The Thousand Pound Bench Press

April 10, 2008 12:30 PM

A while ago, Slate did an article on “The Race For The Thousand Pound Bench Press.” That milestone has been reached but not without controversy, mainly due to the use of the bench shirt, a super-tight supportive shirt without which those Herculean weights could not be lifted. The bench shirt has its defenders but many argue that it amounts to nothing more than cheating. By way of example, here is a video of the current unassisted (or “raw”) bench press record and here is a video of the current assisted bench press record.

Other big bench videos:

Ryan Kennelly attempts 1100 pounds.

Gene Rylchak does 1010.

posted by jason's_planet (79 comments total)

My bench shirt is a car jack.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:34 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

I thought Pat Robertson did over 2,000.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:38 PM on April 10

I don't think you can call the bench shirt "cheating," since the two records are kept seperately. That said, there's just something more impressive about the raw lift (including his awesome warm-up routine delivered by that woman).
posted by Bookhouse at 12:41 PM on April 10

That's a whole lot of beef, right there.

Did something in Ryan Kennelly's face explode during that 1100 lb attempt?
posted by The Straightener at 12:44 PM on April 10

Cheating?

Pffft. When I have sex with Mrs. Tk she must wear a Bench Girdle. And. There is always a fire extinguisher standing by. Is that cheating?
posted by tkchrist at 12:46 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

many argue that it amounts to nothing more than cheating.

Saying it's "nothing more than cheating" would sort of overlook the fact that taking advantage of technical advancements in materials (areodynamic bicycle helmets, carbon fibre vaulting poles, shark-skin swimming suits, lycra, etc.) is a well-accepted practice in many sports.

for example, Scot Mendelson, whose shirted bench press record is 1008 lbs, while his unshirted best is 715 lbs), records across different federations or categories may not be directly comparable.

But wow. Clearly the support of a stiff shirt offers some mechanical assistance.
posted by three blind mice at 12:47 PM on April 10

Is it a little like the difference between running with running shoes and running without running shoes?
posted by pracowity at 12:51 PM on April 10

So ... the "magic" shirt forces more muscles to work off of one another, thus allowing more weight to be lifted because -- in effect -- more muscles are working than without the shirt? Is that the basic idea?
posted by grabbingsand at 12:52 PM on April 10

Saying it's "nothing more than cheating" would sort of overlook the fact that taking advantage of technical advancements in materials (areodynamic bicycle helmets, carbon fibre vaulting poles, shark-skin swimming suits, lycra, etc.) is a well-accepted practice in many sports.

It's different, though, than wearing clothes that keep you warm or are more aerodynamic. The bench shirt seems to be effectively a wearable spring that stores the energy from the lowering of the weight onto the lifter's chest, allowing it to aid in lifting it back up.

Attaching a spring from the ceiling to the weight-bar would accomplish the same thing, and no doubt that would be considered a cheat as well. Simply because the athelete is wearing that device shouldn't make a difference.
posted by deanc at 12:52 PM on April 10

There is always a fire extinguisher standing by.

Standing by or mounted nearby? There is a difference.
posted by three blind mice at 12:52 PM on April 10

Clearly the support of a stiff shirt offers some mechanical assistance.

It also eliminates the need for face-slapping.
posted by dontoine at 12:52 PM on April 10 [3 favorites]

Cromagnum man also had odd fashion tastes.
posted by damn dirty ape at 12:53 PM on April 10

tbm: The comparison with cycling, pole-vaulting, etc is not necessarily apt. A helmet is a necessary safety item. By definition, in order to pole vault you have to have a pole. In most societies, people have to wear swimsuits when swimming in public. Some would argue that weight lifting, as a competition of raw strength, should be done with as little assistance as possible, except as safety requires.

Now, of course, that doesn't mean there can't be both assisted and unassisted records, but I agree that they aren't really comparable. Perhaps a similar case would be running times obtained with the help of tailwinds. The records are there, but the tailwinds are noted.
posted by jedicus at 12:56 PM on April 10

taking advantage of technical advancements in materials ...is a well-accepted practice in many sports

Well, sort of, but then we just end up with weird rules like "bicycles cannot weigh less than 6.8kg". Screw that. Strip the technology rules down to their bare core and let the labs go nuts.

