14 year old bench presses 330 lbs (with suit)

[SP33Demon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIPecZaePo

Amazing even with the equipment. She pressed 240 raw last year weighing 140lbs~.

 

[Ventanni]

Very impressive, but is arching your back like that even safe? Just seems like the wrong way a spine should be bent.

 

[classy]

There are several videos. Her ability to arch her back like that gives her a huge advantage, but at her age and weight she is pushing some good weight.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Was that even a legit press? Doesn't look like it to me. Also why bend your back like that? Looks dangerously stupid imo.

 

[classy]

Was that even a legit press? Doesn't look like it to me. Also why bend your back like that? Looks dangerously stupid imo.

Actually arching your lower back helps with leverage in bench pressing. I think her flexibility is what allows her to look so exaggerated. That box kept her form going to lower than 90 degrees which some say is a legit a press. I say you gotta tough your chest as in powerlifting, but there are quite a few who say that just going 90 degrees is a complete rep. I don't really have a problem with it.

 

[smakme7757]

More than i could bench that's for sure. I was in decent shape before all the kids came along. For a small guy like me benching 70Kg was a massive achievement and then you have this 14 year old girl doing 330. More than i could ever achieve even if I wanted too.

 

[pauldun170]

Great,
Now next time I throw 330lbs up I'll have to listen to people saying "You bench like a girl!!"
Fortunately I can follow that up with "Well I don't bench in the shape of the letter C so my lift is still manly bro!"

 

[SP33Demon]

Actually arching your lower back helps with leverage in bench pressing. I think her flexibility is what allows her to look so exaggerated. That box kept her form going to lower than 90 degrees which some say is a legit a press. I say you gotta tough your chest as in powerlifting, but there are quite a few who say that just going 90 degrees is a complete rep. I don't really have a problem with it.

Exactly, it's a legit press form-wise for powerlifting competitions. Her extra equipment (bench suit) isn't, however. Her actual raw press is around 250, the suit adds a huge boost.

I don't recommend benching past 90 degrees unless competing, you're asking for major damage to the AC joint due to impingement. I used to bench all the way down to get full pectoral flexion but fucked my AC Joint up back in the day doing that.

 

[classy]

Exactly, it's a legit press form-wise for powerlifting competitions. Her extra equipment (bench suit) isn't, however. Her actual raw press is around 250, the suit adds a huge boost.

I don't recommend benching past 90 degrees unless competing, you're asking for major damage to the AC joint due to impingement. I used to bench all the way down to get full pectoral flexion but fucked my AC Joint up back in the day doing that.

I am dealing with impingement right now. Go back on Monday to the doctor for a followup, but I am just trying to work through it. I now bench 225x10, 275x5, 315x3. I was doing 225x12, 275x7, 315x4, 325x2. Its getting better but I am dealing with some pain though. But my last MRI showed no damage at all, but the pain has gotten worse so I may get a new one to see if a I tore something, both are sore though.

I love to bench though and I love doing seated cable rows, my two favorites lol

 

[CPA]

We used to call that a towel press. While impressive for a 14 year old girl, I don't see how that's a legit bench press.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Very impressive, but is arching your back like that even safe? Just seems like the wrong way a spine should be bent.

It makes the bench easier to complete (less distance to get the bar from the up position to the chest), but it definitely isn't the healthiest thing for a young girl. Puts her spine in a lot of extension, which loads up the zygapophyseal joints, puts ligaments on excess stress, etc. It's part of the sport-related sacrifices you make. I can't say I'd let a 14 year old girl bench like that. She's strong, but she could train with a more conservative form and progress more safely when her skeleton was fully mature.

Also, that's essentially a board press. The range of motion is cut several inches. While it's an impressive feat, it's by no means a legal lift.

 

[SP33Demon]

It makes the bench easier to complete (less distance to get the bar from the up position to the chest), but it definitely isn't the healthiest thing for a young girl. Puts her spine in a lot of extension, which loads up the zygapophyseal joints, puts ligaments on excess stress, etc. It's part of the sport-related sacrifices you make. I can't say I'd let a 14 year old girl bench like that. She's strong, but she could train with a more conservative form and progress more safely when her skeleton was fully mature.

Also, that's essentially a board press. The range of motion is cut several inches. While it's an impressive feat, it's by no means a legal lift.

It's definitely a legal lift as long as her ass is on the bench (barely is).

