Julius Maddox is arguably one of the strongest — and most popular — powerlifters. He currently holds the bench press all-time world record — 355 kilograms (782 pounds) raw — and has his eyes set on becoming the first man to bench press 800 pounds (362.8 kilograms) raw in a sanctioned powerlifting contest. However, Maddox is making headlines, not for his bench press but his squat this time around.
On April 5, 2022, he posted a video on Instagram of himself hitting a 775-pound raw squat for a single in training and then claiming to have hit an 820-pound squat using a Kabuki Strength Transformer Bar. He performed the lift without using a lifting belt or knee sleeves.
You can check out the video of Maddox’s personal best squat in the video below, courtesy of his Instagram page. The Kentucky native didn’t say how much he weighed at the time of the lifts. However, his competitive bodyweight hovers around 450 pounds.
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Although Maddox claims to have hit an 820-pound raw squat personal best in the same session, he did not post a video of the lift. He also called the personal record “sloppy,” implying that it may not have passed muster in a sanctioned powerlifting competition.
Julius Maddox has competed in 16 sanctioned powerlifting meets throughout his career but has never participated in any other event except the bench press.
The 34-year-old powerlifter last competed at the 2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown III, where he hit a 355-kilogram (782.6-pound) bench press, setting a new raw bench press all-time world record. The Kentucky native beat his own previous bench press world record by 5.8 kilograms, which he had set at the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival.
Iranian powerlifter Danial Zamani is the only man to have bench pressed 800 pounds raw. Zamani’s 365-kilogram (804.7-pound) raw bench press is unofficial as he completed the lift in training. Zamani and Maddox were scheduled to face off in a bench press contest at Iron Wars V on Jan. 24, 2022, but the contest was postponed for reasons unknown.
It will be interesting to see if Maddox will break his monogamous relationship with the bench press in his next competition or will stay loyal to the bench and train for his goal of becoming the first man to bench press 800 pounds officially.
Maddox has tried to break the 800-pound bench press barrier twice but has missed it in both attempts. He first attempted a 363-kilogram (800.3-pound) raw bench press on June 20, 2020, at the Beasts of the Bench but failed as the spotters at the event misloaded the bar. He later attempted an 800-pound lift at Wrigley Field on Aug. 23, 2021, and missed it.
What’s Next?
Maddox rarely posts videos of his squat sessions. Could he be training for a full powerlifting meet? Maybe. He hasn’t publicly stated what his intentions are. Also, while Maddox is undoubtedly a strong dude, he’s got some catching up in the other two lifts.
Currently, Ray Williams holds the heaviest all-time raw squat record with a 490-kilogram (1,080-pound) lift. And Benedikt Magnusson pulled 440 kilograms (970 pounds) in 2005, which still stands as the record. It’s not clear what Maddox deadlifts, but in a February 2022 Instagram post, he says he pulls “775 to 825 [pounds]”.
Of course, he’d smash the current raw bench press record in a full meet, which is 325 kilograms (717 pounds) set by Thomas Davis in Sept. 2021.
This is all speculation, and only time will tell what Maddox has planned. One thing we know for sure: The man knows how to build the hype.
Featured Image: @irregular_strength on Instagram