Maddox completed his feat while wearing wrist wraps and did not appear to have a lifting belt adorned around his torso.

Athletes who add any kind of pause to their bench press are likely looking for increased tension in their chest and arm muscles. Keeping their loaded barbell at the bottom forces the amount of time an athlete has to keep their weight stable before lifting it back up. In addition, adding a pause to a bench press removes the momentum athletes can sometimes use after lowering their weight. Some kind of pause is standard in almost all sanctioned lifting competitions.

All this to say: Maddox lifting 730 pounds while pausing for nearly two seconds is an accomplishment to behold.

For those who are rabid fans of upper body strength in the form of the bench press, Maddox usually offers a treat. The bench press extraordinaire owns the all-time raw World Record of 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds) in the +140-kilogram weight class. According to Open Powerlifting, the athlete scored that mark at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown III. Notably, it was not in a full power meet, as Maddox only performed a bench press at the contest — a usual approach for the competitor whenever he appears on a sanctioned lifting platform.

Maddox has been in pursuit of a 362.8-kilogram (800-pound) press for some time. One of the last times Maddox shared significant progress on this strength journey was a 361-kilogram (796-pound) bench press personal record (PR) from May 2022. Maddox has not added to that weight or made a formal attempt at reaching the 800-pound barrier since. Though, it appears an attempt could be forthcoming in 2023.

At the time of this writing, only one other person, Daniel Zamani, has ever broached the 800-pound bench press barrier. The Iranian athlete notched a 365-kilogram raw bench press (804.7-pound) during a February 2022 training session. Maddox and Zamani had previously teased a friendly bench press battle at the 2022 Iron Wars V, but that entanglement fell through due to undisclosed reasons.

Tidbits like Maddox’s long-pause lift show that his remarkable milestone might finally be around the corner. Plus, given that no person has yet to eclipse the raw 800-pound mark in an official competition, Maddox can still win this all-time strength race.

Featured image: @irregular_strength on Instagram

The post Julius Maddox Crushes a 331.2-Kilogram (730-Pound) Bench Press With a Long Pause appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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A post shared by Julius Maddox (@irregular_strength)

[Related: How To Do The Bench Press For Chest Size And Upper-Body Strength]

This bench press is particularly noteworthy because it places Maddox on the precipice of history.

While Maddox is the current world record holder, he has never completed an 800-pound bench press, be it in training or a sanctioned competition. The powerlifter has had two previous attempts at the towering mark — in June 2021 and June 2020, respectively — but wasn’t able to lock out the rep on each occasion.

According to his Instagram post, the powerlifter still has his eyes on the ambitious prize.

“I’ve missed this weight 10-plus times. Hearing my little girls ask me when I will hit 800 pounds is enough for me to lay it all on the line,” Maddox writes. “This is bigger than a title for me. It’s about the long-lasting impact I leave for my kids and family. The times they fall on hard times and need some motivation!”

Motivating Perseverance

At the time of this writing, only one person, Daniel Zamani, has ever bench-pressed 800 pounds. The Iranian athlete crushed a 365-kilogram raw bench press (804.7-pound) during a February 2022 training session. Zamani also donned a lifting belt and wrist wraps for his staggering press.

Since Zamani’s figure occurred during training, it is not the official record. Notably, Maddox and Zamani were to square off in a bench press battle for supremacy at the 2022 Iron Wars V in January, but that fell through for undisclosed reasons.

Before this new one-rep PR, Maddox recently completed a 318-kilogram bench press (700-pound) for a four-rep PR in late April 2022. That he put himself on the 800-pound doorstep a few weeks later might signify that he isn’t messing around trying to notch this stellar achievement. Since Zamani left the door open for someone to beat him to the 800-pound mark in a sanctioned meet, it seems like Maddox doesn’t want to waste any time.

Maddox has not announced his next competition at the time of this publishing. That said, per Maddox’s overall competitive history, it will likely be a bench press-only meet. More importantly, in all probability, it’s where he’ll try for his 800-pound glory.

Featured image: @irregular_strength on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Julius Maddox Hits 361-Kilogram (796-Pound) Bench Press For PR appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Check out a video of the lift below, courtesy of Maddox’s Instagram profile:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Julius Maddox (@irregular_strength)

[Related: Tamara Walcott Notches 151.95-Kilogram Bench Press (335 Pounds) For 2 Reps]

Maddox powers through the set with relative ease. Three spotters are present to help Maddox, but they never intervene. For the lift, Maddox donned a lifting belt and wrist straps. 

