so you're saying the mags were lying when they said viator could incline press 455.
Yes, they’re lying.
I worked at MuscleMag and know what’s what. Kennedy exposed me to all the lies that run rampant in the industry.
He was friends with Arnold and spent a lot of time with that whole crew at the original Gold’s when they were all in their prime and said Arnold couldn’t press anywhere close to 500. At his strongest, he’d mostly use something in the 300s. He was good for a rep or two in the low 400s at his biggest.
Viator couldn’t incline 455, to his chest, unassisted, to save his life.
Sergio would have been pinned for eternity under 500.
Franco was good for sets of 8-10 with 315-365. In Pumping Iron he’s working hard to get a decent set with 315.
Mentzer was all about machines and extreme partials. Like his brother, who’d partial squat off the rails in a cage and then state he could do several hundred. Not a chance in hell.
Bertil could press a massively sloppy 500. Bounce and huge body English.