Julius Maddox - world record for raw bench press

The bench press is one of the favorite exercises among powerlifters. It’s as if it was specially designed to set world records. The question “How much do you bench press?” can be heard in all gyms around the world.

Only over time did this type of exercise migrate to the bench. The “ancestor” of the modern bench press is the ground bench press. Back in 1900, the “Russian Lion” Georg Hackenschmidt set a world record for lifting a barbell from a prone position, squeezing 164 kg. The record stood for 18 years.

The first world record holder is considered to be “Crane” Paul Anderson , who squeezed 280 kg in equipment in 1957.

How it happened

A new world bench press record of 335.5 kg was set by American athlete Julius Maddox. This happened on the last day of August, 31st 2020. It was on this date that the OLD TIME record of the Russian athlete was broken. Although the difference is not great - only 0.5 kg - this is undoubtedly a new record, friends!

In the first approach, Julius ordered 305 kg. This weight was taken very easily, as can be seen in the video.

https://youtu.be/S8qZ9c5dyVg

So far little is known about him. He is 31 years old, born and raised in America. He started training only at the age of 25 and in such a short period of time was able to achieve outstanding results by powerlifting standards.

The athlete weighs just over 200 kilograms. Yes, in fact, you can see his big water belly in the video.

He trains 4-5 times a week. The training time is about 2-2.5 hours.

Women in competition

But men aren't the only ones who set world records in the bench press; women don't do the rearing either. Representatives of the fair sex are trying to prove to the opposite sex that they are not the only ones who can be so strong, and are in no way inferior to them in the mass that is squeezed from the chest.

The absolute bench press champion in 1994 is American Tamara Rainwater-Grimwood. She bench pressed 182.5 kg, having a body weight of 82.5 kg. She is the first and only woman who managed to overcome the 180 kg mark.

In 2011, in the bench press competition, the maximum record belonged to Ukrainian Larisa Solovyova. She lifted 165 kg.

Also, one of the representatives of the fair sex set the maximum figure among girls under 14 years old. The world record for the bare bench press remains unbroken. But Russian Maryana Naumova, at the age of 11, lifted 60 kg in 2010. She was the first in her century category to lift such a weight, and became the world champion in bench press. She was included in the Russian Book of Records.

These competitions are popular not only among absolutely healthy and healthy men and women, but also people with disabilities also enjoy setting records and showing that they are no worse than others.

So, the maximum weight is 290 kg. It was installed by Iranian Siamand Rahman, who suffers from damage to the musculoskeletal system and uses a wheelchair. His dream is to overcome the barrier of 350 and 400 kg.

Sarychev's reaction to the new record

Kirill was one of the first to congratulate his colleague on his Instagram profile:

“You are the best, brother. Congratulations and thank you for the motivation. See you on the platform."

What does it mean? Will Kirill really come back and show the whole world once again who is truly the strongest? Or are these just words... Time will show.

As far as I know, he is now busy with other routine activities, and training requires a lot of time, effort and, most importantly, money. You understand that without financial support such events do not happen and champions do not become.

By the way, Eddie Hall recently said that he also wants to take part in the fight for the title in the bench press and perhaps in 2-3 years, or maybe earlier, we will see a real fight among the giants. He currently holds the world record for deadlift of 500 kilograms.

Here's a video of Eddie talking about his preparation. Very interesting, I recommend watching it.

https://youtu.be/AG4DCGBVcd0

World record holder in bench press Kirill Sarychev: “Russia has the strongest people”

— Let's start with the most important thing: in 2020 you set a new absolute world record in the bench press. Tell me, how did you get to these 335 kg?

— I wasn’t prepared for this particular tournament. That's how it happened. Overall, the preparation for this result lasted for about a year. I competed when I was in the USA, benched 300 with a large margin, realized that I had strength, gained good volume and decided to prepare for October, the organizers invited me to Belarus. But it was not their fault that the competition was postponed to the spring. Therefore, I looked for a suitable platform and chose the start on November 21-22. What guided me? Firstly, it was before the World Championships, which I hosted. Secondly, the maximum number of people who could see it and make sure that the barbell and plates are real (smiles).

