Me under 235kgs/540lbs
An important part of healing and de-stressing is finding a solid hobby. Mine is participating in equipped bench press competitions.
For the past two years, I had been having trouble translating my training into scores in meets. I have “bombed out” of several equipped meets–i.e. failed to place a good lift. You see, it is easier to hit a lift in the gym than it is on the platform where “it counts.”
Why does this happen?
Some of this is because of meet jitters. I get very anxious before my first attempt. It is just how I am wired. Some of the problem is from the unfamiliarity of the environment. This is often the first time I have ever sat on the bench used in the competition and handled the bar with kilo plates as I train with lbs plates. Finally, some of the problem is simply not having a good day on the bench.
Well, yesterday was a good day for me at a sanctioned meet!
I opened in a single ply band shirt. My starting weight was 245kgs/540lbs, which I successfully pressed for a National Record in this federation. Next, I changed into a 2 ply band shirt. I attempted 345kgs/760lbs, and I failed at that attempt.
Me under 350kgs/771lbs
I had one more attempt left in the competition and decided to bump up the attempt weight to 350kgs/771lbs. Counter intuitively, this sometimes makes the lift “easier” for those of us using a piece of equipment like a 2 ply bench shirt. It was the right move for me.
I got under the weight and stilled it as it was handed off to me. Then I brought it down initially pretty suddenly and then slowly to touch my chest. The press command came, and I pressed it up quickly and solidly for a good lift. I had just reset the National Record I broke on my opener.
350kgs/771lbs bench press achieved. This was a 20kgs/44lbs personal best in a meet from my best press back in 2023!
As far as how it compares the best lifts worldwide, it would be the 113th heaviest bench press ever (for tested athletes in the unlimited bench press category)! It is the fifth heaviest bench press accomplished this year so far in a band shirt for tested athletes.
