Massive Kentucky man breaks bench press world record: video

This Kentucky powerlifter is in a league of his own.

A man who has been pumping iron for just seven years now holds the world record in the raw bench press after hoisting a staggering 739.6 pounds at an event on Saturday in California, the Owensboro Times reports.

Julius Maddox, 32, broke the previous world best of 738.5 pounds, which was set by Russian weightlifter Kirill Sarychev in 2015 during just his second attempt at the record. The feat comes only months after Maddox raised the bar for American lifters, setting the US record at 723.1 pounds in June.

“They say it’s the most controversial lift in powerlifting,” Maddox posted on Instagram after his record-setting lift. “Just know this is the beginning!”

Five men spotted Maddox as he raised the hefty weight during Saturday’s “Boss of Bosses” event in Mountain View, California, video shows. He then struggled somewhat with his right hand to bring the heavy rack down to his chest, but Maddox confirmed he wasn’t hurt and that the record was official.

“We weren’t expecting a world record this early — we were hoping maybe by December,” the Owensboro native told the newspaper. “But no one expected this to happen. Someone people thought it would not be broken within 20 years, but I came in and changed the direction and changed everybody’s opinion. It’s crazy — I’m blown away.”

Maddox said he’s already been offered several opportunities since breaking the record, including a challenge to lift 800 pounds and even a head-to-head lift-off with Sarychev — who is seemingly interested in getting his title back.

“You are the beast brother,” Sarychev, 30, wrote on Instagram. “Congratulations. And thank you for the motivation. See you on the platform.”

But Maddox — who friends say has overcame drug addiction and run-ins with the law before taking up the sport seven years ago — isn’t so sure about his long-term powerlifting prospects. He has meets coming up in January and April, but says he also wants to lose weight.

“I want to go on a weight-loss transformation and lose about 100 pounds once I’ve wrapped up lifting,” Maddox told the newspaper. “To be realistic, it’s not healthy to sit at this weight. I’ve achieved what I came for, so I’m going to pray about it and see where the Lord sends me.”

Maddox weighed in at 449.5 pounds for Saturday’s competition, according to OpenPowerlifting, an archive of weightlifting data.

“Ultimately, I want to inspire people,” Maddox told the newspaper. “I just want to inspire the underdogs, those guys that society has counted out and viewed as a lost cause and let them know there’s a way to make it out.”

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