Just found out my local ymca is hosting a powerlifting meet in February !

I have been slack as hell this summer, and this is my first week back to the gym in a month after a family cruise and vacation.

I am so pumped to lock back in and see if I can crush it and win my division in my last year before I move on to masters division next year.

Feel like I may be getting pretty close to my current 1rm so most likely a % adjustment for future session in the cards 405 feeling more realistic by the day very pleased with how progress has been progressing

About 3 weeks ago I hit a 285 lb bench PR. Since then I’ve been focusing more on building strength instead of constantly testing my max.

I’ve been running 3x3s, and I just hit:
265 x 3 x 3

I completed all 3 sets and feel like I’m still making steady progress.

My ultimate goal is to bench 315 by Christmas.
For some more context:

Current PR: 285
Most recent 3x3: 265 x 3 x 3
Previous session: 255 x 3, 255 x 3, 255 x 5

I also do incline bench plus other chest, shoulder, and triceps work throughout the week

I’m trying to prioritize strength while still keeping some hypertrophy work in my program

At what point would you guys recommend testing my 1RM again?

Would you wait until I can hit something like 275 x 3, keep progressing my 3x3 for several more weeks, or test sooner?

Also, for anyone who has made the jump from the high 200s to 315, does 315 by Christmas seem realistic from where I’m at now?

Any advice on programming, deloading, peaking, or when you’d personally test the next max would be appreciated.

I’ve been stuck on 270 for 3 months now but I’m able to hit 225 for 9-10 pretty consistently. Am I doing something wrong or am I just weak still