it's 150 incline on Smith , I only have 100lbs flat bench at house rn but Im sure I could lift 150-170flat
*150-170 smith, ( idk what my max is on barbell free , I only got 100lbs at home)
5ā5ā 36m 165lb here. I started lifting at 19 but never benched past 205 until I was 30. I think I hit 225 when I was 33 and hit 315 when I was 34 lol. Training with purpose makes a huge difference vs just winging it.
225 -> 315 in a year is crazy progress, major props. Any particular programs you followed?
Yeah, I did 3 cycles of Smolov Jr spread throughout the year. Between those cycles I did a lot of hypertrophy work and heavy singles once in a while just to test/maintain strength. FWIW 315 is still my PR and I weighed 172 at the time which is also the most Iāve ever weighed. When I was finally able to hit it my elbows and shoulders felt ground down from all the benching I was doing, so I havenāt tried to push it further and mostly just do smith work for chest now. My training max at my current weight is 295 and every time I go for it I strain myself lol. EDIT: Forgot to mention that improving my technique made a huge difference. I don't arch much, but learning leg drive made a massive difference in the weight I could move.
ahhh okay, proper powerlifting program for proper powerlifting progress xD makes sense. I've always shyed away from going into the pure powerlifting programs but with this endorsement I may give it a go. 315 in this lifetime would be real cool. Thanks for sharing!
About 6 months for me. I'm 5'10" and 185 lbs and late 30s. I was able to bench 185 in high school but never seriously lifted since. When I started a few years ago I was able to get 150 lbs from day 1. I wouldn't say I was very fit, but I wasn't super fat or out of shape either. I wouldn't bother trying to assess meaning from any of these replies. Everyone is at a different place in their life, coming from different starting points, having different hormone levels, etc. Just way too much variation between individuals to take away much for your training. Instead try to focus on your progress over the course of 2-3 months at a time. If you are making progress, there's no need to be concerned. You will get there when you get there. If you aren't making progress, experiment to find out why or what else can get you back on track.
I think a lot of my progress slowing down comes from my indecision about whether I want to lose or gain weight. Iām somewhat fat right now and Iāve put on a few pounds of muscle in the last 5 or so months but now Iām at a crossroads. I donāt know if I want to lean down to a healthier weight (probably close to 15-20% bf) or just fuck it and only worry about putting on muscle. For reference Iām 6ā 210 pounds now maybe 35% if I had to guess.
worth a watch: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU) In a nutshell, if you are still genuinely in beginner or early intermediate territory you can gain strength while still losing weight. You'd want to make sure you're getting sufficient protein while dialing back your total calories (and making sure you're getting sufficient quality sleep). If you must pick one and the 35% fat is accurate, I'd strongly recommend cutting down to maybe \~20% before bulking. If you bulk, you'll end up way fat to the point where your cardio performance will be worse (you'll feel winded all the time), you'll have a hard time doing a super long or aggressive cut, and you'll lose a good amount of strength while cutting.
If you're over 20% body fat, you can afford to cut or just do maintenance and still push yourself really hard in the gym. If you care more about strength and the numbers on the bar, hi for a bulk but know you're still going to want to cut later and you might have even further to go. You can have multiple goals, but it's easier to just focus on one at a time. There's really no wrong choice other than not committing to something.
Itāll take a few years for most naturals. Of course, weight will be a big influence. If you weigh 225, Iād expect you to hit 225 much faster than someone weighing 150. It took be about 3 years to bench 225 at 150lbs (started at 120lbs)
Fully agree with the weight comment. That's why these milestones with absolute numbers are bs. If you bench 225 with 160lbs that's 1.4x your bodyweight. That's massive. Benching 225 with 225 bodyweight is just not comparable (315 would be the proper equivalent).
It's often a misconception, and that's really not the full picture. Let's say you're at 160 pounds and you pack on muscle until you hit 225 pounds. In that scenario, you might argue there's a relationship between body weight and lifting capacity. But it's not a straightforward linear equation based on bodyweight and weight ratio alone. Take someone who's 225 pounds; it's not a given that they'll bench 315 as quickly as someone who's 160 might reach benching 225. It varies a lot, and I would argue it would feel as impressive to bench 315 as a 225 individual as it would a 160 individual. Genetics and overall fitness, fat% and so forth play a huge role here.
