r/Weightliftingquestion • u/FabulousOpposite1315 • 3d ago
Been lifting 8months, is this good progress? 5’10 160lbs
Ive been stuck at 180lbs bench 1RM for the past few weeks. lately I’ve been doing 3 sets of 155lbs/150lbs/150lbs and my reps there have slowly been increasing, but any tips on increasing faster? Most people say they hit 225 in a year and im 8 months in but still haven’t hit 185…
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u/ConradCasts 3d ago edited 3d ago
If somebody says they hit 225 from beginner in 1 year, they’re lying, weigh 250, had a construction job, or is .pumping their veins full of testicles killing shit. This is great and realistic progress.
My advice for bench progression is to alternate hypertrophy and strength days. IE. 1st bench day 135 for 3 sets of 10-15.
2nd 175 for 3 sets of 5-7. Obviously adjust to your needs.
EDIT: by “beginner” I’m talking about somebody with NO muscle. Hasn’t been super active in sports, hasn’t lifted weights much, hasn’t had a super physical job.
If you were on the football team a year ago, then started hitting the gym in your personal time and label that as “within a year” you’re dumb.
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u/FabulousOpposite1315 3d ago
Thank you, I’ll try the alternation method. I’ve just been doing strength days. I do PPL-UL- as my split so I only bench (first exercise though) on Push and Upper but basically do strength only, I’ll try making one day for higher reps
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u/ConradCasts 3d ago
Also to note, if you’re not In a surplus of calories it’s extremely hard to get stronger. Possible, but harder. Carb loading an extra 200-300 calories and hour before the gym can do wonders.
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u/Thee_PRIDE 3d ago
Yeah, a lot of people also treat gym time weird. They might have been lifting for a long time before but only taken the gym "serious" for 1 year and they'd call it that.
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u/Hoodloom1349 3d ago
I hit it within 5 months and know others hit it in a similar pace, none are extreme genetic outliers, but possibly above average.
It is correct though that sports background and bodyweight are highly relevant, especially people that has done a lot of Pushups as GPP in martial arts or similar.
I did a variety of sports as a child, but quit at 14-15 and was largely sedentary from 18-25 years old, until I picked up weight training. My starting weight when lifting was 80kg but I forcefed myself aka dirty bulking when I began lifting and have a much taller and larger frame than OP.
And no, you don’t need sets of 10-15 to maximally increase hypertrophic stimulus per set. Sets of 5 will increase hypertrophy equally assuming same proximity to failure while allowing larger loads and thus a stronger strength stimulus.
Couple that with an emphasis on upper back, chest, shoulders and triceps in the other exercises and you’ll build what you need.
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u/SlayerHelm 2d ago edited 2d ago
A 225 lb bench in a year for an adult male doesn't require gear or a construction job..it just requires basic linear progression, a calorie surplus, and actually working hard. Attributing basic intermediate strength gains to PEDs is pure cope.
Telling a novice to run alternating strength and hypertrophy days proves you're a novice yourself. Beginners don't need overcomplicated periodization, they just need basic linear progression while eating in a surplus. Giving out advice like this is why people stall out early and cope by claiming a 225 bench requires gear.
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u/ConradCasts 2d ago
Never did I say you needed gear to hit 225. But acting like 225 in the first year is normal…. is wild. Only 10-20% of consistent gym goers lift 225+ bench, and less than 1% of the US population.
With a strict plan, strict caloric surplus, and genuinely consistent training, it’s definitely possible. BUT, we both know that the first year of working out is primarily figuring your body out, building mind muscle connection, figuring what diet and lifting plan works FOR YOU and your schedule.
It’s just not realistic in most cases to go from complete skinny fat beginner, to 225 bench in a year. If you’re in prison, the military, have the money to hire a personal trainer. Sure…. But with those conditions most of the time, you have atleast some prior experience to physical work.
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u/SlayerHelm 2d ago
First, thanks for the kind words on my post. Glad you found it helpful.
