How many of you have seen a natural bench press 300lbs?

[CandyMan122]

I'm currently 23 years old, 167 pounds, and can do a paused rep with 335 and I've hit 350 tap and go when I was closer to 170-172 pounds. I'm 100% natural and I have multiple natural friends that have 300+ benches although they weigh over 200 pounds. My bench has always been freakishly strong since I started lifting in high school and I have no idea why. I'm just under 6 feet and I have lanky arms too. When I first started lifting I benched at least 3 times a week and pretty much neglected everything else for about a year. Ever since then my bench has just stayed consistently strong. 

It surprises me how many people think any bench over 300 pounds indicates unnatural.

[Double ii]

Took me 22.5 years but after benching 3x a week for a year, like CandyMan122 said, i finally hit a touch and go @ 315 at about 230 body weight. Never taken anything besides traditional supplements of creatine and pre. Ran the Mark Bell program for 12 weeks and did it again, so it wasn't a fluke. The Gold's gym I go to routinely has people benching 300+. I can't confirm they're natural or not but after reading an article from barbell medicine, I think, about 1 in 6 people you see in the gym have taken or are taking steroids. So statistically, there are plenty of natural lifters benching over 300. Why is this so scary to believe.

[RickMartel]

Back in my twenties, I benched 275lb for a few reps. I did not continue it because of risque of injury.
I am not a fan on heavy benching because of what it can do to the shoulder

[Templar]

The Gold's gym I go to routinely has people benching 300+.  I can't confirm they're natural or not but after reading an article from barbell medicine, I think, about 1 in 6 people you see in the gym have taken or are taking steroids.  So statistically, there are plenty of natural lifters benching over 300.  Why is this so scary to believe.

Your logic is flawed. Let's assume that 1-in-6 thing is correct (it doesn't matter actually). That ratio doesn't translate to the subgroup of people who are benching over 300. In theory, all people there could be on drugs and you don't know the ratio in that particular subgroup.

Now, I think that some of you guys are missing the point. It's not impossible or unnatural to have over 300lbs bench as a natty. But it's not about whether it's possible but about probability. Let me explain further.

I don't use lbs so I am gonna talk about 140kg bench (that's 309lbs, close enough). Well, depending on your weight 140kg bench is either advanced number for heavier guys (unless you are really heavy like 110+kg) or elite number for lighter guys. Or something in-between. Yeah, I know that on the internet you are basically a loser if you can't bench 140, but the real world is something different. Now the estimation is that only about 20% of the lifters are advanced and have advanced numbers. I would say it's even lower but never mind. We don't know how many of those advanced lifters are on drugs. But our experience can help. What we do know is that in order to reach advanced numbers as a natural you have to be dedicated, you have to know how to train and you need time. And only small percentage of people have all of that. Not to mention that most lighter guys would never reach that number unless they are genetically gifted. So the conclusion is that while 140 is not impossible for a natural only a few of them will get there. On the other hand if you take drugs you will reach advanced numbers pretty quickly. Then you will have to put some work for elite numbers but that's not important now. My point is that almost everyone who is on drugs has advanced numbers. Just look around. I see many bodybuilders in my gym who are repping 110 or 120  for 10 reps. So they all have at least 140 1RM, and they don't even train for strength, they don't even know anything about programming, they are just doing their chest workout. Dumb people on the internet say that bodybuilders are weak (they are weak only compared to powerlifters), but you can't be weak when you have advanced numbers. And I have seen only two guys in my gym who are natural and can bench 140, yet there are like 15+ who can bench that weight just because they are on drugs. So the next time you see a guy benching over 140 ask yourself what's the chance that he is actually natural. On the one side you have a small number of dedicated naturals and on the other side you basically have everyone who is on drugs. And as I said it's not about possibility, it's about probability.

[Flip109]

I am 38 and 5’9 195 now and can do 290 on any given day. When I was 23ish I did 305 twice touch n go. Never touched a steroid in my life. I don’t have super short arms either. I remember in highschool a lot of the black kids I played football with that were really good benched 315+ At like 16-18 yrs old. Prob weighing 175ish. Those kids couldn’t afford a steroid no way in hell. I hung out with most of them and the only drug we used made you hungry happy sleepy lol. It’s def doable with the right genetics.

[Grinch]

My youngest child is 30 years old and 5'6" . He does 8 reps at 360 lbs, for multiple sets, although he usually does bench press with dumbbells. He was unusually strong from a very young age, there are stories I could tell. He was trained in high school to do 8 reps, which he still does to this day. He is energized by heavy workouts, where I get fatigued.

[Templar]

Guys, I have a secret to tell you... When I was in high school I was abducted by aliens...

[Grinch]

Anyone is welcome to work out with my son at the southside LA Fitness in Indianapolis. Stop by for a visit.

[Richard]

Well, if it counts? I am a fat slob who weighs 330 pounds and I benched 315 for 5 reps TnG and 325 for 3x3 around one week later. I work with incline barbell sets of 225 for 3x8. Could rep it 10 times if I wanted. Barbell rows with 225 for 3x5... All done in a caloric deficit. I'm 6'0 on the dot.

Trained chest and back today, did incline 235 3x6 and rowed 225 for 3x5. At my peak overhead strength I could rep 80 pound dumbbells 3x10 seated, that was around 1 month ago at 340 pounds approximately. Maybe a bit lower. Now I work with 135 on barbell press for 3x8. I'd love to hit a 225 press, but my delts are so weak compared to my chest and back. Same with squats and deads, I struggle to progress on them.

It seems like gifts can come in isolation, not as packages. If I could have 17 inches after my fat loss is said and done, I'd be ecstatic. They're 19 inches at the moment with a 1.5 inch hang of fat. I was blessed with chest and arms it seems.

If anyone doubts I will gladly post video clips on youtube. Although not of that dumbbell press, that would take me ages to work back up to because it took me two months to get there from 60 pound dumbbells.

Not as impressive as Jerb but I'm proud of it.

[RedPillOverdose]

Personally, I have seen it once, but the individual in question has very short arms.

Most men benching that weight in any of the gyms I have been to were not natural.

I did a single with 315 touch-and-go when I was permabulked at a fat 240 pounds at 510". I think I could have actually done a double or triple that day and I was stupidly trying to test my one-rep max. I was 28 or 29 years old, and I wouldn't have been able to do it if I weren't that fat. I think  if I was leanish at the time I would have had a high 290's bench press or maybe 300. 

Anyway, I stopped doing flat bench press shortly after I did that as I got more serious on using exercises that were best for my frame for developing the pecs. The flat bench press is a pretty crumby pec builder for narrow-shouldered, arms-dominant men. My pecs started filling out when I switched to dips, incline and flat dumbbell bench press, and-or Hammer Strength machines. 

A natural pro (not IFBB, but a natty org) friend of mine (I mean natural as in no roids), at his best could rep 315, but his leverages for pressing are insane and rare! He has short arms and at the time, they were built like hams. 

Keep in mind at that time of my life, outside of work I lived in the goddamn gym and kitchen when I was my strongest. 

I went to very hardcore gyms with both serious natties and roid heads in my younger days.