What Is Your Best Bench Assisted Or Raw?

[raymo]

What is your bench raw or assisted, in a meet or in the gym? Do you prefer raw benching or assisted benching? My best was a 435 assisted bench at a slam bench competition. My best assisted bench at a sanctioned meet was 418. My best raw bench was 405 touch and go at non sanctioned meet.

[mobsterone]

396lbs. No shirt but I did have elbow sleeves (in fact knee sleeves as the elbow ones don't fit any more) and wrist wraps. I'm aiming for a little more at the annual Whey Power Challenge on Dec 20th.

[jad]

400 or 405 (don't remember which) for a double, touch and go style, raw, sometime in 2004.

[MalachiMcMullen]

Wait wait wait, you only got 13-30lbs out of a bench shirt? Not bashing, just wondering

Anyway, I'll play along. I've never competed in a PL meet so everything is from the gym.

250@185 touch and go

275@185 Decline touch and go

205@185 Incline

210@185 Jerk

165@185 Strict press(I know, it sucks )

126 Thick DB@185 One arm jerk both arms

I know that's a bit more than just a "best bench" but I think it's more interesting to see the full range of pressing.

[big nasty]

My best 365lb's raw touch and go it was close grip middle finger on the knurling wrist wrap's only.

[Chris Mathison]

345 in a tshirt. I dont train bench so im not ashamed of that. I would like it higher but until we start doing all our strongman events laying down on our backs I dont think I will ever have a big bench.

[mobsterone]

My best 365lb's raw touch and go it was close grip middle finger on the knurling wrist wrap's only.

Mine was close grip too. I stopped doing tradional ages ago.

[abagh89]

Raw: 270 lb bench at 190 lbs.

you guys got a nice bench press

[jad]

mine was done with ring fingers on the rings, not sure if that's considered wide?

[Wes]

225x10 at ~235-240 BW. Grip was about 12'' wide. At the time, couldn't go any wider due to pectoral injury. Did get a 205 military

Edited September 28, 2008 by Wes

[TKtheGreek]

400 bench

325 behind the neck push press (At 18 years old)

275 military

345 split jerk

all with nothing on but a smile

[raymo]

400 bench

325 behind the neck push press (At 18 years old)

275 military

345 split jerk

all with nothing on but a smile

those are some great numbers for just 18 years old

[mobsterone]

But only one was what was required. The rest is just bragging.

[raymo]

Zach you are right I never have had a good shirt bench I only have an Inzer extra performance heavy duty 100 dollar shirt and never have really worked enough on my shirt bench. I have almost come to the conclusion of not even using one anymore. A prime example of how much they are helping some people is about a year and a half ago I worked out with a guy who had a 250 dollar double ply grid stitch Inzer something and he benched 600 with it and I smoked him raw benching all the time. He also out weighed me by 30 pounds and would arch and bring the bar to his gut. He was good at this but his ego was a little too much for as bad as his raw bench was. He was also 20 years younger than me, but being old I get used to that.

Edited September 28, 2008 by raymo

[Bob Lipinski]

445 training raw, I think 400 comp raw. 415ish with close grip I think?

620 comp in a shirt, 650 or so in training. I was maybe capable of 420 raw at that time.

Raw is fun, however shirt-style training (not necessarily training in the shirt) give me alot less aches and pains.

[TKtheGreek]

400 bench

325 behind the neck push press (At 18 years old)

275 military

345 split jerk

all with nothing on but a smile

those are some great numbers for just 18 years old

oh im 21 now i did th epushpress when i was 18. Not bragging mobster lol

[StalwartSentinel]

Only 360 (raw) so far, without proper Powerlifting body position on the bench. Flat back, hands shoulder-width and elbows almost at the "bad" 90* L position. Currently working toward 405, but I'll have to clean up my technique.

[nickr104]

345 in a tshirt. I dont train bench so im not ashamed of that. I would like it higher but until we start doing all our strongman events laying down on our backs I dont think I will ever have a big bench.

I am with you. I don't see a need to do strait bar bench any more. I did 365 370 raw back in 2002. Never work on it now. I jacked up my chest when I was doing it. If I do any now it is dumbell presses.

Edited September 29, 2008 by nickr104

[shizen]

350 raw powerlifting style with bounce-tucked elbows bench lower with semi arch-, I need to work on arch only been weightlifting for little over a year but I'm 330's right now at 6'8 so its not that impressive. Would like to eventually hit 600ish raw as lifetime goal at around 350+ bodyweight much more muscular. Luckily being taller I'm fairly proportional and naturally can carry more muscle then someone 5'9 or so. Some very strong benchers on the gripboard which is odd since most of you are old ;p.

Do you guys try to work on technique much like improving your arch? The arch is pretty much key to a great bench which I heavily try to work on improving. The little things in the bench technique can add A LOT of weight like over a 100lbs easily.

[Chris Mathison]

I'm 330's right now at 6'8

wow.. freak.

The little things in the bench technique can add A LOT of weight like over a 100lbs easily.

Ive heard a few people say this. Kennelly says in an interview that he can walk into any gym and put 50lbs on anybodys bench within 1 session. You guys are welcome to my house and we can add 50-100lbs "easily" on my bench.

[MalachiMcMullen]

I'm 330's right now at 6'8

wow.. freak.

The little things in the bench technique can add A LOT of weight like over a 100lbs easily.

Ive heard a few people say this. Kennelly says in an interview that he can walk into any gym and put 50lbs on anybodys bench within 1 session. You guys are welcome to my house and we can add 50-100lbs "easily" on my bench.

Ditto

Ditto

[EricMilfeld]

In 1989 I benched 314 in the 181 pound weight class with no shirt in an American Drug Free Powerlifting Association meet. That still stands as my best pound for pound bench. Benching and pressing have always been my weakest lifts. Long arms. And no shoulders!

[wscorpion]

150@90 (330@198), Raw, feet on the bench, bodybuilding style.

This was in 2000, but I'm starting to get close again.

Edited September 29, 2008 by White Scorpion

[Pancake Sprawl]

at 6'4 and +350lbs my bench press was a measly 300lbs, i was a sophmore in highschool, and i was doing it for football, that was the last time i ever did max out on bench. it's like the worst lift ever, i'm extremely weak in it for some reason, although i know absolutely nothing on technique for any weight lifting.

[gumpster]

95#...believe it or not. (I'm 6'4", 165#) I went to the gym while in the military in my mid-20s with a few coworkers. They were warming up at 135# with just the "wagon wheels" as they called them (45# plates) on the bar. It was just too much hassle to keep pulling off their weight so I could put mine on. I've never been into weight lifting and never did it again after that assignment. I did try the decline bench a couple times and was able to get the 35# plates up once on that (total #115). I doubt anyone here on the GB is weaker than I am at the bench press.