Her lifts last year were already counted as absolute world records.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20130307/179863330.html

07/03/2013
MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti) - Hollywood star and ex-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has congratulated a Russian schoolgirl, who set the absolute world record at the power lifting championship in the United States, the Russian Ministry for Physical Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Activities said.
Thirteen-year-old student Mariana Naumova from the Moscow Region lifted 105 kg (231 pounds) in the bench barbell press, thus winning the Sports Festival Arnold Classic 2013 tournament, organized by Schwarzenegger and setting a new record in her age division.
The girl received from him a personal invitation to Mr. Olympia 2013 sports show to be held in September in Las Vegas.
Naumova was also awarded a medal, a commemorative plaque and a cash prize of $1,000 from ProMeraSport.

I like Lee Hayward's tutorial on benchpressing which is similar to Naumova's, he's not going past 90 degrees and producing impingement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rJX5MKacR6M#t=220

 

[Corporate Thug]

those bench shirts or whatever they are look ridiculous.

 

[Zivic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIPecZaePo

Amazing even with the equipment. She pressed 240 raw last year weighing 140lbs~.

that wasn't a legit 330... and 240 @ 140 = 1.71 x bodyweight. not that impressive. I was doing that much as a teanager

 

[z1ggy]

I arch my lower back slightly when I bench. You are supposed to.

 

[classy]

that wasn't a legit 330... and 240 @ 140 = 1.71 x bodyweight. not that impressive. I was doing that much as a teanager

You know you USED TO DO a lot of stuff. She is a 14 YEAR OLD FEMALE. And no I am not all that impressed by you either.

 

[Zivic]

You know you USED TO DO a lot of stuff. She is a 14 YEAR OLD FEMALE. And no I am not all that impressed by you either.

so we agree, it isn't that impressive.

female or male, not impressed by a sub 2x bodyweight belly bench

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It's definitely a legal lift as long as her ass is on the bench (barely is).

Her lifts last year were already counted as absolute world records.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20130307/179863330.html


I like Lee Hayward's tutorial on benchpressing which is similar to Naumova's, he's not going past 90 degrees and producing impingement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rJX5MKacR6M#t=220

Your definition of legal differs from mine then. A legal lift is from locked out to chest to locked out. If it's just a gym rep, then you don't need a pause at the bottom. If you want it powerlifting legal, then there needs to be a pause at the bottom of the rep.

She's doing a board bench press, which is an effective training method but by no means a full ROM bench press rep. You take 4-5in off of your bench ROM and see how much more you can lift. People who have a strong lock out like me can easily add 30-40lbs to their 1RM.

 

[classy]

This is impressive even though it may not be all the technically perfect. Most dudes in this forum couldn't even handle 330 let alone attempt to bench it even with a shirt. This 14 year old girl I bet would out bench 50% or more of the entire forum here. To downplay this chick is laughable. Unless you wanna be technically perfect.

 

[SP33Demon]

Your definition of legal differs from mine then. A legal lift is from locked out to chest to locked out. If it's just a gym rep, then you don't need a pause at the bottom. If you want it powerlifting legal, then there needs to be a pause at the bottom of the rep.

She's doing a board bench press, which is an effective training method but by no means a full ROM bench press rep. You take 4-5in off of your bench ROM and see how much more you can lift. People who have a strong lock out like me can easily add 30-40lbs to their 1RM.

Oh, you're talking about not pausing. I'm sure she could still push it and lock out with all that armor on. The video is showing her training anyway, not competing and she was clearly in control of the weight.

Powerlifting doesn't require a "full ROM bench press rep". Arched backs are safer since they're saving the lifter from going past 90deg. Whether you agree or not, her form is 100% legal and like I quoted earlier, she already holds the absolute world record for under 15 with her 240 raw press. Check out the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAc97K2I5M

Not a fan of her sticking her tongue out while still holding the bar (2:16) but she's a little girl so it's forgivable.

 

[purbeast0]

Oh, you're talking about not pausing. I'm sure she could still push it and lock out with all that armor on. The video is showing her training anyway, not competing and she was clearly in control of the weight.