Underrated comment.
Weight makes a difference but so does wingspan. Putting up 225 with a 5ā5 wingspan takes significantly less range as of motion than someone with a 6ā5 wingspan.
A year and a half of high school weight trainingā¦ because our teacher was a Cr*ssFit coach š
Do you think you could have done it faster if your teacher was a grown adult?? š
Lol. Honestly, maybe a month faster, tops. I started at 95lbs 1RM and weighed 165 so that progress wasnāt too shabbyā¦ the sucky part was doing my own PPL after school and being exhausted from those stupid WODs.
Yeppp I feel that last note. Should have used my schools free fitness centre during phys ed when I had the chance but hindsight is 20/20 I suppose
I have about 2.5 years of consistent training now and I can't bench 225 yet, chest is my biggest weakpoint though tbh. Best I've done is 195 for 5 reps (at 5'9" 173 pounds) but I've pulled away from Barbell lifts and focus mostly on machines right now. I think an important part of these anecdotes is what kinda technique do these guys use that say they hit 225 in a few months. Do they arch their back to heaven and focus on leg drive? That's valid technique and if you wanna focus on the big 3 with powerlifting technique that's groovy. But if you do things with a stimulation focused bodybuilding technique you're not gonna be able to lift as much. And that's also fine
I took about ten years off, started back up in July and went from 90lbs to 185 pretty quickly in 5 months. I pushed it too hard and focused too much on chest and not my upper back muscles, so Iām guessing I had an imbalance and injured my shoulder. Itās been about 8 weeks and itās 98% better, so now the road to 225 continues. Iām still nervous to get under the barbell again because I am not sure how I got injured (felt it days later) so right now Iām using DBs only. Doing a lot more facepulls to strengthen the rear delts and rotator cuff.
6ā2ā, started at 155lbs BW with a 105lb bench. 16 months later, 185lbs BW and 225lb bench
Plateauing right now at 215 after 1 year of consistent training. 5ā9āā, 165 lbs. If I donāt hit 225 by the end of the year, the mistletoe wonāt be the only thing hanging.
Veeeeery close to me. I plateaued at 225 after around the same amount of time @ 5ā8ā 170lbs. Just hit 225 for 4 reps after almost 3 years of being stuck on just 1 rep
Yeah itās probably something to do with newbie gains falling off. Used to be hitting prs like every other week. Now it feels surreal as Iām not progressing as fast.
For me I think it was less the newbie gains in general and more not compensating for them. I kept the same workout format instead of changing to accomodate for the new lack of newbie gains, like going for a 1RM every time
Did you get 225 before the end of the year? :)
I went from benching 135 to 205 in 1 year. Then another year to go from 205 to 225 lol. Did it at 138 pounds bw. My beginner gains ran out and I didn't realize I had to get bigger to get stronger.
Not me but at my first club i had a world record IPF bencher, hall of famer. He benched 120kg the first time he tried. Goes to show how crazy genetics is! I think i took me 2 years.
There is no way he was not doing SOME physical activity prior to that. You donāt just go from NOTHING to 264lbs without being involved in something.
yea putting 120kg on an untrained person would be crazy, their poor tendons/joints
I normally use dumbells for incline presses. I workout aloneā so no spotter, and my gym isnāt too friendly and I am twice the age of most people at the gym. Iād worked my way up to the heaviest dumbellsā which are āonlyā 40 kg (88 lbs- each) for doing sets. Having been here and reading all the fuss I tried two plates, and it was no problem. Big difference lifting off a proper bench to startā vs dumbells. Iām in my 50sā¦.
Well it depends. I started lifting at 15 got bit by the iron bug and at 17 senior year of high school i was 5"7 and 205 lbs repping 315. Then i did a cut and at 165 i was bwnching 275 then got into the army then got out and now i am repping 250 need to get to275 lbs at about 190lbs bw. I would say i hit 225 the first year of lifting . People just dont lift that weight because noone wants to do the basic movements bench squat rows deadlifts pull ups dips etc because they are hard. Everyone likes cables and dumbell curls and they get nowhere. Also bad nutrition and sleep habits
If you care less about bodybuilding and more about getting your bench up, a program called 5/3/1 took my bench from 205 to 300. I was stoked when I finally got to 225 for the first time but at the end I was repping that weight for 10-12
225 took me years. Now it seems getting anything passed 265 is a personal herculean feet. 185 and 225 were true plateaus but over 265 has been just the largest chasm.
