# 1005 lb. bench press **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737 "2004-12-02T18:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/1 "2004-12-02T18:51:43Z")
On November 21st, Gene Rychlak Jr. became the first person to bench in the quadruple digits with a 1005 lb. lift. Not much more to add–damn, that’s a lot of weight. There’s a video available [here](http://www.bodytechusa.com/videos.html). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/2 "2004-12-02T19:07:29Z")
I wonder what those weights were made of. They didn’t look that huge so I figure they are made out of denser material. The Olympic weights look more impressive since they are so huge. Frankly I’d prefer to see him lift one of those with the giant black ball on either end with “1/2 TON” sloppily painted on them. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/3 "2004-12-02T19:07:32Z")
well that’s only 10x what I can do. Guess I better make my way over to the gym and work out to see if I can get that down to 9.9x. Bet I can out swim him though. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/4 "2004-12-02T19:25:57Z")
I’m sure\*\* he\*\* eats breakfast. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/5 "2004-12-02T21:16:05Z")
That would be a **lot** more impressive if he benched that weight in Big Macs. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/6 "2004-12-02T22:28:35Z")
Good lord, I wonder what his usual routine is like. “Hmm, Ill start warmups with about 600 for 3 sets. Do a couple sets in the 800 range and finish it off with a few reps of 900”. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/7 "2004-12-02T22:54:42Z")
Hmmmm, is he wearing one of those whacky lifting shirts? It’s hard to tell on the video… ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/8 "2004-12-02T22:58:42Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Hmmmm, is he wearing one of those whacky lifting shirts? It’s hard to tell on the video… Oh yeah. The raw bench record is still only 713 lbs. On the site where I heard about this, there was a decent debate over the role of gear in powerlifting. Me, I don’t care about it so long as no one tries comparing raw numbers to numbers with the gear. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/9 "2004-12-02T23:08:20Z")
What is this weightlifting gear you speak of? Does it increase the effective weight you are lifting? If so how? If not, what is it and why does it change the “raw” weight? Google is not helping me. Much obliged ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/10 "2004-12-02T23:16:56Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Oh yeah. The raw bench record is still only 713 lbs. > > On the site where I heard about this, there was a decent debate over the role of gear in powerlifting. Me, I don’t care about it so long as no one tries comparing raw numbers to numbers with the gear. What role does the gear play in helping? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/11 "2004-12-02T23:17:05Z")
All you ever wanted to know about [bench shirts](http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-shirts.htm). I think this is good reading: > [@Shawn Lattimer](#): > > The denim shirt creates its power by twisting and straining the fabric, and by compressing the lifter’s body. Because of the tenacity of the fabric, the denim shirt can support much more weight than a comparable poly shirt. The stress placed on a lifter’s body by a denim shirt can be severe. In many cases, a lifter will not be able to even touch the bar to his or her chest with weight he or she could bench without the shirt. > > Because of this, precise technique becomes very important in a denim shirt. Some lifters will see “hit or miss” results, and that is because of technique. Everything has to come together perfectly for the denim shirt to perform. What would normally be an off day can easily become a complete disaster in a denim. Everyone has seen meet results where a normally flawless lifter not only performed sub-par on the bench, but bombed miserably. Technique is paramount. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/12 "2004-12-02T23:23:29Z")
What wacky lifting shirts? Does it store energy and compress the arms toward the chest? ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/13 "2004-12-02T23:28:17Z")
Behold the power of delayed posting! ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/14 "2004-12-02T23:32:37Z")
My impression, **ultrafilter** , is that a lifting shirt is much like the suits some of the track and swimming athletes are wearing; designed to increase lift amount in lifters’ cases and to decrease drag/resistance in time-based events. You’re therefore not increasing what you can do but how much resistance you have. Is this essentially accurate? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/15 "2004-12-02T23:42:44Z")
That’ll be _decreasing_ the resistance… ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/16 "2004-12-03T01:09:05Z")
The way a “lifting shirt” works is that it’s very tight on you before you re pumped up and blood has engorged your muscles. As you warm up the heavy denim encases you like a sausage. Imagine a shirt so tight that you can barely bend your arms. Now, when you lift the weight, the tightness of the shirt resists the bending of your arms and the expansion of your chest as you lower the weight. It’s like havin a spring on your chest to carry some of the weight. Additionally, the compression of the shirt focuses the direction of your muscles as you exert force, directing your effort vertically. I’ve tried this for the hell of it, and I almost doubled what I could lift. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/17 "2004-12-03T03:16:22Z")
Holy Cr@p that’s a lotta weight (reguardless of the equipment assist). I’ve benched 205 (I’m off a little as I don’t WO three times a week anymore), but I’m 6’6". I figure we bench the same, I just have to move it 4 times further. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/18 "2004-12-03T06:12:24Z")
Yeah, you’ll notice that Rychlak has very short arms and a very thick chest. That has a lot to do with this record. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/19 "2004-12-03T06:44:32Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Yeah, you’ll notice that Rychlak has very short arms and a very thick chest. That has a lot to do with this record. No F\*\*\*\*NG kidding. :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737/20 "2004-12-03T07:18:32Z")
Christ. What a monster. I wonder if he can actually reach, say, his penis. It looks like he has about as much range of movement as a typical cinder block. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1005-lb-bench-press/277737.md?page=2)