NFL Combine

[lifter285]

You mentioned you don't follow sports but nevertheless what do you think of the NFL combine bench press? (Repping 225 for as many reps as possible.) The average this year is 24 reps. Is this really a good indication of anything? To me this just tells me player A can lay on a bench and press X weight off his chest more times than player B. 225 is a nice number and two plates can easily be slid on to the bar. Wouldn't something like 275 be more practical for these athletes and actually provide a better measure of strength?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The 225 tells them what they need to know. The guys that run the NFL combine are not strength professionals. They have to test a roomful of guys at one time, they need to use equipment that is easily managed and familiar to all the kids they test, and 225 is a common loading. A guy that does 35 reps is stronger than a guy that does 8. That's what they want to know.

[DirtyRed]

Don't mistake what they do for actual bench pressing. Every rep is bounced off the chest and half aren't locked out at the top.

Never mind that bench press is probably the most irrelevant of the Big 5, but this

They have to test a roomful of guys at one time, they need to use equipment that is easily managed and familiar to all the kids they test,

Is probably why they stick with bench instead of something more useful like a squat or clean.

[SivariKing]

Never mind that bench press is probably the most irrelevant of the Big 5

I don't want to nitpick too much, but still, I was wondering, in what context do you mean this? If youre talking about athletics and perofrmance on the football field or whatever, then you're most definitely in all probability correct ( not that I have any experience with athletics, but it would only make sense that hip/leg/back strength is more important than arm, front shoulder and chest strength).

Hovewer, in any other context, I don't know. The bench seems to build the upper body pretty well, though not everyone gets the same result from it. I, for example will probably always suck at the bench. Just the way I'm built, I can't change my arm length or make my collarbones wider, or generally alter my bone structure. Hovewer, some guys seem to get pretty swole by just mainly focusing on their bench strength. Meaning, it's the only lift they treat as a "strength" lift as far as increasing the weight and reps go. My cousin seems to be one of these guys. In his own words. he benches 140kg at 195cm and 95kg and he probably doesn't even know what a properly performed squat, deadlift, press or power clean look like. But his chest and shoulders are still pretty swole.

As for "the big 5", I wonder how many guys in the end truly obtain the results from these lifts implied by their status as "big" lifts. For me, it would have been more like "big 2", as I was only able to increase my squat and deadlift numbers to the degree that it made any difference as far as gaining strength and muscle went. And chinups too, so make it "big 3" for me. But in the end, we're all different so it would be a little silly to expect the exact same results with an exercise as somebody with a completely different bodytype and initial strength level.

Sorry for the rant, I'm looking forward to proving myself wrong as soon as I get surgery on my knee. Then I can experience "the big 5" (+ front squats) as they were meant to be experienced!!!

[meetch]

I'd like to see them squatting 225 or 315 for as many reps as possible.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd like to see them squatting 225 or 315 for as many reps as possible.

Why? Entertainment?

[Joe Cavazos]

I remember hearing someone involved with the process say that the Bench Press test is used to measure strength -and- gauge how much time the kid spends in the gym. The reasoning being that muscular endurance is something that responds well to practice, i.e. just doing it a lot. So if you figure two guys are about the same strength, but one benched for 20 reps and the other benched for 30, you can assume the second guy put in more time at the weight room and thus has a better work ethic.

Of course without knowing their strength/endurance ratio, speculating on how much time they spend in the gym is just that. But it's an interesting possibility.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Its also a good test of professionalism. i.e. who is going to spend the time and the money in the offseason to properly prepare for the test and who is just gonna party the whole time and slack off. Its a decent indicator of what their work ethic might be at the next level where guys can't just get by on God-given talent alone.

I have a friend here in Houston that has done some pro scouting. He will always re-iterate that the main thing they look at is size and speed. If that combo is right then weightroom strength becomes a little less relevant.

[meetch]

Why? Entertainment?

Sure.

I'd like to see Jesus appear too.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd like to see Jesus appear too.

Dude. Buzzkill.