Strongest Getbiggers - Past and Present.

[Matt]

There are some things I just don't believe, and want to get clarification on.

joswift said things don't make sense right now, nor are they supposed to. I think that's the point. He nailed it. Our entire society is operating based on massive lies.

Relating this back to the thread topic - everyone tells me it's common to see people squat over 405. This is absolute balderdash.

In any commercial gym open to the public, in a month, you will not see anyone squatting 405. I don't see that in a year.

I saw ONE person leg pressing 7 plates per side, doing half reps. I do ten plates per side, and my knees are just about hitting my chin. I squat 385 for 2 in contest form, and I bury them. NOBODY squats more at my gyms . Cripes - nobody SQUATS at all!

I have witnessed three men in my life squat 405 or more. I spotted a big Indigenous man squat 405 for 2 in 2002. My former training partner squatted 495 for 3 to parallel, and 315 for 20. He added a bar with 225 on top of the leg press that went to ~1,350, and got it for reps.

Maxime Boudreault lives here, and is currently #5 in the world, and just won Canada's Strongest Man. He squats around 700, and 500 for maybe 10-12.

Tommy Wishbone posted a video squatting 500 for 10.

Fortress said he has buried 635 before, and while I don't know if he posted a video, Fortress is credible.

Not ONE of you will see anyone squatting 405 this month, assuming you go to a normal commercial gym for 45-90 minutes per workout, 4-6 days per week. Strength specific gyms are exceptions.

So...much like the Covid delusion, some of you are either lying, or just mistaken. I do know people who squat 405+. But even if I train 90 minutes a day, six days a week, for the rest of the year, I will not see ONE PERSON squat that. Nor deadlift 495, nor bench press 315.

So...EXCLUDING MYSELF...who are the strongest VERIFIED Getbiggers, past AND present?

Here's the list:

[1] Tommy Wishbone. I'm pretty sure he is the strongest Getbigger ever, and he has been in sanctioned powerlifting meets and has posted videos.

[2] Fortress. If he buried a 635 squat, I'd have to think he has deadlifted 550+ and bench pressed 350+.

[3] Judochoke. He posted YouTube videos verifying some pretty heavy lifts. Over 315 on the bench for reps, if I recall correctly.

[4] pamith. He posted a video of a 405 bench press for reps, among other videos of his roach infested apartment. Assuming that really was him [I have my doubts], then he'd be on this list.

rocket has claimed dumbbell bench presses using 165-lb dumbbells. I believe him, but I don't think he has posted any video proof, so I have to exclude him.

Mike Wolfe - bigbadwolfe used to post here. He bench pressed over 900-lb in a bench shirt. He was 5'11" and 426-lb at his heaviest, and has since passed away.

Chris Mason used to post here, and could deadlift 640+.

I'm assuming Mike Arvilla had to have benched over 350, given he is 6'1", and has been ~285-lb.

SquadFatter claimed to be 230-lb at 5'11" with a bench press of 360-370. He was later found to be more like 330-lb, with no evidence of ever lifting that.

The social media world messes with my mind because of the sheer extent people lie. This concept ran amok recently, as we just lived through a fake pandemic, basically over people with great influence consciously lying to us using extremely elaborate brainwashing techniques that masses of people bought into, and many are STILL buying into. More on this below.

[Matt]

It blows my mind that we essentially just went through a fake pandemic. A "deadly plandemic", yet not ONE PERSON that any of us knows personally knows even ONE PERSON who was healthy and not elderly who died.

Wouldn't you think during a global pandemic, that ONE PERSON ANYONE YOU KNOW WOULD EVEN KNOW ONE PERSON who died?

Tom on here [not tommywishbone, but "Tom"] said that's anecdotal. No, it's not. It's one thing to not know anyone personally who died...but not even KNOWING one SINGLE PERSON who knew one single person? How is it that we are living in essentially a state of mass DELUSION?