— Why was the preparation such a secret? No one really expected your performance.

— Previously, I talked about my preparations because there were announcements at tournaments. Now this was not the case, so why should I make a fuss about myself? I am not a vain person, I just did my job little by little. And our fans are kindly demanding; every performance should almost set a new record. This imposes responsibility, but here I didn’t say anything to anyone. Therefore, as I would have spoken: I raised it - well done, I didn’t raise it - I didn’t promise anything.

— Now that the emotions have subsided a little, how do you remember that day?

- Everything was great. There were, of course, a number of nuances that distracted us, but we dealt with it. All my friends came and supported me. They competently took me to the platform, where necessary - they beat me to make me angry. The only thing I’m thinking about now is that I still had to go for the 4th attempt. 337.5 kg or 340 should have been attempted.

— Then, from the first attempt, you realized that the record wouldn’t stand today?

— Yes, 310 went pretty well and after that I realized that I was in good shape. Although, I realized this a month and a half before the event, when I bench pressed 300 x 4.

— How did you feel when you got up from the bench, what was your first thought?

- A sense of accomplishment. I did what was expected of me and what I wanted myself. Now the record is in Russia and everyone knows that the strongest people live here. Everyone already knows this, they just needed additional confirmation.

— Did Eric Spotto (the previous record holder, 327.5 kg - approx. A.S.) somehow react to your achievement?

- Absolute silence. The information, of course, reached him, but...

- What kind of relationship do you have with him?

“I invited him to the tournament, but he then answered kindly, saying, I’m sorry, I don’t want to seem weak, because he has not yet recovered from his injury. In general, we communicated with him normally, but after that nothing happened. And so, Scott Mendelsohn, Ed Cohen, and CC Fletcher - “Plush Beard” congratulated me. Very nice.

Photo from personal archive

— Due to injuries and age, Eric Spotto is unlikely to be able to return and impose worthy opposition on you. When there is no such person on the horizon with whom you would have to directly fight, how to maintain motivation?

— The person who always keeps me in good shape and makes me move forward is me yesterday.

— Is there a certain standard for the result?

- No, I just want to lift as much weight as possible.

— Have you already planned your next start?

— To be honest, now I’m no longer thinking about this, but about how and what kind of tournament to hold.

“I want it to be like it was before: if you can’t do a pull-up, you’re not a kid.”

— Then let’s move on to this: as an organizer, are you happy with everything you managed to do at the World Cup?

“It’s a pity that not everyone made it to us, even though the losses were minimal.” But next time they will definitely visit us, including “Beard”. Everyone praises the tournament, but I am always self-critical of myself. There were some shortcomings and now they need to be corrected.

- For example?

- Yes, there’s a whole list! I can’t even single out one main one.

— You plunged into this organizational activity relatively recently. Did it take you a long time to get used to it?

— It worked out right away, I’m off the boat for a point (smiles). And I trained and thought about the organization, all this in parallel.

— Doesn’t one interfere with the other?

— Of course, it has become much more difficult, but as practice has shown, it’s real.

— When do you plan to hold the next competition?

— In December 2020, also the World Championship. And also in Moscow.

— Are you going to go beyond the capital?

— Yes, and moreover, Russia. My goal is to cover more countries.

— About other countries: why are powerlifting and strength sports developed much better in the USA than in Russia?

“He’s much older there.” The tournaments are held longer, the history is richer.

— Are we making any progress in this direction?

— Yes, many more people began to engage in powerlifting. In fact, every person who comes to the gym and whose goal is to lift more and more is already a powerlifter, even if he doesn’t even suspect it.

— And in terms of general sports training? Well, we recently re-introduced the GTO complex...

— They introduced it, but more propaganda is needed. So that the concept of GTO penetrates into all yards. Yes, there are various events where 100 thousand people gather, but I want, I even dream, that it would be like in the USSR: if you can’t do pull-ups on the horizontal bar, then you’re not a kid. I hope we will come to this and the nation will be healthy.

