Three years of grinding. Here's what it looks like in cold, hard kilograms.
Current 1RM Bench Press — Last tested March 2025
Key milestones from day one to now.
60 kg. Struggled badly. The bar felt like it weighed a ton. But something clicked — this was the lift.
Six months in. Switched from machines to free weights exclusively. Hired an online coach for form checks.
The psychological barrier. Two 45s each side. Took a photo. Still the lock screen on his phone.
Pushed too hard, skipped warm-ups. Six weeks off the bench. The darkest chapter. Learned about face pulls and rotator cuff work the hard way.
Came back smarter. Proper warm-up, form reset, conservative loading. Hit 110 within 3 months of returning.
New PR. Changed programming to 5/3/1 variant. The consistency finally started compounding.
Clean lift, no spotter touch. Video confirmed. Next stop: 160 kg before end of 2025.
Three years of trial, error, and occasionally pain.
The shoulder injury cost 2 months of progress. Face pulls, rotator cuff work, and proper warm-ups are non-negotiable now.
The biggest gains came from consistent, boring progression — not from attempting a new max every session.
8 hours of sleep beats any supplement. Michael tracks sleep as seriously as he tracks lifts.