The bench press is more than just a great exercise for improving upper body strength and building muscles in your chest, triceps and shoulders. It's a portfolio of your work in the gym, a way that people can tell how committed you are to the iron. Ask someone their bench press maximum and you're well on the way to answering the question, "Do you even lift, bro?"

The bench press is not something you can get good at overnight, or that some people with natural skill can immediately pick up and do better than experienced lifters. On the bench press, we all have to start at the same level – some of us begin by just lifting the 45-pound bar or adding a few small plates to give themselves more of a challenge. As you gain strength in your upper body by repeating the bench press motion, you can pack on more and larger plates to build your strength. 

The first milestone is the ability to lift 135 pounds, or two of the largest plates available at most gyms (45 pounds each), plus the bar (45 pounds). More advanced lifters can stack two 45-pound plates on either side of the bar for a total of 225 pounds, an impressive level of strength. If you can bench more than 225 pounds, you're clearly someone who has been dedicated to training for quite a while.

Are you a newbie to the bench or a barrel-chested veteran? Step up to the bar, answer our questions, and you can find out for yourself.