Some of you don’t fully comprehend the genetic variation in the human race. Some of you have even said you have never seen anyone squat four or five wheels (405 and 495 respectively, sir). Being sheltered isn’t your fault, but understand that while hitting a 405 squat for the first time in your life is a big deal to you, it really isn’t that much weight. I’m speaking for myself here as well. I’ve squatted for ten years, will probably never weigh under 200 pounds again (even at dangerously low body fat percentages), and will always be able to squat 400 pounds any day of the week (barring injury, death, etc.). This pales in comparison to someone who is truly genetically gifted.
I was training with my girlfriend in the Tyndall AFB gym and was going back and forth between benching and coaching her on squats when I see this big guy scavenging 45 pound plates. His bar is loaded to 135 for deadlifts and he has five other plates lying on the floor on each side. For those of you who haven’t loaded a bar that high, six plates on each side would be 585. The girlfriend keeps warming up and this guy does a few sets of warm-up with his 135. Finally I walk up to him, he takes his headphones off, and I ask, “Are you gonna pull all this weight?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s fucking badass.”
Lewis is his name, and he told me he was hoping to single over 600. Lewis is about 295 pounds with a thick back and long, muscled arms; he looks like a deadlifter. I would eventually find out that this was his second “heavy day” in almost half a year. His first heavy day he squatted 600 for a double. Previously he would kind of dick around with body building workouts; you know, squat 405×15, a “regular” workout. Oh, and I forgot to mention that two months ago he weighed 245. In two months he gained 50 pounds back up to his comfortable 295 (while it was a big weight gain, he had to eat vegan to get down to 245 for some training, so when he resumed normal eating habits he got back up to his current weight pretty quickly….but still….).
In any case, Lewis was deadlifting and I watched and filmed him. I gave a little instruction, but he did pretty well (had some minor positional issues). The bar doesn’t swing forward and he does a good job of keeping it against his legs. I was also amazed that he didn’t have the common physiological problems that are associated with not lifting heavy; increased vascular pressure due to intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure increases will cause “white outs”, black outs, or extreme pressure in the head; a lack of motor neuron efficiency will usually have a tut-tut-tut lockout as the hamstrings try to intermittently reduce the tension placed on them when extending the hips; and muscular structure can get fatigued very quickly when it isn’t adapted to heavy lifting. Lewis didn’t have any of these issues. He just deadlifted like a fucking man.
The video has horrible quality because we recorded it on the “text messaging setting”. I didn’t realize it until we are done, but I’m sure I’ll get some better quality stuff of Lewis in the future. After deadlifting, Lewis hit up some RDLs and started doing pull-ups after I suggested he do them. What he did next may have been more impressive than pulling a random 615 single; he fucking did 10 pull-ups with more ease than a 160 pound CrossFitter (and you KNOW he didn’t kip, swing, or spaz out). It was literally effortless. Girlfriend was amazed. I then made the comment that he could do a weighted pull-up with 100 pounds (I was using a mere 50 pounds for reps).
“Let me try that out,” he said as he put the dip belt on. Again, he took his grip, and effortlessly did three reps before setting his feet down.
“It’s kinda light.”
“No shit,” I said, “Let’s put on the 100 pound plate.” He agreed, and I brought it over to him.
“I think you can get at least three reps.”
“I’ll get six.”
I laughed at the absurdity of this 295 pound dude banging out pull-ups with 100 pounds hanging from him. Lewis ended up doing four reps, but he probably could have done six. At the risk of embarrassing Lewis any more (he’s a huge fan of the site, as are his other buddies in the Air Force — shout out those guys; keep training hard and get your ass out of the ’90s), he really does possess abnormal genetic potential. Now he wants to harness that potential, breed it, and win in powerlifting. He’ll be at military nationals in San Antonio. Oh, and he won’t let any kind of PT test get in his way; he said that at his current body weight his waist circumference is about 37 inches (this made Mike want to kill himself because he’s lucky to get down to a 38 inch waist after cutting from his walking weight of 250 to 260).
If you have any impressive stories that are accompanied by video, send them to Justin@70sbig.com
This pic was submitted by Dan F.
For fuck’s sake, Julius Peppers, CALL ME. If this badass can bang out some 100 lb weighted pullups at 295 lbs, I’ma have Julius doing some strict muscle ups to prove all these dumb fucks wrong about what it takes to be ELEET.
Beautiful!
Rock on, Lewis!
People like this *Almost* make me wanna just give up.
He’s going to train hard and have success. He goes to work, lifts, eats, and sleeps. I left out how he said he was going to Moe’s and get five burritos, eat three of them, and save two for a midnight snack. While watching powerlifting vids.
Dude is motivated.
–Justin
People like this make me wanna go lift a barbell.
I had a chat with a guy recently who claimed genetics have nothing to do with your potential in the weight room. His opinion is that everyone on Earth has the God-given ability to deadlift like Lewis if they only trained hard enough.
We both share a common disdain for the regular “training” routines demonstrated in your typical gym, but there will come a point when you’ve reached your genetic limit while others rocket past you.
