Bench press 225

How to do well on the 225 bench press max rep test!

Want to know how to bench press 225 pounds for as many reps as possible? In this article, I will discuss the 225 bench press test and how to structure your training to maximize your performance on this test.

Why bench press 225?

The 225 pound bench press test is used as one of the markers for strength at the National Football League's combine. As a result, this test has drawn quite a bit of interest from both NFL hopefuls and gym enthusiasts. Even if you are not on a college football team, it can be pretty fun to see how you stack up against your favorite players!

How to structure your training to bench press 225 for as many reps as possible:

When it comes to training to bench press 225 for as many reps as possible, there are two things that we should focus on: strength endurance and max strength.

Strength endurance is obvious as some of the bigger players are repping out 225 for 30+ reps at the combine. As a result, I recommend training this quality once per week. In this training session, we will focus on lifting a moderate load for as many reps as possible.

Max strength portion is not quite as obvious, but just as important. In order to get a lot of reps with 225, it is important that a 225 bench press is very easy for you to lift.

How much strength do you need? Researchers have reported that max strength is directly correlated to max bench press with loads as low as 50 percent of the lifter's one rep max.

In simpler terms, this means that you will be able to improve your max rep test results by improving your max rep bench press up until your max is twice as high as whatever you are trying to rep.

So, if your goal is to bench press 225 for reps, each pound you add to your max bench up to 450 pounds will improve your max rep test performance. Since very few people in the world can bench press 450 pounds without equipment, nearly everyone could improve could stand to improve their max bench press in order to bench press 225 for more reps.

As a result, I recommend focusing on your max bench one of the days of the week as well.

A sample training program might look like this:

Monday: Max bench day. On this day you would work up to a 3 to 5 rep max on the bench press. You might then work on a few sets of 8-12 on the flat bench before moving on to some back and arm work, depending on your other goals.

Tuesday: Day off

Wednesday: Leg training or another body part, depending on your goals

Thursday: Max rep bench press. On this day you would work up to one all-out set of a weight that you could press 15 to 25 times, even if that is less than a 225 bench press. You would then move on to more bench assistance work and back and/or arm work.

Friday: off day

Saturday: Another leg or upper body weight training session depending upon your goals.

Sunday: off day

The structure of your workouts can vary based off of whatever your other goals are. You should avoid doing any direct chest, shoulder, or triceps work on the day before your bench day as you want to be fresh for bench pressing. You also want to always bench first in your workout for that same reason.

Conclusion

Being able to bench press 225 for reps is not nearly as difficult as you might think. By benching twice a week, being consistent, and eating enough calories, you can bench press 225 for as many (or more) reps as your favorite NFL player. 

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