It all started two years ago. I was training in double ply meets mainly for the bench press. I just missed 500 lbs at a body weight of 165 lbs. I never thought I would get close to that.
I eventually benched in a UPA meet. I got 455 lbs at a body weight of 165 lbs, and according to Powerlifting USA, I believe I was ranked in the top 15. I knew I wasn’t even close to what I could do. Then things started happening. Some of my training partners stopped lifting. My son was about five or six months old. With daycare, I couldn’t afford to travel to a good powerlifting gym. (Gas was at times more than $3 a gallon in 2008.) I had my sights set on the USAPL bench nationals. I had a single ply bench shirt that was nice and tight, and I weighed about 170 lbs.
USAPL requires that you weigh in the day of the meet about two hours before your group lifts. I needed to diet slowly so that I didn’t lose strength and made weight. I did get 455 lbs in the gym single ply, but it was an ugly bench with terrible form. But the bottom line was I couldn’t afford to travel, so I couldn’t compete. I was living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the meet was in Charlotte, North Carolina. Oh well.
I needed help. I was working two jobs and my wife was working two jobs. Plus we were paying for daycare. And then it happened. I had previously competed in bodybuilding. Muscle Tech contacted me and decided to sponsor me with before and after pictures plus one bodybuilding contest a year.
I had been trying to do both and it was tough, though rotating carbs and keeping them under control seemed to work for me. I weighed 158 lbs and benched 297.5 lbs raw, which isn’t great, but it was a USAPL American record for lifters 40–44 years old in the165-lb weight class. I probably weighed 156 lbs because I ate before weigh-ins. I still received first place in the Bench RAW by Formula for the 40–44-year-old masters in the Battle of the Border. I really only trained a couple months for it. The Battle of the Border was in March 2010.
I qualified for the USAPL Bench Nationals in Charlottesville, Virginia, but I still had my Muscle Tech sponsor. I wanted to stay lean and bench well in a shirt at a weight of 165–170 lbs. I benched well, but I was weighing 156–158 lbs.
I did bench 360 lbs at a body weight of 156 lbs, but I was called for beating the press command and ended with 345 lbs. It turned out to be a SPF single ply record for 40–44-year-old masters in the 165-lb class. I weighed 156 lbs.
I’ve still been training for both bodybuilding to stay lean and the single ply bench press. The USAPL Bench Nationals finally arrived, and I ended with 369 lbs. I weighed 160 lbs and was the lightest in my weight class I believe. I still went with the same single ply shirt. It fit well at 170 lbs. I weighed in at 160 lbs after eating again. I was also national champ in the 45–49-year-old masters and 165-lb class for the bench. It was a decent day, especially considering it was my first national USAPL meet.
I just about had 380 lbs, but they took the bar. Oh well. I’m on the list for the USAPL Arnold Classic bench now, but I’m sure I have no chance with my current bench. All in all, it was a good day. They have long pauses. The bar must be motionless, not just stopped, and your feet must be flat on the floor.
Now I have another bodybuilding contest. I’m dieting and rotating carbs. More often than not, my carbs are down. My plan after bodybuilding is to stay lean but gain some weight and give benching a shot again at the USAPL bench nationals. There are some great benchers at that meet and it’s a very strict format.
I just need to gain a few pounds, get a tighter shirt, and get some heavy bench training in. Hopefully, I’ll be able to demonstrate that you can stay lean, be strong, and compete at a high level in the bench press.