Powerlifter Daniel Ryjov competes in the 110-kilogram weight class. On Nov. 2, 2021, he took to his Instagram to challenge those who critique his paused lifts. According to the caption of the post, Ryjov was inspired to perform a heavy bench press of 274.4 kilograms (605 pounds) with a five-second pause — noticeably extended for effect. The lift was done in response to “people saying [his] “pauses” aren’t paused enough.”
Although the lift is far from one of the heaviest bench presses of all time, it is still rack-shakingly hefty. Check out Ryjov’s lift in the video below, which he performed wearing wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and a lifting belt, and with Samantha Sanders as his spotter:
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According to Open Powerlifting, Ryjov competed in a single sanctioned powerlifting meet in 2017 at age 23. He won gold at the 2017 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) SMG’s March Mayhem with the following performance:
- Squat — 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds)
- Bench Press — 207.5 kilograms (457.4 pounds)
- Deadlift — 300 kilograms (661.4 pounds)
- Total — 782.5 kilograms (1,725.1 pounds)
The 27-year-old athlete has tacked on at least 67 kilograms (147.7 pounds) to his bench press in the last 4.5 years. The 274.5-kilogram (605-pound) lift he paused with is 2.5 times his competition bodyweight. His PR with that weight was scored on Oct. 9, 2021, when he successfully hit three reps — the third of which was an absolute grinder.
Ryjov supplemented that single lift with a six-rep set of bench presses that had 247.2 kilograms (545 pounds) on the barbell — a single rep shy of his personal best. A week prior, he scored a super fast 265.4-kilogram (585-pound) bench press as well as an eight-rep paused PR set of 238.2 kilograms (525 pounds).
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It is not clear where Ryjov will step back onto the competitive lifting platform next. However, when he does, his total is likely to be leagues heavier than his previous meet from 2017. We’ll see if his squat and deadlift can keep up with his gains in the bench press.
Featured image: @danielryjov on Instagram