The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Tactics and Training

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 30, 2001, 01:41 PM   #1
eyeball
Junior member
 
Join Date: June 7, 2001
Posts: 84
how much can you bench?

?????
eyeball is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 07:13 PM   #2
Gopher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 3, 1999
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 367
Long ago and far away I could bench 350 freebar. 25 years later I MIGHT be able to do my body weight.

I read in the paper this week that Larry Allen of the Cowboys was benching somewhere between 650 and 700 lbs. Un-effin-real.
Gopher is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 07:19 PM   #3
Spectre
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 23, 1998
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,277
Maybe my body weight. I'm a little guy...
Spectre is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 09:12 PM   #4
cobraman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 24, 1999
Location: orlando fl
Posts: 751
I with Spectre, I can do my body weight plus a couple of pouds, but does it matter? Nah probably not unless I am moving pianos or get into a wrestling match. I have vowed never to do either again.
__________________
Shop Smart Shop S Mart
cobraman is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 09:37 PM   #5
Rebeldon
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 22, 2001
Location: Cowford
Posts: 361
325 lbs when I was a junior in high school. That was 18 years ago, but since that was the last time I attempted to "max-out", I'll go with that figure.

When I was a freshman in college I did 12 reps of 225 lbs. That was 16 years ago. I weighed 150 lbs. at the time, and now I weight 200 lbs. I think I could bench press my weight now, but not much more.
__________________
Deo Vindice
Rebeldon is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 10:14 PM   #6
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
 
Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
Posts: 24,798
To get into the spirit of the Forum: If I tried to bench-press enough weight to notice, my 67-year old, arthritic shoulders would quickly tell me to quit that foolishness.

That's why you never hassle an old guy. He won't fight you--but you may well lose. Old guys already been to lots of funerals.

, Art

"I don't have any enemies. I outlived 'em."
Art Eatman is offline  
Old July 30, 2001, 10:42 PM   #7
gryphon
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 21, 2000
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,069
Right now, my workout weight is 300lbs, and I have maxed 500lbs. The 500 was months ago, so I don't know about now. Still working out with 300.
__________________
Your suffering will be legendary, even in HELL!!
--- PinHead, HellRaiser 2
gryphon is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 12:31 AM   #8
eyeball
Junior member
 
Join Date: June 7, 2001
Posts: 84
you guys are strong. my max is around 280 lbs.
eyeball is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 01:24 AM   #9
ArmedPatriot
Member
 
Join Date: May 18, 2001
Posts: 33
Ditto the "roughly my body weight" thing...

This simply shows that the "handguns as an equalizer of physical strength" idea doesn't just apply to average women vs. rapists. Up against a 6'3" 326lb guy that can bench twice his weight, most of us would be in deep, deep trouble. Heck, it would be hard enough to stop somebody of that size and conditioning with a handgun! Starts to make a person paranoid about stopping power and all that...

- AP

Note: Larry's probably a great guy...this is just an example!
ArmedPatriot is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 01:37 AM   #10
C.R.Sam
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 29, 1999
Location: Dewey, AZ
Posts: 12,858
I'm with Art. The only thing left for us "gentlemen of age" is to shoot. Here in Arizona, iffen a young stud picks on a senior, the senior is justified in using deadly force even tho his tormenter may be unarmed. Love it.

Sam
C.R.Sam is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 06:00 AM   #11
Oink
Member
 
Join Date: July 14, 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 20
I'll have to move to AZ, I just love that!!!
__________________
"Wear short sleaves and support your right to bare arms"
Oink is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 11:50 AM   #12
CReynolds
Member
 
Join Date: March 16, 2001
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 49
Who cares!

Bench is the most overrated exercise.

Coley
__________________
Cead Mile Failte
CReynolds is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 12:08 PM   #13
KSFreeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 9, 2001
Location: Lafayette, Indiana--American-occupied America
Posts: 5,418
At least weight of girlfriends!

More important to run, run, and run. CV system far more important in a fight than power. Squeeze tennis ball for grip strength.
KSFreeman is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 01:46 PM   #14
Correia
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 3, 1998
Location: SLC Utah
Posts: 3,740
Armed Patriot, are you talking about me? I know in some of the pictures I've put up and from some of the posts from other Utah TFLers I sound big, but really I'm not that big. A bit taller than your description, but a good thirty pounds lighter.

I don't like to max out. I think it has negative psychological aspects to your workout. I have done high reps of 315 though. But that was over a year ago, now I've gotten quite a bit softer. I lift now for fun more than anything serious. Really I'm just a big softie.

But let me just say that there are some guys at the gym who are downright scary! I work out at the biggest gym in the SLC area, and there are some monsters there. Guys with cords of muscle benching 600 lbs. I think of them whenever some liberal bliss ninny starts talking about how you should just learn martial arts to defend yourself. Hah! These guys have pecs that look like rump roasts off of a freaking cow.
Correia is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 03:15 PM   #15
ArmedPatriot
Member
 
Join Date: May 18, 2001
Posts: 33
Correia wrote...

Armed Patriot, are you talking about me?

I just checked Larry Allen's "dimensions" for curiousity. I'm an average guy that's spent some time in a gym, but this guy makes me feel like one of the skinny gals in Oleg's posters, at least in terms of the size/strength differential.

I agree with CReynolds...bench is highly overrated. It's never been my best or most beneficial exercise.

