Bench Press Benchmarks
135lbs – respectable female bench
185-225 – 99% of novices give up
225-275 – looks like you lift
275-315 – golf clap at local meet
405 – really strong, elite, juice, and/or fat
500 – stronk, elite, juice, and/or fat
600+ – geared lifter, elite, fat
— Sam K (@sam_gzstrength) October 30, 2023
I got 235 tonight. I’m especially happy about that because of how much I had to rehabilitate my shoulders from rheumatoid arthritis when I first started training.
November 1, 2023 @ 11:51 am
Im curious: do you use a coach? Starting Strength books? About a year ago I hired a SS coach (online), and it’s made a big difference in my form, nagging pains, and—best of all—my PRs.
November 1, 2023 @ 12:27 pm
The gym owner has been my personal trainer since day one. Well, for the first several months, his wife trained me, because she specializes in rehabilitation exercises, and a few of my joints needed some careful management at first. But I’ve worked with him ever since, once or twice a week. I train on my own a few days a week too, but I’ll always vouch for the necessity of a trainer. Not just for the knowledge, which is great, but for that extra boost in motivation. I’ve always been pretty self-disciplined, but there’s no doubt that a trainer will push you harder than you’ll push yourself.