March Challenge - Bench Press

[Birds]

Having discussed it with my pullup rival John (SRS13), our challenge for the month of March will be a bodyweight bench press. Rules are simple:

- Flat bench press using barbell

- Any width/grip

- Any leg/feet position

- Any back position (arched or flat)

- Bar must visibly touch chest (controlled, no bouncing)

- Arms must be straight at the top of each rep

- No pausing (keep the bar moving)

- No assistance (unrack and re-rack yourself - if your spotter intervenes at any point, that rep will not count)

This is bodyweight for reps, meaning if you weigh 80kg, then you will press a 20kg bar with 30kg each side. Round your weight to the nearest 2.5kg (up or down). Should my ex or current girlfriend wish to compete, half bodyweight for reps will be the ratio.

Everyone does bench press, so no vid means you're lazy, injured or a PTC competitor. You have until the end of March, but let's get some vids up early so we can post improvements along the way. I'll chuck one up on Monday

Press!

[10 4]

Aww gay.. my stupid gym only has dumbbells - does that count?

[Birds]

Aww gay.. my stupid gym only has dumbbells - does that count?

I suppose we can make an exception for you...given dumbells are harder anyway, IMO.

[rev210]

hey Birds how about no pausing / fluid movement? I reckon without that it will become a pause fest. Pausing in lock out or at the bottom with a relatively light weight will up the reps a fair whack.

[SRS13]

Good stuff!

I tried today but no video as noone around. Managed 15 at 80kg.

Will make sure I get a video next time!

[UNR33L]

I might give this one a crack, say I weigh 73.x KG does that mean I do 75 or 72.5? how are we rounding this

[Birds]

Rules updated with no pausing and rounding your body weight up/down to the nearest 2.5kg. When posting vids, state your bodyweight, weight lifted and total reps.

Leigh, you will be doing this

[UNR33L]

Sweet - yeah I'll give it a crack and do my best

[jangles]

Hoping I can get comfortable enough in 4 weeks to have a decent crack at this!

[Birds]

Hoping I can get comfortable enough in 4 weeks to have a decent crack at this!

Crack it in a few days, then re-crack the week after, so on and so on...

[rev210]

I haven't done bench press in years so this is an enouragement to get back into it. I doubt I am going to be at the top of the leaderboard for this in 4 weeks but, I am keen to improve.

[jangles]

Crack it in a few days, then re-crack the week after, so on and so on...

Gotta Bung leg birds

[markos]

20+ will be very impressive

Best I've seen was 47 by Ange Galati at a fundraiser I held

[rev210]

47 is awesome.

[Trozzle]

I'll struggle to get more than 10

[Birds]

Gotta Bung leg birds

No f**ks given here, put your legs up on the bench

[Mitcho_7]

I'll struggle to get more than 10

This, I do not have a good strength to weight ratio at all

[Birds]

Lucky for you boys these challenges are designed to improve that...

[jangles]

No f**ks given here, put your legs up on the bench

I can't lay down to do it? Let alone get my legs in the air.

I wasn't making excuses.

[rev210]

I can't lay down to do it? Let alone get my legs in the air.

I wasn't making excuses.

have a crack at the next challenge. This one will form an on-going development thread once it's over,so you can give it a go once you are fixed up.