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News

17-Year-Old Blake Wendt Crushes USAPL Record With 500-Pound Bench Press During Training

by Greg Patuto Published on Mar 4, 2024

Blake Wendt recently reached new heights with a 500-pound bench press.
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Blake Wendt has a chance to set another record in his next competition after insane bench press.

Blake Wendt is a 17-year-old powerlifter who has already made his mark in competition. Recently, he shared a video on Instagram displaying a 500-pound bench press, which cruises past the current world record in the Teen (16-17) division.

Wendt has had great success during his short powerlifting career. He is a two-time USAPL National Champion and four-time All-Time World Record holder. According to his Instagram page, Wendt is committed to McKendree University where he will continue his powerlifting ventures.

Wendt shared a video of his latest triumph on Feb. 22 and this has started talks on whether he can eclipse the current record next time out.

“The war is finally over. 500lbs bench at 17 years old. 100% natural USAPL drug tested lifter.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rising Lifters (@risinglifters)

“I’m ready to work. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me. The best is yet to come.”

According to Open Powerlifting, Wendt has competed in nine competition, four in USAPL, and has eight victories.

Blake Wendt’s Competition History

Blake Wendt began competing in 2022 at the UPA Winter Warfare, where he finished first at 15 years old. Wendt went onto win the USAPL High School Nationals that same year.

In September, Wendt competed in the USAPL Raw Nationals. This would become his second National title after logging competition bests across the board.

Blake Wendt Competition Personal Bests

  • Squat: 280.5kg (618.3 lbs)
  • Bench: 185.5kg (409lbs)
  • Deadlift: 270kg (595.2 lbs)
  • Total: 736kg (1,622.6 lbs)

Blake Wendt continues to train at a high level and reach new heights in the gym. It will be interesting to see where he takes his numbers come next competition.

Bench Press Basics

The bench press is a compound upper body exercise. The main target of the bench press is the chest, but it also develops the triceps and the front deltoids. It can be done in a variety of ways, from dumbbells to cables, but, if you want to move the maximum amount of weight, which is key to packing on muscle mass, you need to be doing the flat bar bench press.

When you are bench pressing, you should always have a spotter with you, just in case you get stuck in the bottom position, or to help prevent injury. Be sure also that you secure the ends of the bar with collars. However, there is a proviso here; if you are working out at home on your own, you may prefer to leave the collars off the bar. That’s because if you get stuck with the bar on your chest, your only option short of crushing your chest, is to angle up the bar so the weight slides off one end.

Performing the Bench Press

  • Unrack the bar and bring it over your chest.
  • Lower the weight down to the mid chest just until it touches your t-shirt. Control the descent so that you are not bouncing the bar off your chest.
  • Squeeze your glutes and push your feet into the floor as you power the weight back to the start position.
  • Do not lift your glutes off of the bench while performing the exercise

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Greg Patuto

Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.

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