Powerlifting doesn't require a "full ROM bench press rep". Arched backs are safer since they're saving the lifter from going past 90deg. Whether you agree or not, her form is 100% legal and like I quoted earlier, she already holds the absolute world record for under 15 with her 240 raw press. Check out the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAc97K2I5M

Not a fan of her sticking her tongue out while still holding the bar (2:16) but she's a little girl so it's forgivable.

did you not see the block that is resting on her chest that keeps the bar about 3 inches from hitting her chest?

it's still impressive for a little girl, but far from what i'd call a legit press.

hell i laugh at the guys at the gym who don't even look like they work out, but they put 2x45 plates on each side, then bring the bar about 6 inches from their chest and think that is a rep.

touch your chest with the bar or bust. the only reason people don't do that is because they can't put up as much weight when they do it. i used to be like that in many exercises and would use the excuse that i wasn't flexible enough or it hurt, but then i lowered the weight and started to do it properly, and now i can do way more weight than i could back then.

 

[classy]

did you not see the block that is resting on her chest that keeps the bar about 3 inches from hitting her chest?

it's still impressive for a little girl, but far from what i'd call a legit press.

hell i laugh at the guys at the gym who don't even look like they work out, but they put 2x45 plates on each side, then bring the bar about 6 inches from their chest and think that is a rep.

touch your chest with the bar or bust. the only reason people don't do that is because they can't put up as much weight when they do it. i used to be like that in many exercises and would use the excuse that i wasn't flexible enough or it hurt, but then i lowered the weight and started to do it properly, and now i can do way more weight than i could back then.

All this may be true, but even if she switched to pure a BP like you are describing, she still would hit 205 or so. For a 14 year old girl who ain't that big, its pretty damn good. I know lot of dudes who couldn't handle 330 with any kind of form or shirt. She is a good bench presser and given her age, size, and gender she deserves a little more props than slams. And a LOT of people find fault because they can't handle that much weight so they find any fault in someone else's lift to make an excuse for their weak lifts.

Like Brandon Lilly said, if you criticize, you better be able to do more on the platform to back up what you are saying.

 

[smackababy]

All this may be true, but even if she switched to pure a BP like you are describing, she still would hit 205 or so. For a 14 year old girl who ain't that big, its pretty damn good. I know lot of dudes who couldn't handle 330 with any kind of form or shirt. She is a good bench presser and given her age, size, and gender she deserves a little more props than slams. And a LOT of people find fault because they can't handle that much weight so they find any fault in someone else's lift to make an excuse for their weak lifts.

Like Brandon Lilly said, if you criticize, you better be able to do more on the platform to back up what you are saying.

What? So, since I am not a professional QB I can't criticize a bad decision one makes in the NFL now? I don't care if she can legit lift more than me (which, I debate, considering I was doing 5x5 @ 225 with chest touching and no equipment other than a bench, a bar, and 4 plates).

She is doing some kind of crazy arching crap with a suit on and a block on her chest? I can't watch the video at work, but that is what I take from this thread. Yeah, I'm not impressed. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not easily impressed.

 

[SP33Demon]

did you not see the block that is resting on her chest that keeps the bar about 3 inches from hitting her chest?

it's still impressive for a little girl, but far from what i'd call a legit press.

hell i laugh at the guys at the gym who don't even look like they work out, but they put 2x45 plates on each side, then bring the bar about 6 inches from their chest and think that is a rep.

touch your chest with the bar or bust. the only reason people don't do that is because they can't put up as much weight when they do it. i used to be like that in many exercises and would use the excuse that i wasn't flexible enough or it hurt, but then i lowered the weight and started to do it properly, and now i can do way more weight than i could back then.

Follow Lee's video that I posted above and you'll still touch your chest at 90degrees. If you're benching with your hands directly over your shoulders and bar touching chest, I guarantee you'll be seeing SociallyChallenged to fix your torn rotator and/or popped AC Joint. It has nothing to do with flexibility and everything with going beyond the 90 degree point which I see guys in the gym doing everyday and fucking up their shoulders even worse on incline by doing the same thing. Bench safely or don't bench at all.

Last, can you bench 330 in the way you described (flat back)? I'm close but cannot at around 185lbs. With her equipment I could, but I only do RAW.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

This is impressive even though it may not be all the technically perfect. Most dudes in this forum couldn't even handle 330 let alone attempt to bench it even with a shirt. This 14 year old girl I bet would out bench 50% or more of the entire forum here. To downplay this chick is laughable. Unless you wanna be technically perfect.

50% of the forum? I've been lifting for years and never have put up over 225. This is more than 95% of the forum, probably even 99%.