Iranian powerlifter Danial Zamani has gone where no one has ever gone before. On Feb. 21, 2022, Zamani took to his Instagram page to share a video wherein he hit a 365-kilogram (804.7-pound) bench press raw in training. It is the first time any athlete ever has successfully bench pressed more than 800 pounds raw.
In the video below, Zamani is seen wearing a lifting belt and wrist wraps. He receives a few face slaps from one of his three spotters before casually walking to the bench, centering himself, and then lowering under a 20-kilogram barbell that has six 25-kilogram weight plates, one 20-kilogram weight plate, and a barbell collar on each sleeve. Zamani appears to almost drop the weight down to his chest after sustaining it at the starting position, letting it momentarily rest on his chest, before initiating his leg drive to push it back up to a clean lockout. He did not appear to struggle at any point during the lift. Check it out:
View this post on Instagram
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The above lift was not performed in sanctioned competition; it is not an official world record. However, Zamani made clear in the caption of his post that he is interested in proving he is capable of hitting a similar lift on an official lifting stage:
In close future [sic], I am willing to attempt 800 poounds in an official world-class competition.
Zamani requested that whomever the organizer(s) is that hosts his raw bench press world record attempt in sanctioned competition invite the other “best athletes in the world.” Currently, there is only one athlete capable of lifting a bench press raw in the same range as Zamani — the current raw bench press world record holder Julius Maddox.
[Related: Powerlifter Bill Gillespie Sets All-Time World Record Equipped Bench Press of 512.5 Kilograms (1,129.9 Pounds)]
Maddox first attempted a 363-kilogram (800.3-pound) raw bench press in June 2020 but missed it due to an unfortunate misload that led to him tweaking his pec. He later attempted an 800-pound lift at Wrigley Field on Aug. 23, 2021 and missed it. It was teased that Maddox would attempt 800 pounds again in a bench press battle against Zamani at Iron Wars V initially scheduled for Jan 24, 2022, but it was postponed for reasons unknown.
Path To 804.7-Pound Bench Press
Zamani exploded onto the powerlifting scene as an elite bench press specialist when he was filmed lifting 330 kilograms (727 pounds) in April 2021. The pace at which he added weight to the barbell is nothing short of astounding. Two months after that 330-kilogram lift, Zamani added 7.5 kilograms and locked out 337.5 kilograms (744.1 pounds) in June 2021. One month later, he hit a 347.5-kilogram (766.1-pound) bench press.
In January 2022, Zamani took 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) for a ride, closing in on Maddox’s all-time world record weight of 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds). Zamani exceeded the world record in training when he locked out 360 kilograms (793.7 pounds) on Feb. 7, 2022. Two weeks later, Zamani added another five kilograms to become the first person on film to bench press more than 800 pounds successfully. Considering his caption, we’ll find out where Zamani will compete to attempt the official world record — he stated he would attempt a 356-kilogram (784.9-pound) and a 363-kilogram (800.3-pound) lift.
Featured image: @danialzamani1 on Instagram