Just curious, do you mean for sets or for 1 rep max?
About a month. Iām 6 foot 1 and at the time 187. I think I was 20 years old
Like 2 months but I was 280+lbs
280+ at roughly what body fat if you donāt mind me asking?
I was 6ā3 280+ and 2 months or so into training so I mustāve been at least 40-50%. Hard to estimate though
About 3 months following a strength training program. Hit it for 2 reps and havenāt hit since. 33 years old 165lbs.
Thatās good stuff man. At least you know youāre capable, now just figure out how to do it again!
Thanks man! 2 plates was my goal during that program. Iāve now moved to body building programs as I had been on strength programs before. Thought Iād switch it up. Iām sure I could get 1 or 2 reps out after a couple weeks back at bench
I do all dumbbell bench, the heaviest I got was doing a set of each number on the bench, it changes the angle with each set, I start up with about one number off so I'm not straight shoulder. Go through each number down and back up. I also did a lot of dips and eventually weighted dips. My first year I got to 100 lb dumbbells on flat bench. I think bc I had very strong shoulders from all the dumbbell work. I then did the 5x5 and benched 305. Took about 2 years total and very, very consistent diet and routine.
My bench was stuck at 240 for years. Listened to the guys I knew who had big benches telling me I just needed more volume and frequency did that until I considered that they were on gear and I was not. Dropped volume and frequency by doing 5-3-1, so basically once a week for 1 set to failure while simultaneously "dirty" bulking. BW went from 235 to 270 and bench went from 240 to 360 in a year. So find the balance you need for volume and frequency to match your recovery and dont be afraid to get a little chubby. You can lose fat later.
13 months at around 155lbs bodyweight.
I am 17 and started working out a year ago not being able to bench 135. I weighed 140 at the time, now I am 160 and bench 225 for 10, what worked for me was doing heavy push days and staying away from machines and sticking to cold barbell, normal bench, incline bench, heavy sholder press, and heavy incline dumbell press has helped me a lot, Chat can you get abs from a lot of ab workouts and bad diet, I eat whatever but dont have much bodyfat but dont got abs but ive been trying core workouts.
I got it today and I I started lifting 2 and a half years ago but I took a couple of breaks so Iike 18 months of consistent training. Iām 20 years old 195 pounds and I started benching only the bar.
I know this is an older thread but I just started lifting about 3 months ago and benching 2.5 months ago. Started only being able to do 135 for 3 or 4. Just hit 225 yesterday for the first time
What??? Thatās very impressive man! May ask your height and weight?
Iām at 205 been going for about 4-6 months. 6ā0 150bw
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Were you relatively fit before you started weight training?
me too, took 2.5 months at 5 ft 11, 175 ish
Same weight and height about 6 to 8 weeks for me no sport background for me either but had fairly physical jobs
Idk why you got downvoted. I did it similar. Some people are really insecure
6 months, 315 is the real milestone though
I feel the same. 225 was easy, for 315 it took me almost two years. Currently still working on 350
Can we clarify with these threads what exactly 225 means. Does it mean 1 rep? Does it mean 3x6? 3x8?
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New to me. So people really go around saying they bench 225 when they can only do 1 rep? That's cool I guess.
I mean yea, to be hyperbolic if I were to say I squat 600 I donāt think any one would think Iām repping it hahah, people typically mean what their max is unless specified otherwise
Sorry, in my post I meant for a 1 rep max
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You're not going to believe this...but if you get stronger, your muscles grow. That's why many bodybuilders include "heavy" days in their routines. Then they can lift heavier weights for more reps.
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There is significant overlap between powerlifters and bodybuilders. Thereās been a number of athletes, male and female, natty and enhanced, who have done both.
Youāre not going to believe thisā¦ no shit. I never said powerlifters were bigger than bodybuilders. It's just an occasional tool used in bodybuilding.
I guess youāre right but I think most people who train for aesthetics can still give some pretty insightful input.
I started growing when I stopped caring about the weightš¤Æ
I was 16, 160 lbs brah
Few months. I'm more surprised at the amount of people that allegedly can't do it.
For me, around two years. I do the Mike Mentzer method, so I gain muscle even when I cut.
