Weight difference between paused bench press and touch and go.

generic2012

Just wondering if anyone could give me a ball park figure for the difference between their 'normal' bench press weight and their paused reps weight. I find a very big difference between my normal squats and paused reps. I just want to know as a point of reference more than anything, I always though I had a poor bench press but I'm starting to think I may have a relatively high deadlift, which could be throwing me off. I imagine I will get a lot of 'just find out for yourself/every bodies different' kind of answers so I'll try and avoid this by saying I'm pretty tight with my programming and it will mess my plans up more than it's worth by trying it, when I can just get a ball park figure here, as well as the fact that I presume I would be selling myself a few kg short since I've never tried it before.

Thanks

BossArky

Around 5kg based upon my experience.

- best gym touch & go bench: 105kg
- best paused competition bench: 100kg

Sangre

Depends on the form of your touch and go as well i.e. how control is it actually.

Is this just for a 1rm?

generic2012

Thanks for the replies.

BossArky - I always presumed it would be more than that, that's the perfect response and one I didn't think I'd get! Since you compete I might trouble you for another question? My 5RM for bench is 95kg (bad form a long time ago, I am currently doing 5x5 at 92.5kg with very tight form, apart from the last set if I'm honest and have been at a slight caloric deficit for a few months) and my deadlift 2RM is 185kg, I weigh 88kg. What is that like? I feel like it is either a strong deadlift or a weak bench? I squat sumo which wouldn't be competition style so I wont include that.

Sangre - I have good form, very good control, generally work in the 5 rep range for bench, never tried a 1RM before. Ring finger on the rung on the bar, competition allows for index finger on the rung I believe. For goals/motivation I compare my lifts to powerlifting standards and hope to one day compete, purely for the experience though. I don't do any isolation exercises and, bar the rep ranges, would consider my training to be heavily powerlifting based.

Kaloma

http://www.idfpa.net/#!results/cr7q Have a look at the link - short answer ok, long answer could be better. Compete it's fun and you'll generally pr due to the adrenalin.

BossArky

generic2012 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

BossArky - I always presumed it would be more than that, that's the perfect response and one I didn't think I'd get! Since you compete I might trouble you for another question? My 5RM for bench is 95kg (bad form a long time ago, I am currently doing 5x5 at 92.5kg with very tight form, apart from the last set if I'm honest and have been at a slight caloric deficit for a few months)

Your 1 rep max will be about 15% over what you can do for a set of 5 reps. So, if you can do 92.5 for 3x5.... your 1 rep max touch & go will be around 105 and paused 100 (i.e. subtract ~5kg for pause).

For 95 3x5 you'll be looking at 107.5kg touch and go with 102.5kg paused.

Obviously the more sets of 5 reps you can do pushes the numbers up slightly.

If you're thinking about competing then you should include paused training. Don't just expect to go to a competition and do your first ever paused bench on the platform. You need to get used to it. You should also include a couple of heavy doubles at around 92-95% in the last bench sessions of a cycle before deload... to get use to holding heavier weights ahead of comp.

generic2012 wrote: »

my deadlift 2RM is 185kg, I weigh 88kg. What is that like? I feel like it is either a strong deadlift or a weak bench? I squat sumo which wouldn't be competition style so I wont include that.

Deadlift looks alright. It's over double bodyweight.

Bench vs. Deadlift ratio depends on your bodytype. Are you tall or short? Long or short arms?

Short t-rex arms will be good for bench (shorter range of motion) but crap for deadlift (causing you to bend over more to reach bar).

Long arms mean you have to push the bar through a longer range of motion on bench (more tiring), but will help you on deadlift as you can stay more upright and take much of the lower back out of the lift.

Sumo Squat is legal. As long as crease of hip goes below top of knee cap you'll be fine for depth.

If you are "average"... the ratio of your bench/squat/dead will be something like 1/1.333/1.666. This will vary based upon arms/back/leg length mentioned above.

BossArky

Some backround reading on limb lengths:

Point 3 in this article.

Some individuals have lever (bone) lengths and body proportions that give them greater leverage in lifting weights and a greater potential for increasing strength than other individuals. This can be readily seen in powerlifting. Favorable lever lengths and body proportions in the bench press are a thick chest and short arms (a.k.a. alligator arms), while favorable lever lengths and body proportions in the squat and deadlift are a short torso, wide hips, and short legs. (Long arms also help in the deadlift.) Everything else being equal, those who have favorable lever lengths and body proportions have a greater strength potential in certain exercises because they don't have to move the weight as far as those who have less favorable lever lengths and body proportions. The end result is that they can lift extraordinarily heavy weights

Some of this pdf.

In powerlifting the lifts used are the bench press, squat, and deadlift, and the distinction among body types is less apparent since the three lifts are not closely related biomechanically. Individuals with short arms and large chest circumferences may excel in the bench press (15, 16), while shorter individuals with a lower leg length:height ratio are considered better squat lifters (16). Individuals with longer arm lengths relative to leg lengths may have better deadlifting ability.

generic2012

BossArky wrote: »

Your 1 rep max will be about 15% over what you can do for a set of 5 reps. So, if you can do 92.5 for 3x5.... your 1 rep max touch & go will be around 105 and paused 100 (i.e. subtract ~5kg for pause).

