Lessons Learned From a Bench Press Beast

Between grade school, college, and grad school, I have spent a considerable amount of time in a classroom. In the years since, Ive continued to read everything I can get my hands on. I genuinely enjoy learning. There is more to learning than reading a book however. In my 20+ years of training, I have learned more in the gym than anywhere else. Plenty of knowledge can be acquired under the bar, inside the ring, or wherever else your training takes you. Thus, while some may frown upon bro-science, I enjoy listening to seasoned athletes or trainers when they share their experience. The bench press beast that youll see below is a prime example.Bench Press BeastBelow you will find a video of a 154 pound recreational lifter who bench presses over 400 pounds. If there was an example of strength without size, this man certainly fits the bill.Videos like this typically travel around the web and leave nothing but a long list of ignorant comments behind. If youve ever spent any time on Youtube, you can surely relate. It usually doesnt take many comments to begin losing hope in the human race. Fortunately, some of the ignorance posted to this video has been offset by the wisdom shared by the actual lifter. Hes left a few gold nuggets within the 800+ comments that exist at this time.Below I will highlight some of the wisdom that he has shared.1. Patience and ConsistencyIf youve read my blog before, youve likely heard me ramble about the importance of patience and consistency (ex. see here). As Ive stressed before, significant results require a significant investment in time. There are no shortcuts.Its nice to see that the lifter above shares similar beliefs. Contrary to what some might have initially thought, he was not an above average lifter when he started.In his words,First time I ever laid on a bench, I got a very wobbly 85lbs at 120 body weight or so. Couple of yrs later, I weighed about 125-130 and got 120lbs from what I remember I was average starting out.He continues by mentioning that he has been lifting consistently for 17 years. He is not a product of drugs, but rather hard work over many years.If theres one thing I can credit to where Im at today, its my consistency over 17yrs. If you can find a way to train over a long period of time, you will see the same strength gains if that is your focus.2. Life Outside The GymAnother misconception thats common when witnessing an impressive display is that the individual must dedicate every waking hour to the task. Its nice to see this individual prove otherwise. He isnt in the gym 24 hours a day.In his words,Unfortunately, I dont have any crazy gym secrets to share. Im in and out of there in 60-70 minutes 3 days a week. I go right after work and hurry home to have dinner with my kids and wife.The take home lesson here should be straightforward. In short, it is possible to develop considerable strength while living a normal life outside of the gym. This man works full time to provide for his family yet still makes time to train.3. ProgrammingAnyone who benches so much weight must follow a complex program, right?Wrong!Once again, this man demonstrates the potential of a simple, yet consistent lifting strategy.A lot of people ask what program I use. Up until about a year ago, I did not know there were workout programs to help you gain strength. For someone with a decent bench, Ive got to be the most ignorant person out there.4. Strength Without SizeMany weight class athletes (ex. wrestlers) wish to gain strength without size. These athletes want to maximize their strength without gaining weight. Even an extra pound can force them to compete in a heavier weight class. Fortunately, this bench press master offers two valuable gems to such athletes.First, he obviously demonstrates the strength potential of a smaller athlete. Most athletes have plenty of room to improve at a given weight. Second, he also shares his preferred rep range for strength.He states the following:Yes, always working pretty low reps and ALWAYS working up close to the one rep max. I like to go heavy always. Light weights are for warming up and stretching.In a nutshell, he summarizes the ideal approach for strength development with minimal weight gain (i.e. heavy weights, low reps, and minimal volume). Follow such an approach while paying close attention to food/drink intake and youll maximize your strength potential at a given weight class.5. MindsetLastly, this seasoned lifter shares what could be the most important tip of all. He highlights the significance of the mind when lifting.In his words,The only thing that goes through my mind is lifting the weight That confidence plays such an instrumental part in actually being able to lift the weight.So many lifters defeat themselves before they have even gripped the bar. When dealing with near maximal loads, there is no room for doubt. As soon as you believe that you cant, youll almost always be right. You need to attack the bar with the mentality that you are in control.Never worry about what anyone else thinks you can do. Many of the best athletes in the world dont pay attention to opinions or realistic expectations. As Will Smith once said, being realistic is the most common path to mediocrity. He may just be an actor, but I couldnt think of a better quote for high level athletes.See it, believe it, and achieve it.SummaryIt would have been easy to share the video above and marvel at the impressiveness. It is much more useful to listen to what this man has to say however. It is easy to watch, but it takes a conscious effort to listen, learn, and apply. Never pass up on the opportunity to learn from someone who has paid his dues over many years of hard and consistent work.