Posted by: Sergio
« on: September 12, 2012, 06:12:06 PM »
Everybody knows that Reg was the first bodybuilder to press 500 lb in the bench press. It was April 23, 1954, in Health and Strength Show in Bristol, one year later that Doug hepburn did himself the same on May, 28 1953. But the comparation of BW has not similarity: 225 lb for Reg, 285 lb for Hepburn.
This dates appear in the interview "An Hercules of our time" (one of the best interviews made to him) but In Reg's DVD autobiography he talks about lifting the 500 lb BB one week later than Hepburn; may be the show in Bristol was not the first. This seem correct because he bench press that weight several time around this years. In 1951, one of the skills of the contest was the power lifting competition, and Reg press 435 lb in street clothes. The foot note say: In another date he has press 465 with an small elevation of the hips;he just failed to make 480 and expects a good 500 lb soon. That was 1951! Altougth we know that the last kgs of a PR are hard to beat, it seems that 1953 could be the year of the first lift. As Reg said that he remember to press the 500 lb in that show of H&S in 1954, the picture of the press has to be in one volume of this magazine. I try to find it. Any help is welcome, fir this press or another that show Reg Park making a bench press with 500 lb.
He said that along the 50s could made a 400 lb bench press without warming first. a man in his prime.
Other good lifts of Reg along the 50s where this:
1) There is a famous video showing him pressing 455 lb in the Mr USA 1957; for some time some of us knew it was the video of the lift, several years ago, but was an error due to enthusiame.
2) In a tour along the USA in 1956 (the months of March, April and May of 1956, taking tours of America, Hawaii and Canada) in the Yarick show, April 21, 1956 he bench pressed 350 and 400 in strict style, followed by 430 for three easy reps, making a three second pause at the chest on the third rep. But the best bench of the tour was made in Vancouver, BC, April 28th with 440 at a bodyweight of 230.
3) Here are one unknow date photo showing him bench pressing 450 lb and a Press Behind Neck of 280 lb that later would be 300 lb. Also Reg said that the 300 lb was made in a British weigthlifting championship, but dont's say the date. It has to be around 1954-1955 because the 500 lb press was already known.
4)In June 1954 he made in a show in Ireland this progression: warming with 350 lb; 400 X 4 reps ; 440 x 3 reps and 460 X 2 reps. Also the page talks about a show in Stockport the same year where he made a Press behind neck 3 reps with 260 lb, so the unknow photo of point 3 could be 1953-1954.
We are looking into the true 500 lb photogrpah!!!!