THE 500 CLUB

via bodybuilding.com

The Only Rule For Joining The 500 Club Is Benching Five Hundred Pounds.

I’ve seen it done on television and youtube, never in person.

Until last week when a man loaded up the bench bar and repped over 500 lbs with no spotter.

If you’re like me, the only way you’re benching 500 is pushing 100 lbs five times.

Or pushing 250 twice. Two twenty five twice is only 450, so you need to watch the math.

Nothing short of 500 gets you into the 500 club.

Push 200 and you’re in the 200 Club.

300 lbs gets you into the 300 Club.

Yes there’s such a thing as the 300 Club. I’m not in it and most likely never will be.

That was my goal once, a three hundred pound bench press.

Anything after 300 and you go to clubs I’ve never heard of.

The 500 hundred club sounds like something from the NFL where big strong men do things big strong men do.

A guy I’ve never seen came into the local 24Hr Fitness and got after it. He was 35, about 6’4″, maybe 260. Didn’t have any typical steroid tells.

He low pressed huge weight X 8 then racked the bar. No noise, no crashing metal.

Listen, you need a spotter at 500 lbs. No one wants to drop that weight on their neck, but how many spotters would it take? Maybe a crane?

He was amazing. I slinked over gym rat style and asked, “What part of Russia are you from?”

The answered perfectly with, “My dad’s side is Russia, my mom’s German.”

And eastern Euro without juice. At least he didn’t look juiced.

No backne, attitude, no thin sticks. Just a physical freak from the get go.

He even finished in the best way possible.

Me: I rode the stationary bike years ago and watched an older man push 600 lbs. No spotter. He repped it once. Since then I’ve wondered what it would take to make someone volunteer to spot a lift like that.

Big Guy: You never know when you go heavy.

Me: Then I see you rep it out like a warm up.

Big Guy: Yeah, I know. Since I got married and have kids my bench press has dropped off.

Dropped off? To five hundred?

Me: If you hear applause the next time you push big weight it’s because you have a new fan club. I’ll be president.

Anyone else joining The 500 Club this week? The cheering section is ready.