How much should i bench press?!
Question: I am 16 and weigh around 10 and a half stones. im 5 feet 8 inches tall and i want to build some pecs. how much do i need to lift and in what sets and reps???
Answers: I am 16 and weigh around 10 and a half stones. im 5 feet 8 inches tall and i want to build some pecs. how much do i need to lift and in what sets and reps???
You shouldn't worry too much about how much you can lift, but I understand the draw. I can bench about 1.5 or 1.6 percent of my body weight, and I am not huge. However, bench press is not a good measure of real strength. It locks in your arms forcing you into an "unnatural" motion which can put increased stress on to some of your joints while not properly stressing key muscles. Using dumbbells is a better exercise because it allows your arms to move in a more "natural" fashion, and helps work on "stabilezing" muscles as well. As for sets and reps, there are many hypothyses, but to grow "bulk" the general consensus is high weight and low reps. You could start off with your own body weight, for the bench press, and see how many reps you can do, and then add weight so on the sixth rep, you can barely lift the bar. Do four sets of six reps, but don't worry so much if you end up doing only 4 reps at the end. Every 4 weeks or so, do a light rep workout, and take a week off every once in a while to allow your body to rest. Your body does the actual muscle building while it is NOT working out. I hope this helps.
if you're a beginner start slowly...if you've been working out for some time. Bench press as much as you can. And slowly increase the weight every week.
How much? Who cares. What is important is that you are getting a good work out (don't let your ego get involved: I know lots of body builders who don't lift huge weights and yet look big). Try 5x5, 3x10, etc. Find something that works and stick with it.