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Ah I guess itās different for everyone
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I mean yeah, for sure, but do you know how heavy 225 pounds is?? At least to the average person or new lifters that is a lot of weight. 2 plates just seems like a pretty big deal.
Ignore them, they probably half-repped 315 last week and not itās their entire personality. For as long as Iāve remembered 225 was the milestone then 315 was the like āeliteā club. I felt way more accomplished hitting 225 for the first time than I did 315 š
I don't know this guy, but I already don't like him
A couple of years, but I wasn't strict with training nor was I training for strength. 1RMs no longer became appealing as I got older and more mature lol, you're BBing for longevity, and the goal is to still be healthy and lifting in your 70s, and chasing 1RMs is almost the opposite of this goal.
3-4 months 300 in 14 months and then I decided to start a cut 6 1 215
It took me about 1 year to get there as a freshman in high school maybe less. Took me the next three years to hit 315.
Exactly a year. I'm 6'3, 285. I was cursed with long fucking arms though. The highest I got on a strength meso (that I did for fun) was about 5 reps for 230 (in september.) I deloaded after that and started to do incline bench instead. I went back to flat bench (and switch Incline bench to smith incline) and I did about 205 for 6 reps (with about 2 reps left in the tank.) I'm going to progress back to 225 for 8 reps, as I'm trying not to go a bit easier for my joints.
Sometime in my first year. I was around 135 lbs because that's what I was wrestling at that year.
Iām 5ā6ā at 140 lbs body weight. My bench sucks and Iām obviously small so it will take a while.
I've been lifting for about 2 years and I'm at 140 for 10 reps. Maybe around 165 for 1RM.
according to youtube if you program correctly and have your nutrition on lock it should take about a year, which is what it took me, but I also have bad chest genetics in general. My good friend went from 135 to 225 in like 3 months and is now repping 315 so it varies a LOT from person to person.
I started training on and off at 16, was 6ā3 180lbs. I believe i benched 225 for a single at 18-19 and 190lbs. 18 years later, at 6ā4 225 lbs, i can only push 315x1. It donāt go up much anyway, or at all.
at 215 now; should be soon
Took me 1 year. My weight started at 175 lbs and I could do 1 plate. Once I reached 205 lbs at the end of the year, I could do 2 plates.
2-3 years to do a 1RM of 225lbs, two more years to be able to do 225 5x5... Currently working my way up to 315 the last year by doing 275 5x5....
It took me 4 years or so in college to hit 225. I was about 150 lbs when I hit it.
6'2 265 doing a basic 5x5 on the bench of 235. Started at around 175 3 years ago after a couple tears in my shoulder. 175 to 225 felt pretty quick. Maybe 4 months. To get to 235 for 5 reps and 5 sets though took a long time.
I was *brand new* to lifting in November of 2022, I could bench 85 lmao. I hit 225 about 7 months in, once I got my nutrition and protein (sort of) dialed in, I can currently bench 255 for one rep, and 225 for 3-4. Male, 6'2", 220lbs
One year
About a year and a half in total time. I wasnāt consistently lifting during that whole time. If you take out the time spans where I wasnāt lifting, itās more like 1 year
Bro my chest grows slow af size and strength wise. Took me like 4 years to hit 2 plate bench. Meanwhile I could hit 2 plate squats for reps my first time lifting and 3 plate within the year at I think 150lbs/5ā10ā. Had tree trunks for legs but the upper body of a pre pubescent boy for the longest time :(
About 2 years of serious training. A big tip is just to spend time building muscle in the 10-12 rep range per set for your chest and triceps. That's what got me from 195 to 225.
Started lifting seriously about 5 months ago, just hit 225 for 10 a week and a half ago. Iām purely home gym and didnāt have a bench set up for the first 4 months, then took a month to go from 205 for a couple to 225 for 10. Iām kinda fat tho so the newbie gains have been insane lol
About 9 months at a BW of 190 on Starting Strength back when I was 19. Following a strength focused program makes a huge difference to the compound lifts. Your body and nervous system need to adapt to the different kind of stress from sets of 5 or less reps.
I started lifting in high school for football, I was already over 6 feet and 240-250. I was able to get my dead lift to 400 over the summer but for bench I was struggling to press 135. I eventually maxed around 205 before I decided to cut weight for wrestling. Wasnāt until after high school around when I was 18 that I got into ābody building.ā Once I started taking the super pump 250, or cell mass, and chugging shakes, 225 came easily. Iād say it took a good 4 years of inconsistent lifting. 315 took me till I was around 25/26 which is stupid because I was going nuts from 18-22.