“At the beginning of training, my height was 188 cm and my weight was 75 kg”

— How did you get into sports?

— I looked at my father and brother, they were always in this “topic”. In the morning we ran, did push-ups, pumped up our abs.

— And you immediately ended up in the “iron world”?

- No, just like all the guys, I kicked the ball, played volleyball, table tennis. All this was there, nothing could be done without it. And at the age of 15 I came to the gym for the first time.

— If it’s not a secret, what was your height and weight then?

- 188 cm and 75 kg.

Photo from personal archive

— Did you immediately find a trainer or did you train on your own at first?

— For the first couple of months I benched myself, lifted various dumbbells there, and then I ended up with Viktor Nikolaevich Mikheev. He was quite skeptical about me, because the guys who studied on their own and, having read all sorts of magazines, thought that they knew everything. He had a lot of these before me. My task was to prove to him that I was different, that I was better!

— When did you already realize that a future world record holder or simply an athlete of the highest level was growing up?

— It’s hard to say, there was an abyss before the record. Judging by age categories, about a year later I started filming the guys’ achievements.

— At first you were involved in powerlifting. Why did you end up choosing the bench press separately?

— This is due to the fact that I started participating in the “Battle of Champions” tournaments, and it meant individual movements. Just a bench press. And Andrei Fedoseev asked me to focus on him, for greater entertainment. But I couldn’t do it, I also squatted and pulled... I’m a triathlete at heart.

— Do you ever plan to compete in powerlifting again?

- Honestly I do not know. How will the motivation be? But I won’t rule it out.

“I lack competitive experience”

— What is the most important thing for a person who has just come to the gym?

- Wait a month or two. After all, people who come think that after a couple of workouts they will be the biggest. But you need to be patient and get involved in this process, then it will be impossible to drop the iron.

— Do you train someone yourself?

— If you train, you need to do it seriously, but I won’t do it anyhow. That’s why I only work with one person.

— Tell me about your training.

— Three times a week, or Monday-Wednesday-Friday, or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. They last for three hours and consist of basic exercises, plus auxiliary exercises. I usually squat and bench on Monday, deadlift and back on Wednesday, and light press on Friday.

— Besides this, another important point is nutrition. What is your diet?

— I eat quite atypically for a powerlifter - I have a balanced and healthy diet. I keep an eye on this matter, but in general - like everyone else - breasts, cottage cheese and so on, just the percentage is different.

— What is the optimal number of performances per year for you?

“I think two or three times is the best option.” I can’t compete once every two or three months, like at the beginning of my career, so I lack competitive experience.

- You? World record holder? How is that?

— Before every tournament, I get jitters, pounding like for the first time. And every time even more, because before you were responsible only to yourself, but now people come to cheer for you. In terms of experience, I want everything to go like in training. You came, you clearly know what to do and you do it. But in reality, some small details always come up, like “I forgot the ammonia.”

Photo from personal archive

“Stereotypes about jocks are excuses for their weakness”

— Does your size interfere with your everyday life?

— It’s impossible to choose clothes. I always wear sneakers and jeans that stretch... My foot size is 50, my top size is 74. It’s problematic. I come to the store even for the biggest people, it’s usually for the fattest people, and even outerwear doesn’t fit me.

— Why are there so many stereotypes about “jocks”? That they are “stupid”, and so on down the list.

- These are not stereotypes. This is ignorance and an excuse for one’s weakness among people, one’s laziness. Such people only say that “if only I...”, and even with proteins... Even if you take a bite of protein, nothing will happen without many years of hard work.

— Athletes usually go to competitions angry. Do you often lose your temper in life?

“Sometimes things make me angry, but I try to control myself.” I understand that if this is not done, it will be fraught, given my size and physical fitness (smiles). By the way, regarding anger at competitions. I wouldn’t call it that, but rather a state of combat readiness. We - heavyweights who weigh over 140 kg - are always in such a calm, peaceful state and we need to somehow get out of it.

