It should come as no surprise that Julius Maddox is recalibrating what is possible on the bench press. The 33-year-old powerlifter has performed mind-bogglingly heavy bench presses. The biggest highlights include his current world record 350-kilogram (770-pound) raw bench press at the Xtreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) Slingshot Showdown at the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival and his 335-kilogram (740-pound) bench press that was nearly a double.
He has proven his ability to perform incredible volume training such as 50 reps of 238 kilograms (525 pounds), 272 kilograms (600 pounds) for nine reps, and training sessions totaling 400 reps. The elite bench press specialist is kicking off 2021 with a bang by knocking out a 322-kilogram (710-pound) raw bench press triple PR. At one point in time, 710 pounds was the raw bench press world record, set by Maddox.
Check out how much the bar bends as he slings the weight up and down via the video below:
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JUST GETTING STARTED.
That caption is a little misleading. After all, Maddox is far from getting started when it comes to moving the benchmarks to what a human is capable of in the bench press. However, it could be a nod to his intentions of being the first human to successfully perform the milestone bench press of 363 kilograms (800 pounds).
[Related: Bench Press Guide With IPF World Champion Taylor Atwood]
800-Pound Bench Press
On June 27, 2020, Maddox attempted to hit a new world record bench press of 363 kilograms (800 pounds) as part of the World’s Ultimate Strongman’s (WUS) “Feats of Strength” series. Even though it was arguably the most hyped bench press attempt in the sport’s history, the event tanked following a misload that tweaked Maddox’s right pec. You can see the blunder that was in the video below:
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Having a misload at a weight that heavy is no joke. It can be easy to read about top lifters pushing massive weights and not fully realize just how much weight they are moving. According to Motorcyclist Lifestyle, most motorcycles weigh approximately 181 kilograms (400 pounds). That means Maddox was stabilizing the equivalent of two motorcycles of his chest.
If one were to assume anything about Maddox’s trajectory in 2021, it should likely be that he will take a second crack at that 363-kilogram (800-pound) lift. When that attempt will happen specifically is anybody’s guess, but we hope that for his second go-around, the weight will be loaded correctly.
Feature image from Julius Maddox’s Instagram page: @irregular_strength
