Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Texas high school kid does a 700-lb. bench press.

You read that right.

Five pounds short of the NFL record, but 375 pounds short of the world record.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highs...ss-record-astonishing-700-101340413.html

Yeah, but it wasn't a raw bench. He had whats called a Bench Shirt on. Basically its a stiff supportive shirt, used to improve performance on the bench press. Its actually hard to pull your arms down, and gives you a spring when you push back up. Youtube videos of guys trying to put them on its pretty funny.

I typically rep 335 when I bench. My max is somewhere north of 400, I need a couple of high school kids to spot me..

Its still a feat to do 700 pounds, especially since the kid is only in high school. He is short and stout which helps a bunch also. Without the bench shirt I bet his bench would be around 550 which is still impressive by any means, but the shirt really does help you that much.

The NFL player did his bench raw, no bench shirt just pure muscle.

For that being his new personal record, he sure looks like he could do more! Strong dude thats for sure.

700 bench, geared or not, is rarified air....Larry Allen's 705 by the way, would not have passed as a legal lift ANYWHERE. VERY strong, but assisted by the spotter, sunk and bounced, and overall a really poor lift. I'd put a legal lift from him somewhere around 550 - 600. Benches with a shirt are a different lift than raw. Different technique, different training. Trying to compare them is apples and oranges. Of course the average observer just sees the numbers. After training for the last 13 years in a shirt, I have gotten pretty good at it. My raw bench has not progressed a lot, but almost CERTAINLY would go up pretty significantly with a couple of raw cycles. Strong is strong, and will remain so with or without gear. And getting a couple of H.S. kids to spot you in a tight shirt, would be suicide. You DO lift more weight, but the lifts are highly technical, and can go bad in a big way. Fun sport, but I don't want to die doing it....I currently get about 225 - 250 out of my shirt. Most raw lifters would not have a prayer of controlling and locking out that much over their raw bench. Both are strong, just in different places. Gear haters just don't understand. A raw meet is like a day at the playground next to a geared meet.

As with being an outsider with just about anything, I had no idea an article of clothing could make such a big difference in how much weight one could lift. Interesting analysis from a couple insiders-thanks for the info, guys.

A really good bench-shirt analogy would be a good, hard-backed shooting coat for shooting offhand at a high-power match.

A hard-holder is a hard-holder, but the coat makes a TON of difference.

His pecs are so big he can barely move.

Is this possible for a 17 year old kid to do "naturally"? Or is it a given that he has sampled The Sauce ?

I worked out with a kid in high school that benched upwards of 500. It was 525 or 565, something around there.(this was 25 years ago) He did not win the bench competition that year. He didn't juice. He was just a tough, big guy.

When he spotted for me, he would push down and threaten to spit tobacco juice on me if I didn't push harder. I never got spit on. I pushed harder.

There are standouts in all sports. Good work ethic, good coaching, and good genetics! I was just at a meet where a 19 y/o 275'er (clean) pulled 725 and squatted 800 - raw!. His bench was nothing to write home about, but DANG!

A 725 pull?? THAT is one fine deadlift!!!

Dang near got 750. The Squat was even without wraps. Singlet and belt!

I wonder about the joint pain that will cause when older.

I ask because I am 41 and just completed 2 months of 5X5 and I can't crack 400. And I don't know or run with anyone who can. Jacko posted about the NCAA Wrestling championships. I hung out with a Div 1 Heavyweight wrestler that was also a standout DE in a DII school that was dual sport. I always thought he was somewhat of a specimen....he never cracked 400 either.

I am certainly not saying it's not possible. Not at all. I just think it's rare unless you are running in those small circles that Benchman is in.

And Juice was popular when I was in college, but I think it's REALLY attainable now. But I may be out of touch.

I tune into the Bell guy..."Smelly" on YouTube at times. His numbers took a big drop in the documentary when he was off cycle. I think he was having a tough time cracking 700 with a shirt as a Juiced adult man. Part of the basis of my inquiry.

2 months is just getting started. Took me 4 years to get from 500 to 700 shirted (never hit it in competition though) Couldn't stay there too . Too old (50 at the time), and too little! I was around 190 then, I go about 175 now. Bell is not a bench specialist. They tend to be able to hit bigger numbers. Don't have to worry about an 850 squat before, and a 700 dead after, not to mention the training required. A full meet is a real long day, and it's even hard for me, as a specialist, to keep energy levels high long enough. A legit raw 400 bench is above average, but doable. 500+, Now yer talkin' RARE!

I don't believe he is on the juice. I have never touched the stuff, and wouldn't even consider it.

Jesee,

Try pyramiding up, and then do 4 x 6's, and even some static resistance, along with getting away from the bench a bit. I didn't see my numbers start increasing until I went to the 6 x 4's and the pyramiding up. Typically now this is my routine.

Set 1 at 6 reps: 275
Set 2 at 6 reps: 295
Set 3 at 6 reps: 335 or maybe a bit less depending on how I am feeling.
Set 4 at 6 reps: 275

What I will do is constantly up my numbers by a few pounds. I have never good at bench but with this routine I have seen major gains. Couple that with doing free weights for bench/chest, I have seen a major improvements. Diet is your main thing too. Load up on the Protein.

Do they still train with the Buckeye Power Pyramid?

Yeah...and if he makes it to 50...all that schitt is gonna let him know it up and down his body!!