— What do you see as your global goal?

— To fully realize yourself in sports and to stand very firmly with both feet on the ground in order to help in every sense the development of powerlifting and strength disciplines.

— The New Year is coming, can you remember one of your most unusual ones?

- Oh... New Year is both a holiday and not for me. My birthday is still on January 1st. It would seem that the holiday should be double, but in the end, plus for plus gives a minus! (laughs) In general, I don’t really like this New Year’s time. Because I, as a person who doesn’t drink and leads a healthy lifestyle, has a lot of free time, but some people who do business with you don’t, they have holidays. And so the period somehow falls out. As for the coming New Year, I will train, relax and read books.

- Which for example?

— I prefer scientific literature. Right now, from the latter – Sigmund Freud and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

— What would you wish for yourself and your readers on the eve of 2016?

— I would like the readers to wish it for themselves (laughs). But seriously, no injuries, more global health for all people and their loved ones!

Watch the video on the topic: “Kirill Sarychev set a new world record for bench press”

1:55

The history of setting world records in the bench press

Below are the most interesting results for the bare bench press.

Andrey Malanichev – 300
Dmitry Golovinsky - 305
Vladimir Kravtsov – 310 (category up to 140 kilograms)
Scott Mendelsohn – 324.5
Eric Spot - 327.5
Kirill Sarychev – 335
Julius Maddox – 335.5
WHO'S NEXT???

For example, on YouTube there is a video in which an arm wrestler and one of the strongest arm wrestling champions, Denis Tsyplenkov, during the years of preparation and participation in extreme power training, bench pressed 275 kg, with his own weight being more than 140 kilograms. And security officer Mikhail Koklyaev is only 225-230.

Well, that's it, guys! Engage in debate and follow my news. See you!

BENCH PRESS 350 kg All Time Record / Julius Maddox

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video content

Rating: 4.5;
Votes: 2 BENCH PRESS 350 kg All Time Record / Julius Maddox Deacon: Julius is a monster.
Phenomenal result. and more than a year ago I wrote under some video that judging by his strength and the way the barbell flies, he can bench press 350. This is what happened and, apparently, this is far from the limit, there is still a decent amount of reserve. Let's hope that Maddox's health does not fail him and he will lift all imaginable and inconceivable weights. All the data for this is there, as well as a great desire on his part and love for his work. This is how an athlete should be, not a slap in the face to judge. Date: 2020-03-11

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A set of exercises with dumbbells to increase pectoral muscles

If you want your pecs to stick out like Roman armor, you'll want to try this two-dumbbell routine at the gym or at home if you have a bench press bench. What makes this workout so good is that you first do chest stretches, then add weights to increase strength, then finish with chest pump exercises to pump as much blood through the pecs as possible.

Pullover with dumbbells 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Dumbbell bench press with positive incline 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
Incline Dumbbell Raises 4 times 12-15 repetitions
Dumbbell bench press 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Reduction of arms on a bench with a negative incline 4 sets 12-15 reps

The exercise can also be performed on a cable machine without the use of dumbbells to give the muscles a constant load and stimulate their growth.

Quick tips for everyone who wants to do exercises with dumbbells

Experts advise holding your breath during ascent and descent so that the stabilizing muscles do not relax and provide additional strength.
If you bring your elbows closer to your torso while doing exercises, there is a very high chance of getting injured in the area of the shoulder joint.
Make sure that at the highest point the dumbbells are narrower than your shoulders, otherwise you can overload or pinch the edge of the pectoral muscle.
Keep the dumbbells down and try not to stop. Even stopping for a second will result in you needing to apply more force to the lift than was calculated, and therefore you will quickly get tired.
You should not initially choose heavy dumbbells with the expectation of quick results. You will not get the desired effect, but there is a ninety percent chance of getting a sprain or injury.
If you decide to add a little incline or even switch to an incline bench for the first time, keep in mind that for beginners it is better not to set the incline to more than 15-20 degrees. The angle of inclination, just like the weight of the dumbbells, should be increased gradually, preferably in consultation with a specialist.

