Strength Legends -Sonny Webster

Sonny Webster (born 10 March 1994 is a British weightlifter. He placed 14th at the 2016 Summer Olympics totaling 333kg. Webster has made a success of himself post Olympics with a strong online e presence and an online academy that teaches people on how to train for Olympic weightlifting. He is well known for impressive strength feats based around the snatch and clean and jerk lifts as are seen within this video.

Big Als Fighting -February 2021

 So I'm back to training again with regards to my fighting. I am now in possession of a home gym with a wall mounted 15lb aqua bag, a 50kg free standing bag, and a ceiling mounted heavy bag(which I mount off my weightlifting cage)

My speed is up both for individual punches but also in my combos also. I have always had a natural understanding to the flow of punching and where to strike and when, but having an increased burst of speed is heartening in case I decide to step back in the ring either end of this year or sometime next year when the covid clears. 

I did a total of 10rounds and filmed it, edited down as highlights. Feel free to share any thoughts or comments

Will Barotti -Heaviest Bench Press of ALL TIME!!

 In late June, 35-year-old Will Barotti made a jaw-dropping multiply equipped bench press of 1,105 pounds (501.2kg) and the biggest bench in history almost flew under the radar. Barotti doesn’t have an Instagram or a Reddit account. We only caught the video in a small Facebook group of about 800 members with the caption, “Congratulations Will Barotti all time world record bench press holder. The most weight ever pressed by anyone…ever! 1,105 POUNDS!!!”

Made at a Metal Militia Powerlifting Federation meet, that bench press is not only three pounds over Tiny Meeker’s six-year-old record of 1,102 pounds, and it’s not only 335 pounds over Julius Maddox’s raw bench press world record of 770lb/350kg — it’s heavier than the heaviest deadlift ever made.

Julis Maddox Raw Brnch Press World Record 355kg 782.6lb

 ew raw bench press record derby julius Maddox on 21st february 2021, with 355kg (782.6lb) On February 21, 2021, the Hybrid Showdown meet in Miami, FL became the site where powerlifting history was made. Powerlifter Julius Maddox has extended the raw bench press all-time world record — again — by lifting 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds). Going into that meet in South Florida, Maddox already held the world record with a lift of 349.2 kilograms (770 pounds), which he set at the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival. The Kentucky native was building towards this lift ever since he hit 350 kilograms (771 pounds) in February 2020.  The Hybrid Showdown is sanctioned by the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF). Standing at six feet, three inches tall, Maddox weighed in at 447 pounds (or 203 kilograms). He was in the final flight of the meet, which included Dan Bell and Jon Call (aka Jujimufu). He started this meet with an opening bench press of 330 kilograms (727 pounds), which went up rather easily. He then took the new world record on his second attempt. Skipping his final attempt and going for the big lift on attempt number two is a classic Maddox move. This is incredible feat is another step for Maddox toward his ultimate goal of bench-pressing 800 pounds (362.8 kilograms) raw. He attempted this milestone in June of 2020 but ultimately failed in part due to a controversial misload of the weight by the spotters assisting in the meet. According to Maddox, the next time he will take a shot at 800 will be on June 10, 2021, in Chicago, IL. Adding 12 pounds to his already other-worldly previous record should serve as a nice confidence-booster as his next 800-pound bench press attempt nears.  The Hybrid meet was streamed live on Hybrid Performance’s Twitch channel and should be available for replay if you follow the channel. As for Maddox, he sent BarBend an exclusive message after his latest world record: “Resistance is necessary in order to reach greatness.”

