Tag: powerlifting
Larry Wheels Accepts And Completes Hafthor Bjornsson’s Bench Press Challenge
Larry Wheels wasted no time completing a recent bench press challenge.
When a challenge is offered, Larry Wheels is going to give it a shot — and more often than not, take it down. That is exactly what happened when he attempted the bench press challenge offered by Hafthor Bjornsson.
On Monday, Wheels shared a post on Instagram that saw him crush a bench press session. He completed six reps of 529 pounds and 21 reps of 396.8 pounds. Bjornsson decided to comment on the video and offer his own challenge. This was for Wheels to complete 20 reps of 200kg.
Wheels wasted no time taking on this challenge. On Thursday morning, the powerlifter returned to the bench and loaded up 440 pounds. He powered through the first 20 reps and added three more to exceed the total asked for from Bjornsson.
“440lbs/ 200kg x23@thorbjornsson challenged me to 20 reps.@edwards_strong@teampersonalrecord“
Hafthor Bjornsson returned to the comments’ section to acknowledge the feat done by Larry Wheels.
“??? that’s insane brother!! My record is 10 reps with 200kg. You moved that like nothing!”
It is no surprise to see Wheels take on a challenge when one is offered. He has been taking on many personal challenges and crushing his own records in recent months. This time, he took down a PR of one of the top strongmen of all-time.
Bjornsson explained in his comment that he had one completed 10 reps of 200kg. Outlifting Bjornsson in any aspect is impressive given his history. He currently holds the world deadlift record at 501kg (1,104.5lb). Bjornsson took over the title in May 2020 from Eddie Hall by a single kilogram. Hall became the first person to ever deadlift 500kg at the time.
This is not the first bench press challenge the Larry Wheels has taken on recently. He set a PR bench press with 308 pounds for 44 reps last week. His strength is unquestioned and he continues to be a big name in powerlifting.
Larry Wheels and Hafthor Bjornsson have trained together in the past and remain close. Even with Bjornsson’s transition to boxing, he has remained active in the powerlifting community and is still a huge figure. Let’s see if there are anymore challenges made to Wheels moving forward for him to attempt.
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Drop Everything and Follow These Fitness Athletes on YouTube
Unlike the other social media platforms, YouTube is a long format platform. While Instagram and Snapchat have the capabilities to post videos, both have time restrictions and can’t match the depth YouTube videos offer.
If you want to learn a thing or two about fitness and bodybuilding, you should begin by watching some YouTube videos. Creators have put out thousands of hours of content which can give you an edge in shaping your physique.
The Best Fitness Athletes to Follow on YouTube
Dana Linn Bailey
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DLB arguably has the best videos on this list. Dana’s videos are full of useful content and are edited to perfection. Dana partners with her husband, Rob, on her channel and you will fall in love with their chemistry and their love for their arts.
Steve Cook
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Steve has one of the oldest YouTube channels and documents his life through his videos. If you’re into the golden bodybuilding era and want a physique just like that, Cook is the guy you need to follow.
Bradley Martyn
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Going to the gym and doing the same old exercises every day can be boring. Martyn has an uncanny ability to do mind-blowing things in the gym. Some of Bradley’s escapades include squatting with two girls on a barbell, deadlifting with one arm and squatting on a hoverboard.
Elliot Hulse
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Once you start lifting weights, you will probably have tonnes of questions. Before you go crazy looking for answers on the internet, head over to Elliot’s channel and you might find your answer.
Hodge Twins
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The Hodge Twins are great at debunking myths and doing product reviews. Hodge Twins walk the walk and have experimented with almost everything, including going vegetarian and vegan.
Marc Lobliner
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Lobliner is the CMO of TigerFitness.com and the CEO of MTS Nutrition. Marc focuses on helping you reach your fitness goals and shares content which can help you achieve the physique of your dreams.
Dom Mazzetti
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If you haven’t already, you need to subscribe to Dom Mazzetti and his channel BroScienceLife. Dom lays out the footprints of how to be a bro inside the gym and does so with his bizarre humor.
CT Fletcher
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If you like watching some motivational videos before your workouts, it doesn’t get any better than CT Fletcher. Fletcher has collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry and will surely pump you up to kill it inside the weight room.
