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Barbell How long to take bench from 187 to 220?

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BillTanof

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A month and a half ago i benched 85 kg(187lbs) at 128 lbs(58 kg).It wasn't really hard for me to hit it considering i was pretty fatigued from previous sessions.I have been lifting for apprximately 8 months and lately i have been using a 6x/week push pull legs split(done 2x a week),with 1 rest day.I have been consistently eating 2800 calories per day.I am pretty sedentary outside lifting(some occasional biking).So,considering all of the above,how long should it take?Thanks in advance!
 
With intelligent programming and hard work I think you can get there in a reasonable period of time. But your question is impossible to answer, especially since we know nothing about you.

The easiest way to improve your bench press is to gain weight. But that may or may not be aligned with your fitness goals or health.
 
Heavier squats will help bring up your bench weight. Gaining weight helps. Having a spotter so you can go as hard as you are capable also helps.

Too many variables to say how long it might take.
 
pay attention to form and follow a good program, and it's just around the corner. chase the number and a sore shoulder or torn pec could make it months or years away. I never use a spotter when I bench (which hasn't been very often)...and don't go into territory where I one. The most serious injuries I've seen in gyms are when there's a gaggle of young guys benching and screaming "you can do it, man! etc" at each other. Saw a total pec tear once...real agony, and his "buddies" all scurried off.

ps- not trying to be argumentative with North Coast Miller, just a different gym culture. If you do chase maxes, etc. with bench, use a spotter. Just please don't yell all that stuff if I'm around! haha
 
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First off, welcome to the forum and congratulations on achieving a high bench press at a low body weight in such as short amount of time.

As far as going from 187 to 220 it's going to depend on a few factors. If you are wanting to hit 220 at your current body weight then it's going to take a bit more patience. If wanting to get there by any means necessary then do everything you can to gain weight. If you still currently weight 128 pounds then you could afford to put on a few pounds depending on your height. For most people when the scale goes up, so does the Bench Press. Honestly if you put on more weight and keep consistently training I think you could get to 220 very soon barring any set backs!!
 
pay attention to form and follow a good program, and it's just around the corner. chase the number and a sore shoulder or torn pec could make it months or years away. I never use a spotter when I bench (which hasn't been very often)...and don't go into territory where I one. The most serious injuries I've seen in gyms are when there's a gaggle of young guys benching and screaming "you can do it, man! etc" at each other. Saw a total pec tear once...real agony, and his "buddies" all scurried off.

ps- not trying to be argumentative with North Coast Miller, just a different gym culture. If you do chase maxes, etc. with bench, use a spotter. Just please don't yell all that stuff if I'm around! haha

There are a lot of idiots out there, and a lot of folks who shouldn't be spotting. It isn't necessary for reasonable gains, but when I look at OPs numbers for his bodyweight, hitting 220 isn't going to happen without some very hard work. For someone weighing a little more, that goal would be a lot less difficult.

I refer back to Rippetoe's thoughts on linear training for folks that haven't plateaued yet and I agree 100%. I went from about 165-175 bench (my bodyweight) to 300 in just over a year. Yes there was some yelling involved :), it was that kind of hole-in-the-wall gym, but weight selection was done with intelligence. The other guys training there were bros to be sure, but smart. A surgeon, couple of LE, college wrestling coach, competitive armwrestler, retired pro boxer etc...

More recovery time might also be in order, it is easy to overtrain a bit when becoming specific result-oriented.
 
There is no answer for this. There are too many variables.

Programming, food, stress, mental fortitude, schedule conflicts, rest and recovery must all be considered.

I recommend having a goal but not being consumed with how long it takes you to get there. Try to enjoy the process.
 
Gaining weight (fat and muscle) is helpful to increase your squat and DL by virtue of being a more stable base.

I'd argue that gaining fat, however, isn't as helpful for the Bench. Gaining muscle absolutely is though.

I mention this because...

I have been consistently eating 2800 calories per day.
This seems a bit excessive calorie-wise. Without knowing your sex, age and a rough estimate of your BF, I can't tell for sure. But I'm almost certain it's a bit high (2800 is more than you'd need to maintain a 20 year old male with 0% BF at your weight... just to give you an idea).

It's become commonplace in lifting circles to "just gain weight" and "bulk" but I think if you're going to go through the trouble of calorie-counting, you might as well keep it at the sweet spot where you maximize muscle growth but minimize fat.

Just an observation I had.
 
Heavier squats will help bring up your bench weight. Gaining weight helps. Having a spotter so you can go as hard as you are capable also helps.

Too many variables to say how long it might take.
THIS! Squats work wonders. Also, board presses, band resistance,and chains can help on certain points of your press.
 
A month and a half ago i benched 85 kg(187lbs) at 128 lbs(58 kg).It wasn't really hard for me to hit it considering i was pretty fatigued from previous sessions.I have been lifting for apprximately 8 months and lately i have been using a 6x/week push pull legs split(done 2x a week),with 1 rest day.I have been consistently eating 2800 calories per day.I am pretty sedentary outside lifting(some occasional biking).So,considering all of the above,how long should it take?Thanks in advance!

Make sure your bench presses are standardized. In practical terms that means paused. And almost nobody pauses, even when they think they are. But if you don't pause your presses will change the heavier they get, and that puts you more at risk for getting injured (worst case) or simply thinking you are stronger than you are (likely case). Also for being standardized, nobody else can touch the bar, not even a finger underneath "just to make sure."

As for how fast, 85 kg to 100 kg is going to take longer than 70 kg to 85 kg took. If you were a much larger guy you might get there in couple of months, but you aren't going to gain enough size to speed things up that much. And there will be down days, days you can't make the gym, and you might even need a break from time to time. So just go in, add a kg more than last time for whatever reps you are doing, and don't test too often. You don't have a deadline, better to make sure you get there.
 
Make sure your bench presses are standardized. In practical terms that means paused. And almost nobody pauses, even when they think they are. But if you don't pause your presses will change the heavier they get, and that puts you more at risk for getting injured (worst case) or simply thinking you are stronger than you are (likely case). Also for being standardized, nobody else can touch the bar, not even a finger underneath "just to make sure."

Paused or Touch and Go Reps

Both will increased strength. However, each provide a different training effect.

Paused Reps

Paused Reps dampen or kill the Stretch Reflex. The Stretch Reflex occurs with Touch and Go Benching, the slight bounce off the chest providing a "Sling Shot" effect in driving the weight up.

Research show that up to 18% more power is produce with certain type of Stretch Reflex, Plyometric Actions.

Pausing the weight for 4 second plus, kills the "Stretch Reflex".

Advantages of Paused Reps

Pausing each rep on the chest, the driving it up, increases strength off the chest in the first 1/3 of the movement.

Disadvantages

Paused Benches increase strength off the chest but do not overload the muscle in the remaining 2/3 of the movement.

Paused Benches do not develop the Stretch Reflex, a vital component in the majority of sports.

Touch and Go Benching

This type of Bench trains and develops the Stretch Reflex.

It increased the loading on the top end of the Bench Press; allowing more muscle fiber to to worked. To increase strength and/or size muscle fibers need to be worked.

Injury

No injury will occur from a Touch and Go Bench unless a lifter is preforming it incorrectly.

Bench Training

A good training program will incorporate Paused and Touch and Go Rep Benching.

Kenny Croxdale
 
Kenny, most of what you say is "correct" in a general case, but consider the context of the lifter's (original poster's) experience.
 
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