Finally did it

@dontreallyknow Anyone in here struggling to get to 225 for 1 rep, just know that it's roughly equivalent to 135lbs for 20 reps. For me, adding reps to a weight I know I can do fairly easily was always easier to approach than adding weight to the bar. I could do 135 for 10, so I just tried to add a rep every sessions. It took maybe 6 months but I got up to 20 reps that way.
 
@annee I’m starting out and can do 130, 3 sets of 8. I haven’t really pushed myself. when you say 20 reps is that a set of 20, or do you add them all together?
 
@kevitho 20 reps in one set. I usually warm up, and then the first working set I'll try to hit my rep max. Right now I'm doing 185lbs for 14 reps, so my next session I'll be going for 185 for 15 reps on my first set. Then I'll do one or two additional sets but I'm less concerned about how many reps I can get and more focused on slowing down, good technique, and getting a good pump.

So for you, you'd warm up, and then on your first working set try to do 130 for 9, then your other two sets you can do whatever really (can go for 8 or 9 there as well, or do paused reps. Anything that is hard and gets a good pump). Once you can do 9 reps, try to go for 10 the next session, then 11, etc. Eventually you'll work up to 130 for 20 reps, at which point you'll know you can bench around 215lbs if you wanted to test your 1 rep max.
 
@annee Thanks! Great info. I can definitely probably do 12-14 reps in one set right now at 130. I did already bench 180 for 1 rep 2 months ago but it was super difficult. So I'm excited to see what I can do now with all these amazing beginner gains.
 
@dontreallyknow This is inspiring. I have been beating myself up for being stuck at 65kg for a few months now. It''s annoying. Thanks for being honest about how long it took. It's a journey.
 
@sagirl I agree it is a journey and everybody achieves it within a different time frame, but if you are stuck doing the same weight for a few months, something is not working. Either your training is wrong or things outside the gym like sleep or nutrition are a problem. Dorian Yates talked about this, if you dont progress in 2 months of training, you are not gonna progress in the next 2 months. Its like doing the same thing but expecting a different result.
 
@dontreallyknow Congratulations!! You are at my goal weight!!

Whats your height and weight..!?
I read through the comments and saw that 85×5 is what you'd be doing.. to achieve that 1 rep max.

Checked my log and my last 2 sets of flat barbell bench press are sitting at 85x8

Does that mean i can rep 100 kilos!?

This got me excited, but man out of fear of something going wrong, i don't work in the ranges of 1-3..
3x2.5 plates is the distance.. but it seems so far!!
 
@dontreallyknow Congrats! I just hit it about a month ago and it feels so good. I’m stronger now at 47 than I ever was. If I want to do more I’m going to have to invest in Olympic weights. I don’t think there is a 1” bar that will do much more.
 
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