60's Pressing vs. Benching

[celconicuzn]

As youve stated before, in many years past the press was taken much more seriously than the advent of Benching. The picture you included in SSBBT shows Starr pressing 350.. An amazing feat for someone (I'm guessing) around 185lbs.

How comparable were the bench numbers for strong pressers in Starr's era? At a 350 press, would it be safe to assume a 350 or 400 bench out of him in his prime? How popular was Benching to Olympic litters of that era?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Starr's rule of thumb for a 200-lb man was a 200 press, 300 bench press, 400 squat, 500 deadlift. I don't have the data you want, but you can extrapolate from there. The remarkable thing is that the press is such a diminished skill these days, when it was so basic a thing 50 years ago.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I know I've said some variation of this already but I actually saw this happen. In high school, 1964-1968 for me, the big question was "How much can you press?" By the time I had graduated from college in 1972 it had become, "How much can you bench?"

[mlentzner]

Starr's rule of thumb for a 200-lb man was a 200 press, 300 bench press, 400 squat, 500 deadlift. I don't have the data you want, but you can extrapolate from there. The remarkable thing is that the press is such a diminished skill these days, when it was so basic a thing 50 years ago.

That's my goal...It's going to take awhile.

Wasn't the clean developed to facilitate the pressing of a barbell? This is before racks when everything had to start from the ground. It's ironic that the clean survived, but the clean and press did not.

BTW: Starr looks a lot bigger than 185 in that picture - more like 220+ if you ask me. Still an amazing feat of strength.

Matt

[Briks42]

Rip,

No disrespect meant with this question, but why was your Press comparatively low compared to your other lifts? I believe you said your best Press was 218, compared to a meet bench of 396. Was it just your anthropometry, or did you simply work the bench harder because you were a powerlifter?

[celconicuzn]

Starr's rule of thumb for a 200-lb man was a 200 press, 300 bench press, 400 squat, 500 deadlift. I don't have the data you want, but you can extrapolate from there. The remarkable thing is that the press is such a diminished skill these days, when it was so basic a thing 50 years ago.

These numbers seem quite reasonable for a seasoned lifter.

If you know, was it more common for lifters to train their press in a fashion you advocate, or was it trained similar to the way Starr coached it in the videos you recently added. (by merely technique, not necessarily repsXsets)

[Mark Rippetoe]

why was your Press comparatively low compared to your other lifts? I believe you said your best Press was 218, compared to a meet bench of 396. Was it just your anthropometry, or did you simply work the bench harder because you were a powerlifter?

Because I was a dumbass and didn't train it. I have two shoulder repairs as testament to the stupidity of failing to keep the press in proportion.

[Steve Hill]

Because I was a dumbass and didn't train it. I have two shoulder repairs as testament to the stupidity of failing to keep the press in proportion.

I have had reputable (hah!) coaches in another sport (three guesses, first two don't count) swear up and down that weightlifting will not protect one from injury in this other sport (or any other event that is not specific to the motion of the lift performed).

In other news, many people are still fucking morons.

[Briks42]

Because I was a dumbass and didn't train it. I have two shoulder repairs as testament to the stupidity of failing to keep the press in proportion.

I figured it was something like that. Well, thanks for letting us learn from your mistakes.

[od1]

Starr's rule of thumb for a 200-lb man was a 200 press, 300 bench press, 400 squat, 500 deadlift.

Wouldn't it be great if every male high school student graduated with these numbers?