Ladies, how much do you bench?

2

Replies

  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Wow! If a trainer told you to use the Smith machine I would seriously question everything else they are having you do, just my opinion.

    If you have a power rack or squat rack at your gym set up the bench inside of it to do your bench press. Some people think the squat rack is "holy ground" that should only be used for squats, the way I see it I pay the same everyone else does for my gym membership so if you ain't squatting in it I'll use it to squat, deadlift, bench, do chin-ups hell if I'm feeling extra spunky I might do a heavy set of curls in it!!! The biggest thing is whatever lift you are doing make it a priority from day one to learn perfect form even if it means you have to use a little less weight. The majority of machines out there do not let you use good form so do some research.

    Oh and to get back to your original topic, don't worry about how much someone else is lifting, if it feels like the correct weight to you and you can eek out about 10 reps with it it doesn't matter if the girl next to you is lifting twice as much she may have been lifting for a while to get to that poundage. Good Luck!!! :drinker: :wink:
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    Wow! Really?
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    props to all of you. i'm still a big scaredy pants about venturing onto that side of the gym, not to mention accidentally trying to lift more than i can handle. you're far ahead of me!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!
  • ali_b83
    ali_b83 Posts: 324 Member
    Wow! If a trainer told you to use the Smith machine I would seriously question everything else they are having you do, just my opinion.

    If you have a power rack or squat rack at your gym set up the bench inside of it to do your bench press. Some people think the squat rack is "holy ground" that should only be used for squats, the way I see it I pay the same everyone else does for my gym membership so if you ain't squatting in it I'll use it to squat, deadlift, bench, do chin-ups hell if I'm feeling extra spunky I might do a heavy set of curls in it!!! The biggest thing is whatever lift you are doing make it a priority from day one to learn perfect form even if it means you have to use a little less weight. The majority of machines out there do not let you use good form so do some research.

    Oh and to get back to your original topic, don't worry about how much someone else is lifting, if it feels like the correct weight to you and you can eek out about 10 reps with it it doesn't matter if the girl next to you is lifting twice as much she may have been lifting for a while to get to that poundage. Good Luck!!! :drinker: :wink:

    My gym is small, and actually only has the power rack as an option for benching, so that works :smile:
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I just started this week, and I could only do the bar (35lb) and only about 8 reps each try :-( Gotta start somewhere I suppose.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    If you have a power rack or squat rack at your gym set up the bench inside of it to do your bench press.

    Little bit off-topic, but I tried that, and it didn't really work for me. The catch bars in the power rack are either so high that the bar can't touch my chest, or too low to matter. I found a couple of videos of how to recover from a failed rep on a bench press (assuming you have no spotter), and combined with the gradual weight increases of the StrongLifts 5x5 program, I'm comfortable enough to just bench by myself.

    Here's one of the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_OdXKfSp-Y . I found several other explanations of this technique on the bodybuilding.com forums, etc. Just bring the bar slowly down to your lower chest or stomach, and go from there. You can either roll it down to your thighs, sit up and deadlift the weight, as shown in that video, or you can just rock the bar sideways until you spill some plates onto the floor. Makes a bunch of noise, but at least you're out from under the bar. Just don't drop the bar onto yourself, and don't bring it down so high on your chest that it would roll toward your throat.
  • lucythinmint
    lucythinmint Posts: 239
    60lbs no incline. and yes, I touch my chest with the bar.

    and this is my progression from just being able to lift 30lbs :bigsmile: :drinker:
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    Yes, I do, but that's about 3 inches less for me than if I were a guy, finally large tatas give me a work-out advantage!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!

    So do I. :angry: :angry: :angry:

    I bench barely 65 pounds. It is really my weakest lift
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!

    So do I. :angry: :angry: :angry:

    I didn't realize so many people were allowed to touch Rae's chest! :laugh:
  • EbbySoo
    EbbySoo Posts: 267 Member
    Wow! If a trainer told you to use the Smith machine I would seriously question everything else they are having you do, just my opinion.

    If you have a power rack or squat rack at your gym set up the bench inside of it to do your bench press. Some people think the squat rack is "holy ground" that should only be used for squats, the way I see it I pay the same everyone else does for my gym membership so if you ain't squatting in it I'll use it to squat, deadlift, bench, do chin-ups hell if I'm feeling extra spunky I might do a heavy set of curls in it!!! The biggest thing is whatever lift you are doing make it a priority from day one to learn perfect form even if it means you have to use a little less weight. The majority of machines out there do not let you use good form so do some research.

