Best Bencher in History

[Powerlift66]

All the Maddox talk lately, no one comes close to Big Mac.
Vietnam "Medal of Valor" recipient (courage), not "doing battle" like todays InstaGram douche-bags.

One of a kind...

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/other/4392575-mike-macdonald-was-bench-presser-ages

Upon returning from war, MacDonald went back to dominating on the bench. His two records that endure: 582 pounds in the 220-pound class and 603 pounds in the 242 class.
They were set in 1979 and 1977, respectively, and both are “full meet” marks, meaning participants started with the squat, then benched and ended with the deadlift.
So MacDonald already was taxed from squatting when he lifted from the bench.

A pioneer of the cambered bar - a bent bar that came to be known as the “MacDonald Bar” - he had more than 100 lifts of 500 pounds, and hit 600 17 times.
Officially, his personal best was 608.87 pounds. Unofficially, it was 620. And he accomplished all that without the assistance of “lifting shirts” and other
modern luxuries and adaptations that once prompted MacDonald to declare the sport no longer credible and “a joke.”

[Powerlift66]

T-Shirt, flat-back, no silly arching, etc... ^

[Hypertrophy]

T-Shirt, flat-back, no silly arching, etc... ^

Yep - a true bench press. Now they arch so much it is a joke.

[anvil]

Yep - a true bench press. Now they arch so much it is a joke.

Powerlifting today (the bench press in particular) has become a ridiculous parody of itself.  They need to get rid of the quadruple-ply back-arch-to-the-moon etc etc horseshit already.  "But, but, but, the rules allow it" fuck off with the gaywad rules and do the shit properly.

[jude2]

Great lifts.

[Fortress]

T-Shirt, flat-back, no silly arching, etc... ^

He’s positioned with an excellent arch. Just not a ridiculous one as (almost always) seen with lighter lifters.

Pressing with a flattened back is the hallmark of an inexperienced weight trainer.

[oldtimer1]

He had long arms too.  I see guys pushing the bar a very short distance off their chest due to a crazy arch, inflating a fat chest and taking a wide grip.  He had a huge range of motion due to his flat back and long arms. Because of him I bought that MacDonald bar. I still have it. I don't know how effective gaining flexibility with it is and how it relates to a bigger bench but it sure helpful to prevent injury. Most guys bench goes up the more they lose flexibility in the chest.  

He is still the best bench press guy in my book. Yes, I have a book.

[hazbin]

He’s positioned with an excellent arch. Just not a ridiculous one as (almost always) seen with lighter lifters.

Pressing with a flattened back is the hallmark of an inexperienced weight trainer.

at the Arnold classic a few years back in the bench contest one
guy had a contraption on that didn't even resemble a shirt.
he tried 750, but couldn't even touch his chest so he was red lighted.
he tried again and couldn't even pull it down to touch.
third attempt he went to 800 and it touched. it popped up like nothing and
three white lights.  so basically, when it was just above his chest; it was no longer
750lbs. it wasn't even zero lbs. it was less than zero, as he couldn't even
pull it down to touch.

[Fortress]

at the Arnold classic a few years back in the bench contest one
guy had a contraption on that didn't even resemble a shirt.
he tried 750, but couldn't even touch his chest so he was red lighted.
he tried again and couldn't even pull it down to touch.
third attempt he went to 800 and it touched. it popped up like nothing and
three white lights.  so basically, when it was just above his chest; it was no longer
750lbs. it wasn't even zero lbs. it was less than zero, as he couldn't even
pull it down to touch.

Yes, I know about all this type of shit. It’s entirely ridiculous.

[Fortress]

He had long arms too.  I see guys pushing the bar a very short distance off their chest due to a crazy arch, inflating a fat chest and taking a wide grip.  He had a huge range of motion due to his flat back and long arms. Because of him I bought that MacDonald bar. I still have it. I don't know how effective gaining flexibility with it is and how it relates to a bigger bench but it sure helpful to prevent injury. Most guys bench goes up the more they lose flexibility in the chest.  

He is still the best bench press guy in my book. Yes, I have a book.

Again, he never pressed without a very solid arch.

[Hypertrophy]

He’s positioned with an excellent arch. Just not a ridiculous one as (almost always) seen with lighter lifters.

Pressing with a flattened back is the hallmark of an inexperienced weight trainer.

His arch is not much beyond the natural lordosis of the spine- as one would expect. Hard to lie on your back without it. A pic of the great Doug Young is another example of old school benching.

The trend in benching these days reminds me of the old pics of the now discontinued Olympic Press. It became a standing bench press, lol

[Fortress]

Both him and Mike were awe-inspiring pressers, absolutely.

And their arches were very solid and practiced.

[robcguns]

Damn strong,when benching was just benching.NO BULLSHIT.

[illuminati]

All the Maddox talk lately, no one comes close to Big Mac.
Vietnam "Medal of Valor" recipient (courage), not "doing battle" like todays InstaGram douche-bags.

One of a kind...

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/other/4392575-mike-macdonald-was-bench-presser-ages

Upon returning from war, MacDonald went back to dominating on the bench. His two records that endure: 582 pounds in the 220-pound class and 603 pounds in the 242 class.
They were set in 1979 and 1977, respectively, and both are “full meet” marks, meaning participants started with the squat, then benched and ended with the deadlift.
So MacDonald already was taxed from squatting when he lifted from the bench.

A pioneer of the cambered bar - a bent bar that came to be known as the “MacDonald Bar” - he had more than 100 lifts of 500 pounds, and hit 600 17 times.
Officially, his personal best was 608.87 pounds. Unofficially, it was 620. And he accomplished all that without the assistance of “lifting shirts” and other
modern luxuries and adaptations that once prompted MacDonald to declare the sport no longer credible and “a joke.”

An All Time Great
Amazing Bench Presser

[D.O.A.]

Yep - a true bench press. Now they arch so much it is a joke.

of course because its almost like a decline press! It is a joke

[che]

He wasn't the best ever but Mike Siegler was the best I have ever seen in person,perfect form