Mark Bell
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Mark “Smelly” Bell is the founder of Slingshot, owner of the Super Training gym and is the brother of the famous filmmaker Chris Bell. Bell is a powerlifter and throws out incredibly effective tips to lift better.
Mike Rashid
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Mike Rashid isn’t your regular fitness celebrity. Rashid is a bodybuilder and a boxer who believes in developing his mind and body at par. Mike puts out life advice in videos he likes to call mind jewels.
Who is your favorite fitness YouTuber? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Hafthor Bjornsson Offers New Bench Press Challenge To Larry Wheels
Hafthor Bjornsson commented on Larry Wheels’ post with a new challenge.
You can take the competitor away from powerlifting but cannot take powerlifting out of the competitor. Even after transitioning to the boxing ring, Hafthor Bjornsson still shows interest in weightlifting. Recently, he was seen in the comments’ section of one of Larry Wheels’ feats of strength. Bjornsson offered a new challenge for Wheels to take on while bench pressing.
Wheels has been on a tear in the gym in recent months. He has been setting many personal records and repping huge amounts of weight in different exercises. This bench press session was no different. Wheels took to Instagram to share another impressive lift.
It began when Wheels took on a 529-pound bench press and competed six reps. He then powered through 21 reps of 396.8 pounds.
“240kg x 6180kg x21@teampersonalrecord@mikethurston••@teampersonalrecord wrist and elbow wraps being used”
Larry Wheels gains much attention from his Instagram videos. This time, it was Hafthor Bjornsson who commented with a new challenge on how to go a bit further.
“That’s insane! I challenge you to do 200kg for 20 reps!”
Bjornsson continues to be an influential name in powerlifting. He has transitioned to boxing and is planning to take on fellow strongman turned boxer Eddie Hall. Since his days of powerlifting, Bjornsson has lost a significant amount of weight and is as shredded as ever. This does not the way what he was able to do during his prime.
In 2020, Bjornsson completed the heaviest deadlift in history at 501kg (1,104.5lb). In the ring, Bjornsson has completed two exhibition fights against Steven Ward and Simon Vallily. He was scheduled to take on Hall in September but it had to be cancelled. Devon Larratt stepped in and was defeated by the strongman.
Larratt is a professional arm wrestler and this is a sport that Larry Wheels has ventured into recently. He has continued training for arm wrestling while continuing to do some incredible things while weight lifting.
Hafthor Bjornsson has trained with Wheels before during his time as a powerlifter. Since making the successful transition, the two have not joined forces but remain close. That is clear by the comment on Wheels’ video. It will be interesting to see if Wheels takes on the challenge given by Bjornsson. If he does, it will certainly be a must-see post.
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John Haack Sets Two 100kg World Records During the Hybrid Showdown 4
John Haack continues to dominate powerlifting and set two world records in his last competition.
At the end of 2021, John Haack was sharing some massive lifts on social media preparing for the new year. Now, he has competed in his first competition of 2022 and put on a memorable performance. During the Hybrid Showdown 4, Haack competed in the 100kg category and set two new world records.
The first record came on the bench press. Haack completed all three attempts with his third being the heaviest. It began with a 523.6-pound lift followed by a 562.2-pounder. Haack’s third attempt was 589.7 pounds and this set a new record.
John Haack usually competes in the 90kg category but was unable to get below this weight before the competition. He entered the competition at 93kg bodyweight. This means he still had plenty of room to be able to compete in the 100kg category. Haack is not done competing at 90kg but this competition showed that he can still dominate at a heavier weight.
Haack’s next world record came at the end of the competition. He already holds the total world record in 90kg and added the 100kg record as well. Haack finished with a total of 990kg (2,182.6lb) when it was all said and done. He breezed past the previous record, which was 972.5kg (2,144lb) held by Yury Belkin.
“Got down to 205 lbs (93 kg) yesterday around 5pm and just didn’t have the desire to keep going. I’m not done as a 90 kg lifter.”
The competition began with squat and Haack began with ease. He completed a 683.4-pound lift before completing his meet max on his second attempt. This was 733 pounds and he attempted to up the weight even more. Haack failed his third attempt, which was 755.1 pounds.
