Jim Williams was from my home town, Scranton, Pa. The dude was a living legend there for decades, and his son was also very recognized in the area as a HS wrestler and put up some big numbers under the iron as well.
I personally knew Anthony Clark and my mom used to serve him at the Piccadilly cafeteria in Houston texas. He regularly came to my high school to demonstrate his ability to lift full size cars from the front end. He had a huge heart and is missed.
Great list, Matt. It’s always difficult to put together an all-time list because there are so many deserving people. I think Larry Pacifico is someone that should be considered, just in terms of his numbers and longevity.
I remember the cover of PowerliftingUSA with Anthony Clark & Dave Passanella on the cover at the Budweiser World Record Breakers squatting 1025lbs & 1015lbs back in the I think early 90's. Clark was incredible.
I would agree with you as far as having the most impact on our sport at each's time..Pat maybe in top 2 .. People out there gotta remember this was before bands,chains,etc came into play on the big scene
I don't often hear this name mentioned, but Bruno Sammartino, known by many for his run in professional wrestling back in the early 70s was actually the first man to bench press over 500lbs. I don't think he belongs in the top 5, but he broke 500 about 10 years before Pat Casey.
I gotta give Jen Thompson a place on my list especially since she's pushing 50yo while still pressing over 300 at around 130lbs. As a Flip, I'm disappointed in myself for not knowing about Anthony Clark so thanks for that.
Like I am sure you have to deal with I ran into an old guy at the grocery store today that insisted to know what I can bench. I told him 5 and he said not bad, I was pretty surprised because normal people usually think 5 is amazing. Turns out he was a retired NFL corner back and used to train with Chris Confessore
Great call on MacDonald. A phenomenal, often-forgotten lifter. He had huge pecs, but not much else. Not a great technician either. I'd definitely include Jimmy Kolb. He has the ATWR at 242, 275, 308, and the ATWR for heaviest bench (in a single-ply Super Katana!). And also maybe Bill Crawford, because of his contributions to the sport (though nobody seems to know him now...).
If I’m adding a full meet lifter has to be mike bridges 529 raw @ 181 in a full meet ipf worlds actually flat back head down feet flat after an 800+ squat and a high 7 deadlift Bench only raw I love your list I’d have to find a way to get Jen Thompson and Jeremy hoornstra on there Equipped im an old school Mendy and kennelly guy definitely
With all due respect Mike Macdonald is probably the greatest bench presser on this list. If I'm not mistaken he had more successful 500 lb.+ bench presses than anyone during his competitive career. He also had quite a few 600 lb.+ lifts. I agree he did have insane natural strength. He used the cambered bar extensively in his training and bench pressed very frequently. As far as his technique he did use a wide grip but his back and ass were flat on the bench like many of the lifters of his competitive era. And most of his competitive lifts were accomplished over 40 years ago. So if you figure in the much higher bodyweights, huge guts and exaggerated arches of today he probably still had a longer range of motion and IMO his numbers were much more impressive. While he was a bench press phenomenon he was also able to squat and deadlift over 600 lbs. so he wasn't exactly a whimp or a slouch in those lifts either. A lot of guys who watched this video and are reading these comments aren't even old enough to have heard of him never mind to have been aware of his accomplishments while he was lifting. He was a world record holder in four different weight classes. For some reason he is one of the most overlooked lifters of all time and doesn't get anywhere near the respect he deserves. I would encourage anyone reading this who isn't familiar with him to Google him and read up on his bench pressing prowess.
Siamand Rahman Iranian Paralympic powerlifter current IPC Powerlifting World Record holder in the +107 kg category with a 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb) RIP big man
I read that the great Paul Anderson would bench press 800 lbs for 5 reps once a week, he never took gear but drank gallons and gallons of cattle blood purveyed by the local farm. I believe Anderson was the strongest human that ever lived, thanks for the video.
Really hard to ignore Jimmy kolb. 1120/508 in a titan single ply.. Or Siamand Rahman, the para bencher. 682/310 raw with no leg drive at all.. Obviously a very out of the box recommendation. But that's a hell of a list
@@WenningStrength but I think his last name is like case like a case of beer pronounced like that but you could be right with the way you was saying it but when I look at it it seems like it would be like that and I've always heard him called with it the way like that
![How To Know When To STOP Competing [Look For These 3 Things]](/img/1.gif)
Jim Williams, James Henderson, & Scot Mendelson all deserve a shout out.
