QUOTE(jeremiah2l @ Jul 30 2007, 05:35 PM)
My uncle was big into working out. He is probably 5'7" and I don't really know what he weighed at the time..but he was all muscle and not "huge". He benched like 450 at contests...he was warming up one day with over 300 while my dad was on the way over to spot him and lost control and hurt his back bad....after that he really couldn't work out but still ate the same....he went from peak physical condition to overweight quick...solidly built still, but overweight.
I'm really close to your uncle's height and my high bench was right at 360. Now I couldn't get up 250 for one rep but I wasn't really any more muscular when I was doing 350+ than I am now. I was a little less flabby (180 pounds then, 200 right now). BUt it helps when you're short, usually have short stocky, very stable arms that can push that weight and stay more stable because the fist is much close to your core while a really long armed guy has to push it so much further. But I do feel the effects of lifting, plus just my natural build. Doctor and chiropractor told me I was so overdeveloped through my shoulders and chest while my back wasn't as developed to help that out. I was getting lots of chest type pains that they credit to cervical spine and pinched nerves. When I lift, I just put like 150 on and do high reps, to maintain solid pecs instead of them flabby man boobs. Been on something of a health kick and diet lately, I'm down from 208 to 198 to 200. Want to get down to 175 and maintain that weight. Been hitting my small heavybag a lot, but the attachment rings have ripped off on one side and my bag is only hung by two chains that are on one side so the damn thing isn't hanging right. Gotta really duct tape the hell out of it or get a new bag.