Haack entered the final event looking for a total world record. He crushed an 859.8-pound deadlift and he made it with ease. He tried to beat this number with a 903.9-pound lift but was unable to complete it.
The feat that John Haack was able to pull off during The Hybrid Showdown 4 shows just how strong he is as a competitor. This was the beginning to the year that we were all expecting after seeing his latest triumphs on social media. Now, we can all look forward to what he has in store for the rest of 2022.
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WATCH: Tom Stoltman Accidentally Breaks Gym Wall During 2021 Training Session
Tom Stoltman was training with his brother, Luke, and Eddie Hall at the time.
Strongman competitions feature many different ways for competitors to show off their brute strength. One we have not seen is the athlete taking down a wall. This is what happened when Tom Stoltman joined his brother, Luke Stoltman, and Eddie Hall for a training session back in 2021.
A recent video has gained popularity from a training session involving this trio. They were preparing for the 2021 Britain’s Strongest Man Competition at the time. This video can be found on the Giants Live STRONGMAN YouTube page. The session includes four major workouts but the highlight of the video was Tom Stoltman breaking a wall at the gym.
Hall explained that they were not training using full competition weight because it was more important to get the proper motions down. This was a session involving form but the strongmen still lift much more than the average person.
The final leg of their session involved a 90kg tire. Following his turn, Stoltman let the tire go but was too close to the wall. The impact of the tire hitting the wall left a big crack in it. To make matters worse, Stoltman was unable to beat his brother in the loading session.
“Tom, I wouldn’t be angry at you for this mate but you didn’t even beat Luke. You got one second less,” Eddie Hall joked.
“I think Tom going for the wall like a juggernaut has put a little bit of a damper on the session.”
All three competitors have made major strides since this session. Tom Stoltman is the reigning World’s Strongest Man while Luke Stoltman won the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man competition. Eddie Hall has returned from a triceps injury and is continuing to work his way to the boxing ring.
The Stoltman Brothers are already in line to compete at two major events. First, they will be present during the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, which will take place from Mach 3-6 in Columbus. Next, they are slated to compete at the 2022 Shaw Classic on Aug. 13-14 in Loveland, CO.
This is an old video but there is still plenty of entertainment value to it. Both Tom and Luke Stoltman continue to be huge names in powerlifting and will continue to build their legacy with a busy 2022.
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Danial Zamani Bench Presses 727Lbs and Makes it Look Easy
Danial Zamani makes 727lb bench press look like child’s play.
Danial Zamani showcases his incredible strength with a massive 727lb bench press. Zamani recently pulled off the incredible feat in training and made the lift look easy. It’s clear that he’s a threat to the bench press world record held by Julius Maddox. It’s also clear that he’s within striking distance of crushing the record.
Perseverance is perhaps the number one most important trait to have if one wants to succeed at just about anything. No matter what you choose to do in this life one thing is very certain. Before you succeed you’re going to fail. In fact you’re going to fail a whole lot before you consistently succeed. Those with unshakable perseverance have been blessed with an incredible super power, no question.
It’s the exact power that men like Danial Zamani possess.
One of the strongest humans on the planet, Danial Zamani is hunting to conquer the 800lb bench press. The reigning bench press king Julius Maddox is on the very same mission. Both men have been hard at work prepping their minds and bodies to eventually set the world record.
While Maddox may hold the title of bench press king, Danial Zamani is hot on his heels. Training session after training session has improved Zamani’s strength. He has consistently been pushing himself to the point that he’s become a real threat to not only the current world record, but also the 800lb record as well.
Incredible Strength
Danial Zamani recently bench pressed 727lbs in training and made it look like cakewalk. The feat shows that he is clearly ready to challenge the world record bench press.
?330 kg?without using any stimulant, one of my important attempt in this training cycle, starting attempt of my last 4 heaviest attempts. Here it is presented to all my sport seniors and athletes in the world.
With the help of first god and second my coach great Babak @babak_ghazbani who takes care of all my training plans, and support of my fans, I am willing to break the world record ?
It appears that 727lbs was barely even an issue for Danial Zamani. He has the strength, the drive, the perseverance, and the momentum to push him towards challenging for the bench press world record.