If someone figures out how to build a 3oz racing bike, then by god they should be able to race with it. Even if that means they die in the process. No restrictor plates, no enfeebling weight limits, just raw insanity.
posted by aramaic at 12:59 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

I wonder what the absolute limit there is on human anatomy for a lift like that? At some point, without some kind of mechanical support or augmentation, tendons simply rip and bones just get crushed.
posted by tkchrist at 12:59 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

The bench shirt seems to be effectively a wearable spring that stores the energy from the lowering of the weight onto the lifter's chest, allowing it to aid in lifting it back up.

No doubt it provides mechanical assistance, but a denim shirt offers no elastic effect itself; all the force is still coming from the body. There is no external spring.
posted by three blind mice at 12:59 PM on April 10

Others insist he's on steroids because he lifts in meets that don't require drug tests.

I think this is more of an issue if there is different assisted and non-assisted records.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:59 PM on April 10

No doubt it provides mechanical assistance, but a denim shirt offers no elastic effect itself; all the force is still coming from the body. There is no external spring.

There has to be. Or it would rip.
posted by tkchrist at 1:01 PM on April 10

So ... the "magic" shirt forces more muscles to work off of one another, thus allowing more weight to be lifted because -- in effect -- more muscles are working than without the shirt?

No. Not quite. It doesn't recruit more muscles. It's a mechanical aid that provides the extra force independently of the muscles themselves. Or, as deanc put it:

The bench shirt seems to be effectively a wearable spring that stores the energy from the lowering of the weight onto the lifter's chest, allowing it to aid in lifting it back up.

The Straightener:

Did something in Ryan Kennelly's face explode during that 1100 lb attempt?

I think one of the YouTube commenters claimed that he got a nosebleed.
posted by jason's_planet at 1:04 PM on April 10

bones just get crushed

Bones are pretty wicked things. Just like muscles, they'll grow in response to stresses. Where my scaffolding might be built of 2x2s, a great lifter will have 6x6s supporting the weight.

I don't know about tendons though. They might be more static, or they might not be.
posted by nathan v at 1:06 PM on April 10

What's up with the face-slapping? Is that a part of all weight lifting competitions?

Also, looking at those guys -- especially the Ryan Kennelly video -- there isn't much steroid testing going on, is there? Can that physique possibly be natural? He looks like someone connected an air compressor to his belly button and inflated him to about 80 psi.

Note of caution -- if Youtube offers you "related videos" featuring benchpress accidents, don't watch unless you want to grab your throat in sympathy.
posted by Forktine at 1:08 PM on April 10

Oops, I meant the last video, where the guy looks swollen. The Kennelly video, where he gets squished at the beginning -- ouch!
posted by Forktine at 1:11 PM on April 10

These people are freakish.
posted by ZaneJ. at 1:11 PM on April 10

YARRRGGGH BLURRRGGGHH FRAAAAAAAHH!
posted by Divine_Wino at 1:12 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

What's up with the face-slapping? Is that a part of all weight lifting competitions?

Nah. As far as I know, that's a little warm-up ritual that's unique to Mendelson and his wife (the woman who runs onstage and does the slapping.)

Some guys will snort little caps of ammonia to get energized before a big lift. You can see that at :34 in this deadlift video. He grabs a cap from behind his ear, takes a big snort, and runs to the bar.
posted by jason's_planet at 1:18 PM on April 10

I think one of the YouTube commenters claimed that he got a nosebleed.

I guess that's better than spontaneously shitting out his entire spinal column.
posted by The Straightener at 1:18 PM on April 10

I guess that's better than spontaneously shitting out his entire spinal column.

I'd say the main danger is the incredible farts that this kind of weight must force out. I can't imagine the amount of eggs these motherfuckers must eat to get that kind of muscle. Humans are fascinating.
posted by Divine_Wino at 1:23 PM on April 10

Pffft. When I have sex with Mrs. Tk she must wear a Bench Girdle. And. There is always a fire extinguisher standing by. Is that cheating?

Is being used to the girdle why she's not very limber? Because I keep marking her down for that on the "How did you find the service?" cards, but she never gets any limberier.

