Question for Michael Wolf

[MarinePMI]

In another post you stated "But very few people press 75% of their bench."

Why is that? Is 75% a good ratio of press to bench? I know most of the SSC's hate ratios, as some people take it too literally (ala the proposed weight to height table that has come, gone, come back again, and then disappeared again).

I'm just curious where your thinking was one this...

[Michael Wolf]

I know most of the SSC's hate ratios, as some people take it too literally (ala the proposed weight to height table that has come, gone, come back again, and then disappeared again).

Correct - similar to BMI, sometimes such things can be useful for broad generalizations about large populations, but not about the specific situation of any one individual within that population.

I'm just curious where your thinking was one this...

I don't mean to be insulting, but: Do you even lift, bro? If you perform both lifts and have watched even just a few others perform both lifts (at the gym, not even as a coach), and have thought about it just a little bit, the reasons are fairly self explanatory and obvious. Without more experience, you might not know what the exact normal range is - for example, that pressing 75% of your bench is rare and that most press a lower % - but once given that info, the reasons why do not require much beyond very basic experience and some critical thought.

I'm going to assume you lift, and that, since you're posting here on this forum, that you train both the press and the bench. So let's make this a useful little exercise in critical thinking: you tell me why I said that.

[MarinePMI]

LOL! Touche' I asked only because I had never seen the reference made before.

As to the thinking exercise, I can think (off the top of my head) two reasons; one physiological the other psychological.

Psychologically, I think most guys focus more on bench than press (the whole appearance, it's "what we can see in the mirror" sort of thing), and so bench would see more strength gain just based on more focus/work on that lift.

From a physiological sense, I'd say that the bench tends to be much higher than press due to the assistance of other muscles and a firmer base to exert force against the bar (the bench is solid, and there aren't as many joints that have to be locked to not lose force like the press). I'd think that the amount of total muscle mass that can be applied against the bar is just more for the bench as well.

Do I pass or fail?

[Michael Wolf]

Since we are assuming someone trains both with relatively equal focus, per Starting Strength (at least the Novice phase, and commonly into SS lifters' Intermediate and even Advanced phases too), that rules out psychologically. We're not talking about bros at the globo.

The second answer is on the right track. You have the bench to brace against in the bench, whereas your own body has to provide the stability in the press, which - as you alluded to probably without realizing it - has a much longer kinetic chain. Namely: the entire body, from toes to hands. Versus the only your upper back to your hands in the bench.

The other reason is simply that being in a position to push against the weight while lying supine allows the use of a lot more pectoral muscle in the movement, compared to the press.

[MarinePMI]

Thanks for the clarification!

Tim

[Michael Wolf]

You are quite welcome, sir.

[TommyGun]

Wow. I just did the math, and I am nowhere close to that 75%. Even a one rep semi-max press would not equal 75% of my bench sets of fahves. Based on my the massive population I just scientifically sampled, Wolf's statement is valid across all sample sizes.

63% ratio here, and I don't see that ratio increasing. Even as my bench increases, the corresponding increase in my press would still be approximately linear to the bench. Basically, I will likely never see 75%. But I agree with Wolf, don't focus on that ratio. Just get stronger and keep getting the numbers higher.