All-time raw bench press world record holder Julius Maddox is known for his pressing prowess but has “irregular strength” in movements beyond the bench press. On March 18, 2024, Maddox published a video of himself on his Instagram page performing what he called a “seated press” with 260 kilograms (573 pounds) in a squat rack during a recent training session.
Maddox performed the lift while attending the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival UK event in Birmingham, England. Check out the monstrous press below in Maddox’s video titled “Heaviest Raw Seated Shoulder Press Ever.”
After receiving encouragement from training partners, Maddox sat on the adjustable weight bench with the back pad set at a high incline position. Once prepared, Maddox unracked the barbell with the assistance of a spotter.
While looking up, Maddox lowered the barbell below his chin before executing the press. Once the loaded barbell was high enough, Maddox returned it to the rack before fully locking out the elbows. While it appeared he could have held the weight at the top of the rep, he re-racked the weight in a smooth motion toward the top of the press.
Maddox wore wrist wraps but had no other supportive equipment during the lift. Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman was among the witnesses to Maddox’s latest exhibition of power.
There is no established world record for a seated barbell press because it is not a lift performed in a sanctioned powerlifting competition. Still, experts looking for a heavier version of this lift would have difficulty doing so. The incline angle of the weight bench was high enough to recruit more effort from the front delts than the pecs, but there were comments on Maddox’s post pointing out that the back pad of the bench was not set to a seated position and the lift was more akin to an incline bench press.
Nonetheless, Maddox’s lift appeared as a speed rep, meaning he likely could have done more if needed. This is another step in his journey to become the first human to raw bench press 800 pounds in a sanctioned meet.
Maddox concluded in his caption that he would be ready to perform that 800-pound lift “soon.” No verified date has been announced at the time of this article’s publication. Maddox holds the raw bench press world record at 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds).
Featured Reel: @irregular_strength on Instagram
