That is impressive. I am going to throw something at you though, and it’s not intended to be offensive. If I remember correctly you have a compact stature. Leverages do make things difficult and I think I remember asmonious being tall.
I’m 6 feet with monkey arms. Squats and deads aren’t terrible but benching competitively can be tough. I respect anyone at meets or the gym in my weight class who is stronger than me, but I do get a little bit jealous when they move weight 6” and I move it a foot and a half. Every time I see a barrel chested cannon ball guy lay down I know he’s about to short piston the shit out of some weight.
I personally think that’s a cop out for the majority but do agree that certain statures are slightly beneficial for certain exercises. Ie short arm span for pressing, long arms and high hips for pulling, short legs for squatting. I’ll agree it’s slightly beneficial but not an xfactor. Also, no offense taken.
You want to see somebody impressive, check out John Haack and what he does at a normal body weight and stature.
Currently a 1450 total. 335 bench, 590 deadlift, 525 squat. I’m heavy though, 255. 41 years old in a few weeks.
Lifetime of lifting since grade school athletics. Severe motorcycle accident a few years ago, Covid shut everything down shortly after recover and I got lazy for a total of a 3 year layoff. Been back for 1.5-2.
Lean around 225-230, have benched 355, squatted 575 and deadlifted 620 in the past.
None is on film.
Edit: for what it’s worth I use wrist wraps and lifting straps. A replaced elbow makes over/under kind of wonky with increased risk for a bicep tear and I can’t do it overhand. So technically I’m not “gripping and ripping”. Still moving the weight though.
Definitely not an x-factor but sticking points can be drawn out for sure. Just takes the right accessory training to overcome.
I’ve heard of that guy. There are some incredibly strong people out there for sure. Hell, local meets often bring some obscure rancher out of the woodwork where I live and they’ll waltz in and bang out weight that blows everyone away with a physique like a manual labor guy basically.
Exactly. THAT impresses me. Lifting something 1.3x your BW doesn’t when it’s any kind of squat or pull. Also the front squat, much like a clean etc, is a highly skill trained exercise. It’s not a natural movement that many lifters do and the original boaster said he’s being doing it for years. It’s like an Olympic lifter bragging to a bodybuilder / stage competitor that they can clean / snatch more. Yeah you should be able to.
It’s okay. I don’t believe most people on the internet who say they can bench 335, pull 590 and squat 525, but I believe you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch. I’m flying to Hong Kong to compete in an underground pit fighting tournament. The Black Dragon Society has invited the world’s greatest fighters to a secret location to determine once and for all who has the greatest fighting style.
I’m not supposed to be talking about it, but I trust you.
Lol. But you realize this is a weight training website, right? I go to a specialized powerlifting gym that includes coaching from the Westside Barbell camp and is outfitted with all the requisite equipment. And I think a lot of people on this site are probably similar, at least in the training sections.
If you think those are ridiculous numbers, you should check out a powerlifting meet sometime. Or strongman. Even just a local one.
Yes, but I don’t think you do. That’s why I’m calling you out.
I know what those numbers are and what they aren’t. I’ve hit all of them and documented it here with video, with the exception of a 525 squat. 500 is the most I’ve had on my back, but I did it in toe shoes.
lol. Well, I’ll sleep tonight anyways. FTR, I believe you, without the videos. They’re really not unbelievable numbers at all with a little consistency over time. You know that, though.
FWIW I have a video of the first time I attempted 500lbs and I would be willing to email it to you but not post it. It wasn’t ass to grass, but not embarrassingly high either. I worked on my depth and built up to squatting a max of 525lb with good depth before giving up heavy weight when I turned 40. I’m also down almost 25lbs from my top lean weight when younger (admittedly I did some mild anabolic blasts, but not anymore and not when I first squatted 500). I can still do it, I just prefer not to pay for it.
Appreciate that sir and I know you weren’t referring to me. Likewise which is why I don’t mind emailing it to you. I don’t mind showing me or my face as I’ve already done it on this forum. The video just shows my gym logo and I don’t need any stalkers or harassers easily hunting me down. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that hard but I don’t need to make it easy.
Just like I remember that random dude roaring in to proclaim someone else’s push ups way too high, then posting a video of…the same! It was so classic.
Thanks brother. I purposely did them floor to full extensions because of all the poor form call outs. You’re right, the most vocal “form critic” was guilty of his own cynicism.
Speaking of kumite. I’m vertically challenged at 5’ 8" also, but I have long arms and legs with a short torso; when I sat down next to a friend’s (ex now) wife who was only 5’ 2" with a long torso -she was “taller” LOL.
My point being, it took me the longest time to figure out why people didn’t simply block that nasty shot to the floating rib area with their elbows -easy peasy LOL. In hindsight, it also really helped when I fenced in college, and the target was anything above the waist (i.e. the torso).
Final comment until/if the video gets posted. Dude is 61 and (based on the picture posted) impressively large, but the legs, especially quads were lacking relative to the torso. Wrt the famous lift off challenge -the biker maraudermeat was late 30s/early 40s and super strong with I think a 600lb (wrapped) one rep front squat to a box that I saw on video; the never before seen bodybuilder who beat him had giant quads that Tom Platz would not have laughed at, but also obviously at a prime age for strength.
61 is a big ask to still move that kind of weight, just saying.
Absolutely. It’s interesting watching people age. My parents were always very active. Both worked full time, mom was a part time aerobics instructor for years and to this day hits the gym, mostly classes, multiple times per week. She’s 70. My dad generally worked out and took up cycling when he hit 60’s. He still rides the MS150 every year, a 150 mile bike ride from Houston to Austin and trains for it all year in between. He’s in his 70’s. His times have slowed but he finishes.
They both are as active and healthy as an average 30 something. It incredible to see the people they knew that I grew up around dying and degrading in contrast. Life can be enjoyed all the way through.
A bit of perspective, but it is from the very elite. The United States record for the clean and jerk (surely you’d give the guy credit for being able to front squat the weight and much more) in the 73kg class (161lbs) is 193kg (425lbs).
