When the current all-time raw bench press world record holder hits a new personal record in training, the capacity of what is humanly possible on a weight bench expands. On April 24, 2022, Julius Maddox laid back under a barbell loaded with 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds) and locked it out for four consecutive reps — a new PR.
Along with the help of three spotters who looked on as Maddox flung the barbell from his chest to the top of the lockout, Maddox wore a pair of wrist wraps and a lifting belt for the PR set. He is presumably building up for another all-time raw bench press world record attempt — the first 800-pound raw bench press in sanctioned competition. Check out the massive 700-pound bench press quadruple in the video below, courtesy of Maddox’s Instagram page:
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At the time of this article’s publication, it seems there are only two athletes with the ability to lift 800 pounds in sanctioned competition — Maddox and his recent rival in the space, Danial Zamani. While Maddox still has claim to the all-time raw bench press world record of 355 kilograms (786.2 pounds) from the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown III, according to Open Powerlifting, Zamani has claim to the first-ever successful raw bench press over 800 pounds.
Zamani scored a raw 365-kilogram (804.7-pound) bench press on Feb. 21, 2022. Since both Zamani and Maddox compete in the superheavyweight category, had Zamani performed the lift in competition, he would have ousted Maddox as the raw world record holder. The two men were once scheduled to compete in a bench press battle at the Iron Wars V in January 2022, but that contest never occurred for reasons unclear.
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Since eclipsing 800 pounds in the bench press, Zamani has focused on improving his deadlift. He shared multiple videos on his Instagram page pulling rather heavy, including 345 kilograms (749.8 pounds) with lifting straps.
Maddox has yet to join Zamani in the 800-pound club, but it is likely only a matter of time before he does. The question that lingers is whether there will be another opportunity for Maddox and Zamani to clash in competition for the raw bench press world record. If/when that matchup happens, it will attract the attention of the powerlifting world. Until then, we’ll see how many more PRs Maddox can post before making another 800-pound bench press attempt.
Featured image: @irregular_strength on Instagram