- AP
ArmedPatriot is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 03:47 PM   #16
Correia
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 3, 1998
Location: SLC Utah
Posts: 3,740
AP, sorry about that. It is just that so many of the folks I know on this board just call me by my first name (and most of them joke that I'm large and goofy looking ). I've never heard of Larry Allen.
Correia is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 04:36 PM   #17
Spectre
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 23, 1998
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,277
Heh. Despite being a martial artist, I can see standing in court.

The judge looks down at all 5'6", 145 lbs or so of me.

Son, why did you shoot him?

Your honor, he was big!
Spectre is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 04:51 PM   #18
Byron Quick
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Waynesboro, Georgia, USA
Posts: 2,361
Many years ago, a guy smaller than Spectre tried to sucker punch me in front of several witnesses. What I didn't realize was that he was watching the witnesses and had waited to move until none of them were watching. Well, they turned to look when they heard the scuffling...just as he started yelling something on the order of,"Help! Help! This big ape is trying to kill me." and cowering in abject fear Just as I was about to be set upon by the outraged folks, an old lady came out of her house and called out,"See here, the little punk hit him first when y'all weren't watching! He's trying to set y'all all up." I walked away as the folks turned on him. Funny thing, he's a preacher now.

I don't complain about nosy neighbors. A nosy neighbor saved my butt.
Byron Quick is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 06:15 PM   #19
ATeaM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 2, 2001
Posts: 601
"....Guys with cords of muscle benching 600 lbs. I think of them whenever some liberal bliss ninny starts talking about how you should just learn martial arts to defend yourself. Hah! These guys have pecs that look like rump roasts off of a freaking cow."


Would you rather have a Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh loaded with one round, or a Glock 17 with 18 rounds of 9mm on tap ?

Strength and size is a handicap unless you are trained to use it to your advantage. You have to strike a happy medium between size, speed, and agility for your build. Ever watch a bodybuilder try to throw a punch ?


BTW, I used to bench 450 lbs back when I played football. Not that it helped one bit. It's an exercise more in vanity than serving any practical use.
ATeaM is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 06:59 PM   #20
gryphon
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 21, 2000
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,069
To say that benching is just an exercise in vanity, may be a little extreme. Benching is but one piece that can help develop punching power. I agree that if you take it to an extreme you can actually start to go in the other direction.

I am by no means a "large" guy. I'm 6'1" 250lbs, and I'm one of the fastest guys in my sparring circle. It's all in how you train and what your goal is.

Gryphon
__________________
Your suffering will be legendary, even in HELL!!
--- PinHead, HellRaiser 2
gryphon is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 11:05 PM   #21
Joe Botz
Member
 
Join Date: May 17, 2001
Location: Sayville/NY
Posts: 46
pecs not the most important group for punching.....
Joe Botz is offline  
Old July 31, 2001, 11:56 PM   #22
Spectre
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 23, 1998
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,277
True, but while BP'ing, you're also working your triceps. Those ARE the most important muscles for punching.

(Welcome to TFL, btw!)
Spectre is offline  
Old August 1, 2001, 02:44 AM   #23
ATeaM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 2, 2001
Posts: 601
There is no one "important muscle for punching". A good punch involves synchronizing various muscle groups and has more to do with balance and control than "raw strength". Your triceps are just as involved in a good punch as your shoulders, biceps, chest, forearms, shoulders, abs, hips and legs.

Big guys have more momentum and strength behind their punches but that does not translate to a "powerful" punch. More often then not, a bodybuilders punch is just a big shove. The excessive upperbody weight adds momentum to your punches making it more difficult to recoil, and the muscles tightness doesn't allow you any "pop" or follow through. You are left slower and more open, I know all this from experience. Excessive upper body mass makes movement difficult and slow, it's like trying to corner in a Cadillac, akward to say the least.

Also, one punch knockouts are rarer than people think, regardless of size. Most knockouts are accomplished by a succession of blows. Big guys who don't know how to punch, usually just wind up with a hay maker, telegraphing their punch and leaving themselves open in the process. Doesn't matter if you weigh 120 lbs, or 220, a three or four punch combo to his ribs and face and the body builder won't want no more.

So what is it ? The single shot 10 guage may look fearsome, but in the hands of an unskilled practitioner is no match for the expert with his Ruger 10/22 .
ATeaM is offline  
Old August 1, 2001, 04:29 AM   #24
eyeball
Junior member
 
Join Date: June 7, 2001
Posts: 84
it's funny how some people assume that if they are a bodybuilder, then they don't know how to fight or are slow as hell. a stereotype? maybe.
eyeball is offline  
Old August 1, 2001, 09:30 AM   #25
CReynolds
Member
 
Join Date: March 16, 2001
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 49
The chest has almost nothing to do with punching power. While the triceps are important, they rank behind the shoulder. Most important is the combination of the legs and hips working in unison. That is where power comes from, not the chest. I fought a lot of big guys (not that I am small -- 6'2", 245) and most of them were slow and actually didn't hit that hard. Remember: speed times mass equals power. Mass stays fairly constant, while speed can be increased dramatically. Why do you think boxers do so many speed drills. Use your legs and hips for power and your arms, through your hands (fist, palm, sword, etc.), for speed.

I'm not down on the bench, I like to work out and look good, but chest is for aesthetics.

Coley
__________________
Cead Mile Failte
CReynolds is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:37 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.10348 seconds with 10 queries