We have tried to provide you with all the information you need on these exercises, but remember that if you want to achieve real results, it is extremely important to remain consistent, not to rush, not to expect results too quickly, and to train regularly. We hope that our advice will at least help you achieve what you want!

We hope that our advice will at least help you achieve what you want!

Author of the article: Shalukhin Alexander Alexandrovich

Personal trainer, pharmacologist, nutritionist Creates and conducts personal training programs for body correction. Specializes in sports traumatology and physiotherapy. Conducts classical medical and sports massage sessions.

What alternatives are there to the classic bench press?

The bench press is a multi-joint exercise for those who like to do really hard work in the gym. Few exercises can compare with it in terms of effectiveness. But for those who, for one reason or another, cannot perform this exercise with the correct technique, we recommend trying one of the following exercises instead of the classic bench press:

Dumbbell bench press

Dumbbells allow us to work with a greater amplitude than with a barbell, thereby better stretching the pectoral muscles and working in more isolation. The technique of these two exercises is similar, but when working with dumbbells, you should pay more attention to the negative phase of the movement - the movement should be very smooth and controlled.

Dips

By doing push-ups on the uneven bars, we can perfectly work the lower chest and triceps. To make dips harder, you can use additional weights; start with one 5 kg weight plate or a small dumbbell and gradually increase the weight of the weight. However, you should not overdo it with weight, as there is too much stress on the elbow joints. Another option for weights is chains on the neck, so your body leans forward more, and the pectoral muscles receive more load.

Smith Bench Press

Working at Smith, we spend less effort maintaining a single trajectory. The Smith press is well suited for beginners or athletes who struggle with monotonous work with a barbell in one plane.

Bench press in block or lever machines

Almost every modern gym or fitness club is equipped with various machines that simulate pressing movements for the pectoral muscles. Let's be honest, most of them are absolutely useless, but in some the load vector is set very competently, which allows you to work out the lower or inner parts of the pectoral muscles well. Do not chase maximum weights in these exercises, work with a weight that is comfortable for you, with which you can well feel the contraction of the necessary muscles, in the range of 10-15 repetitions; we are not interested in strength records here.

Bench press technique with dumbbells

Before you start doing the exercises yourself for the first time, you should warm up.

When warming up, pay special attention to the upper sections of the pectoral muscles. Bends and lunges are suitable

1 step

It is very important to position yourself correctly on the bench. If at first you cannot lie down on your own while holding two dumbbells in your hands, then ask someone to help you

Position yourself evenly on the bench so that your entire body is pressed tightly against the base. Have an assistant pass the dumbbells one by one.

If you decide to try it yourself, then take two dumbbells in your hands, sit on the edge of the bench and carefully slowly lie down on it

It is extremely important that the body is pressed tightly and you feel comfortable

Step 2

You should take the dumbbells with both hands and raise them to shoulder level. The head is straight, the gaze is directed to the ceiling. Your arms should also be pulled up. For a better reference, find one point and don’t take your eyes off it.

Step 3

When lifting again, make sure that the dumbbells are positioned exactly above the shoulder area. As you lift, inhale, then hold your breath and lift the dumbbells.

Step 4

Position – dumbbells overhead. Let's exhale. Then tighten your pectoral muscles, take a deep breath, and, holding your breath, slowly lower your arms.

Step 5

It is very important not to stop when the dumbbells are at the bottom, take a deep breath, hold your breath and slowly raise your arms. Don't forget to tense your muscles

Fundamentals of technology and utility

When performing bench presses with a barbell, try to distribute the load evenly. Many people have a bias towards one muscle group. Make sure that your pecs, shoulders, and triceps get their share of the workload. Your grip should be as strong as possible; squeeze the bar as hard as you can. Watch your legs too, they should not just stand, but rest firmly enough on the floor.

If your shoulders are lagging behind, a great way to correct this is with the standing barbell press. For triceps, Kirill recommends an exercise with a straight stick on a block. In all accessory exercises, it is very important to control the load level to avoid overtraining.