The journey to 200kg/440lbs/4.5 plates a side
How it started
It started when I started lifting. In some ways I was kinda lucky. I recall using all the weights I had which amounted to 90kg/198 sometime around age 16'ish. I was training in my bedroom and I'd get my brothers to spot me.
Back in the day
Fast forward very nearly 30 years (of 45 total this August) and I had moved my bench press to 180kg/396lbs while training in our warehouse gym in Gloucester (between 2005 and 2011). We'd put on what we called 'The Whey Power Challenge'. It would be held late in the year after most strongman competitions were done. It included a Squat, bench, deadlift, some kind of overhead press and a grip exercise. I'd usually do the bench and grip portion. After we'd head into town for a pre-xmas dinner. That could mean 24 plus 17 stone/240lbs plus athletes and partners walking to a pub lol
Anyway one year I did the 180kg and tried 200kg/440lbs and managed to get it 4 inches off my chest and failed. The next year, a little stronger (arguably at my competitive best around 2010), I hit 190kg/418lbs. Again I tried 200kg and got it 6 or so inches up but failed to get 'under' enough to press it to arms length.
In recent years
Fast forward to circa 2020 I started having a single training cycle per year where I'd attempt to hit around 170kg/352lbs. My thinking was being able to do that weight at my age (55 then) would be a heck of a thing. Those that have seen my training logs etc online know that this past 12 months has, some what crazily, been the best bench presses of my lift. 9 months or so ago I hit a lifetime PB of 195kg/429lbs. I was kinda blown away that I was... mad as it might seem... getting stronger as I got older. I'd also discovered I could hit the 170kg multiple times per year. So I worked to that 195kg and missed the 200kg. Another training cycle had me hit 192.5kg for 2 singles in the lead up to Pneumonia that I had no idea I was ill with.
Having then had to rest big time and take meds I, a little foolishly, had another quick run at what I thought would be successful. Alas that was kinda silly. I'd been ill and there was NO WAY I'd get the strength back that quickly. So, rather more sensibly, I reset the clock and did a new around 10 or so weeks training cycle. I'd been 'on' for some weeks and was getting a little 'too long on' sense. So yesterday, completely based on how I felt I was either gonna do 5 x 1 (that seems to work at the close to max weight for me) x 190kg OR... go for it.
Friday
As always I work my back at the same time (supersetting) as I warm up to my working weights on the bench. So lat pulldowns this time for 20 rep sets of half a stack and 3/4 stack (approx 200lbs) before maxing the stack (over 275lbs in the hands) as well as working up weight wise to a paused 140kg/308lbs (pause reps make me feel like the heavier weight will move well) single on the bench.
Then I went to 190kg/418lbs. This went well. Often my first single can feel rough and they get better as I go on. A good first rep made me think 'ok up we go then'. So 192.5kg went... then 195kg (equaling my previous all time best). I'm, at this point, taking at least 5 minutes or so between attempts. A 197.5kg attempt was rough... my buddy very nearly had to take it and the bar actually swayed from time to time before I got it under control and racked it successfully.
So now I'm THAT close... do this now and no more time on cycle and what the heck... it's been FKIN AGES getting here. So I take my sweet time. I'd come to the gym early so I've time and it's closer to 10 minutes than 5 between attempts. I do my usual pre attempt visualization - seeing the bar move in my mind and getting a 'feel' on what I'm about to do. On the video I see my arms wobble a little as I get 'under the bar' but for me benching there was no doubt in my mind it was going up. It even felt smooth to me even if it didn't look smooth. SUCCESS and man hugs for my spotting buddy Chris as a thank you for his support.
The follow up to this was I uploaded a grainy reel (lost of res in the messenger transfer) which, as of this morning, is close to 6000 amazing views. In less than 24 hours. Which is crazy.
