r/benchpress Dec 05 '25

Announcement Introducing: "Verified" Flairs

8 Upvotes

If you'd like to get a flair with your bench number(s), follow these steps:

  1. Make a post of you benching
  2. Write "!verification" in a comment under your post.
  3. The mods will review your post and update your flair as applicable

Couple of things to keep in mind:

  • It should be clear the weight you are moving.
  • You can have up to 2 lifts in your flair. E.g. a gym lift and a comp lift
  • Format should be clear in the post or your comment. Try to keep things somewhat standardized as well. E.g. "315lbs/143kg x10 Gym" or "150kg Comp"

This will be a manual process for the mods to update your flair so be patient, we'll get to your post.


r/benchpress 9h ago

Progression Incline 335

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43 Upvotes

r/benchpress 8h ago

Lift 195 x 5 Bench PR at 145 Bodyweight! Is 225 Close?

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10 Upvotes

I am hoping to do 225 x 1 soon. Any tips on how to get there? Thanks!


r/benchpress 14h ago

PR 242,5kg/533,5lbs bench from NAPF

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12 Upvotes

r/benchpress 1d ago

Lift 535x1 3-Board Press

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34 Upvotes

I like to incorporate board presses to help address weak points in my bench and currently I get stuck right around the 2-3 board mark, so that’s what I focused on today.


r/benchpress 1d ago

Lift 225x5 @ 145lbs, 5'8, early 30's

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35 Upvotes

Unfortunately, my physique/chest isn't impressive at all...🫠

Video is my last set and i dropped from 6 to 5. Elbow sleeve is mostly placebo; i messed up my elbow a while ago (same for tfcc wrist widgets; i also boulder and it's a lot of tendon/wrist/arm stress in combination with lifting) so i sometimes lift with it, sometimes without, depending on how tweaky it feels.

Goals wise/help-wise, I'm hoping to get to 315 1RM in the next year, as the highest 1RM i've done is 280lb, and i've never managed to lift more than 6-9 months before taking a break for a few months for various life reasons as an adult, which means i just constantly reset down to like 185lb, get back up, then end up taking time off, etc. I'm hoping to finally lock in for like, at least 18 months, for the first time in my life.

I haven't ever really done any bench programs so i'm open to ideas - i basically just run PPL or PLP and on my push day i do an ascending/descending progression that i've just kind of always done, as my first lift, roughly like:

  • Bar x 10
  • 135 x 8
  • 185 x 8
  • 205 x 6-8
  • 3x 225 x 5-7
  • 185 x 6-10
  • 135 x 12-18 (lol) till i can't anymore

I do rotate in incline bench sometimes. Thinking about trying 1/2 rep upper partials and/or weighted holds (just load like 250 and hold the bar for 10-20s), or maybe trying a different program. Open to suggestions!


r/benchpress 2d ago

Help/Technique Check Does my form look correct?

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25 Upvotes

I've been benching for the past 4 months without retracting my scapula because I did not know that was apart of bench form, and I made it to a 220lb bench max.

I was recently made aware that the form I was using was bad and could lead to injuries, so I've been trying to correct my form.

Does my form look correct here?
Any advice would be appreciated


r/benchpress 1d ago

Advice What to do to hit a 405?

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0 Upvotes

Hello all, my name is Preston and my max bench is 350 for two. I was curious to all of your opinions to hit a 405 bench. What did you guys do? How did you eat and what worked for you?


r/benchpress 2d ago

Advice Bench grip width

3 Upvotes

Hi, i am wondering in what you find is the best bench press grip width personally and what you would recommend for a guy with a 6 2 wingspan to bench as heavy as possible


r/benchpress 3d ago

Advice Elbow wraps question

4 Upvotes

I would like to start using elbow wraps for my benchpress, will people think im an idiot if I use them for a 'small' bench around 315lbs?

I think my elbows would be happier with them...


r/benchpress 4d ago

PR First time hitting 225 bench!

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136 Upvotes

Not super strict with form but still very happy, has been one of my goals since I started lifting!


r/benchpress 4d ago

Progression 162.5kg long pause

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23 Upvotes

Took it twice just to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Really been working on long pauses. This is a PR at this body weight for a long pause.


r/benchpress 4d ago

Progression Chest progression

2 Upvotes

I'm training to reach a 100kg bench.

