Author Topic: Lou Ferrigno - Bench Claims (Read 74873 times)

MONSTER_TRICEPS · « **Reply #100 on:** May 16, 2012, 12:42:45 PM »

Hahahaha some of these posts are just ridiculous. "Yeah I imagine he could do it, I weigh 212 pounds and I rep 390 pounds as a natural and I am really weak at benching, so im sure arnold could do it"

kimo · « **Reply #101 on:** May 16, 2012, 12:58:05 PM »

it started with lou ferrigno bench claims and ending with the oak .

Immortal_Technique · « **Reply #102 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:37:16 PM »

Quote from: Scimowser on May 09, 2006, 09:33:59 AM

reading about him on IMDB it says he benched 560lbs in his early 20's and at age 50 he could do 400. What do you think, Lou was as big as shit but i dont know much about his strength. He was supposed to have 23" arms, a 59" chest and weigh 275+ which by current standards is less than average.

i know Arnold was able to bench 500 unassisted but i dont know how many reps he could do with it. I doubt he would have attempt a 1rm so im guessing 2-3

YEAH 23 INCH ARMS IS LESS THAN AVERAGE.

Immortal_Technique · « **Reply #103 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:40:21 PM »

Quote from: gracie bjj on May 16, 2012, 12:13:50 PM

arnold off season was able to do a 500 bench, pre contest he couldnt and didnt need to. thats when most bodybuilders get injured anyway when they are trying doubles and singles when they are dieting down and carb depleted, its not a smart move at all

Arnold off-season was a shitload smaller than arnold on-season, so I can't see how that's correct. He does, however, claim 405lb for 8 reps in his encyclopedia.

Fortress · « **Reply #104 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:22:11 PM »

Quote from: Scimowser on May 09, 2006, 09:33:59 AM

I know Arnold was able to bench 500 unassisted but i dont know how many reps he could do with it. I doubt he would have attempt a 1rm so im guessing 2-3

Total horseshit. Even my old boss, Robert Kennedy, who was a friend of Arnie's and watched him train many a time when Mr. O was at his best, would tell you this claim is utter nonsense.

Fortress · « **Reply #105 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:23:43 PM »

Quote from: sculpture on May 09, 2006, 09:41:44 AM

As for ferrigno, who knows. I heard he claimed an 800lb deadlift which i find a tad optimistic considering his stature.

Eight hundred?!

Fortress · « **Reply #106 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:25:30 PM »

Quote from: Dan-O on May 09, 2006, 10:32:45 AM

Lou wrote in M&F in the early 80's that he could bench somewhere in the mid-400's. He said that with specialized training in the bench he thought he could break 500.

With proper strength training the man could have likely pressed a raw, say, 525-570-ish.

Fortress · « **Reply #107 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:27:38 PM »

Quote from: body88 on May 09, 2006, 10:36:28 AM

How is it so hard to believe a guy with pecs that literally rose like bread loafs off his body could not bench 500lbs. The dude was strong and big. Stop the hate. Go to any powerlifting meet and you will see dudes alot smaller than Arnold doing around that weight.

Just because the guy had huge pecs doesn't mean he was capable of benching 500 pounds, man. And using the comparison to smaller powerlifters is idiotic.

Fortress · « **Reply #108 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:31:09 PM »

Quote from: Hayabusa on May 09, 2006, 11:11:24 AM

Well when I started out I was a powerlifter and my body is well suited to using a large amount of weight. At my heaviest weight of 212 I worked out with 365 for sets of 6. At that point I never went less than 5 reps. But I benched over 300 pounds at a body weight of under 150 when I was younger. If you go to a powerlifting meet you will see very small looking guys press 500+pounds. So I do not doubt that Arnold could have pressed 500 pounds for a rep or two. I once saw a bodybuilder working out with 415 on an incline bench, and he wasnt near Arnolds size, and as a matter of fact he wasnt even a very competitive bodybuilder.

Hayabusa

Anyone small benching 500 is a) gassed to the tits and a dwarf, b) using a shirt that puts hundreds of pounds onto the lift, c) using some gymnastics arch and a super-wide grip to massively shorten the stroke, or d) ...

You know jack shit about strength, dude.

No raw and drug-free small guy is pushing five bills with a legal pause.

adrain · « **Reply #109 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:33:47 PM »

Quote from: Fortress on May 16, 2012, 04:27:38 PM

Just because they guy had huge pecs doesn't mean he was capable of benching 500 pounds, man. And using the comparison to smaller powerlifters is idiotic.

I'm a believer! If I can I know he could have, if he was hitting 405lb for 8 reps than for sure his max was over 500lbs.

Danjo · « **Reply #110 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:36:10 PM »

Quote from: Fortress on May 16, 2012, 04:31:09 PM

Anyone small benching 500 is a)gassed to the tits and a dwarf, b) using a shirt that puts hundreds of pounds onto the lift, c) using some gymnastics arch and a super-wide grip to massively shorten the stroke, or d) ...

You know jack shit about strength, dude.

No raw and drug-free small guy is pushing five bills with a legal pause.

x 2 it's funny how these guys are talkin like raw 500 benchers are a dime a dozen...

Fortress · « **Reply #111 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:40:26 PM »

Quote from: JOHN MATRIX on May 09, 2006, 04:36:52 PM

a one-rep max of 5 plates seems perfectly reasonable for a guy with arnold's size.
certainly it was more than 380.

