So You Want To Bench Press | HEAVY WEIGHT (600 LBS)

►BUILD YOUR HOME GYM:

►Watch as Dave Tate and JM Blakley go over his MAJOR back injury that led to him benching over 600 POUNDS!!!

[DNO_Fitness]

This one resonates with me. I always had a pretty strong bench but mostly lifted in higher rep ranges as a bodybuilder. Several people encouraged me to do a powerlifting meet. With 6 weeks of peaking I broke the state record in my first competition (USAPL). The meet director was shocked I had just started powerlifting and encouraged me to continue. What I didn't tell him was that I stopped benching and all pressing movements for 2 years a few years prior on the advice of my orthopedist. I had distal clavicle osteolysis (weight lifters shoulder) which made pressing impossible without 10/10 pain. I kept lifting and slowly worked my way back to benching. The jagged clavicle bone resected to a smoother shape enabling pressing again. That almost never happens. When I switched over to powerlifting from bodybuilding and realized 500+ was possible while still weighing 200. I spoke with Ben Pollack and he offered to coach me. He believed I was capable of breaking several records (push pull, top 3 total, all time world record bench). We targeted the American Pro to go for the records and put together a plan. Everything was on track. A few weeks out I was doubling 500 with 4 second pauses. I needed to hit 515 for the ATWR (masters, full power, 198lbs). I was becoming 'that guy'. 4 days prior to the meet I lost my job and a close friend suffered permanent brain damage resulting from a bad accident. It hit me hard. I couldn't sleep and my digestion and strength suffered. This all happened in the middle of a water cut. I decided not to pull out of the meet. I missed the ATWR by 1/2 inch, maybe less. I'm not sure if I'll go for it again but I know it's there if I do. I still doubled my lifetime goal of 500 at less than 200 BW.

[bmstylee]

Listening to JM is so calming. He's always so relaxed sounding. I'd be afraid to see him actually angry.

[lovesgibson]

Deep insight by Dave at the end. Some of the smallest things that we do or say can have the biggest and long lasting impacts. Every moment matters

[yanwain]

i benched the 100lb dumbbells on thursday.

[EquityCall]

"Make the most of the thing I can still do"
The motto of the aging athlete

[usayeed]

425lbs for a double was the most I’ve ever done. I’m 28 now. I want to reach the 500lbs club in the next five years.

[Bigjbswole]

I’m just bless to found the Bench again.. Lord show me where I belong at .. everyone keep lifting and stay safe . 💪🧨

[davidandre]

JM has that thanos level jaw and and beard. What a stud

[yota]

Mindset is huge. So is having healthy shoulders and having the discipline to lay off long enough for a strained rotator cuff to heal..

[barns]

Everyone in these comments apparently bench 400-500 lbs 😂

[wpowolfpackinternational]

525 was my highest bench press 15 years ago 46 now imms try to get 500plus for old time sake mid 400 now but i always lift all my life having my own home gym I always stayed at a certain level of strength all my life this all i know after retiring from Sports 💪

[MoreWeightJay]

So there's a reoccurring theme, if you want to have a big bench just break your back so all you can do is bench

[mikeanthony]

Off topic; the thumbnail pic for this video of JM is a selfie of us during a training weekend. Cool!!! Thanks elite!

[brandonbagwell]

I hear stuff like this, and all I can think is, "yeah, but what about us mere mortals?"

I go from inspired to depressed about ten times a day with the gym, and I don't know how to make that stop.

[nathanaelarmstrong]

Id love to hit a 3 plate bench press let alone a 6 plate lol

[nuancepill]

I’ve done 420 for 3… 452.5 for one at 45. I remember when 315 was a wet dream for me. I haven’t maxed in a while- but I can still hit my rep maxes at 48 and 230 with natural 500 T.

[timetohunt]

thanks for sharing. Hey JM, where did you get that Tee Shirt? I love it.

[Procharmo]

I bench 400lbs. Where’s the 500lbs vid? I’m 59. I won’t live long enough to get 600lbs. 😢

[supersaiyanzero]

I've been working out since I was 12 just curls and push ups then at 13 curls, overhead press shrugs and forearm curls with a concrete weight set.

I started doing bench and deadlift at 13-14 and then at 15 and 16 I added in squats


It would be far too long to list the timeline of my injuries severe and not severe

However my case is interesting because no doctor has really ever told me to not lift other than acute 3 day periods...

But there was a psychiatrist I saw in a moment of crisis in my life, and he noticed that I was pretty muscular and he legitimately told me to stop lifting weights and don't be a bodybuilder.

I'm not really a bodybuilder I'm kind of a powerbuilder who swings back and forth but I assumed he meant heavy lifting and lifting in general.


I just find that to be a very strange thing a psychiatrist would bring up because he just asked me what my hobbies are and I told him video games lifting reading and watching TV and this was only like a 15-second answer....

Just a very strange thing. I honestly don't think he had a discernible point maybe I just misheard heard him but I'm pretty sure I didn't. If anything a psychiatrist ought to know the benefits of weightlifting and exercising in general to the mind.

So weird!

[paulwaters]

It seems like it's always or in my case the people closest to you that discourage you the most when it comes to benching high numbers