As a test - go ask every single person you see in a public place. Ask them if they personally knew anyone who died. DEMAND they tell you how they knew them. Not like how OAK posts out-of-context deaths from that SorryAntiVaxxer website. As if some 45-year-old with leukemia from Nebraska dying WITH Covid counts as a Covid death. Yet that's what OAK uses as "proof". He has literally no examples from his personal life of Covid even existing at all. I'm not saying it doesn't - but let's just say, we wouldn't have even NOTICED a so-called "pandemic" if not for media brainwashing.

If you ask anyone, guaranteed they will mention someone's grandfather who had cancer and was dying anyway.

Likewise with all these supposedly strong people. Meanwhile, everyone has a camera on their cellphone, and there is no proof of any of this.

I just don't believe it. Pics/videos, or it never happened.

I'm also up for a Getbig contest:

A 405 deadlift for reps contest. Or a 225/250 bench press for reps contest.

I already know I will be top three. But hey - why not do it? We did a 225 deadlift for reps contest in 2007. I placed 3rd.

Why not do another contest, given how many strong people we have here on Getbig?

[Rusty Trombone]

.

[Matt]

.

Yeah, lol.

You can ignore my post, but please read the bolded parts, and add to my list if you can.

We can make a second list for alleged claims, such as rocket's claim of bench pressing 165-lb dumbbells. I believe him...but alleged claims shouldn't be included with verified ones.

Discuss.

[Gym-Rat]

We have a Powerlifting friendly gym (Monolith, all the bars, comp-bench, etc), where the night crew are big/strong guys. 4-plate benches, 6 plate SQ's and DL's.
However, when I go early AM, most there never go over 225-275 for squats, same for DL's. (Most never even do near that, only a few).
One young guy (a cop) does great-form SQ's with 4-plates for 3-5 reps. Big legs, strong kid.

His upper body not real impressive, uses 225 on the bench. Never seen him DL.
I dont consider myself strong at all, as I've been around world-record PL's most of my life.
(And strongmen).  (Arcidi, Frank Ciavattone and some of my friends who bench 405-500, and pull close to 700 weighing less than 200).
(The big-benchers are all 275 guys, my friend pulls close to 700 weighing less than me).
(Many would always do the gym-meets at 'Hard Nocks Gym' in MA, filled w/ monster-lifters).

It probably matters what type of gym environment you come up in, and who you hang out with.
Again, always been part of the hardcore type gyms we have in this area. (Most are now gone).

This week alone, I benched 325, pulled 465, squatted 455 (I weigh 200, am age 56, and lifelong natty before jumping on TRT when I turned 50 (I keep it in normal range) where the average gym goer may think thats strong. (I however do not).
(No, TRT does not give you strength, i was actually stronger when pure-natty in my 30's). But not by much).

I do not consider it very strong. Stronger than gen-pop maybe, much weaker than the many PL's around me each day.
Of course I have videos of my lifts, and no one really needs to prove anything to GetBig or anyone else. Its not that important.
Most people dont want to put themselves out here, especially after loved ones get attacked, and other nonsense.

The group I lift with knows my lifts (as do I) that's all I really care about. (And I have some meets, vids and a few (very few) trophies).

[MAXX]

probably the ones who used the most steroids

that's pretty much how it goes

[Matt]

This week alone, I benched 325, pulled 465, squatted 455 (I weigh 200, am age 56, and lifelong natty before jumping on TRT when I turned 50 (I keep it in normal range) where the average gym goer may think thats strong. (I however do not).

I'm going to watch a regional powerlifting meet that we had here and see how many guys squatted more than you. If I'm not mistaken, there were no more than five guys who squatted 455 or more. There are 54,000 men in my city, and MAYBE five squatted that.

So I guess you don't consider it strong to be stronger than 99.99% of men, Gym-Rat?

This is what I meant about social media messing with our minds. A 455 squat is extremely strong, and I have not seen anyone at any time I have been in the gym for the past ten years load that much weight on the bar and squat that. It's strong.

No, TRT does not give you strength

Really?

I do not consider it very strong.

While I understand that we have a tendency to think this way, the lifts you posted represent strength objectively stronger than 99.9% of all men.

