How Much Time to Bench 225lbs? (1 Plate to 2 Plates Explained!)

So, you want to know how much time to bench 225lbs?

More specifically, how long it’s going to take to get from benching 135lbs to 225lbs.

To be honest, the answer will vary from person-to-person, based on various factors.

So, there is definitely no “one-size-fits-all” to hit a 225lbs bench.

However, in this article I’ll explain the “average” time to get there.

Plus, I’ll also reveal how I significantly increased my bench press in a very short amount of time.

How Much Time to Bench 225lbs?

How much time it takes to increase your bench press from 135lbs to 225lbs will depend on various factors. These include your training experience, weight, genetics, training frequency, as well as nutrition, rest and recovery. That being said, a good average to aim for is increasing your bench by 10-20lbs per month. Therefore, you’re looking at between 4.5 to 9 months to achieve a 225lbs bench press. However, based on the above factors, some people will get there quicker, while others will take longer.

The 225lbs Bench Press Factors to Consider

Okay, I think it’s best that I repeat that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to benching 225lbs.

Realistically, the main reason for this is that we are all different from each other.

Therefore, our bodies react in different ways to training stimulus, and even rest and recovery.

So, in effect, it could take one person a month to get from benching 1 plate to 2 plates, whereas it takes someone else over 4 years.

The main factors you will need to consider are:

• Training Experience
• Weight
• Genetics
• Training Frequency
• Nutrition
• Rest & Recovery

I would also say that age is a factor.

Let’s say for an example that you’re 16-years old, and you’re currently benching 135lbs.

You still have a fair amount of growth potential to go through, in terms of weight and perhaps even height, which can make a huge difference.

That being said, depending on the other factors I’ve mentioned, you may reach 225lbs quicker or slower than others.

As I say, this is very much an individual thing, as we are all different from each other.

I guess you could also add limb length to the list, as this can also affect your bench press potential.

The “Average” Time to Go From 135lbs to 225lbs

All these other things aside, I can give an idea of generally how much time it can take to achieve a 225lbs bench press.

If your starting point is 135lbs, your aim is to progressively overload your bench press on a weekly basis.

However, don’t worry if you’re unable to lift more weight one week to the next.

Progression doesn’t typically happen in a linear fashion, so you may often stall at a particular weight for a few weeks.

But, you simply need to push through this and continue trying to progress.

Plus, don’t forget that even doing one rep more than the previous week, while using the same weight, still counts as progression.

Realistically, your aim should be to add around 2.5-5lbs a week, or 10-20lbs per month.

However, as I say, some weeks you’ll typically find the progression fairly easy, whereas other weeks it seems impossible.

You even have to consider that for some workouts you’re simply not “feeling it”.

We’ve all been there, for whatever reasons, e.g. a poor night’s sleep, no breakfast, feeling ill, etc. you’re just not able to produce a great workout.

That being said, based on the above figures, you are generally looking at 4.5 to 9 months to go from 135lbs to 225lbs.

But, the fact remains, that some of you will achieve this much faster and others will take longer.

How I Increased My Bench Press (In Under a Month)

I’ll introduce you to the method I used to increase my bench press now.

Admittedly, this is what I used when I had actually plateaued at benching 225lbs, but the same principles apply.

However, I remember being stuck at 135lbs for a long time many years before.

I did manage to finally break through the 135lbs barrier, and have obviously reached 225lbs (and above now).

But, I wish I had known back then what I know now.

I actually followed pro-bodybuilder Lee Hayward’s 3-Week Bench Press Specialization Workout.

The basis of the workout was to complete 7 “mini training cycles” during the 3 weeks.

This actually involved bench pressing 5 times a week.

Now, before you start worrying about overtraining or poor recovery, there’s a lot more to this than simply benching as heavy as possible.

Plus, “overtraining” has much more to do with placing excessive stress on your Central Nervous System than anything else.

However, I avoided this with Lee’s training system, as many of the workouts were extremely short.

In fact, out of 5 days of benching, two days simply involved benching for 5 sets of 3 reps.

So, you could literally be out of the gym in 10 minutes.

What About the Rest of Your Training?

You can of course still train other muscle groups and exercises after your bench press session for the day.

That being said, as you are specializing in the bench press for 5 days a week, over 3 weeks, it’s best to simply perform one maintenance workout per week for all other body parts.

Plus, it’s better to avoid the really big compound moves during these 3 weeks, which could potentially affect your bench press workouts, e.g. no heavy squats or deadlifts for 3 weeks.

The other 3 days of benching require you to use much lighter weights, but with a lot more volume.

That being said, even the high-volume workouts would be over in about 20 minutes.

So, even though you’re doing a lot of bench pressing over the course of a week, it still equates to no more than about 80-90 minutes training per week.

Lee claims that you can increase your bench press by 51lbs during the 3-week specialization training.

Unfortunately I didn’t manage to achieve this, but I was still more than happy with a 30lbs increase in just 21 days.

A 225lbs Bench Press is Also Built Outside the Gym

Now, how much time it takes to get to a 225lbs bench press will also largely depend on your nutrition, rest and recovery.

This probably sounds a little hypocritical, as I’ve just spoken about training bench press 5 days a week.

However, that’s the thing about specialization training, it’s short, sharp, and quick.

Basically, you wouldn’t want to follow this type of workout plan for much more than 3 weeks.

If you do, it’s likely that you’ll either get injured or even start going backwards in terms of strength and hypertrophy gains.

So, when you’re training “normally” it’s extremely important that you’re eating enough to support your potential progress.

Plus, don’t forget that your muscles are actually damaged through training, but grow back bigger and stronger while you rest.

7 Fundamentals of Eating For Muscle Growth

Final Thoughts

So, I hope you understand that there is no exact time frame when it comes to going from a 135lbs bench press to 225lbs.

Basically, we are all different from each other and will therefore progress at a different rate.

That being said, a respectable standard to aim for, in terms of progressive overload, is to add 10-20lbs a month to your bench press.

Therefore, using this methodology you can expect to reach 225lbs within 4.5 to 9 months.

But, it doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve reached 225lbs you’ll want to push on. So, I have also discussed how rare it potentially is to reach a 405lbs bench press.