weightlifting..how much strength can i expect? in bench pressing and such 20 added lbs a month?

Question

if i bench 150 now, how much in weight should i add a month? if i wrok out hard could i expect to add 15lbs? 20lbs? I wanted to be able to bench 300lbs in 6 months.

Answer 1

If you just started lifting say, a month ago... you can expect good gains for the first few months (15 lbs/month). More importantly, you body size is very important in determining what your potential is.

Meaning, if you weigh 125 lbs and are benching 150, most likely you will not make it to 300. If you are 180 lbs, it is reasonable to expect good gains and be able to hit ~250 in 6 months.

Also, your age matter significantly... something that most people don't talk about (or know about) is strength spurts. Like a growth spurt, it hits young men about 1.5 years after their growth spurt starts. Typically this means 17-19 years old. So if you are 17+, I'd say you've got a good shot to get strong and bench big.

Stick with it... It's a lot of fun. The more you work out, the stronger you'll become. Take it from me... I've increased all the way to a 260 bench (@5'7" 130 lbs) with absolutely NO supplements including protein. It can be done... enjoy! :)

Answer 2

That is not easy. It also depends on what level you are. Most people don't reach their peak strenght until their late twenties and early thirties.

You can think of increasing your bench by a certain %, not but poundage. I'd say on an average 10-15% increase is possible in the initial few months and then it slows down to 5-10% and less. Unless you are an absolute beginner it is very unlikely you'll add 120 lbs in 6 months

Answer 3

When you first start weight training you find that you can increase the weight regularly and by quite a lot. As the weight gets heavier though this slows down. 300lbs is very heavy, I have only seen a handful of guys that can bench press that much, and to be honest I think they are all on steroids. The most important thing is to only bench once a week, anymore and your body will not be able to recover properly.

The most important thing is to increase the weight weekly/fortnightly and to train hard. After each set your face should red, your veins should be bulging and you should be momentarily short of breath. If your not, your not trying hard enough!

I personally prefer reverse pyramids. I don't like normal pyramid training because I like to have maximum energy for the heaviest weights. Its common sense, with reverse I lift the heaviest weight after doing 12-15 really light reps so I'm fresh. With normal pyramid I would be attempting the heaviest weight after 30+ reps.

This is how I structure my workouts:
Set 1- Warm Up (30% of max)
Set 2 - 2-4 reps (90% of max)
Set 3 - 4-8 reps (80% of max)
Set 4 - 8-10 reps (70% of max)
Set 5 - Warm down (30% of max)

Warm up / down should be done slow to give your muscles a nice stretch, 12-15 reps. Max is the most you can lift for 1 rep. I can curl about 110kg so I do 35kg, 100kg, 90kg, 80kg, 35kg.

Quickest way to big muscles:
1) All exercises should be done at a medium tempo with good form (technique) at all times. Never go too fast or swing the weights. All movements should be controlled and performed using the correct muscles only.
2) You must increase the weight weekly/fortnightly. To gain muscle you must attempt weights that you have not lifted before or your body will have no reason to increase muscle mass.
3) Split bodyparts into different days, ideally over 3/4 days (i.e. arms Monday, legs Wednesday, back Friday). Over-training will leave you unable to train properly/work hard enough.
4) Don't do cardio (i.e. running) during your weights session. Warm up by stretching and doing light curls, press-ups, sit-ups and dips. Weight training is anaerobic and does not mix will with aerobic activity. Running prior (or after) to weight training will limit the effectiveness of lifting weights.
5) Never train longer than an hour at a time (unless your a professional bodybuilder). If you can train longer than an hour then you haven't been trying hard enough.
6) Get plenty of sleep, your muscles grow when your resting, not when your at the gym.
7) Eat a good well-balanced diet.
8) Do cardio on the days that you are not training to reduce bodyfat.

Answer 4

Well the lifting part is only half the equation, the diet has much to do with it, and also you need to make sure you get the right amount of rest (not sleep but time off). You can effectively add 5 - 10 pounds of working weight per week without hurting yourself. You BETTER make damn sure you have a spotter when working out with anything over 200 though. Also dont stick with one chest exercise, you need to make certain that you work the supporting muscles too, you should have a good mixture of chest, back and shoulders to round yourself out. Dont stick with barbells either, one time use the bar, the next week work out with dumbells. I noticed that i could do 210 on the bar, but with dumbells i could only do 90 pounds each. when you get over that 200 mark you also need to make sure you toughen up your wrists and your grip. Dont be in too much of a hurry and again please have someone spot you.

as far as nutrition, be sure to eat enough protiens, use of creatine is also a good thing. drink a ton of water, and work it hard, then rest..

Answer 5

You should be able to build that much for the first few months, but after a while you will hit a wall and weight will become hard to add.

Answer 6

It will get slower as you go, especially if you get anywhere near double body weight (IE body weight=150, lifting 275-300).

GB