Dan Bell -Total World record 1182.5kg 2607lb

 Footage of dan bell squatting 500kg 1102lb as part of his total world record of 1182.5kg 2607lb Below is a written summary of his competition. Less than three months after Petr Petras took the all-time world record raw total with wraps from Dan Bell, Bell reclaimed the record in monumental fashion at the Hybrid Showdown 3 in Miami, FL on Feb. 21, 2021. Bell totaled 1,182.5 kilograms (2,607 pounds). He is the first lifter ever to achieve this total in the Raw With Wraps category. Here are Bell’s top lifts from the meet: Back Squat: 500 kilograms (1,102) pounds) Bench Press: 272.5 kilograms (600 pounds) Deadlift: 410 kilograms (904.5 pounds) Total: 1,182.5 kilograms (2,607 pounds) Bell came in at 396 pounds (180 kilograms), which placed him in the over 140-kilogram category. He opened his day by breezing through three easy back squats. The first was for 465 kilograms (1,025 pounds), followed by 483 kilograms (1,065 pounds). He rounded out the first lift of the day by tying the world record with 500 kilograms, which frankly looked like a speed rep. Next up was the bench press. Once again, Bell went three for three. His opener was 250 kilograms (551 pounds), and then he moved on to 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds). That second attempt went up just as fast. Bell then finished up on the bench press with an easy 272.5-kilogram (600-pound press). He performed all three presses with a false grip, which is when the lifter neglects to wrap his or her thumb around the barbell while pressing. He placed his stake on the world record in the first attempt on the deadlift, where he pulled 390 kilograms (859 pounds) rather easily. Wanting to tack on even more weight to his freshly minted ATWR, Bell approached the bar for a second attempt, this time with 410 kilograms (904.5 pounds) on the bar. Bell stood up so fast with the weight that he took steps with the bar, causing him to get red-lighted. He gave it one last try on the final attempt of his day and nailed it. As a result, he is now the first man to total over 1,179 kilograms (2,600 pounds) ever in the Raw With Wraps category.

Todays Plan for Chest

So I've been up since just before dawn, and one of the advantages of waking early is that it gives you quite time to think and plan without the normal distractions of the day.

I found myself dedicating some of this time to planning what I hope to be a really hard but fun bench press session.

I'm now fully into my light phase and so this workout will feel very fresh to what I have done in the last few months.

My plan is start working my way up steadily to 110kg 242lb which when I reach I will attempt to lift for as many reps as poss. The long term target is 16reps, which on this weight is really quite achievable and once achieved a new target will be set.

However I doubt that will be achieved today and so, depending how mh body reacts to the weight, my plan is to do 3 max rep sets on 110kg, and then a breakdown series of sets.

As my breakdowns, the weights I choose will mostly likely be influenced by the weights on the bar. Almost certainly one also chooses the path of least effort under such circumstances so if the first set could be 100kg or 90kg but it matters very little, as my intention is to break the workout down until I can no longer lift at all.

Hahah safety bar needs to get ready as this is going to hurt!!

NB it's about-5°c in my home gym atm lol so warmups deffo are a requirement

New squat WR by Nathan baptist -looks very high to me

 

Well this is very much the opposite of what I see as the super strict standards if the IPF.

Although I'm glad there are organisations out there that are on the side of the lifter, not over penalizing minor errors of technique, this really pushes it to far the other way!

How any judge can say this way even close to parallel? But the judges gave him 3 white lights and so, within this organisation at least, the record stands

Time to get the beard out!

Haha so decided to let the Mrs straighten my beard with her new blow dryer  must admit liking the look

Kazmaeir Inspired Shrug Workout

One of my strongest (in fact it is my strongest) muscle groups is my traps.

Even as a young 16-17year old lad I've always been able to out lift every other lifter in the gyms that I have trained in on the shrug movement.

When used to lifting such heavy weights, I have been able to do 20reps on 360kg and even a couple kn 400kg. Perhaps I could have lifted even more but at this point I was no longer able to fit any more weight upon the bar.

Now that I have a cage and a home gym, with the capacity to load approximately 350-360kg (and soon more when I decide to buy some more plates), I find myself once again loading serious weight upon the bar and lifting in such a manner more regularly 

However with my last squat workout (the one where I got 240kg even though I failed a previous set on 220kg) I am now officially in the my light phase

Due to the in frequency if me doing shrugs I have always trained to the same note -as heavy as poss for 10-20 reps. Up to now it has always worked but....what I asked myself - why not due phase training on EVERY body part. 

