The projected max got there before the actual lift did. I hit 275 for 5 reps on December 9, 2022, which projects to a 320 lb estimated one-rep max via the Epley formula. I did load 320 on the bar shortly after just to say I’d actually touched it. But the data already called it. That took almost four years of training, two years of spinning my wheels, and one program that finally made the difference.
The Starting Line Link to heading
January 23, 2019. First logged bench press: 65 lbs. StrongLifts 5x5. I started with basically an empty barbell and worked up from there.
The noob gains were unreal. In three months I went from 65 to 190 for reps. I didn’t tell anyone I started lifting and people noticed just from the way I looked. StrongLifts is a very good beginner program and I owe a lot of my foundation to it.
By April 2019, my lifts looked like this:
| Lift | Working Weight | Estimated 1RM |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 275 x 5 | ~320 lbs |
| Bench | 190 x 5 | ~215 lbs |
| Deadlift | 325 x 1 | ~380 lbs |
| OHP | 115 x 3 | ~135 lbs |
Then the progress stopped.
Two Years of Program Hopping Link to heading
From mid-2019 through early 2021, I rotated through every program I could find: Madcow, GreySkull LP, 5/3/1 BBB (87 sessions on that one alone), Triumvirate, Metallicadpa’s PPL. Classic program hopping. I kept looking for the magic fix that would restart the noob gains.
It didn’t exist. My bench was stuck in the 185 to 225 lb working weight range for two full years. E1RM ceiling: around 260. I was also not eating enough during stretches of this (around 1,500 calories a day with maybe 75 to 100g of protein). Trying to get stronger on a cut is like trying to build a house while rationing the lumber.
In hindsight, I needed two things: more food and more bench volume. No program was going to fix undereating.
nSuns Changed Everything Link to heading
April 5, 2021. I started nSuns 531 LP, the 5-day version. Working weight: 190 lbs. This is where the actual story begins.
nSuns benches you twice a week. Each session starts with a max-effort top set (AMRAP: as many reps as possible), followed by a long descending ladder of back-off sets. The volume is significantly higher than anything I’d run before. More importantly, the AMRAP structure means you can set rep PRs and push your estimated max higher without ever needing to grind a true one-rep max.
I also finally started eating properly. More calories, more protein, and my bodyweight climbed along with the numbers.
The E1RM progression from there was relentless:
| Date | Top Set | Estimated 1RM | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2021 | 190 x 4 | 215 | nSuns begins |
| Apr 30, 2021 | 235 x 6 | 282 | PR |
| May 14, 2021 | 240 x 6 | 288 | PR |
| Aug 13, 2021 | 250 x 5 | 292 | PR |
| Aug 20, 2021 | 250 x 6 | 300 | First time cracking 3 plates |
| Sep 3, 2021 | 250 x 7 | 308 | PR |
| Feb 10, 2022 | 265 x 5 | 309 | PR |
| Sep 23, 2022 | 240 x 9 | 312 | PR via reps, not weight |
| Dec 9, 2022 | 275 x 5 | 321 | All-time peak |
195 bench press sessions on nSuns over roughly 20 months. The program that finally moved the needle was the one that had me benching twice a week with serious volume.
The Peak Day Link to heading
December 9, 2022. Standard nSuns session. Warmup sets, build to 220 x 5, then 245 x 3, then the top set: 275. I hit 5 clean reps. Epley formula puts that at 320.8 lbs. At around 220 lbs bodyweight, that’s a 1.46x bodyweight bench. By most strength classification charts, that’s “Advanced.”
Shortly after, I did load up 320 and grind out a single just so I could say I actually benched over 315. It counted. But the projected max from the 275x5 got me there first, and the data point that mattered was already in the log.
Rep PRs are real PRs. The Epley formula is well validated for sets in the 3 to 8 rep range. And chasing rep maxes is a lot safer for your joints than grinding ugly singles.
What Actually Worked Link to heading
The right program. nSuns gave me the frequency and volume my bench needed. Two bench days a week with AMRAP top sets and plenty of back-off volume. Before nSuns, I’d been benching once a week on most programs. That wasn’t enough stimulus.
Eating enough. This was the biggest unlock during the plateau years. You cannot gain strength on 1,500 calories. Once I committed to actually fueling the training, the stalls broke. Eat more protein than you think you need.
Accessories that transferred. Paused bench presses and weighted dips were the two accessories that helped my bench the most. Paused reps eliminate the stretch reflex and build strength out of the hole. Weighted dips hammer the triceps and chest in a way that carries over directly.
Time. From first bench press to peak E1RM: 3 years, 10.5 months. Over a thousand total workouts logged. There’s no shortcut here. The work just has to get done.
The Numbers Link to heading
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Training start | January 23, 2019 |
| First bench set | 65 lbs |
| Peak E1RM | 320.8 lbs (275 x 5) |
| Peak date | December 9, 2022 |
| Time to peak | ~3 years, 10.5 months |
| Program that drove the peak | nSuns 531 LP |
| Bench sessions on nSuns | 195 |
| Bodyweight at peak | ~220 lbs |
| Bodyweight multiple | 1.46x |
Check out my strength training dashboard for more details along side some pretty charts and graphs.