I guess people in the top 1% of strength don't consider themselves strong because they are potentially in the bottom 1% of that top 1%.

Before the end of the year, I could get a bench/squat/deadlift of 315/405/495 [though I would need knee wraps for that squat, and would likely need straps for that deadlift].

I more or less want to maintain roughly that strength level, while being in decent shape, and generally under 200-lb. Just as I want to keep my body fat percentage at about 15%.

I could add 10% to those lifts...but that requires a level of dedication which isn't always realistic. I also don't want to set a standard for myself that is too high, that I am unable to maintain.

Generally, I want to be at a level of strength and fitness that I can maintain 24/7/365, while being in good health and without obsessively dedicating, risking injury, or running steroids.

I could for sure be stronger and look better if I was willing to take more risks to my health, or even just risk being injured. I am extremely cautious, and I think my cycle results have proven I purposely hold back.

I also don't want to hog an entire section of the gym for an hour working out in a very specific way to get strong. I find the best way to get a higher bench press is to...bench press. But I can't always do the specific training required when I am sharing the gym with others.

I feel a bit of strain on my biceps when I deadlift my max. So that's why I'm fine deadlifting around 500.

I would consider it a lifetime goal to deadlift 540 at under 185-lb body weight. Anything more, I think would be pushing an injury risk. That's why I hold back a little in training.

[wes]

I ain`t reading War & Peace I just woke the fuck up.

COFFEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111 

[Cook]

I ain`t reading War & Peace I just woke the fuck up.

COFFEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111 

[ProudVirgin69]

Sevastase posted video of him benching 405.  I don't care what you weigh, benching 4 plates is elite level strength.

to your point Matt, benching 3 plates or squatting 4 is definitely rare at commercial gyms.  i've seen it maybe 5-10x in 15 years of going to the gym.

strong: benching 3plates, squatting 4, pulling 5
elite: benching 4 plates, squatting 5, pulling 6

[Cook]

Me at 19 squatting 425 many at the gym were stronger

[Matt]

Gym-Rat:

Here are the top squats in Northwestern Ontario from an actual contest we had to get records posted...so these are official. There are a couple of people who have had bigger squats than this who I will list below.

Jared Wick: 500-lb.
Will Haskell: 500-lb.
Joe Lecuyer: 485-lb.
Jean-Paul Bourret: 485-lb.
Pete Scalzo: 485-lb.
Jeff Nason: 475-lb.
Andy Swindon: 465-lb.
Cory Scali: 460-lb.
Jake Di Paolo: 450-lb.
Ryan Fodchuk: 440-lb.
Colin Walker: 425-lb.

Kyle Rayner and Dallas Hogan have both squatted over 600 before. Kyle was #10 in Canada in 2011. I mentioned Maxime Boudreault, who is #5 in the world right now, and squats around 700.

As expected, the actual recorded evidence confirms exactly what I said - no one is squatting 405+ at any commercial gym with any regularity. I *might* see someone squat 405+ in person at work point this decade...but I'd give that only a 50% chance.

I won't be seeing it at any point this year.

So Gym-Rat - there are maybe 10 men in my city that I am aware of who have squatted more than you do, but you don't consider yourself to he strong?

Let's PRETEND there are a total of 54 men out of 54,000 in my city who squat more than you. That would be still he only 1 in 1,000 men. Making you stronger than 99.9% of men.

And there are NOT 54 men who can do that. Even if there were 27 men, 27 out of 54,000 is 0.05%, which makes you stronger than 99.95% of men.

As for comments that my city isn't strong - that's yet more balderdash. We once had a full 50% of all Ontario's Strongest Man competitors hail from Thunder Bay.

Ontario is the most populated province in Canada, and more populated than 46 of 50 American states. So no, my city isn't weak. It literally had the highest concentration of provincial level strongmen in Canada, and again - it's the biggest province by population, and second only to Quebec in terms of competitiveness in strength athletics.

The extent to which people lie about their lifts, or act like being in the top 1% or even top 0.1% isn't strong just astounds me. Like I said, it messes with my mind a little.