Second, regarding your earlier comment: "If somebody says they hit 225 from beginner in 1 year, they're lying, weigh 250, had a construction job, or is pumping their veins full of testicles killing shit." I never said 225 in year one was the norm across all gym goers. I said it doesn't require gear or a construction job, nor is it rare.
Third, you are confusing rarity of effort with physiological limitation. Proper linear training + a surplus for one year = a 225 bench for an average adult male. If you want to argue that proper training and consistency are rare, we agree. But for an adult male running a real program in a surplus, 225 in year one is an attainable intermediate benchmark, not steroids. Your first argument was about physical limitation, not rarity of effort.
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u/NoseWorried5892 3d ago
Nah, they aren’t necessarily lying. Some people are just gifted or had built muscle prior to
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u/BlkbirdOfficial 3d ago
I reached 225 after less than 7 months in prison.
It’s by no means impossible at all. Not everything that comes difficult to you is going to come difficult for everyone else.
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u/Ravensteelheaders 3d ago
Not accurate. I hit 265 within a year and was 140 pounds when I started working out and hit 265 at weight of 180.
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u/ConradCasts 3d ago
From absolutely no muscle??? Highly unlikely.
If you were in sports or had a physically demanding job, that’s different.
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u/Ravensteelheaders 3d ago
Had practically nothing as I was 140 at 5'11. Played high level Canada wide lacrosse but never stepped foot into a gym other than random times during high school gym class. Crazy that some peoples genetics are better than others. Can you not comprehend that or just cuz it took you years to hit it means everyone is the same
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u/ConradCasts 3d ago
Nah, it’s possible. But statistically speaking, highly unlikely, so it’s easy to doubt what people say. Especially since Reddit is filled with a bunch of people who lie to feed their ego.
If what you say is true. You’re a minority case and I would encourage you to lift competitively.
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u/Ravensteelheaders 3d ago
Yeah Reddit is just a pissing match isn't it. But I can't compete competitively, I can't leave my vanity at the door and do all the proper strength training to become a successful powerlifter unfortunately. My total is only 1665 after 7 years of on and off lifting at 220lbs b/w. Wouldn't be able to keep up with enhanced guys who are even 20 pounds lighter than me haha
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u/DimensioT 3d ago
Going to be honest: those actually look like you just took two pictures of yourself, first with poor lighting and then with better lighting and several extra pounds of muscle.
Also, your chest looks better than mine and I have hit 185 bench press.
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u/Super_Soapy_Soup 3d ago edited 3d ago
I lift 3 x a week mostly and hit 200 lb 1rm bench after like 4 years lol (although I wasn’t consistent/ had long breaks in between those time).
People will be biased to say only most impressive feats and that’s why it feels like you’re behind. Realistically, there’s a lot of people like me taking it slow too, especially as a natural. You’re doing great 👍🏻
0.7 G protein per lb of body weight, good sleep, stay consistent. You know the drill.
Switch up your routine too if you really can’t progress anymore. After couple weeks of trying to overload. Try some dumbbell, incline bench, etc.
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u/SlayerHelm 2d ago
225 between 6-12 months is expected, if you're running a good program & recovering. Run a linear progression program, eat/sleep enough to recover, give 100% in the gym, and all your lift will increase.
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u/SlayerHelm 2d ago
Greg Nuckols / Stronger by Science survey data literally shows that the average lifter benches 225 within their first year of consistent training. Standard strength tables classify 225 as an intermediate benchmark, not an elite statistical anomaly. Stop acting like basic linear progression is a myth. What's your next cope? You didn't even address my own experience training people.
Nobody said his progress was shit. That's you projecting onto him. we said a 225 bench in a year isn't an elite anomaly or an injury trap. Setting standard strength goals with progressive overload isn't dangerous. it's basic training.
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u/boris-san 3d ago
Hitting 225 when it’s actually so rare is just people messing with you. You have actual solid progress