Some of you are quite new to this whole strength-training thing, eh?

Arnold was maybe 270 at his heaviest. That is NOT a high bodyweight in comparison with a raw and unassisted 500-pound press.

Other things to note:

a) Who cares what has ever come out of Arnie's mouth? The guy is a total pro at lying.

b) Arnold has very long arms

c) That Levrone pushed 500 for a few means jack-all. He was at his best more than 20 years after Arnold was at his. The differences in drug use and the variety available is light years. As well, Kevin is built for pressing. Arnie is clearly NOT.

d) Arnold did a deadlifting contest at some point before coming to America. Hardly a powerlifting meet.

Fortress · « **Reply #112 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:41:50 PM »

Quote from: liberty on May 09, 2006, 05:35:53 PM

Wasn't there a scene in pumping iron where arnold and franco are training chest at the famous 'cage' at venice beach?
I think franco was doing flat benches and arnold said something funny and franco just laid there laughing with 315 on him for about 5 seconds then banged out like 6 more reps...
Pretty sure arnold was benching too.
And I think lou was doing dumbell curls with 100's as well as presses with 275 for 10

Yeah, he does a few difficult reps with 315, and then, after laughing, barely gets it up one more time.

P.S. I stand corrected. He does eight and then one more. This wouldn't even give him a 405.

Fortress · « **Reply #113 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:44:36 PM »

Quote from: bigkahuna on May 09, 2006, 07:50:37 PM

watched pumping iron the first time the other day.
franco benches 315 for 10.
after hearing about his legendary strength i thought he would be a little stronger?

No he does not. 10?! Watch it again.

Fortress · « **Reply #114 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:46:57 PM »

Quote from: toolarge4u on May 10, 2006, 05:40:48 AM

i train with lou from time to time, he can do 400 easily right now...he usually does 120-140db's for 8-10 reps, doesnt flat bech too often. Hes strong as shit..esp in the biceps. He does seated curls with 90-100's still

400 "easily", now?

What a load. C'mon.

Dumbell pressing 120s-140s doesn't come close to an "easy" set of 400 pounds on the barbell, bub.

Fortress · « **Reply #115 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:49:41 PM »

Quote from: BB on May 10, 2006, 08:55:07 AM

A 500lb. raw bench was rare in Powerlifting circles in the '70's, but Arnold could do it:)?

Exactly

Fortress · « **Reply #116 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:50:25 PM »

Quote from: Groink on May 10, 2006, 09:08:17 AM

He had a serious powerlifting background.

Not even close.

Fortress · « **Reply #117 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:52:43 PM »

Quote from: bmacsys on May 11, 2006, 05:20:41 AM

386? how did you come up with that odd number? Your not particularly strong but you can do almost 400 pounds for reps? Thats bullshit. A guy in your gym benches 480 for reps with ease but works out once a month? Do you think we are that gullible to believe that nonsense?

Yeah, I'm calling shit on this whole post, as well.

Pushing around 400 for reps, no matter the bodyweight, is HUGE. Especially if you're drug-free. And some dude who rarely trains can easily move almost 500?!

Where do you people come from?

Fortress · « **Reply #118 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:55:02 PM »

Quote from: kimo on August 23, 2007, 12:00:38 PM

ferrigno could bench press 545 pounds

So a guy who didn't strictly strength train and who weighed maybe 280 pounds could press what amounts to world class raw numbers today, 30 years ago?!

Danjo · « **Reply #119 on:** May 16, 2012, 05:04:02 PM »

Most guys will lie about their dick size, their body weight,and their bench press...here we just have a lot of the latter..

Hulkotron · « **Reply #120 on:** May 16, 2012, 05:25:50 PM »

Quote from: Immortal_Technique on May 16, 2012, 02:37:16 PM

YEAH 23 INCH ARMS IS LESS THAN AVERAGE.

Way to call out that six year old post!

GoneAway · « **Reply #121 on:** May 16, 2012, 09:24:55 PM »

Doug Young is a freaking monster!

Fortress · « **Reply #122 on:** May 17, 2012, 10:13:30 AM »

Quote from: GoneAway on May 16, 2012, 09:24:55 PM

Doug Young is a freaking monster!

Indeed

wild willie · « **Reply #123 on:** May 17, 2012, 10:29:18 AM »

Ric Drasin was Arnold's training partner.....and he mentioned that Arnold benched close to 400 tops.

Drasin himself benched around 450......Franco benched close to 480......Arnold never did 500 on the bench.....but he had the best chest development of all time!

Mawse · « **Reply #124 on:** May 17, 2012, 11:31:58 AM »

Quote from: Fortress on May 16, 2012, 04:31:09 PM

Anyone small benching 500 is a) gassed to the tits and a dwarf, b) using a shirt that puts hundreds of pounds onto the lift, c) using some gymnastics arch and a super-wide grip to massively shorten the stroke, or d) ...

You know jack shit about strength, dude.

No raw and drug-free small guy is pushing five bills with a legal pause.

there are a few vids on youtube of guys who look like absolute skinny-fat shit benching 500+ for reasonably good singles with no arch or tuck.

Blows my mind. Obviously they're heavily juiced up but have horrible genetics for size and bodyfat, great leverage and steel tendons.