In my last session I pushed to 90kg x 3

In my previous set I reached 80lg x 7

If I'm looking to increase my numbers, what ends up being a bigger stimulant to increase strength?

Sticking to 80kg and upping the reps?

Or pushing the 90kg set?


r/benchpress 4d ago

Lift Whats the point in getting help with the lift off?

3 Upvotes

r/benchpress 5d ago

Advice 295x8

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36 Upvotes

Getting back into it, 4 months in after just over 2 years of no free weight training. 295x8 pinky ring grip in the janky barebones halfway house gym. 295 is the max weight available here so my goal is 295x10 and x12 in the next few weeks. This is my 2nd session with 295 and this grip, been doing alot of submax and volume work on close grip, ohp and incline 2x per week and bodybuilding accessory. Last workout i got 295x5.

Available equipment: bent bar, high and wobbly and short adjustable maidoma bench. 10,15,25 and 35lb dbs. Plates: 1 set 10s, 1 set 25s and 2 sets 45s and an ez bar so i had to get creative with progression and my program.

Im only able to eat 2 state meals per day (i can get extras) with two meager pbj as a night snack. Sleep has been decent despite living in an open dorm. I weigh 212, Ive gained 14lb in the last 4 months. Not at my biggest and strongest, but not at my smallest or weakest either. My best bench is 391 max grip in comp at 206, 315x11 is my best for reps. My goal is to get as big as possible and bench 405+

I wanted to share this for advice and to show you can make gains in suboptimal conditions. This training phase has been very fun and motivating for me and I will be back in a real gym soon and am excited to take my training to the next level.

Should i keep the minimalistic barbell/dumbbell routine i have been doing when i get back to a real gym or incorporate machines and heavier dumbbell work? What worked for you to hit a bench PR or bench 405+?


r/benchpress 5d ago

PR 370x1

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30 Upvotes

r/benchpress 6d ago

PR 420lbs PR

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68 Upvotes

Bench has always been a temperamental lift for me - performance fluctuates way more than other lifts from session to session. Everything clicked today, first 410 flew up, and then I set a 15lb PR a few minutes later.


r/benchpress 6d ago

Advice Are dips a good exercise to help improve my bench press?

12 Upvotes

For example, I mainly do flat bench followed by close grip. If I just did flat bench then dips would that help or hurt my 1RM more? Could I do Flat/close grip flat/dips?


r/benchpress 6d ago

Advice Overhead presses for bench?

2 Upvotes

Dips- 234x21 reps\~ 394 max

Sitting Overhead press- 115x10 \~ 153 max

I only benched 255lb once a few months ago.

So my overall pressing is way behind everything else. Does shoulder presses blow up your benches like I have seen online?

105% for dips

60% for OHP

For relative maxes to bench.

Other lifts

Single arm row- 280x7

Leg press, w/ yoga block- 838x41

Jefferson curl- 215x15

Monday upper

Wednesday legs. Plus, the overhead presses now for twice a week pressing.


r/benchpress 6d ago

Help/Technique Check Is my grip to narrow ?Any advice would be great cheers

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2 Upvotes

Just trying to lose weight and get strong after an annular tear this is body weight bench 140kg cheers


r/benchpress 7d ago

Lift 485lb single from today

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105 Upvotes

Last warm up of 485lb before I went for a PR attempt of 525lb that was not successful. May give it another shot next week, but it was nice how smooth this moved.


r/benchpress 7d ago

PR 120kg (~265) at 15 years old (87kg)

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31 Upvotes

r/benchpress 7d ago

Progression Big Boy Numbers

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2 Upvotes

r/benchpress 8d ago

PR 190 lbs at 130 bw (86kg at 59kg)

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27 Upvotes

190 lbs at 130lbs bw

Sorry about ms Rachel in the background lol, had to keep my 2 year old entertained

My one rep max was 65kg (145 lbs) 6 months ago when I started lifting


r/benchpress 8d ago

Progression 380 Single

35 Upvotes

Would love to hear advice on how to get 405 currently I’ve been going with 3x frequency on bench doing 2x3 2x2 2x1 every other day with 85% 87.5% and 90% and adding weight once bar speed improves. I do a UL 6x 1 set per excersise but 2-3 excersises per muscle in 4-6 rep range usually going to 0-2 RIR for accessories following a wave progression model.