On May 10, 2022, Julius Maddox took another large step toward his goal of bench pressing 800 pounds raw. Maddox posted a video of himself in training on his Instagram page wherein he bench presses 361 kilograms (796 pounds) raw. The video can be seen in the Instagram reel below:
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[Related: World Record Training — Powerlifter Tiffany Chapon (47KG) Squats 166 Kilograms Raw in the Gym]
There were three spotters on standby, and Maddox was wearing a lifting belt and wrist wraps when he completed the lift. Aside from the pause on the bottom, the bar never stalled on its way up to lockout. This lift comes less than one month after he pressed 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds) for four reps.
In the caption of his post, Maddox wrote that this was a big hurdle for him to cross, but he had some extra motivation to help him break his plateau.
I’ve missed this weight +10 times. Hearing my little girls ask me when I will hit 800 pounds is enough for me to lay it all on the line.
This is the most weight that Maddox has lifted successfully on film. It’s also six kilograms more than his official world record lift of 355 kilograms (782 pounds), which he set in February of 2021.
Maddox’s new PR comes almost three months after Danial Zamani of Iran posted a video of himself benching 365 kilograms (804 pounds) on Feb. 21, 2022. Zamani pledged to lift 800 pounds or more in a competition after his lift was posted, but he has yet to compete in a sanctioned meet as of this writing.
This is bigger than a title for me. It’s about the long-lasting impact I leave for my kids and family. They fall on hard times and need some motivation!
Maddox is working with coach Josh Bryant on his personal pursuit of the 800 pound mark. BarBend reached out directly to Maddox for his thoughts on when he would attempt to become the first man to eclipse the 800-pound milestone in competition. While he didn’t reveal a date or event, he did say he wouldn’t waste time trying to break 800 pounds officially.
Soon, my friend. Time will always tell if something is counterfeit.
The next time that Maddox attempts 800 pounds will be his third overall. His first crack at it was in June of 2020, but the barbell was misloaded when he un-racked it, and he could not complete the lift afterwards. His second official attempt came at Wrigley Park in Chicago, IL, on June 10, 2021. That time, the bar was loaded with the correct weight, but he missed the lift. The man known for “irregular strength” hopes that the third time will be the charm, whenever that occasion may be.
Featured Image: @irregular_strength on Instagram
