Kentucky Man Lifts Insane 739.6 Pounds to Break Raw Bench Press World Record
A Kentucky man is now a world record holder after lifting an insane 739.6 pounds to break the previous raw bench press mark at an event in California, reportsThe Owensboro Times.
Julius Maddox broke the old record of 738.5 pounds, which was set by Russian weightlifter Kirill Sarychev in 2015, on only his second attempt at the feat. Maddox previously set the new American record by benching 723.1 pounds in June.
Video shows Maddox accomplishing the feat at Saturday’s "Boss of Bosses" event in Mountain View, California. While Maddox appeared to struggle while returning the bar, he confirmed he was not hurt and the record was made official.
"We weren’t expecting a world record this early — we were hoping maybe by December," Maddox told The Owensboro Times. "But no one expected this to happen. Some people thought it would not be broken within 20 years, but I came in and changed the direction and changed everybody’s opinion. It’s crazy — I’m blown away."
Maddox, who has only been lifting for seven years, said there have been several future opportunities that have been presented as a result of his record-breaking performance, including a paid 800-pound challenge and the idea of a head-to-head with Sarychev.
The former champ congratulated Maddox on Instagram, writing, "You are the beast brother."
Maddox has meets set up for next year, but he said he is not sure if he'll continue powerlifting beyond 2020 as he wants to lose weight.
"To be realistic, it’s not healthy to sit at this weight," he told the Owensboro Times. "I’ve achieved what I came for, so I’m going to pray about it and see where the Lord sends me."
