I'm impressed!

How much you bench?

I worked out earlier today. It was Arm Day (I just started doing arms the past two weeks, really working on getting bigger arms cause mine are small)

Anyways, I see a lot of impressive numbers from some people, pretty crazy numbers really, but I'm 18 so maybe I'll get there in a few years, I've been at it for about 6 months now, I was always overweight since I was a kid like 30-50 Lbs until last year, started playing basketball in the gym for 2-3 hours a day, went from 200 lbs to about 140 (I didn't lift at all during this time, BIG Mistake on my part). Now it's just been trying to gain muscle mass for 6 months, I'm at 155 and the goal is to get down to 140 and be as cut as possible and lift more than ever.

My diet is pretty strict and I've been seeing good gains the past month since I started eating right, BUT my bench press has been very slow to improve I'm still at 60-70's for dumbbells for a few working sets. Really weak (I have a bad shoulder, so no Barbell for me)

Any tips to really getting my Bench up? I workout 5 days a week and I'm just starting to jog 6 miles a day to lose the weight, since I've been bulking for awhile.

Pre-injury...315 4-6 times on the 5th set of a pyramid, getting 365 twice on strong days.

Post-injury, shoulder surgery...(present, after not working out for 4 1/2 years)...I get 275 up once on the 7-8 set of a pyramid. Been back in the gym for 3 1/2 months now. Struggled to get 135 10 times my first day back.

sounds like you are making good gains

Amen! I go the 'fist-full-o-Advil" route.

I don't feel like exercising this morning, yet I am getting geared up to do so. I must be back on track. :thumbsup:

I try to run in one 5K event a month time permitting. Had a personal best of 20:04 in May before the heat of summer set in. Currently nursing a nagging back injury so the treadmill has been put on the back burner-no pun intendedWill be moving up to the 50-54 age group next year and am looking forward to breaking into the 19's with some hard work. I started running 5 years ago when I found out I was diabetic and try to get in 3-4 miles a day with a day off every 5 days or so.

Thanks. I was very happy when I was able to go back in the gym, and the shoulder responded well.

:headbang: Hardcore man...proud of ya. Hows ya weekend?

Just got back from hanging out with my parents. It has been a great weekend. I will do my workout tomorrow and stay indoors for the few days following tomorrow because we have rain in the forecast.

I just got back from the gym. :D had boxing class feeling good right now.

That's strange. Once in every 5-6 months I'll do a bar bench and can always do more than dumbbell since you don't have to balance the weight. I much prefer dumbbell (I do supinating chest press on flat and inclines).

Proper form for me is very important. If I can't perform a lift with proper form it's obviously too heavy and need to back down and work up to it. Unfortunately in my case I learned about bad form the hard way when I tore a ligament in my left shoulder and dropped the bar (355lbs) on my left chest and cracked two ribs. I never got the corrective surgery so it has hindered my performance to this day. I've learned to work around it though. The ligament reattached itself but in the wrong spot. I could get the surgery now but there is no 100% guarantee it will be right. I can still use my shoulder I just can't flat bench heavy amounts with a bar or it pops out of place and it's nit fun trying to pop my shoulder back in at the gym. I have to use dumbbells so I can position my arms in a different angle. Incline and decline bench with a bar is fine.

That incident also taught me the importance of using a spotter, and a spotter that knows what the heck they're doing. On every heavy lift I do I always have a spotter even if I know the lift is simple. A spotter is also great for helping you push to your limit. If your doing bench for example and get 8 reps in and know you won't get a full rep in for number 9 your spotter is there to help you get that extra rep in.

I always get a kick out of the guys at the gym lifting with improper form. My 2 favorites are the badass on the bench press that bounces the bar off his chest and then arches his back during the back. Not only is it extremely dangerous to be bouncing that weight off your chest but your just asking for snow injury. 2nd is the guy doing tricep pull downs that instead of keeping their upper arms in line with their sides and bending at the elbows using controlled movements they just yank it down using the whole arms. Hard to explain it but anybody that's been to a gym has seen that guy. Might as well throw in the badass bicep guy who does dumbbell curls by swinging his arms like s pendulum.







I use chains in my lifts. Like Wheelman SS stated, it increases the difficulty of your lift the closer to the peak of the lift you get. The higher you lift the bar, the more chain comes off the ground increasing the weight. Plus it just sounds awesome when the chains are clanking around and you look like a badass (or a crazy person) walking into the gym with two big ass chains over your shoulders.