Johnnie Harris isn’t your typical powerlifter. He calls himself a “power builder,” a form of training that aims to take the best of powerlifting and bodybuilding to create a strong, aesthetically pleasing physique. Something he’s doing is working — one would assume that if you are able to bench 625 pounds, or 285 kilograms. for two reps, that you have some seriously impressive upper body power.
His latest performance is showing that he’s pretty close to closing in on that 700-pound benchmark. Harris shared his 625-pound double on his Instagram and kept it simple with his caption just writing, “625×2.” Watch the magic unfold below — he completes the lifts with a pause.
[Interested in this type of training? Here’s everything you should know about powerbuilding programs.]
His bench press strength only keeps getting better. Just over a month or so ago he showed off an insane incline paused bench press for 585 pounds. We’ve seen Harris press 585 pounds before, but with an incline bench this showed off a whole new level of strength and progression in his bench press training. He also casually did a 590 pound triple earlier this month, which you can see below. This man loves paused lifts.
When it comes to growing your bench press, it isn’t just about doing more benching. By adding in flat, incline and decline bench press into your training routine, you can improve your bench press by targeting different areas of the chest and triceps. Harris has also been seen before doing dips in his training with four plates (that’s 180 lbs total) hanging from his frame. Dips are another key exercise used to develop serious strength in the triceps and lower pecs, and they’re great for improving lockout in the bench.
[Read more: 6 elite powerlifters share underrated accessory exercises.]
We’re excited to see Harris continue killing his bench press game, and we’re now just wondering when he’ll hit that 700 mark.
Featured image from @power__bbuilder Instagram page.