I mean, shit, tk, I can't ignore a pitch that slow.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:23 PM on April 10

for example, Scot Mendelson, whose shirted bench press record is 1008 lbs, while his unshirted best is 715 lbs), records across different federations or categories may not be directly comparable.

But wow. Clearly the support of a stiff shirt offers some mechanical assistance.

And here we thought all those tans on the old Muscle Beach guys were purely vanity!

Since a tan essentially doubles skin thickness, and a recent, nearly healed sunburn makes skin noticeably more tightly stretched and compressive around pumped up muscles, surely all that basking in the sun or those hours in the tanning booth made those guys able to lift more than a pale clone could have.
posted by jamjam at 1:25 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

It doesn't recruit more muscles. It's a mechanical aid that provides the extra force independently of the muscles themselves.

It's a piece of denim. The material itself stores no energy. As the weight is dropped, some potential energy is transferred into the skeleton and distributed across ribcage held in place by the tight shirt. This stored energy allows you to return more to the lift.

It's totally passive - like a bicycle, or vaulter's pole, or pair of running shoes.

It's not cheating like connecting a spring to the bar, but obviously you cannot compare the performance with and without.
posted by three blind mice at 1:25 PM on April 10

As the weight is dropped, some potential energy is transferred into the skeleton and distributed across ribcage held in place by the tight shirt.

If true, then you'd be correct: this is comparable to a pair of running shoes. However, the sleeves on the shirts seem to be so stiff that I have trouble believing this.
posted by deanc at 1:34 PM on April 10

"Cheating" may be too strong, as the two records are kept as separate kinds of lift. Yet, wearing the shirt does seem to go against the spirit of things. It is artificial enhancement, after all. I'd rather have the "raw" record than one involving the shirt. But, that's just me......

Actually I'd rather not even lay directly under that much weight, ever.
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:40 PM on April 10

I mean, shit, tk, I can't ignore a pitch that slow.

You can't ignore it. But you can still miss it.

I'll give you another one soon and you can try something a bit... a bit more like a joke. And less like a something a seventy year old drunk retired teamster might shout an hour too late at an empty bowling lane.
posted by tkchrist at 1:48 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

What's up with the face-slapping? Is that a part of all weight lifting competitions?

Nah. As far as I know, that's a little warm-up ritual that's unique to Mendelson and his wife (the woman who runs onstage and does the slapping.)

I'd say that is a ritual they had better hold onto for dear life, and which all other heavy lifters would do well to adopt.

I think the major danger from this kind of lifting would be a stroke, and that the probability of having a stroke is dramatically increased by using the support shirt.

But by slapping his face, his wife is causing the arterioles and capillaries in his face to open up wide (that's why you get red in the face when you're slapped), and this gives the sudden surge of blood pressure to his head somewhere to go in advance of its arrival there in the course of the lift; whereas if she did not do this, it would take at least a couple of seconds to open that face-capillary pressure relief system, the peak blood pressure in the arteries of his head would be significantly higher, and so would his risk of a stroke.

However they arrived at this expedient, I salute their creativity and insight.
posted by jamjam at 1:48 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

For some reason the whole discussion reminds me of Oscar Pistorius, who has now gotten so fast on his Cheetahs (prosthetic lower legs) that he wants to compete in the (standard) Olympics, where his times indicate he would be competitive. The Cheetahs provide no powered assistance -- they are nothing more than curved blades of carbon fiber attached to his lower legs. The question is whether materials science and engineering have now created something better at transferring energy than than the human calf muscle and foot, or whether Pistorius is just an awesome sprinter (or both). Great article about him here.
posted by The Bellman at 1:52 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

Bones are pretty wicked things. Just like muscles, they'll grow in response to stresses.

So eventually somebody could train to lift the moon?

Seriously. There has to be a scientifically predictable limit to the weight/mass humans can lift. Even given infinite time for the body to adapt. Somebody has have calculated it.
posted by tkchrist at 1:52 PM on April 10

However they arrived at this expedient, I salute their creativity and insight.

Did you just make that up? If you did? It was brilliant. I salute you sir. Make sure you tell your kids that one.