No wonder we just had millions of people fearing for their lives over a virus which is on par with the common flu for most people.

[Gym-Rat]

No, normal "In range" low dose TRT is not giving anyone any strength.
Especially if kept in normal range (real TRT).
When age 40, for a full medical checkup, my test-level was 717 (natural), I was always high I concluded.
(Massive libido my entire life, etc).

At age 50, my test-level was at 253 after a decade on statins, normal-aging and booze abuse. (Statins destroy test levels).
Most of your test is made in your cholesterol, you knock it down, you knock down natural test w/ it.
Also teh reason why those with naturally high-test are the most susceptible to heart-attacks.
Fembots like Oak, need not worry.

Men with a genetic predisposition to high testosterone levels have a nearly eightfold increased risk of heart failure and twice the risk of thromboembolism (blood clots that can block veins or arteries leading to the brain or lungs).

I recently got bloods done (on 125mg TRT (which is .5 cc), tested at 817 for total test. No, Im not stronger now than I was when age 40, but very close.
(High end normal is 850 on my results).

People think they'll turn into Superman doing normal TRT. Thats why most say start at 500mg test for your 1st cycle. 100mg wont do much for muscle-building.
It helps with other things though. (energy, mood, libido, sleep, anti-aging stuff, etc).

IMO (and John Jewett agrees) 500 mg is probably a bit much for 1st cycle, folks might want to try 250 mg and go from there.

[Gym-Rat]

Gym-Rat:

Here are the top squats in Northwestern Ontario from an actual contest we had to get records posted...so these are official. There are a couple of people who have had bigger squats than this who I will list below.

Jared Wick: 500-lb.
Will Haskell: 500-lb.
Joe Lecuyer: 485-lb.
Jean-Paul Bourret: 485-lb.
Pete Scalzo: 485-lb.
Jeff Nason: 475-lb.
Andy Swindon: 465-lb.
Cory Scali: 460-lb.
Jake Di Paolo: 450-lb.
Ryan Fodchuk: 440-lb.
Colin Walker: 425-lb.

Again, I guess it pertains to who ive been around my entire life. 250-300 lb life-long powerlifters and strongmen. (S im weak in comparison).
But yeah, in normal gym environments people tend to think Im strong and make comments. "Using enough plates there boss" etc.

I just chalk it up them being weak, not me being strong. 

[Cook]

The post I made makes it look like I am disagreeing with Matt I am not.The gym I trained at was almost all competitive powerlifters.In the years since I left there and in all the “fitness centers “ I have been in since Matt is right.If I see anyone squatting at all it is an embarrassing thing to see guys squatting 5 or 6 inches high and acting like they did something impressive.

[rocket]

I'm 41, 5"9 and 203 pounds.  Lifetime natural.  Small arms, don't look strong.  Don't look fat. 

This week, amongst other things, I've deadlifted 250kg/3, dipped with +80kg/2 and then reps on +60kg, db benched 62.5kg/7 and then did a couple of sets of 3 on 67.5kg dbs.  If it were bench, I would at the very least regularly single to 160kg and then drop back to 3 plates for reps.  I never benched 4 plates but came very close.  I've seen much better from others, but probably few of them natural.

I'm not substantiating any of that, you can either believe me or not.  It's a bit strong for a natural but given my bodyweight, it's not really that much different to you, Matt and super common type numbers for a powerlifter.  Even substandard in some ways.

Whether I can press those 165ers (75kg) right now, I'm not sure.  Maybe if I deliberately do very little up to them, I could get one or two.

Let's not forget the amusing truth that I am terrible at shoulders.  Squat is rubbish too, probably only 4 plates.  There is a lot of room for improvement in those two areas.

[Matt]

Sevastase posted video of him benching 405.  I don't care what you weigh, benching 4 plates is elite level strength.

My thoughts exactly. I would have to think benching 405 is in the top 1% *of* the top 1%. So for my city, being in the top 540 of 54,000 men would be the top 1%. Being top 5 of 540 would be in the top 1% of that top 1%.