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News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
WATCH: Nora Langdon Deadlifts 335 Pounds At 78 Years Old
Nora Langdon continues to accomplish incredible feats of strength at age 78.
They say that it gets difficult to maintain strength and perform in the sport of powerlifting as one gets older. Nora Langdon is proving that this is not always the case. The 78-year-old powerlifter continues to put up impressive numbers in the gym and will be back on stage competing in 2022.
Recently, Langdon has been sharing some lifts on Instagram. On Wednesday, she completed three reps of a 265-pound squat. Last week, Langdon impressed with a 335-pound deadlift for a triple. In her caption, Langdon says that she is in training for her first competition of the year.
“Rack pulls 335 x 4
Started out training for the State Meet 3/13/22, only 9 weeks out!”
Nora Langdon is not sponsored but currently has a GoFundMe page setup so she can receive hep financing her competitions. So far, she has raised over $3,000 that will help her appear on stage this year. Langdon is planning to compete during the USAPL National Championships in June and the 2022 WPC World Championships in November.
Langdon has been dominant in the Masters 70-79 division. Her numbers are difficult to best and she is only getting stronger. Langdon has expressed that she wants to reach the 500-pound mark in her lifts.
Langdon did not spend her lift dedicated to powerlifting despite her incredible strength. She worked as a real estate agent for 35 years before discovering the gym. She wanted to get in better shape and this is when she began training with Art Little, a trainer at Royal Oak Gym in Royal Oak, MI.
After her first training session, there was a bit of skepticism coming from Nora Langdon but she continued to work and fell in love with the craft. In 2006, Langdon made her powerlifting debut at age 64. She won gold in the equipped division by lifting a total of 556.9 pounds. This came during the 2006 USAPL State Championships. This is one of three competitions that Langdon has competed in yearly, along with Nationals and World Championships.
So far, Langdon has competed in 25 sanctioned meets and has won 23 of them. Her competition best lifts include a 413.3-pound squat, 203.9-pound bench press, and 381.4-pound deadlift. These are all numbers that Langdon is committed to breaking at some point.
Nora Langdon is not only a competitive powerlifter. She has turned into an inspiration for all at any age. She hopes that her work will continue to inspire others to go out and accomplish their goals, regardless of age. Langdon will be competing this year and hoping to add some more medals to her trophy case.
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Brian Shaw Announces Competitors For Shaw Classic, Plan For Podcast
Brian Shaw reveals the athletes that will take part in this year’s event.
Brian Shaw is starting the new year with a bang. In a recent YouTube video posted to his page, the strongman shared some big news regarding many different areas.
First, Shaw shared an early list of competitors that will take part in the Shaw Classic 2022. There is still time for other competitors to qualify for the event. Also, Shaw is planning to relaunch his “SHAWSTRENGTH” podcast. The Shaw Classic is scheduled for Aug. 13-14 in Loveland, CO. Below, you can find the early list of competitors.
Shaw Classic Lineup
Maxime Boudreau
J.F. Carron
Kevin Farris
Graham Hicks
Konstantine Janashia
Trey Mitchel
Jerry Pritchett
Zydrunas Savickas
Evan Singleton
Brian Shaw
Aivars Smaukstelis
Luke Stoltman
Tom Stoltman
Bobby Thompson
The Stoltman Brothers
The Stoltman Brothers have taken over strongman and turned into two of the best in the world. Tom Stoltman is the reigning World’s Strongest Man while Luke Stoltman won last year’s Europe’s Strongest Man competition. They will both be participating at the Arnold Strongman Classic and will continue to dominate.
Brian Shaw
Shaw began this event in 2020 and Shaw was victorious. This is one of many victories he has compiled over the years. Shaw is one of the biggest names in strongman and has plenty of records to his name over the years. He has won the World’s Strongest Man competition four times. In 2011, Shaw became the first competitor to win the WSM and Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year and did it once again in 2015.
Konstantine Janashia
Janashia has become a force in Georgia and is known as the “Georgia Bull.” He has won the Georgia’s Strongest Man competition five times in a row. This is in addition to many top finishes at competitions he enters. Janashia is a dark-horse competitor entering the Shaw Classic and has a chance to take home the prize.