Yup!!!!
Jim Williams was from my home town, Scranton, Pa. The dude was a living legend there for decades, and his son was also very recognized in the area as a HS wrestler and put up some big numbers under the iron as well.
I'm from Wilkes -Barre and I knew Jim Williams he was the best bench presser ever. He should have been number one on this list.
I remember listening to Josh Bryant interview KAZ and he said the problem with todays training is that it lacks volume.
I personally knew Anthony Clark and my mom used to serve him at the Piccadilly cafeteria in Houston texas. He regularly came to my high school to demonstrate his ability to lift full size cars from the front end. He had a huge heart and is missed.
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Dam did we just forget about Jeremy Hoornstra? Three ATWRs in the bench at once. 672 at 242.
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These guys are all awesome. Another great video. I am old enough to remember all of them from powerlifting USA magazine
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Kaz will always be one of my top favorites…the volume he could handle in his prime is mind blowing.
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Stories about how he trained are insane. Tons of volume and very little rest time
Wow talk about a list of greatness.
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Great video Matt!
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Great list, Matt. It’s always difficult to put together an all-time list because there are so many deserving people. I think Larry Pacifico is someone that should be considered, just in terms of his numbers and longevity.
Yup!!!
For sure.... Larry was a beast in his older days
Jen Thompson i feel deserves a shout out
She’s in a class w little competition
I remember the cover of PowerliftingUSA with Anthony Clark & Dave Passanella on the cover at the Budweiser World Record Breakers squatting 1025lbs & 1015lbs back in the I think early 90's. Clark was incredible.
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Kaz absolute legend!
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Great vid Matt.
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And Kaz was a multiple time world’s strongest man. Yes Matt, his stories are crazy. Jaw dropping strong
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Interesting list
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Incredible accomplishments from incredible people. Awesome video brother, 👊🏻🙏🏻💪🏻💯
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Andrew Collura of Delray misfits 650lbs in loose tshirt, no leg drive, no arch 100% raw. Imo it’s the best bench lift I’ve seen on utube
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I remember watching Ted wrestle & I also remember Anthony real well. Great video!
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I like this theme of videos. Keep it up.
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Ryan Benchmonster Kennelly. I’d say one of the greatest technical benchers ever.
And of course the duo of Patterson and Halbert.
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Good list. Definitely think Kaz was the overall strongest person on this list.
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Solid list! Some others: Larry Pacifico, Scot Mendelson, Ronnie Ray, Mike McDonald, Mel Hennessey
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I would put Sarychev in the list. His technic is so smooth and the weights that he lifted were insane
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Scot Mendelson, James Henderson, Gene Rychlak, Ryan Kennelly, Kenny Patterson, Larry Pacifico, JM Blakely etc
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RIP Gene Rychlak, great rivalry with Scott
And only man to squat and bench 1k, not sure if in the same meet
@@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw More people did it, Hoff squats 1200+ and benches 1050 in a full meet
Pretty good list
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Matt’s on the casting couch
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@@WenningStrength oh my 😭😭😭
I'm a little surprised Hoornstra and Henderson didn't make it on this list.
Can’t name everyone
Would you ever considered doing a full power video like this or even a squat video
Yup
I would agree with you as far as having the most impact on our sport at each's time..Pat maybe in top 2 .. People out there gotta remember this was before bands,chains,etc came into play on the big scene
I don't often hear this name mentioned, but Bruno Sammartino, known by many for his run in professional wrestling back in the early 70s was actually the first man to bench press over 500lbs. I don't think he belongs in the top 5, but he broke 500 about 10 years before Pat Casey.
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Julius
Spoto
JM
Kaz
Larsen
In that order.
Good list. Have to have the two guys with lifts named after them.
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Josh Bryant, the youngest to ever bench 600lbs at age 22. His books are amazing and he's a plethora of knowledge
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@highdesertjohn, Josh trained a young man to beat his record. There's a video on his channel somewhere about it.