A Promising Rivalry

Outstanding feats on the bench press are nothing new to Maddox. To date, he has never recorded a squat or deadlift during a sanctioned competition, as he exclusively focuses on his bench press prowess. The focus paid off for the powerlifter when he captured the current all-time world record holder with a 355-kilogram bench press (782.6 pounds) at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown III.

His next feat is to become the first man to bench press 800 pounds raw in a sanctioned competition. 

Maddox’s rival, Daniel Zamani, is the first man to bench press 800 pounds, raw. The Iranian powerlifter notched the feat with a 365-kilogram raw bench press (804.7-pound) during a training session on February 21, 2022. As both men compete as superheavyweights, if Zamani had finished the press during a competition, he would’ve supplanted Maddox’s record. 

Maddox and Zamani were to square off in a bench press battle for supremacy at the 2022 Iron Wars V, but for undisclosed reasons, that never happened.

The 800-Pound Barrier

The pair have also spent some of their recent time polishing up their work with other lifts. 

In the two months since Zamani captured the unofficial bench press record, he’s been sharing videos of himself on Instagram grinding away with his deadlift. While adorned in lifting straps, the Iranian athlete has pulled as much as 345 kilograms (749.8 pounds). 

Meanwhile, Maddox recently hit a 351.3-kilogram (775-pound) squat while using a Kabuki Transformer Bar during a training session. Notably, he didn’t wear a lifting belt or knee sleeves for the lift. 

For Maddox especially, his squat was likely only a temporary break en route to climbing the 800-pound bench press mountain. Given his recent progress, it might only be a matter of time before the powerlifter joins Zamani in the hallowed territory. If or once that happens, the remaining elephant in the room will be whether Maddox and Zamani finally go head to head in a meet for the all-time world record. At the time of publishing, there are no plans in the works. 

While Maddox continues to set PRs, the powerlifting world is certainly ready for an official round of this promising bench press rivalry. 

Featured image: @irregular_strength on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Julius Maddox Crushes 700-Pound Bench Press for 4 Reps appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Check out the workout below, where Maddox notably did not wear a lifting belt or knee sleeves, via his Instagram profile:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Julius Maddox (@irregular_strength)

[Related: Powerlifter Tiffany Chapon Exceeds Total & Squat World Records While Training]

According to the video’s caption, Maddox says he used a Kabuki Transformer Bar for the lift — a multifunctional, adjustable barbell that allows for 24 different squat variations compared to a traditional straight barbell. 

Maddox says that after completing his first squat, he followed it with a 371-kilogram squat (820 pounds) — which was “sloppy” but a PR. He did not disclose the latter with a video, but it seems believable given the ease of his initial rep. 

No Neglect

Maddox’s squats are noteworthy because they show he does not neglect other aspects of his strength. According to Open Powerlifting, in 16 sanctioned powerlifting events during his career, Maddox has never recorded a squat or deadlift. He instead focuses on his bench press aptitude.

That focus has paid off as Maddox possesses the current all-time world record with a 355-kilogram bench press (782.6 pounds) set at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown III. What’s now apparent is that Maddox might turn some heads if he decided to squat in a future event. 

Ambitious Greatness

Maddox is no stranger to pushing limits in his career.

The 34-year-old once completed a 350-kilogram bench press (771 pounds) in training, which was the heaviest raw bench to date (now since eclipsed by him). Before that, he crushed a 322-kilogram bench press (710 pounds) for three reps. Suffice to say that Maddox appears to know what he’s doing by centering on the bench press. 

Before his latest squat feat, Maddox made headlines in January of 2022 when he tried to break 2017 World’s Strongest Man Champion (WSM) Eddie Hall’s CrossFit WOD “Isabel” World Record. 

The “Isabel” workout is as follows: 

CrossFit WOD Isabel

• 30 snatches | Men: 135 pounds | Women: 95 pounds
• Time limit: Five minutes

Hall set a high bar by finishing all 30 snatches in an unbroken 50.9 seconds. By comparison, “elite” athletes usually finish the workout within two minutes, while “advanced” people are in a three to four-minute range, per WODWell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Julius Maddox (@irregular_strength)

[Related: Watch South Korean CrossFitter Seungyeon Choi Lift A 667-Pound “The Other Total” During 2022 CrossFit Quarterfinals]

Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort during his attempt, Maddox fell a mere two reps short of Hall’s mark with 28 unbroken reps.

Nevertheless, like his recent squat, Maddox showed that he has plenty of stellar athleticism than he sometimes lets on. Only time will tell whether the powerlifter shows it off with different lifts in a competition in the future. 

Featured image: @irregular_strength on Instagram

The post Bench Press World Record Holder Julius Maddox Smashes a 775-Pound Squat in Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.