Need some Friday motivation to carry you through the holiday weekend and your next lift? Look no further than this insane 585 lb paused incline bench from Johnnie Harris.
Harris absolutely annihilated the first rep, and nearly took this weight for a double. Granted for Harris, a 585 lb bench press has become pretty routine in his training, but on an incline bench? Now, that’s another story.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen an athlete share an incline bench press this heavy. In fact, the last time we wrote about an incline press to this magnitude was last August when the one and only Larry Wheels took 585 lbs for a ride.
For someone like Harris — who according to a video he posted on YouTube about his power building shoulder workout — he’s all about being a “power builder”, as opposed to a “powerlifter.”
If you’re new to powerbuilding, it’s a training style that combines the heavy compounds of powerlifting and the hypertrophy focus of bodybuilding. “I want the aesthetics and the strength at the same time,” Harris said on YouTube.
In a more recent Instagram video, Harris highlighted his bench press strength by tackling a 655 lb paused bench press and 585 lb decline press. In the caption he wrote, “Yall wanted a pause…here’s 655×1 paused & 585×1 decline bench”. Check them out below.
Addressing the elephant in the room, yes, the pause on Harris’ 655 lb bench press would most likely not pass by most competition standards, but it’s a huge training lift nonetheless, and it shows potential of what Harris can hopefully officially do in competition one day.
As of right now, we’re uncertain when Harris will take the platform next, but we’re psyched for the next time he does. For the time being, we think him and Wheels should get together and have an epic bench day.
Feature image from @power__bbuilder Instagram page.