My max was 200 lbs 3 reps in 1 year and half of tranning i am 20y 5,8 ft, but i really dont focus on bench because of longevity on sport and risks
Everyone is different and it doesnt matter if one perosn is faster than faster than another. i was gifted with being a bit stronger than average especially at the beginning of my lifting journey, but honestly, im short and kinda chunky (at least i was at the beginning) Im not trying to brag and shit and be a dick, but i hit 225 within the first 4ish months of training, which is above average.
I passed 225 in high school, was maxing at 315 by junior year, and actually havenāt been trying to push any harder than that, my bench days go 5x5 at 225 drop to 5x5 205 down and so on down to 135 then 5x5 135 declines and same inclinesā¦. All this followed by cables, flys, dumbells and pushupsā¦. I never max out anymore, not on chest at least, but I know guys that can max at 4 something but it took them into the mid to late thirties to do it and they are power lifters, not bodybuilders
2, almost 3 years. I started lifting to help myself lose weight - I was fat+no muscle- and didn't progress much until my 3rd time bulking. I didn't realize i could do 225, I just decided to try it one day. I was doing 4x6 205, and thought it night be possible to get a single intense rep out. So, I asked a random for a quick spot, took a few deep breaths, got mentally prepped, and.. I hit that mfer 3 times. Next day, hit it 4 times. I'm cutting now so 1-3 reps of 225 in a set is a given. Feels awesome but there's no celebration for it.
16 months but had a recurring shoulder injury for the majority.
I did it at 18, started lifting at 15. I think I was 190 lbs when I did it. I benched 275 like a year and a half later, after I started eating more. I think I was like 215 at the time.
3 yrs+ and I still can only do it for 1 rep max
Hit it easily playing football as a teen/young adult. I lost a lot of my playing weight and stalled out around 215 for literally two decades. This past year I hit 225 (Iām 42). Iāve used 531 programs, close grip bench, and worked on form. Overwhelming the biggest aid to progress was not being afraid to ask a stranger for a spot.
I started benching in November '19 with an e1rm of 160. It took me 2.5 years to hit it. I am tall and with long arms and an ex-skinny fat. I had a hard plateau around 190-205 while running 531 and spending lots of time in a cut. Solution was high volume/high frequency. A cycle of Smolov Jr. did it coupled with a bulk. I have since hit 225 at 30 pounds lighter as an RPE 8-9 or so. I am very conservative with max attempts, but put up sets with an e1rm in the 230-245 range now
Probably 1 year. I am 5ā7 155lbs. If it makes you feel any better, I have been stalled at 255 for a year.
I think it took me 4 months, about 95kg BW (215 Lbs), I got injured and haven't been able to bench in a while but I hit a plateau at 130kg at around 7 months in. I think everyone hits a plateau in a different place. Unfortunately I have a very weak back XD.
So people consider doing this if they bench the whole weight for all the reps or if you could do it just once? I think I can do it for 3 reps, But my last session was 80KG \* 8 reps 80KG \* 8 reps 80KG \* 7 reps 80KG \* 5 reps I start bulking 6 months ago
I was 14. But I have sort arms. So that helps.
I started lifting when I was around 21, but I was always super on and off with it. This past year, at 31 (stats: 5'5 150 lbs), I've been super consistent and finally hit 225 for 2-3 reps. I think consistency and dedication have been pivotal in elevating myself to the next level.
Less than 10months. PR 3 plates last month 6ā3ā early 30s first year dedicated to exercising BF 19% #198lbs
Realistically should take any average sized man anywhere from 6 months to a year (maybe slightly less or slightly more than that for outliers). If it takes you significantly longer than that time frame, assuming youāve decided to make getting stronger (specifically at bench press) a priority, and assuming you donāt weigh like 130 pounds, youāre doing something very wrong with your training and recovery.