    Oh and to get back to your original topic, don't worry about how much someone else is lifting, if it feels like the correct weight to you and you can eek out about 10 reps with it it doesn't matter if the girl next to you is lifting twice as much she may have been lifting for a while to get to that poundage. Good Luck!!! :drinker: :wink:

    All of this 100%.
  • summer827
    summer827 Posts: 516 Member
    You'll get there!! I felt super weak at first, too. My progress is slow but I'm at 60# now. Haven't done a 1RM. I'm following Rippetoe's Starting Strength program.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!

    So do I. :angry: :angry: :angry:

    I didn't realize so many people were allowed to touch Rae's chest! :laugh:
    LOL! Best post of the day!!!:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :drinker:
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member

    Yeah, I'm following Jamie Eason's program, and she said to use the Smith for the incline press. So I just did both on it. That, and I wanted to get a feel for it before going all out and using the normal bench press

    Start with free weights. Machine bench is nothing like free weights. It doesn't incorporate stabilizers. Let's pretend you worked up to 120lb bench on the smith, then switched over to free weights - when you unrack it's going to cause a wreck because of massively underdeveloped stabilizers.


    For a bench to count you have to bring it down and touch your lower sternum, then bring it straight all the way up. If anyone but you touches the bar in any way, it doesn't count.

    I agree you are cheating yourself if you don't let it go all the way to your chest but to say it doesn't count if someone touches it is just flat wrong, your best benefit is when you pushed past your capacity and someone has to provide a little help as you exhaust the very last little bit of glycogen to get that last rep up even if your spotter is carrying half the load.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    props to all of you. i'm still a big scaredy pants about venturing onto that side of the gym, not to mention accidentally trying to lift more than i can handle. you're far ahead of me!

    The first time is the scariest, but once you are past that, it's fabulous. You should do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And just take it slow. Ask someone to spot you if you are worried about doing too much.
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    Definitely a weak point for me. I've started adding the bench every week and am starting to add it in twice a week to work on it more. I'm at just 75 so far.
  • juliebeannn
    juliebeannn Posts: 428 Member
    started in the beginning of June @ 45, 5x5.

    now i'm at 70, 5x5 -- plan on upping to 75 next week.

    yes, the barbell touches my chest.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    Currently at 85 and progressing slowly. And I touch my own chest, so does my husband. Oh, I also bring the bar all the way down to my chest, if I need to clarify.

    I don't touch Rae's chest though, I haven't been invited to the party! :drinker:

    Edit to say that is my working weight, 5x5. I'm going to be pushing it higher next week because I am switching over to RPT.
  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!

    So do I. :angry: :angry: :angry:

    I bench barely 65 pounds. It is really my weakest lift

    *eyeroll*

    Sounds like someone is intimidated by all these awesome female lifters.

    I also touch my chest...

    ***edit to say that I'm guessing most of these weights are working weights, not 1RM.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    80# total, two 40# dumbells, for 8 reps. And for the record, I touch my chest.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I touch my chest. :grumble:

    Me TOO!

    So do I. :angry: :angry: :angry:

    I didn't realize so many people were allowed to touch Rae's chest! :laugh:
    LOL! Best post of the day!!!:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :drinker:

    LOL. What can I say? I'm kind of a "free spirit".
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    My one-rep max is one plate. I'm hoping to one day surpass two.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I can bench a 300lb douchecanoe... All the way down to my chest and back up. Does that count, Dave??
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    To be fair ladies, you should probably state whether your benching is true touch the chest stuff or the half benches I see all the time in the gym (women and men). Not saying anything wrong but if you are going to be strutting your 1RM, best to compare apples with apples!

    I not only touch my chest, 105 isn't even my 1RM. That's what I do for 3 sets of 6 reps. Don't hate me because I'm strong AND beautiful and you wish you COULD touch this chest. Hmph!
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    95 this week. I was up to 110 at one point.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    I started with the bar on bench. I can do 5 x 5 at 80 lbs now. I don't know what my 1 RPM is. Yes, I bring the bar down to my chest.

    P.S. I've been lifting since January. Progression on the bench press is really really slow for me :(
  • jamk1446
    jamk1446 Posts: 5,577 Member
    I just did 100lb, 3 x 8 this week. All the way down to my chest, thank you very much. Very proud to have hit that goal.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Just hit 115 lbs. Haven't been going as much as I used to. Not sure what my one rep max is though.
  • KellyL23
    KellyL23 Posts: 81 Member
    I did 65 lbs last night in my basement with my hubby cheering me on. I love lifting!
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