That guy has never been in the presence of someone who kicks that theory in the teeth.
–Justin
@Roberto – Tell that guy that everyone is not a winner. Sorry. Nope.
By training like this we can only hope to reach our genetic potential. We can never significantly change what that potential is. Lewis is a monster. I am not a monster. Done. I do believe though that our potential is higher than we actually imagine so keep training hard.
I will say that I have seen genetic potential in reverse(if that exists). My step brother is 6’8″ and roughly 300lbs and might be the worst football player I have ever seen. He is also a huge pussy…literally.
Yeah, I could easily be as strong K.K. if I wasn’t such a lazy wuss.
How do theses people get so stupid?
I love how the platform is next to the ellipticals.
Lewis is a beast.
Did he do that without a belt or can I just not see it because of the blur? As for genetics, if the average person in the gym tapped into 50% of their genetic capability they would most likely be way ahead of where they are.
From reading some of the posts about competition over the last week or two, I decided to test my skills at a meet. I have an interest in powerlifting. I was searching the internet about this, and I found that there are approximately 2 million different federations. I usually lift with a belt and knee sleeves. What federation would you recommend I join?
The badass part is that Lewis actually recognizes this gift, and wants to utilize it by working hard and competing. Too many people will never work hard enough to achieve anything.
I have a buddy that reminds me of Lewis, I’ll dig up a vid and story.
@ beardzilla
USAPL is the best in my opinion
Does anyone reccomend a good website to purchase a singlet? i.e. not too expensive/arrive reletively quickly
@ JMOvechkin
Why do you think the USAPL is the best? Just curious.
@bohdi-
This was the cheapest one I could find when I needed one a few months back:
http://monstermuscle.com/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=49&pg=1
I posted early on this thread and I am amazed with this guy particularly the pullups. However after talking with my brother he brought up a good point…don’t a lot of people DL double body-weight? Isn’t this guys genetic potential way above a 615lbs deadlift?
How many 300 pound guys do you know that can deadlift 600 off the street? You’re brother is just a Brent-style troll.
–Justin
Man, I wish I was a beast like that. Oh well, guess I’ll have to settle for my charm. Haha.
What I hate is when people are genetically gifted to participate in a particular sport but they get all wrapped up in competing in something completely inappropriate for them. There’s a female who recently came into our gym who keeps going on and on about running a marathon. She is over 6 foot and 200 pounds and was a thrower in high school and college. We will be doing our best to get her to a meet instead of squandering it shuffling along for hours.
Think she’ll like Highland Games stuff?
–Justin
@ Beardzilla
USAPL has the most legit judges, rules and standards from what I have experienced. Some associations have people weigh days before they compete or don’t test for drugs. I am not an equipped lifter, but, some associations are allowing the most ridiculous suits that are 3 and 4-ply which say basically, forget training, just buy a suit and let it squat for you. Then you end up getting this group of knuckleheads who can’t squat 225# raw but are getting white lighted with 500# on their back with a suit. USAPL has a strong raw following (belt and knee sleeves), it seems to be the most organized, legitimate and from my experience the people are the coolest.
With that being said, not every association that is not USAPL is bad, I have enjoyed competing in USAPL, so I stick with them.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
David, a lot of people do pull 2xBW or over. However, as you get bigger the percentage of BW you can lift decreases. For example, the deadlift records for the lightweights are around 5xBW (I think) but the heaviest guys don’t get to 3XBW. I think NolanPower has pulled 3.25xBW at 100kg, which is pretty epic.
As a smaller guy I have to say I prefer to consider strength in proportion to bodyweight. I’m sure Justin would disagree, but then he’s over 6ft. :)
Justin is there any way you or someone can re-up the link to your S&C v. 2.0 program because the link on this site is dead and I can’t seem to find it anywhere.
I’ll do it.
–Justin
No chat today?
Woops. Forgot to put a notice up — I don’t have wireless internet right now. We’ll resume next week.
–Justin
Hey Y’all. Good job Lewis, and great post Justin.
–> Noel, of course he would likely disagree. But it wouldn’t be because he’s over 6′. He’s probably BARELY 6′. The guy has you fooled, he wears lifts… He just looks tall because of the lifts, and his essence.
Sheeei-it. That is all I have to say.
Why doesn’t he wear his horned helmet to the gym?
Not as impressive as a 100lbs weighted pull up for reps but I wanted to have a little bit of fun at the end of a workout and did some 110lbs weighted dips.
^^excellent choice of wife/gf.
By the way, I forgot to ask, how tall is Lewis? How old is he, and how long as he been training?
He’s 6’3 or 6’4. I don’t know how long he’s been “training”, but he has just started strength training specifically recently. He did bodybuilding stuff before. He was also only 180 pounds in high school.
–Justin
@ Justin,
In your post you said he would mess around and squat 405×15…its not like this guy isn’t training, that’s all I am saying. I hope he can pull 600 off the ground if he is squatting like that.
Still very impressive. I am amazed at his weighted chins!!