I remember reading in PL USA that Anthony Clark benched 600 as a teen in 1986. The first teen to do so.
I gotta give Jen Thompson a place on my list especially since she's pushing 50yo while still pressing over 300 at around 130lbs. As a Flip, I'm disappointed in myself for not knowing about Anthony Clark so thanks for that.
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Like I am sure you have to deal with I ran into an old guy at the grocery store today that insisted to know what I can bench. I told him 5 and he said not bad, I was pretty surprised because normal people usually think 5 is amazing. Turns out he was a retired NFL corner back and used to train with Chris Confessore
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Great call on MacDonald. A phenomenal, often-forgotten lifter. He had huge pecs, but not much else. Not a great technician either. I'd definitely include Jimmy Kolb. He has the ATWR at 242, 275, 308, and the ATWR for heaviest bench (in a single-ply Super Katana!). And also maybe Bill Crawford, because of his contributions to the sport (though nobody seems to know him now...).
Gear lifting probably needs its own class. I benched big both ways but they are far from
The same
@@WenningStrength Absolutely. They require different skillsets.
@@themetsfan861 raw lifting requires a lot more strength.
@@ryanrogers8211 Find me a top shirted bencher who isn't at least decently strong raw.
@ryanrogers8211 Not true at all. Lifting is a mix of skill and strength. Keep learning son.
What are your thoughts on Danial Zamani???
No idea
Spoto, Sarychev, Hoornstra, and Johnnie Harris are some other outstanding benchers.
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Maddox, Jimmy Kolb, Hornstra, Pat Casey, Ted Arcidi
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Did you ever use the old benches with the uprights real close to each other?
Yup!!!
My countryman László Mészáros is pretty good as well. Did you ever compete with him?
No but he’s awesome too
If I’m adding a full meet lifter has to be mike bridges 529 raw @ 181 in a full meet ipf worlds actually flat back head down feet flat after an 800+ squat and a high 7 deadlift
Bench only raw I love your list I’d have to find a way to get Jen Thompson and Jeremy hoornstra on there
Equipped im an old school Mendy and kennelly guy definitely
Yup!!!!
James Henderson benched over 700 Raw and natural!!! Great list man!!!
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Glad Macdonald in there , freakish !! Williams , and Henderson should be here !!!
Good pics too!!!
With all due respect Mike Macdonald is probably the greatest bench presser on this list. If I'm not mistaken he had more successful 500 lb.+ bench presses than anyone during his competitive career. He also had quite a few 600 lb.+ lifts. I agree he did have insane natural strength. He used the cambered bar extensively in his training and bench pressed very frequently. As far as his technique he did use a wide grip but his back and ass were flat on the bench like many of the lifters of his competitive era. And most of his competitive lifts were accomplished over 40 years ago. So if you figure in the much higher bodyweights, huge guts and exaggerated arches of today he probably still had a longer range of motion and IMO his numbers were much more impressive. While he was a bench press phenomenon he was also able to squat and deadlift over 600 lbs. so he wasn't exactly a whimp or a slouch in those lifts either. A lot of guys who watched this video and are reading these comments aren't even old enough to have heard of him never mind to have been aware of his accomplishments while he was lifting. He was a world record holder in four different weight classes. For some reason he is one of the most overlooked lifters of all time and doesn't get anywhere near the respect he deserves. I would encourage anyone reading this who isn't familiar with him to Google him and read up on his bench pressing prowess.
Andrew collura of delray misfits 650lbs raw, loose tshirt and on tippy toes best lift I’ve seen on utube
Hell yea!!
great list, but to me jen thompson has to be on any list regarding best benchers
Yes very good as well - 💪💪💪
Siamand Rahman Iranian Paralympic powerlifter current IPC Powerlifting World Record holder in the +107 kg category with a 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb) RIP big man
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I read that the great Paul Anderson would bench press 800 lbs for 5 reps once a week, he never took gear but drank gallons and gallons of cattle blood purveyed by the local farm. I believe Anderson was the strongest human that ever lived, thanks for the video.
Yes he was very strong. But not a 600lb bencher - pat cassey hit 600 first
What is with lars hedlund he hold world record 79 with 300 kg raw with paused before pressing 280x3 and 260x3 paused
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George Halbert is #1 IMO.
