Stunning was Scot Mendelson, who has bench-pressed 1,031 pounds in competition at 275 pounds bodyweight. To put 1,031 in perspective, imagine loading a standard gym barbell with 45-pound plates until no more can fit. That is a measly 885 pounds. Scot has to use 100-pound plates, and the tempered-steel bar literally bends around his hands. He wears a mouth guard so he doesn’t shatter his teeth with jaw tension, and his vision gets pulled out horizontally when the bar pauses at his chest. These are unusual people. But that’s a compliment. You can learn a lot from the extremes.