If it's true? I'm slightly disappointed yet simultaneously looking forward to being a smarty pants at a later date.
posted by tkchrist at 1:55 PM on April 10

I'm not sure whether it was his shirted personal best or raw personal best, but Scot Mendelson did one of those lifts with a completely fucked-up knee and quadriceps. During the interview they did with him a few days after the lift he shows the camera his knee and it looks like someone attempted surgery with a steak knife. He also at one point did 766 raw while in Canada with a torn quad, according to this article.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 1:56 PM on April 10

Somebody has have calculated it.

I think there are some variables here. You want a maximum possible for the human race ever, right? We'd have to establish an upper bound for height, which might impose some restrictions on weight/muscle mass. What we need is a model where you input some skeletal parameters like height and shoulder width and it hangs the maximum possible amount of muscle off of it (now how do we calculate that) and tells you how much this person could lift. Or is it more a matter of tendons ripping? That might make the whole thing simpler.
posted by adamdschneider at 2:07 PM on April 10

Interestingly enough, in swimming right now there is a lot of debate about Speedo's newest racing suit. A ridiculous number of world records have been set since it came out a few months ago, and many folks are asking if the suit helps "too much." In addition to the hydrodynamic properties of the suit, compression has been amplified in certain places, possible helping folks with weaker cores hold better body position.

Interesting to see the debate pop up across so many sports at the same time.
posted by dame at 2:23 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

Absurd.
posted by Ynoxas at 2:37 PM on April 10

I mean, shit, tk, I can't ignore a pitch that slow.

It's good you swung at it. I was going to go with, "No, it's cheating when I fuck her."
posted by klangklangston at 2:41 PM on April 10 [2 favorites]

Or is it more a matter of tendons ripping? That might make the whole thing simpler.

There has to be a calculable clear limit where the material our bodies are made of just breaks.
posted by tkchrist at 2:47 PM on April 10

That related "benchpress accident" video is horrifying. The guy seems to be holding his thumbs on the same side of the bar as his fingers. Why would you hold weight over your head that way? Hook your thumbs around the bar, for fuck's sake!
posted by creasy boy at 3:00 PM on April 10

Within a couple of decades, biotechnology will allow us to do quite a few interesting things with the raw material of our bodies.

Mighty Mouse

Mighty Mouse Genes Found In Humans

So any calculations we could do now would be only provisional.
posted by jason's_planet at 3:04 PM on April 10

It's good you swung at it. I was going to go with, "No, it's cheating when I fuck her."

Classy.
posted by tkchrist at 3:05 PM on April 10

The guy seems to be holding his thumbs on the same side of the bar as his fingers. Why would you hold weight over your head that way?

Because the weight of the bar on the inside of your thumb and forefinger can be very, very painful sometimes. I can see the temptation of moving your thumb (in fact, I give into it sometimes), but this is a good reminder of why I should not do that.
posted by deanc at 3:05 PM on April 10

So at this point are people benching more than they're deadlifting? The biggest deadlift I can find on youtube is 1003. But people seem to be squatting 1200-something. Is there some kind of denim underwear they're using to distribute kinetic energy across their balls at the bottom of the squat? I thought the natural order was supposed to be: bench, squat, deadlift, from weakest to strongest.
posted by creasy boy at 3:10 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

Everything I've read and seen is that the shirt has two actual effects. The first, it pulls the arms and shoulders into a more biomechanical correct/positive position to take on large loads. The second, it will increase the ability of the lifter to use the Valsalva Maneuver. And if you want to include psychological impact that would be third. But I highly doubt the ability of some fabric to lift even a small percentage of this weight.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:11 PM on April 10

Within a couple of decades, biotechnology will allow us to do quite a few interesting things with the raw material of our bodies.

I predict it will be longer than that. But yeah. I'm sure lifting weights to get stronger will one day be looked on as simply quaint. Like handle bar mustaches and horse drawn carriages.
posted by tkchrist at 3:12 PM on April 10

tkchrist: I think there are quite a few variables that make calculating this somewhat untenable.
posted by adamdschneider at 3:13 PM on April 10

Because the weight of the bar on the inside of your thumb and forefinger can be very, very painful sometimes.

Really? I've never had that problem. How much do you have to bench before it hurts your thumb?
posted by creasy boy at 3:14 PM on April 10

But I highly doubt the ability of some fabric to lift even a small percentage of this weight.

