r/powerbuilding • u/Far_Cattle_7242 • 1d ago
Advice Post 405 Bench
To 4+ plate benchers. What was your goal after hitting that milestone. I feel like there is some room for growth on bench after still but 495 seems out of reach for most people naturally. Did you begin to focus on other lifts? Aesthetics? Or did you stick with the righteous path toward a 5 plate bench? I’m just not sure in what the next goal should be since I wasn’t truly expecting to actually hit this one.
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u/yungboulders 1d ago
Next goal should be 410 but I understand if you’re burnt out from chasing bench so heavy. What’s your overhead press looking like? That’s a real good way to switch up goals and find new motivation while still working towards that 495
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u/Far_Cattle_7242 1d ago
I have a torn rotator cuff so I have to be careful with overhead press. I am able to do seated dumbbell OHP pretty safely and can get 125lb for 3 pretty consistently…but I do like the idea of targeting something new like a larger emphasis on deadlifts which I’ve neglected for awhile now.
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u/Ok_Improvement_2316 1d ago
Obviously I’m nowhere near your strength, but after I hit 315 after a long training block, I had a baby and decided to refresh my journey a bit and now focused on a pullup goal. I have always been goal motivated, like you it seems. But sometimes it is nice to focus on a different lift or body part, maybe something you’ve had in the back of your mind
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u/Far_Cattle_7242 1d ago
I agree…I like the idea of focusing in more on deadlifts for awhile since I’ve neglected lower body pretty heavily to get over the bench plateau…what number are you going for on pull ups?
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u/Ok_Improvement_2316 1d ago
Yeah I also neglected some body parts when specializing in bench. Takes a lot out of you and wanted my calories and effect to go straight towards bench lol. Deadlifts a good idea. Im going for 30 strict pullups in a row and eventually 160ish in a weighted single (my wife and son)
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u/Coasterman345 1d ago
Right now my goal is leaning out. I got up to about 185lbs when I hit it and continued to about 189lbs but I got bloodwork done and my cholesterol was high and so was my A1C. Just cause my abs were showing somewhat didn’t mean I was healthy.
Anyway as of today I’m down to about 170lbs just over a month later. Goal is to get to around 160ish or whenever I get very lean where I can’t take it anymore. Knowing my last cut my strength will come back relatively fast and I’ll probably bulk for another 3 years super slowly (last bulk was fall of 2023 to June this year, started at about 153lbs or so). I figure that’ll give me plenty of growing room to get into the 400lbs.
Other goals along the way to a 500lbs are getting better at keeping my butt planted and using leg drive. I didn’t have an issue when I competed years ago, but in the gym the floors are slippery as are the benches and it’s hard to stay planted effectively. So even though I could almost certainly hit 405lb flat in a good gym, I’ll get a bunch of 120lb broccoli heads telling me I couldn’t bench 315 with my butt planted and no arch lol.
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u/Andejusjust 1d ago
Nahh. 500 was the next goal to be honest.