While there are likely five men in my city who currently bench press 405, I know for CERTAIN there are not 15.

There MAY be 10. So that would make it a better than 0.02% lift. Even if there are 15 such men, that would make it a better than 0.03% lift [meaning, better than top 3% of the top 1%].

I'm also only including men there. If we're talking about all people, being in the top 11 of 108,000 people would be about the top 0.01%. Anyone benching 405 is in the top 1% of the top 1% of strength.

I didn't know Sevastase was that strong!

to your point Matt, benching 3 plates or squatting 4 is definitely rare at commercial gyms.  i've seen it maybe 5-10x in 15 years of going to the gym.

That is completely realistic. I think I have personally witnessed it three times in the past 20 years, but I can only think of two off the top of my head. The third person may be a false memory. I did see someone squatting 385 before.

strong: benching 3plates, squatting 4, pulling 5
elite: benching 4 plates, squatting 5, pulling 6

That's also my standard for strong too. I'd probably even call that "very strong". And I think you're right about elite lifting too.

Another standard I use: if you can lift HALF what the world's strongest men can, you are STRONG.

So for instance, the record for one-armed Circus Dumbbell is 330-lb, set my Mateusz Kieliszkowski in 2019. So if you can hit 165, you are STRONG. If you can deadlift 550 with the wonky Texas deadlift bar, you are STRONG. If you can log press 250, you are STRONG, etc.

[Matt]

Me at 19 squatting 425 many at the gym were stronger

Let me guess...

Many = 17 guys, maybe. And all the strongest men in your county of 500,000+ went to your gym.

In no world is a 425-lb squat not spectacularly strong...let alone for 19 years of age.

That being said, that is not you in the photo - it's elite UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett:

[Cook]

Let me guess...

Many = 17 guys, maybe. And all the strongest men in your county of 500,000+ went to your gym.

In no world is a 425-lb squat not spectacular strong...let alone for 19 years of age.

That being said, that is not you in the photo - it's elite UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett:

haha Matt Paddy was not yet born when that pic was taken. I have mentioned watching people like Doug Young and Mike Bridges train at the Metro Athletic club back then so yeah it was an elite strength gym.Long gone I am sad to say

[Henda]

Just switched gyms a few weeks ago and There was this disgusting fatass shoulder pressing 52.5kg dumbbells for reps relatively easily the other day but he looked absolutely vile he’s probably strongest I’ve seen in there but it’s more a bodybuilding gym than powerlifting even though has 8 power racks 

[Matt]

The post I made makes it look like I am disagreeing with Matt I am not.The gym I trained at was almost all competitive powerlifters.In the years since I left there and in all the “fitness centers “ I have been in since Matt is right.If I see anyone squatting at all it is an embarrassing thing to see guys squatting 5 or 6 inches high and acting like they did something impressive.

That would be my observation after not just years, but just over two decades at this point.

I have even seen people squatting sub-185-lb using that range of motion. I'd be very impressed seeing anyone squatting 315 or more, even if it was a few inches above parallel.

Truthfully, I don't see anyone squatting AT ALL.

I don't know if people are getting weaker/softer as time goes on, or if all the strongest people go to specialized gyms, or if it's some combination, but since training again since the gyms reopened here - and since getting most my strength back - I don't think I have ever trained with anyone at the gym stronger than me. I can only think of one person who that may have applied to.

And I'm not calling myself strong - I'm just trying to objectively describe what defines the top 1% of strongest lifts, or top 0.1%, 0.01%, etc.

I think the constant lies of people online + our knowing people stronger than us makes us not able to accurately judge what those percentages are.

Anyone bench pressing 315 is stronger than over 99.9% of people. Even though that may not seem like much, that percentage is accurate.

[Matt]

I'm 41, 5"9 and 203 pounds.  Lifetime natural.  Small arms, don't look strong.  Don't look fat. 

