Can you bench press your own body weight?

[Iamanerd]

Last year I had been weight training for a year or so and I was pushing 300lbs bench but I have bad nerves in my forearms and need to have a surgery done if I want to lift again so I'll probably do it again soon and get back to it. But I weigh 250ish and want to trim down to 210-220lbs. Right now I could probably push 300 once but meh I think anyone who can do 180+ is well off. I was able to squat press 650lbs last year even with my hip have been taken apart for an operation

[Adamas102]

Yes, but I injured my shoulder years ago thanks to terrible form so I no longer try to exceed 150% of my body weight.

[Alvito]

I seriously doubt marathons runners can't bench their own body weight.

While you need to have some degree of physical fitness to run a marathon most of it comes to from not quitting and to keep running/jogging/walking through the pain. That comes from mental grit not the strength of your chest.

[Drunkenfinn]

I used to weight around 135kg (around 300lbs) and could bench just that much.
Now I weight only 115kg (250lbs) (going down and aiming for around 105kg) and I can still lift that 135kg so yeah, a I can lift a bit more than my own weight :P 196cm tall if that matters.

Though I consider myself VERY weak for my size as far as bench-pressing goes at least... A lot of people bench as much as I do or more while being half my size :P

IMO You should be able to bench your own weight quite easily unless you are fairly tall and/or overweight.

[Spectral]

I seriously doubt marathons runners can't bench their own body weight.

This depends who you're referring to as "marathon runners". Are you referring to everyone that can or has run a marathon, or only people over a certain speed? There's plenty of good runners that just don't care about lifting weights at all. I'd guess that the typical marathoner can put up their own weight, simply because it's a pretty low requirement, but I'm sure not all of them can.

[Ciddy]

I might could, but that's not saying a whole lot considering I weigh like 135 pounds dripping wet.

[STOYGON]

Craker, if you don't realize that Incline DB Press is a compound exercise, just like Bench Pressing... I'm sorry you're lifting period.

Next, I would argue that the incline bench has a better range of motion for your chest and shoulders vs the flat bench.

You're just more inclined to love an exercise you're good at vs one you struggle at. However, do a little of your own research before spewing non sense.

[Skarssen]

Sort of cheating here because I used to be a competitive powerlifter/olympic weightlifter, but yes

Still lifting pretty intensely, but I don't do triples, doubles or singles anymore. Military service wrecked 2 lumbar vertibrae and their dics, left ankle and right shoulder, but I have recently been focusing on max-rep powerlifting events. Squat, bench and deadlift done with a percentage of body weight. It varies by lift and venue, but typically 175-200% BW on squat, 100-125% on bench press, and 200-225% on deadlift. Its a lot more taxing than singles, but my joints don't hate me anymore.

[sheffield]

don't feel too bad if you can't bench your own BW.. Kevin Durant (NBA player for those who don't know) couldn't bench 185lbs and his draft stock went down because of it.. i bet Portland is sorry now for drafting Greg Oden over Durant...

personally, yes, I can bench my BW

[Neazy]

Craker, if you don't realize that Incline DB Press is a compound exercise, just like Bench Pressing... I'm sorry you're lifting period.

Next, I would argue that the incline bench has a better range of motion for your chest and shoulders vs the flat bench.

You're just more inclined to love an exercise you're good at vs one you struggle at. However, do a little of your own research before spewing non sense.

Flat bench is better for your chest than incline bench. Incline works your shoulders better, but you can do an overhead press and work your shoulders even better than incline.

The only reason to train primarily incline bench is if you're a football player or someone who needs to push out and up and the same time. I still like adding some incline for variety, but I'll never let it take away from my flat bench or standing press training.

[Rucati]

I've never tried bench pressing so I suspect I'd do rather poorly regardless of the weight since I have no idea what the proper technique is. That being said, I weigh like 170 pounds, and I'm about 99% sure I can't lift anywhere close to that since I've never been in a gym in my entire life. I think I'm going to start working out soon though, so perhaps this time next year I'll be able to.

[Souichirou]

Flat bench is better for your chest than incline bench. Incline works your shoulders better, but you can do an overhead press and work your shoulders even better than incline.

The only reason to train primarily incline bench is if you're a football player or someone who needs to push out and up and the same time. I still like adding some incline for variety, but I'll never let it take away from my flat bench or standing press training.

Flat bench is good but decline is better on the chest then flat or incline with a shorter ROM you can lift heavier and it targets more of the pectoral muscles then a flat or incline, Give it a try next cycle it BURNS the chest once you try decline you might prefer it over the other variations since other lifts already cover most of what flat and incline have to offer.

[Whisperawr]

Not sure. I weigh 117 lb, but I have never tried to bench more than 45 lb or so (the bar), and that was enough for my muscles to get a workout.

[Deldavala]

I just managed to reach Bodyweight in Bench this week. My weight is now 90kg(was 109kg in January) and I managed to Bench 90kg That day was a good day.

[Kymei]

Strength is useless, I pity body builders and I think anything past going to the gym to be healthy is a huge waste of time and resources. With that said, I don't know how much 165 lbs is, heaviest things I lift seem to be TV's and air conditioners. Back on topic -the average man not being able to bench his body weight, sure, I live in america though, and fat people with mass seem to be extremely strong based on worlds strongest man competition.

[Pancha]

I do know that I'm unable to do it, even though I've never tested. But that might mainly because I do not workout either.

[Kymei]

don't feel too bad if you can't bench your own BW.. Kevin Durant (NBA player for those who don't know) couldn't bench 185lbs and his draft stock went down because of it.. i bet Portland is sorry now for drafting Greg Oden over Durant...

personally, yes, I can bench my BW

He's also 11 feet tall and can launch a basketball from beyond the 3 point line without much effort.

[Deleted]

Why would I want or need to? I have no idea.

[Neazy]

Flat bench is good but decline is better on the chest then flat or incline with a shorter ROM you can lift heavier and it targets more of the pectoral muscles then a flat or incline, Give it a try next cycle it BURNS the chest once you try decline you might prefer it over the other variations since other lifts already cover most of what flat and incline have to offer.

Decline is shit. Like you said it's the same as bench but with a shorter ROM. Basic physics tells us that work = force * distance, and since the distance (ROM) for decline is shorter, the only benefit that you get from doing decline is that you can put up slightly more weight (force) than flat bench. This is great if you're an insecure 16 year old girl and want to look stronger than you actually are, not so great if you're legitimately trying to get stronger.

Edit: Mafs

[Badpaladin]

Flat bench is good but decline is better on the chest then flat or incline with a shorter ROM you can lift heavier and it targets more of the pectoral muscles then a flat or incline, Give it a try next cycle it BURNS the chest once you try decline you might prefer it over the other variations since other lifts already cover most of what flat and incline have to offer.

If you want to work your chest there's better workouts than benching.