Nice read, Vince. From the videos I watched
Frank Mcgrath: 315x10, 405x5[incline BP], 185lb barbell curls for 8. Gustavo Badell also did 185 for 8 reps on BFTO '05.
Dennis James: 315x10, 405x6, 455x3 on BFTO '98
Levrone: 315x10, 405x6, 455x6 and 455x4, 495x3 on BFTO '98
Tom Prince 'said': I inclined 495 x 6, and 545 x 2. Squatted 755 x 2 and 805 x 1
http://musclemayhem.com/forums/showthread.php?p=409141#post409141Jay: 225lb for 14, 315 for 9 on
One Step Closer. He could of done 225 for more than that, easily and 315 for more than 9, but stopped there.
Ronnie: 315 x 12, 405 x 10, 495 x 5 on
The Cost of Redemption.
According to this article, Gunter also a strong fella: 225 for 12 on first set to failure in this workout. "He regularly incline presses 365 for six to eight reps in the off season." Few pros do barbell bench presses, especially precontest, but Glass believes heavy compound lifts are best for muscle density and that those who rely on isolation lifts and machines look flat on bodybuilding contest stages. Schlierkamp does his first set with 225 for 12 reps, his second with 275 for nine and his third with 295 for eight. All the while, at Glass' urging, he keeps up a brutal pace."
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_1_21/ai_98542690/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1In his first video, Ronnie could do barbell rows with 315 with excellent form, but it was obvious not too much more. As he got bigger, he got stronger: 495lb x 10 in
The Unbelieveable. That is incredible. If suckmymuscles posts are anything to go by, Kovacs could do even more: 528lb for 8, I think. Kovacs was bigger than Ronnie. Would you expect then, someone bigger and more muscular than even him, to lift more? eg. more than 528lb for 8. Yes! I would. All the biggest animals are the strongest[overall strength, and not how agile or dexterous they are]. Can there be people who look relatively less impressive or not as big, but lift a big weight? Yes!
I think it's a combination of strength, training like a bodybuilder, genetics—definitely, and not being a fat mother-fucker!