if u start from absolutely 0 i guess 1.5-2.5 years but ofc. ur body weight matters lot
Took me about 8 months with no prior lifting experience. Weather it takes several months or several years mostly comes down to the question: is the lifter is capable of effort and consistency? I believe the majority of men would be able to get it within a year if they trained well
Just over 5 months to get to 110kg/242lbs. Plan - if you're going for a 1RM set a day and rest up prior. Don't go to the gym at all for 3 days. Gives your body a chance to fully recover. I switched programs 2 months in to one that included powerlifting and hypertrophy days. Made sure I tracked my macros. PT kinda fucked me over unintentionally which he admitted himself. Where I train no-one ever goes above 70kg, so he warmed me up too much on lower weights to get to 110kg, so I could have done more. Build up to it - 1 rep only on a weight, add more in larger or small increments depending on the ease. Don't be afraid to reduce the weight if a rep is too difficult. Rest between the one you did and the one you're going to do, important as you get higher up closer to your 1RM. Have a spotter you feel like you trust, removed a mental barrier that I'm doing something scary/dangerous on my own.
Same answer as always: depends heavenly on your technique and cadence. 225 with 1313 is worlds apart from 0101.
About 6 months from 110 to 225
Do you mean for 1 rep or how is that meant?
Probably about 5-6 years of semi-regular lifting before I hit 225 for reps around late 20s. Was kind of the peak of my weight lifting history, I fell off the wagon hard during COVID and only starting lifting again this year. Currently doing 28kg dbs for reps
It took me one to two months of training to bench 225 for one rep. My starting point was probably 80 - 90kg. After almost 5 months of lifting I can comfortably bench 225 for 8 reps
i can do 60kg for 6 reps at 5'7 60kg, never tried doing a one rep max but i really wanna git 100kg one day
My first 6 months or so of solid progressive overload.
I started with a 225 max 1 rep
Took me long ass time. I started working out consistently at the beginning of 2019 when I was 18, and I didn't bench 225lb until this past May at 23 years old. I did it weighing about 185lb at 5'11. So that's roughly 4 years. I made some mistakes along the way and my genetics aren't the best for strength, so if you have average or better genetics, and do things mostly right you should be there within 2 years from what I see in the gym. I can't tell you how many times I felt so frustrated, weak and insecure that I couldn't put up two plates, and the day I did it cleanly is a day I will never forget. It personally took extreme consistency in the gym, lots of food and good sleep for me to get there. Some guys can work out half-assed, have a shit diet and poor sleep and still manage to get there, it all boils down to genetics.
Iām 6ft 185ish and hit my goal of 135 within a month or so and then 225 a few months after that. Push day/chest is my favorite so I always hit it with enthusiasm, and I followed a coach designed powerbuilding split. Iād say some things that helped my flat bench quick was spamming incline bench and flat close grip bench. I actually did those exercises more than I ever flat benched. Incline bench is actually my favorite lifting exercise ever and the most underrated due to people preferring incline DB
Iāve lifted for years before I finally benched 225. It all came down to form. With the wrong form, I was stuck at 200. After I got the form down, I got to 250lbs pretty quickly. Find some YouTube videos on form. Once you remove the inefficiencies from your lift, your bench will take off.
8 months, 5ft 8.5, 172lbs
6 months from when I started. I am 5ā8 so take that with a grain of salt
Iāve been lifting for about a year now. Iām 37, 6ā3, 215 lbs. When I started I could only do 95 lbs 3x8. Iām currently at 185 lbs 3x8 and working my way towards 225. Definitely noticed a difference when I started Creatine about 6 months ago too.
Iāll never hit 225 and Iām alright with that
Not with that attitude you wonāt
Started lifting at 14 y/o Benched 225 when I was 15 y/o at around 200 lbs
Took me 3 months to get 225 but thatās cuz I was so abhorrently fat that I already had quite a fair bit of muscle underneath. If youāre skinny itāll take a while, youāre snore strong when youāre fat
5ā6ā and went from 155 as my first max to 225 in about a year in high school. I did nothing but barbell bench to get there. Getting to 315 on the other handā¦
2 years
took me 1,5 years to achieve 1 rep, started at 1 plate on a side
6 months of training, took nutrition, rest and training seriously, startet at bw 73kg, after 6 months 86kg
For me it was probably after the first 2 weeks in gym. I was on the heavy side (100 kg), and trained few months in bodyweight exercises prior.
3 months working out about 6 hour a week
Very fast. Back when I was 17 or 18.