Zydrunas Savickas
Big Z has been a force in strongman for over a decade now. He thrives in the log lift and has set many records. Savickas still has plenty to offer despite being one of the longest-tenured athletes. He is considered by some to be the best strength athlete of all-time. He has a chance to add another title to his resume in this one.
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Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
Natalie Richards Crushes PR With 385.8-Pound Squat
Natalie Richards continues to set some new personal marks in the gym.
The list of up-and-coming names in powerlifting keeps getting longer and Natalie Richards is one to keep an eye on in 2022. She continues to show that she is a force and that continued on Monday. This is when she shared another PR that she has been working to improve.
Richards shared a video on Instagram of a 385.8-pound squat. This was good enough to take down her previous record and start the year off with a bang.
“Okay based on how 165 moved I did not think I was about to grossly overshoot my single ahaaaaa ?? once I figure out my 45 problems with squat it’ll be fine. It is cool to bust out a random PR mid volume, but also I’m so angry with this grind ? ?Eh, 175/387 @ 58/129 body weight@anchor_power we shall take it for now”
Natalie Richards explains in her caption that she believes there is work to be done. It is not a bad start to hit a new PR despite being unhappy with how the session went. Richards also disclosed that she weighed 129 pounds at the time of the lift.
This is the weight that Richards was while competing during the 2021 USAPL Virginia Pro. At this event, she was able to put on a record-setting performance. She finished as one of the top lifters at the event.
During this training session, Natalie Richards stepped up to the bar with knee sleeves and a lifting belt. This lift came in the middle of her routine. Richards Bega with two sets of three of 320 pounds and finished with two sets of five with 287 pounds. This was an impressive feat and shows that there could be some more big things coming.
Richards has captured four gold medals in her career to this point. The first came during the 2019 USAPL Fall Festival of Power. In 2020, Richards won two during the USAPL North Carolina Qualifier and USAPL SC State Championship. Finally, her most recent came during the 2021 USAPL Carolina Primetime.
It is unknown which competitions Natalie Richards plans to take part in this year but she has already set a new PR in one lift. There could be some more personal records going down soon. This will be before she takes the stage to potentially build on other records she currently holds.
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WATCH: Larry Wheels Sets PR With 44 Reps Of 308 Pounds On Bench Press
Larry Wheels hit another huge personal record in a recent training session.
Larry Wheels is known for his incredible feats of strength. Recently, that has been being put to good use accomplishing different personal records. On Monday, Wheels loaded up 308 pounds on bench press and hit an amazing PR of 44 reps.
Wheels can add this to his recent list of PRs in training. This includes 17 shoulder press reps with a 140-pound dumbbell. In September, Wheels completed a massive 950-pound squat, which was also a personal best. Wheels shared the video on Instagram where he is seen moving 308 pounds with ease.
“308lbs/140kg x44 reps PR.2 days ago had arm wrestling practice which lit up my bicep brachialis to 10/10•Slapped on some @teampersonalrecord elbow wraps and the pain went to 2/10@_jamesenglish“
In his caption, Larry Wheels explains how he was dealing with pain in his bicep just days before. This came after arm-wrestling training that fired up his bicep brachialis. Wheels threw on some elbow wraps and this helps the pain enough for him to accomplish this incredible feat.
Wheels is still training for arm wrestling. This is an avenue he has been down recently and has competed in two matches to this point. The first came when Wheels was taken down by Aleksandr Toproll, better known as Schoolboy. In December, Wheels lost to Brandon Allen in a best-of-six match. It is unknown when Wheels will compete again but he is training to improve his game.
Larry Wheels has returned to powerlifting after some time off training as an arm wrestler. This was mainly to focus on improving grip strength, which is important when competing in the sport. Wheels has decided to continue training while returning to his roots as a powerlifter.
There was another minor setback when Wheels injured his quad during a heavy-squat session. This came at the end of 2020 but Wheels quickly returned to the gym and has been healthy since. It is clear that his strength is better than ever in all areas. While Wheels continues to train as an arm wrestler, it is clear that his best work is done moving heavy weights in the gym.
Larry Wheels will continue to impress with different PRs. If you want any motivation to be the best version of yourself, watch Wheels and how effortless he makes some lifts look. This is exactly what happened when he completed 44 reps on bench press recently.
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