But if it stretches - and some claim that it does - it also contracts. That effect may be marginal but it obviously has a real and material effect on performance on some level. Therefor it's pretty close to cheating.
posted by tkchrist at 3:16 PM on April 10

tkchrist: I think there are quite a few variables that make calculating this somewhat untenable.

Really? You would think that there would be some sort of ideal range that would be calculable. I suppose there is no way to test any calculation anyway without resorting to Nazi level atrocity.

Eh. Maybe your right. They said nobody would break the three minute mile, too.
posted by tkchrist at 3:19 PM on April 10

How much do you have to bench before it hurts your thumb?

It has more to do with the shape/size of your hand and the amount of weight.
posted by tkchrist at 3:20 PM on April 10

Cheating seems to be subjective these days, and if they already have seperate records for this then the rules would dictate wether or not it is.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:20 PM on April 10

The guy seems to be holding his thumbs on the same side of the bar as his fingers. Why would you hold weight over your head that way?

There's a bodybuilding argument in favor of the thumbless grip, to the effect that the thumbless grip allows you to isolate some muscles better.

And there is a common-sense argument against the thumbless grip, namely, that it's very difficult to do anything athletic -- or much of anything at all -- when you're in a coma, quadriplegic or dead.
posted by jason's_planet at 3:26 PM on April 10

And there is a common-sense argument against the thumbless grip, namely, that it's very difficult to do anything athletic -- or much of anything at all -- when you're in a coma, quadriplegic or dead.

You see dudes do it all the time. And always it's the guys lifting stupid amounts of weight. When ever I see it I can't help but hover close by waiting to jump in there and catch the bar. I can't concentrate on what I'm doing and all I see in my minds eye is some dude wiggling and writhing under a bar wheezing screams with a collapsed larynx.

The worst I have ever seen is a guy whose shoulder went out bench pressing and bar dropped down on one side and smashed into his jaw and broke it. Brrrrr.
posted by tkchrist at 3:34 PM on April 10

The biggest deadlift I can find on youtube is 1003. But people seem to be squatting 1200-something. Is there some kind of denim underwear they're using to distribute kinetic energy across their balls at the bottom of the squat?

Yeah, the squat suit.
posted by jason's_planet at 3:50 PM on April 10

I have a good friend who used to do competitive powerlifting. He had one of these, which we referred to as his "super monkey suit." If you put this thing on, your arms are forced into a benching position, arms out and in front of your chest. The chest area is purposefully small, and the result is a fit so tight that you need help to put it on - someone needs to pull your arms back so that they can get the thing zipped or lashed up in the back. I'm pretty sure that tension in the chest area is what allows you push more weight - there's fabric pulling your arms/elbows inward.

He had a powerlifting partner who helped him into the suit as well as administer face slaps, make loud, verbal affronts to his character, as well as crack open tabs of ammonia. Those were all pretty standard, from what I recall, as well as the occasional pissing and shitting of oneself. Needless to say, the events do not lend themselves to the casual spectator.
posted by krippledkonscious at 3:54 PM on April 10

Of course it's cheating. You wear this shirt and you can lift 30% more. That makes it pretty obvious. This is a strength movement and you didn't suddenly get 30% stronger. That said, if some group wants to have a category where the shirts are allowed then go right ahead.
posted by markr at 4:03 PM on April 10

I never thought steroid monkeys could look more unattractive than they already do but a steroid monkey in a bench shirt takes it to a whole new level.
posted by essexjan at 4:11 PM on April 10

The blonde-tinted beard isn't doing much for you, is it?
posted by jason's_planet at 4:23 PM on April 10

He had a powerlifting partner who helped him into the suit as well as administer face slaps, make loud, verbal affronts to his character, as well as crack open tabs of ammonia. Those were all pretty standard, from what I recall, as well as the occasional pissing and shitting of oneself. Needless to say, the events do not lend themselves to the casual spectator.

Now that's 21st-century civilization! Woo, go humanity!
posted by blacklite at 4:36 PM on April 10

You wear this shirt and you can lift 30% more

It may increase your lift by a significant percentage, but I've seen this vary from person to person.

Of course it's cheating.

You do understand the term subjective right?
posted by P.o.B. at 5:04 PM on April 10

I thought Pat Robertson did over 2,000.

