Bench press page 2

[Apex Predator]

I keep hearing about only working out a couple times a week, no longer than 30 mins and with just body weight. While this sounds nice because it's easier than what a lot of people were doing prior to pb, I wonder if it's realistic? I am also aware that the best way to LOOK jacked is to lose fat. Lots of people on pb may look stronger than they really are. I would like to get your opinions on his thoughts and if any of you regularly conform to his beliefs, what are your max bench, dead and anything else you feel like mentioning.

Thx

What are your goals?

I work out 2-3 times a week for generally 20-60 minutes, sometime 90 if I take extra long breaks to talk to people or something.

I'm 5'10, 220, visable abs. PR's: bench 295, squat 440 and dead 505.

Come on now. Don't throw useless terms around. Think about it: is there really such a thing as NON functional muscle? If part of any muscle is growing stronger it's because its doing some sort of function. Functional muscle is just a term people who perform majority calisthenics thought up

+1000

[Baloo]

Come on now. Don't throw useless terms around. Think about it: is there really such a thing as NON functional muscle? If part of any muscle is growing stronger it's because its doing some sort of function. Functional muscle is just a term people who perform majority calisthenics thought up

To be honest I think it makes sense if you're doing isolation exercises with weights/weird weighted gym machines. If you're doing compound exercises with weights then obviously it's not right.

[Dirlot]

Heavy compound lifting and intense body-weight lifting both work. If you are working hard at either you will see gains and yes 30-60 min a session will be more than enough.
There is always crossover in strength but if you want to squat heavy you need to squat, if you want to bench heavy you need to bench.
I come from a lifting background but am doing convict conditioning at the moment. Because I am focusing on body-weight moves my chinup/pullup is going through the roof in a way it never did when it was part of a compound lifting routine. Different goals different results.

[NicMcCool]

Less is more, but also more is more. Everything is dependant on your goals. I train 6 days a week with an average time of 75 minutes. At the same time I specifically manipulate my diet and lifestyle for these efforts.

Now I agree with what the majority of people are saying as it pertains to them, just keep in mind that you have to find your own sweet spot.

[Neckhammer]

I keep hearing about only working out a couple times a week, no longer than 30 mins and with just body weight. While this sounds nice because it's easier than what a lot of people were doing prior to pb, I wonder if it's realistic? I am also aware that the best way to LOOK jacked is to lose fat. Lots of people on pb may look stronger than they really are. I would like to get your opinions on his thoughts and if any of you regularly conform to his beliefs, what are your max bench, dead and anything else you feel like mentioning.

Thx

Opinions....his recommendations are for "lifetime fitness". You can be plenty strong with variations on body weight work or by adding a weighted vest.

If you wanna learn to push a lot of weight on a bench or do a heavy dead lift guess what...you have to practice those specific movements. Just echoing that its up to your goals. I alternate between bodyweight and heavy weights. Keeps me from getting bored.

[Danielfire]

every second day here, although my job involves strenuous stuff sometimes as well

[destructalux]

hitting weights every day. had about 3 days off in last 14 weeks. sometimes lift twice a day. 30-60 minute seshions. and easy cardio on days i feel like it(walking or boxing or cycling), eating lots, resting lots. down 15kg in 14 weeks and have gained muscle.

i am addicted to weights and find it hard to get a grasp on training a few days a week.

[zilog]

i am addicted to weights and find it hard to get a grasp on training a few days a week.

I take it you're a beginner and have only been lifting seriously for those 14 weeks then? I appreciate lifting is addictive cos it makes you feel great! However you'll never get as strong as someone with restraint who lifts properly 3 times a week and recovers properly! (if you're lifting purely for enjoyment/stress relief/etc and not bothered about strength though then fair play)

[destructalux]

I take it you're a beginner and have only been lifting seriously for those 14 weeks then? I appreciate lifting is addictive cos it makes you feel great! However you'll never get as strong as someone with restraint who lifts properly 3 times a week and recovers properly! (if you're lifting purely for enjoyment/stress relief/etc and not bothered about strength though then fair play)

Well of course I want results. I just cant understand why I can't hit the weights everyday and still get necessary rest for recovery if I train correctly.

Say I trained

monday - chest/shoulders
tuesday - biceps
wednesay - triceps
thursday - back
friday - shoulders
saturday - legs
sunday - abs

workouts are generally 30-45 mins. sometimes 60.

[zilog]

You can, of course, but unless you're already very muscular you won't see as much benefit from these isolation exercises as you would from compound lifts done less often. Counter-intuitive, I know, but if you google it you can find a wealth of scientific reasoning. Mark Rippetoe explains it very well in Practical Programming.