YMCA bench press test

The YMCA bench press test measures upper body muscular endurance with a fixed resistance for every client of a given sex, a measure of absolute endurance.^{1Schoenfeld and Snarr (eds.), NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, 3rd ed., p. 245.} Men lift 80 pounds (36 kg), and women lift 35 pounds (16 kg).^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 292.}

A metronome set to 60 beats per minute gives a pace of 30 repetitions per minute: one beat up, one beat down.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 292.} With a shoulder-width grip, the client lowers the bar to the chest and presses to full extension in time with the beat.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 292.} The test ends when the client can no longer keep pace, and the score is the number of repetitions completed.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 292.},^{3Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 321.}

The NSCA’s norms, adapted from the YMCA, put the 50th percentile for ages 18 to 25 at 26 reps for men and 21 for women, and the 90th percentile at 44 and 42, respectively.^{3Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 321.}

In practice

• Teach the bench press first, then spot closely from the head of the bench to assist on a failed rep and help rack the bar.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 292.}
• Keep absolute and relative endurance separate: ACSM describes relative endurance testing as counting reps at a set percentage of one-rep max, such as 70%, at pretesting and posttesting.^{4Ozemek et al., ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 12th ed., p. 244.}
• The NSCA attributes the different loads for men and women to differences in upper body strength, an example of fitting the test to the client.^{5Schoenfeld and Snarr (eds.), NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, 3rd ed., p. 194.}
• Consider this instead of the push-up test when clients can manage only a few push-ups; the NSCA says it’s more accurate if they have lifting experience.^{5Schoenfeld and Snarr (eds.), NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, 3rd ed., p. 194.}