Previously on Metafilter. It was a 2,000 pound leg press, which we all know is considerably more plausible for a 77-year-old man who has experienced the wonder of Pat Robertson-brand diet shakes.
posted by waldo at 5:09 PM on April 10

This reminds me of the training practice of young Hercules (Herakles), the strongest dude of antiquity . As a kid, he started out lifting a small calf in the air. As Herakles and the calf grew up together, the dude lifted the beast every day until, as a teenager, he could lift a full-grown bull. Yeah, I know, that's a lot of bull.
posted by binturong at 5:46 PM on April 10

His 2nd ed Str being in the region of 20, then the magic shirt appears to be a +2 Str magic item, based on his max press.

Impressive.
posted by porpoise at 5:57 PM on April 10 [9 favorites]

Cromagnum man also had odd fashion tastes.

Probably bleary-eyed after all those extra-large bottles of wine.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:29 PM on April 10 [3 favorites]

porpoise: But only for certain activities. I think the shirt would help with bending bars, but not breaking chains or lifting gates. </nerd>
posted by jedicus at 6:30 PM on April 10

Two things: a 30% differential in raw mass moved is probably not down to 'the elastic properties of denim'. On the other hand, twisted cotton used to be used to propel spears and stones a fair bit of distance through large planks of solid wood and humans, so your mileage might well vary.

I'm curious as to what the records on a bench press machine look like. I'd suspect a certain part of the benefit of the shirt is stabilization of the half a ton of weight you are holding two inches off of your rib cage, and the beating heart underneath it.

I'm confused as to the largeness of the belly area on these gentlemen. Is it due to absurdly developed core musculature from deadlifts and clean and jerks?
posted by enkiwa at 7:54 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

Shirt lifters.
posted by undecided at 8:54 PM on April 10

Cheating seems to be subjective these days

Yes, I imagine in the minds of these men, the bench shirt is just, well, a shirt. . . which sort of doesn't seem like artificial assistance. . .but I think it's a machine. Which is kind of weird in a weight-lifting competition. Not really comparable to running shoes, or swimsuits. Although these also have mechanical properties, I think the breakdown in the analogy becomes obvious when you compare the bench press without the bench shirt to naked swimming or barefoot running. . .
posted by flotson at 9:14 PM on April 10

I'm confused as to the largeness of the belly area on these gentlemen. Is it due to absurdly developed core musculature from deadlifts and clean and jerks?

In some large part, yes. Dave Tate (writes for EliteFTS and sometimes Testosterone Nation) was widely reported at one point to weigh 290 and have visible abdominal muscles. He also embarked on a diet clean-up that brought him down from 10,000 calories a day to something "reasonable" and dropped a lot of weight. Most of the really strong powerlifters do also carry a lot of fat, particularly the worrying visceral kind. Human growth hormone also causes abdominal distension due to the swelling of internal organs - see champion bodybuiler and all around steroid freak Ronnie Coleman's beach-ball shaped midsection for reference.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:19 PM on April 10

Addendum: The fanny pack Ronnie Coleman frequently wears around when he's not on stage is widely rumored to contain an insulin pump, a necessity given the abuse his steroid use and extreme dieting have visited on his pancreas.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:21 PM on April 10

I'm confused as to the largeness of the belly area on these gentlemen.

Steriods are old hat - you lose the muscle quickly after you quit. Today's bodybuilders (and strength atheletes) abuse Human Growth Hormone. You can put on muscle like a teenager, and you keep it. At anabolic levels, your organs keep growing as well, giving you a protruding belly.

Extended Belly – People who don’t use HGH as directed can develop an extended belly. This is common of those who are in the practice of bodybuilding and use the drug.
posted by dand at 10:17 PM on April 10

Next: the competitive eating suit.
posted by emf at 3:48 AM on April 11

Every swim record could be broken at Olympics thanks to Speedo suit.
posted by porpoise at 8:32 AM on April 11

Did anyone else notice the assgrab at the end of the unassisted bench press record after the hug? Did anyone else lip read the assistant saying, "Not in front of all these people!"

Homoerotic Bench Press Grabass Wrestling, anyone?
posted by lothar at 8:33 AM on April 11