This week, amongst other things, I've deadlifted 250kg/3, dipped with +80kg/2 and then reps on +60kg, db benched 62.5kg/7 and then did a couple of sets of 3 on 67.5kg dbs.  If it were bench, I would at the very least regularly single to 160kg and then drop back to 3 plates for reps.  I never benched 4 plates but came very close.  I've seen much better from others, but probably few of them natural.

I'm not substantiating any of that, you can either believe me or not.  It's a bit strong for a natural but given my bodyweight, it's not really that much different to you, Matt and super common type numbers for a powerlifter.  Even substandard in some ways.

Whether I can press those 165ers (75kg) right now, I'm not sure.  Maybe if I deliberately do very little up to them, I could get one or two.

Let's not forget the amusing truth that I am terrible at shoulders.  Squat is rubbish too, probably only 4 plates.  There is a lot of room for improvement in those two areas.

So we are the same height and weight, and born in the same year?

My max bench press ever was 345 at 182 body weight. I have benched 315x8, 250x17, and 225x25. I was able to bench press 140-lb dumbbells for 7 reps [I believe...or possibly 8] at my strongest. This last one I did not get on video. Everything else was recorded. My max dumbbell bench press that I recorded was 120's for either 8 or 12 reps. I'd have to check the video. My form that time was fine.

One thing I don't understand is how you bench pressed 165-lb dumbbells at ~200 pounds, yet don't consider that very strong.

I would say that is something that not only have I never seen, but people rarely even claim to be able to lift such a thing.

Realistically, how many people have you ever seen pressing 165-lb dumbbells?

[Wiggs]

You can argue and say "Wiggs it's not official the guy had his hand on the bar"  your right but if you look at his hands after he spotted me he goes👌 as in he didn't help. Anyway, I have done 425 when I was 23 and on no sauce and no assistance.  And in this video, I was on clean for years.

Point is, I don't consider myself elite. Larry Wheels is elite. Tom Wishbones is elite. Me then, I was strong. I've also squatted 605 I was fat as fuck then and it felt like I had the world on my back but I did it. Also, clean. One thing to note though, I have short arms and legs and longer torso. I've never maxed deadlifted in my life.

These are 1 rep maxes. I did that 405 after coming back to the gym after a 4 month lay off. I was still young at 27.

[rocket]

So we are the same height and weight, and born in the same year?

My max bench press ever was 345 at 182 body weight. I have benched 315x8, 250x17, and 225x25. I was able to bench press 140-lb dumbbells for 7 reps [I believe...or possibly 8] at my strongest. This last one I did not get on video. Everything else was recorded. My max dumbbell bench press that I recorded was 120's for either 8 or 12 reps. I'd have to check the video. My form that time was fine.

One thing I don't understand is how you bench pressed 165-lb dumbbells at ~200 pounds, yet don't consider that very strong.

I would say that is something that not only have I never seen, but people rarely even claim to be able to lift such a thing.

Realistically, how many people have you ever seen pressing 165-lb dumbbells?

Can't recall seeing anybody do the 165s, but I've seen plenty of big benches.  Seen plenty of commensurate type db shoulder presses around 50+kg mark.

I don't consider it very strong.  I consider it decent but there's something to be said for controlling how you view these types of things if you want to be someone who does them.  There are tons of people who are mutants that could easily handle them.

I find it strange that you couldn't turn 140lbs/8 to at least 1/165lb but perhaps I don't have the same strength profile.

[Cook]

You can argue and say "Wiggs it's not official the guy had his hand on the bar"  your right but if you look at his hands after he spotted me he goes👌 as in he didn't help. Anyway, I have done 425 when I was 23 and on no sauce and no assistance.  And in this video, I was on clean for years.

Point is, I don't consider myself elite. Larry Wheels is elite. Tom Wishbones is elite. Me then, I was strong. I've also squatted 605 I was fat as fuck then and it felt like I had the world on my back but I did it. Also, clean. One thing to note though, I have short arms and legs and longer torso. I've never maxed deadlifted in my life.

These are 1 rep maxes. I did that 405 after coming back to the gym after a 4 month lay off. I was still young at 27.

strong dude don’t sell yourself short