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Andrew Collura deserves a spot up there
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Kennelly
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I’m surprised I’m not on the list ? 🧐
Lol!!!
Would Bruno Sammartino be on that list? He was doing 500 in the early sixties.
All are great candidates. I think Rick Weil is another 556 raw at 181
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I would also add Andrei Sapozhonkov with his 280kg (617lb) bench at 90kg body weight
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Sad to see Julius miss that 790lbs the other day
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And missed the big Ocho attempt yesterday 😕
Jimmy Kolb, Ryan “Benchmonster” Kennelly are up there too
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James Henderson!
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Really hard to ignore Jimmy kolb. 1120/508 in a titan single ply..
Or Siamand Rahman, the para bencher. 682/310 raw with no leg drive at all.. Obviously a very out of the box recommendation.
But that's a hell of a list
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Siamand got up to 320 I believe.. rip absolute legend
i will be there one day
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James Henderson for me. He did the greatest training video on bench press 10 to 6. And of course Jenifer Thompson is phenominal still.
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Don’t know who you’d pull off, but Mendelson not being on there doesn’t seem right. Great content though!
Can’t cover everyone
Ken Lain deserves to be on any bench press list...
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kyril sarychev john haack
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@Edmund Blackadder Raw total world record and second strongest 198 bench ever say different lol
@@arthurpatel8933 ok bud, post bench
@@arthurpatel8933 post bench
@@arthurpatel8933 calls another man washed up and then won't post his own bench. Ok, bud, you'll hit a plate soon.
I didn't see my name on your list Matt!¡!¡!
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I saw Anthony Clark inclining 605 with a close grip . His pecs were so big they covered his face
Yep total monster
Andrey Sapozhnkov 617 @198 (MacDonald didn't break 600 till he was 242), also Jeremy Hoornstra 672 @ 242...
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Im surprised you didnt say George Halbert.
He’s up there but no raw comps
Yeah cause benching raw is the only way to bench jk lol
I remember Ted and Ken Patera on WWF. Lol
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Big James Henderson is the greatest of all time! Natural and no assistance equipment!
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Sarichev?
Kiril?
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don`t forget doug young first man to bench over 600 weighing under 300
Danial Zamani... just wait. At the rate he is progressing and the ease of which he makes his lifts look, he'll be making history pretty soon
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Late to the party, I’m still here to boogie though😎
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Jim Williams was the best of all time hands down.
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Ryan Kennelly!
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Chimney Williams , 675 raw in 1972.
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It'll always be spoto and JM for me
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Look at the narrow benches these guys had to use in the past. Benches now are nearly 50% wider
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Almost everything is weaksauce today compared to back in the day
Jimmy lob should be added
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Pat casey ,l like olsshcool lifters becouse they did that raw ,or jump suit on ,hehhehehe...bro ,agen graet videous and l belive you informations!!
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Mike MacDonald definitely top 5 all time.
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Why isn’t strict overhead press in any completions? Other than strongman bench pressing isn’t that impressive when you think about it
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Comment
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Jim williams too
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The greatest bench presser ever.............MIKE MACDONALD!!
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What's up Matt you're saying Matt Casey's name wrong Delaware no biggie what it's not Cassie like a cat LOL
It’s Pat is his name
@@WenningStrength yeah the voice text Got Me Wrong on that one I meant Pat LOL
@@WenningStrength but I think his last name is like case like a case of beer pronounced like that but you could be right with the way you was saying it but when I look at it it seems like it would be like that and I've always heard him called with it the way like that
Eric Spotto
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Ryan kennelly
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@@WenningStrength 👍💪
Pat Cassie lol. Funny pronunciation
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It's better to know the history of the predecessors in powerlifting... or you'll be just another biased person!
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Any list that doesnt have Mike M as number one is not legit. Henderson must be in any top 5 tpp
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Algorithm
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Doug Young
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Beast
Jimmy kolb
Ryan kennelly
Sure soon as they hit a raw number 💪💪
It's not cassEe lol it's Casey like Casey Jones
ken laine out benched kazmier
Not in a full meet brother