Larry Wheels is one of the most well-known powerlifters in the game and for good reason. The man spends his time hanging out and eating sushi with some of the strongest men on the planet, Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson. He sometimes trains with 2019 Mr. Olympia Champion Brandon Curry. He has set powerlifting records in three different weight classes; -110kg, -125kg, and -140kg. Currently, Wheels holds the world record bench press in the -140kg class; a 292.5kg/645lb bench press from the 2020 Xtreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) Arnold.
Just one month ago, Wheels PR’d his bench press. It was a 295kg/650lb lift that would have most likely been an all-time world record had it been performed in competition. He even attempted bench pressing an unimaginable 317.5kg/700lb in November of last year but unfortunately missed.
Even though much of the world is currently in quarantine due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Wheels is not letting that slow him down from training. The last couple of weeks has involved some pretty major adjustments given that many gyms have not been open. Wheels’ focus has seemed to be building up his overhead press.
Check out this Instagram post below of Wheels using his couch just a tad bit differently than most during this ongoing pandemic:
We are not quite sure of the specific weight of that reclining couch, but based on the wide stance Wheels’ implemented and the obvious challenge it was to stabilize it overhead, it probably had some decent heft. Wheels’ quarantine training regimen has gotten pretty creative. Even without access to heavy furniture, he has found workarounds to replace actual weights.
Wheels can be seen below overhead pressing two people hanging from a ladder in front of a pool in Dubai:
“Dear Dubai, please open gyms.”
Whenever those gyms do open up again, we’re excited to see Wheels take another shot at that 317.5kg/700lb bench press.
Feature image from Larry Wheel’s Instagram page: @larrywheels