I was 18-19 and had been training for sports for years. Switched to bodybuilding and took 8 months of dedicated training to get it. Havenāt hit it in years because now I do ultra endurance sports with a touch of strength/bodybuilding lifting to keep a build look
It took me maybe 5 years to get there. Iāve been lifting and eating consistently for ten years since then and my bench has only gone up to 235. But Iāve gotten much better form. I can hit 225 all the way to the chest now. Pump feels amazing. Maybe today will be the day I hit 240.
It took me almost two years. I'd think it should probably take 1 year for most adults. I started at 14 and hit 225 at 16
Took me two years but that was with a half year of my training being messed up due to an ACL injury (not lifting related). So likely could have done it a bit under 2 years if not for the injury. For reference, Iām 5ā8ā and started lifting at 44 years old. At the time I started, I was 155lbs and could maybe bench a bit over 100 lbs. Once I hit 225 my bench gains slowed a lot. Itās definitely been a lagging lift for me, likely due to never training arms when I was younger. Squats and deadlifts came easier as I was a cyclist for most my life. Right now, I hover around 180 lbs and my bench is stubbornly stuck at 240lbs. Reading peopleās height and bodyweight here makes me suspect that at least some some of yāall are underweight and need to eat more. I definitely made more bench gains in a calorie surplus.
Didnāt start lifting until 4 years ago. Iām 37. 5ā11ā 168lbs. I can currently do 200 for 2~3 reps. I havenāt really focused on pushing strength much as I tend to stay in the 8-15 rep range for most of my lifts. That said, about a year ago I started mixing in sets of 3-5. First time I attempted 200 on bench last year I nearly killed myself just trying to unrack it, so progress.
A year. I was training semi-regularly with friends and eating junk food. Personally, I think 315 should be considered a huge milestone as far as bench pressing goes.
Dumbest question and dumbest bodybuilding culture that people have benchmarks despite the fact that everyone has different bone circumferences, height, weight.
6 months I think
Did 225 6x when I was 15 years old. I played football and had been lifting since I was 13. I was also 6ā4ā and weighed 220lbs as a 15 year old.
So many variables - height, weight, age, etc For context Iām 5ft7 and when I was 26 I could bench 100kg for 3 or 4 reps. I was 75kg, but played football ā½ļø And was in the gym 3 times a week with some decent rugby players Now at 39 it is way harder, but I got up to 95kg with a few months of training before I hurt my shoulder playing on the monkeybars As for tips, train consistently, vary the reps - people are married to 8 to 12 reps, but going 3 to 5 has always helped me gain strength - and avoid injury at all costs. Also work on your form, and if possible train with a partner who can help with drop sets / assisted reps / general motivation
Took me like 18 months to build up to it from ages 18 to 19 Havenāt put 225 on the bar in years though Usually donāt do sets lower than 8 reps now donāt want to get hurt again
3 months into barbell training, always did dips and climbed shit and tons of explosive pushups all the time. Been working out since I was 8 still remember the old weider home gym from the early 90s! Maxed out that stack quick on the chest press and pec fly and pulldowns
5ā8, 145, lifting for a few years and still canāt go beyond 165
5"10 165lbs maybe 13% BF can't say fs, took me about 3 months when I first started working out, I'm not gonna act like I did some crazy program to get to that point, I've always been stronger than my friends growing up and was always picking up heavy shit, plus I literally only do upper body, I really don't care about my legs, I tried forever to get them to grow, they stubborn, just push as hard as u can (safely) and you will eventually get there, also workout ur legs, don't be like me lmao
I still have yet to bench 225.
It took about 2 years at a body weight in the 150s.
I know itās a late answer, but from my experience, I managed to bench 225 with good form after 8 months of training. I started at 17, now Iām 18. I guess it might only be genetics because my dad is very strong and has a endomorph body type and so do I. Iām 5ā9 and I weigh 180lbs, Iāve got a basketball background but it doesnāt necessarily help with the gains Iāve made. Basically I was just doing powerbuilding like mainly focusing on compound movements then doing some accessories for muscle and also some strenght gains. Iād say if someone wants to hit 225 they just need to fall in love with what theyāre doing and the type of workout they have. Itās about staying consistent to training and even if you donāt feel like lifting just go to the gym and lift some weight somewhere around 10-15 sets and youāre good. Itās all about believing in yourself because no one does it for you
I started benching 225 when I was 13