For 95 3x5 you'll be looking at 107.5kg touch and go with 102.5kg paused.

Obviously the more sets of 5 reps you can do pushes the numbers up slightly.

If you're thinking about competing then you should include paused training. Don't just expect to go to a competition and do your first ever paused bench on the platform. You need to get used to it. You should also include a couple of heavy doubles at around 92-95% in the last bench sessions of a cycle before deload... to get use to holding heavier weights ahead of comp.



Deadlift looks alright. It's over double bodyweight.

Bench vs. Deadlift ratio depends on your bodytype. Are you tall or short? Long or short arms?

Short t-rex arms will be good for bench (shorter range of motion) but crap for deadlift (causing you to bend over more to reach bar).

Long arms mean you have to push the bar through a longer range of motion on bench (more tiring), but will help you on deadlift as you can stay more upright and take much of the lower back out of the lift.

Sumo Squat is legal. As long as crease of hip goes below top of knee cap you'll be fine for depth.

If you are "average"... the ratio of your bench/squat/dead will be something like 1/1.333/1.666. This will vary based upon arms/back/leg length mentioned above.

Another in-depth answer, thanks very much. I hope to compete in the next year or two but I don't expect to turn up and just do it, I'd never be that egotistical! I know it's very difficult and requires specific training but that's why I'm in no hurry to compete at the minute, I'm happy with my training and progression at the moment.

That's great info about the sets, I always wondered about that! I'm 182 cm tall which is 1 cm off 6ft. I've been told I have long legs but I'd say my limbs are in average proportion to the rest of my body.

I found the sumos much tougher than standard squats, I incorporated them purely to strengthen my hamstrings and glutes (mostly to help my deadlift and as they kept my lower back fresh), I went below parallel and tried to do them explosively, I think my 2RM was 110 kg. I'm now back to high bar standard squat (although I think my stance is slightly wider than most), my former 5RM was 115 kg but I probably wouldn't have been fit for a set of 100 kg after that. Working my way back up to that at the minute.

For deadlifts I used (a modified version of) the Mag/Ort deadlift program which I'd highly recommend, brought my deadlift from 180 kg 1RM to 185 2RM in 6 weeks or maybe less. That was in a slight calorie deficit, never touched a belt or straps and also used the deadlift program for my squats 2 days after each deadlift session. I enjoy high frequency training though.

Using my former squat max that roughly put me at - 100/127.5/190.
That's ****ed. I never use a belt either, so if I did imagine it'd **** up those numbers even more?

generic2012

That's handy that they put in asterisks for the swears!

Sangre

I think most powerlifters' advice on competition is just to get one under your belt and don't worry about numbers. So don't wait until you think you're 'ready'. If you actually plan on competing try and enter the earliest convenient one for you.

Kaloma

BossArky you have a way with words I'll just never have! good posts
Generic2012 keep plugging at the lifts, you have a great attitude.

Pavel66

Mine has always been the same

Dec 2013

best gym touch & go bench: 135kg
best paused competition bench: 135kg


Dec 2012

best gym touch & go bench: 130kg
best paused competition bench: 130kg

I am relatively a better bencher than deadlifter/squatter, so that might have something to do with it?

generic2012

Did 6 sets of 4 with 90 kg touch and go last night, last rep was very tough. Took 20 off the bar and did 3 reps of pause to see what it was like, was easier than I thought so I put the 20 back on. Told myself I'd do 3 reps and no more (I'm training tomorrow and I really have to hold myself back because I can get very carried away with volume). Did the three reps easier than I had expect, a lot easier but I found the movement working the area where the chest meets the shoulder and the shoulder itself as opposed to the mid to lower chest where I normally find it. My grip width was the same, my elbows were tucked and I touched the bar off my lower chest (although it could have been slightly higher than normal). I think either by concentrating on resting the bar I forgot to hold my arch correctly or else the weight of actually resting the bar on my chest without being cognisant of my arch caused me to lose it. Does any of this make sense or will it come itself? or maybe that's where it's meant to be felt?

I'm going to slightly lower my intensity on the first sets of benching from now on (say 4x6 or 3x8) and do 2/3 heavy (for me anyway) sets of paused reps afterwards. Cheers Kaloma, it's great to hear a comment like that, no one I know personally trains like me so its good to get talking to people who know where I'm coming from. How would someone go about entering a meet? I'm not worried about cost or anything just what is required/ where to go/ how often meets are held and that kinda stuff. I'm from the North West/Midlands of the country and 24 years old. Looking through that link, it looks like I've missed the junior category.

I always thought boards wasn't a great place to go for information like this, but you all have changed my mind!!

Kaloma

Next Year the IDFPA general Calendar of Events (excluding international comps) looks like;

National Single Lifts - Feb 8th & 9th - Abs Gym Glasnevin
National Powerlifting Championships - April 12th & 13th - Worx Gorey
National Deadlift Championships - 8th August - French Vanoli Galway
National Bench Press - September 6th - Belfast Boat Club
Push Pull - 29th November - RASIC Midleton Cork

Entry form for the single lifts is here
http://idfpa.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=56f779fc6e0a4e943339bb8c0&id=62b025b8c6

Kev M

About a 5-7% difference in my experience