Julius Maddox is a bench press savant known for his one-rep maxes. Seriously, Maddox can bench press more than most people can deadlift. It turns out Maddox can toss around some serious volume, too. On Nov. 27, 2020, Maddox uploaded a video to his Youtube channel of him bench-pressing 525 pounds (238 kilograms) 50 times. You can check it out below:
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Ok, ok, the title is a little misleading. Maddox did NOT bench press that weight — which is equal to about three adult male cougars — 50 straight times. Instead, he broke it up into 10 sets of five reps. Still, that means Maddox accumulated a total of 26,250 pounds of weight lifted. Also, you’ll notice in the video that his form stays pretty tight throughout the workout. His elbows are set at 45 degrees, and each rep is done with a slight pause at the bottom. These are quality reps.
A 525-pound bench press is a milestone that most any lifter would be happy with. It is an elite bench press, and Maddox took it to town an unbelievable 50 times. Of course, Maddox may be the only person on the planet who can do this.
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In November of 2019, Maddox broke the all-time raw bench press record by lifting an incredible 744.1 pounds (337.5 kilograms). Then, in March of 2020, he broke his own record by 30 pounds with a 770-pound (349-kilogram) bench press. Three months later, he attempted an 800-pound (362.8-kilogram) raw bench press. Unfortunately, Maddox failed the lift but then promptly reminded everyone that he’s still a beast by pressing 740 pounds (335 kilograms) — just four pounds less than his previous all-time record — for a double. In the world of strength, few are as proficient at pressing as the man who goes by Irregular Strength on Instagram.
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As for the workout itself, Maddox says this was a great way to exploit the weakness in his bench press. Maddox still has his eyes set on an 800-pound bench press, so he needs to pay attention to every scrupulous detail of his form.
“When my form breaks down, I lose tightness in my back, which causes me to use more of my chest,” Maddox says in the video. “Using more of my chest somewhat takes my triceps out of the equation, and triceps are huge for when it comes to locking out. We’re getting to the point that we’re breaking down every single flaw in my bench press…we are all working together to get me to this 800-pound bench press. Man, I am forever grateful for these opportunities.”
Featured image courtesy of Julius Maddox’s YouTube channel
