I can bench press 22lbs

steev182

So I've just this week started tracking my progress on here, and it seems really good so far.

I'm a 25 year old man, used to play rugby but didn't really worry about weight training, as it was just for fun.

I started going to my housemate's gym last week, and she helped me with a fitness program when I go. When I started with her, my biggest disappointment in myself was how little I can lift on the bench press (Smith Machine). I started with 5kg of weight. We watched the build up to the Jets vs Steelers game yesterday, and they showed James Harrison lifting 500lbs and we joked that I wasn't even lifting one of the plates he lifts. This morning, I went to the gym, did 15 reps of 5kg and then tried 10kg on my second and third sets, which I did (with a bit of a struggle).

Anyway, this is going to be one of my non weight based achievements - to try to get to bench press 100lbs.

I try to do legs one day and upper body another when I go to the gym.

bbb84

What a great idea for a NSV! Fitness based goals are awesome bc you are totally in control of them. Hard work and consistency in the gym is the way. Good luck!

erickirb

FYI the Bar on the smith machine weighs 45 lbs itself (if it takes olympic sized weights, the ones with the big hole in the middle), so if you did 22 lbs you really did 67 lbs.

steev182

I'm glad the bar actually weighs something, because I was feeling like a real weakling!

Still, having to take those weights off and replacing them with the tiny ones is a motivation for me.

jaskelley

I remember when I first started lifting. I couldn't bench much either. My buddy used to crack up at how little weight I used. :-D Just keep at it and you'll move up really fast.