And so now I find myself upon my light phase and with the necessary equipment required for regular training (needed for phase training) it is only natural for me to evolve my workouts in the most professional manner.

My first "light phase" workout on shrugs was simple in principal - to mimic the great Bill Kazmaeir. My father knew Kaz at his peak and asked him how he got such big traps. He said in his American accent "simple! I do sets of 40 on 180kg"

And so if good enough for whom I regard, in my humble opinion, as the strongest man to have ever lived, well it's good enough for "little ol me" haha

Except I consider myself to have some of the strongest traps around -yes I actually do think I'm that strong at them -and so it is only fitting for me to out do the old time great.

My workout was simple

Warmups 

60kg 20reps

100kg 20reps

140kg 20reps

180kg 20reps

200kg 40reps x 4sets

I managed this also despite feeling horrific (heavy cold) but regardless this display gave me great confidence in how I move forward.

So phase training with any luck will push me towards the high repage I desire on weights weighing approximately 400kg! 

I did not film this workout as per my norm, however I have filmed one that is already uploaded onto my youtube channel -houseofdvlin

For those interested I shall post the workout here (at this point I was simply returning to shrugs so bot as good as the workout I briefed you above -yet still a fun one to watch!)

shrugs 18th Jan 2021

240kg 528lb Squat PB

Yesterday was the Second time I have managed to do 240kg on squat.

I am currently specialising in squat and made the decision to do so towards the end of my heavy phase. 

Yesterday's workout was for me the final workout of my heavy phase, and signals the move into the light phase.

I was partly hoping to go for 250kg 550lb but went into the workout open minded with the attitude of only doing what my body was capable of, and if I didnt feel like going for 1 rep max then I would have instead done reps.

However, even though I felt somewhat tired/drained (as I have for about of week - over training) I still felt powerful and before I knew it I was warming up(yes warming up) on 200kg 440lb. 

It took me by surprise how easy this lift was so I jumped up to 220kg 484lb and treated it once again as an easy warmup.

Hahah my mistake it flattened me on my first attempt

But failure can be as valuable as any success. The key is not to be broken by it but to come back stronger.

So I stripped the bar down to 70kg 154lb and cleaned it back up to the rungs, reloaded the bar and jumped straight back on.

Needless to say the second attempt was as easy as it should have been the first time!

So the workout proper had begun! No more warmups haha so 230kg was next. This was remarkably easy and achieved quickly.

240kg 528lb was next loaded. This was my current pb. I achieved this roughly a week prior. On that day I had jumped up 20kg from 220 to 240. Feeling confident and powerful at what with hindsight was the peak of my heavy phase.

Yesterday though I felt somewhat empty, unable to spike my adrenaline or focus fully on an aggressive life style. 

However the grind continues, and sk I put my knee wraps on as tight as poss and went up to the bar.

As I walked out with the bar I felt slightly that I was stumbling. Scary stuff. But i set my feet and then descended. The way down was easy but then the ascent began. I felt resistance immediately but kept moving. At last.i was making noise! I had no choice, the air screaming out of my lungs, I kept pushing through all the pain, and then I reached the lockout.

The lift was mine. Inracked the bar and i screamed out in a mixture if relief and jubilation. 

I collected myself quickly. 250.... no not today hahah no more! And so the heavy phase concluded with confirming to myself that 240 was indeed no fluke.

Now I move onto my light phase. Still specialising in squat. And my body cries with a sigh of relief.

I have already done a light bench workout and stepped up my cardio.

Now, its 6am I'm planning todays workout with my buddy shane.

Shrugs, shrugs and more shrugs haha

I have never put my traps through phaser training. But now I am preparing to compete at powerlifting I may as well treat each body part I train with professional conduct.

So i am planning 200kg 440lb for as many sets of approximately 40 reps as poss.

Let's see how it goes...

Here's some pics from the 240 :)

Of course guys if you are interested in watching more I have all my workouts (well most) filmed and uploaded onto youtube.

Check them out on my channel houseofdevlin, but to help you out here is my last squat (a whole weeks worth) workout video :)