Despite being a world class powerlifter, Jamal Browner has decided to put his career in this sport on pause and make an appearance in a Strongman competition. This comes in the hopes of setting a new Deadlift World Record, which is why this event has been his primary focus for the past few months. Jamal, however, decided to test his upper body strength, setting a new bench press PR in the process. It now stands at 235 kilograms (518 pounds), which Jamal proved by posting a video to his Instagram page.
It appears that Jamal Browner did not use any equipment whatsoever to set a new 235-kilogram (518-pound) Bench Press PR. Interestingly, this lift was 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) heavier than Jamal’s greatest bench press ever performed in an official competition. If Jamal manages to preserve this strength following his upcoming Strongman event, he has the potential to revolutionize his weight class in powerlifting.
Jamal Browner attributed his newfound strength on the bench press to his recent weight gain. However, he did not reveal what his bodyweight is at the moment.
“Bench is getting stronger even though I’m not really focused on it. Probably from weight gain ? hopefully the gains stay loyal when I cut back down!”
Jamal Browner has already locked out 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) in training, but did so by using a sumo stance. This time, he will have to perform the deadlift with a conventional stance, as sumo is prohibited in Strongman. Still, his conventional deadlifts are also mind-blowing, as he was near the 1,000-pound (453.6-kilogram) mark on a number of occasions.
Earlier in his preparation, Jamal Browner revealed that he won’t be using a deadlift suit, although it will be allowed. So, considering how both Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson used these suits for their half-a-ton deadlifts, Jamal is set to face a very difficult task. He will only rely on the lifting straps, which are forbidden in his main sport of powerlifting.
Jamal Browned already holds one deadlift World Record in powerlifting, but he now wants to prove himself to the Strongman community as well. However, above all, Jamal is an incredible powerlifter, and he has the resume to prove it. Overall, he has taken part in 16 sanctioned competitions and won 11 of them.
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: April 12, 2023
Jamal Browner’s new bench press PR has revealed a lot about his current shape. Most importantly, we can now see that he is feeling good and strong, sitting at a heavier bodyweight than usual. According to Jamal, he plans to lose weight after his Strongman outing. So, it remains to be seen if he is able to keep his strength after the process.