One of the main powerlifting stars, and the greatest bench presser in the world, Julius Maddox, has attempted to break the CrossFit WOD “Isabel” World Record, which is currently held by former strongman Eddie Hall. Raw bench press record holder Maddox was apparently intrigued by the workout, and after completing the challenge he explained that it is much harder than it looks.
Eddie Hall, the 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), claimed the CrossFit WOD “Isabel” WR at the 2020 European Championships (CrossFit) in Colchester, England on February 23rd, 2020, having done 30 reps in 50.9 seconds. Maddox came very close to that with 28 reps in the same timeframe. Julius is currently weighing in at 440 lbs (199.5 kg).
You can watch the video here:
Related: Powerlifter Julius Maddox Bench Presses 635lbs For 5 Reps In Training
The aim of the workout is to complete 30 snatches in the shortest time possible. Men are supposed to do it with 135 lbs, while women do it with 95 lbs. For context, advanced athletes are expected to do the workout in 2-4 minutes, and elite athletes are supposed to complete it in less than 2 minutes.
Maddox acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge, and pointed out that Hall’s WR is very impressive.
“Just some quality conditioning.
@eddiehallwsm did 30 reps in 50 sec it’s a lot harder than it seems.” wrote Maddox.
You can watch Eddie Hall’s “Isabel” World Record video here:
Related: Eddie Hall Incline Bench Presses Huge 225 kg (496 lbs)
Next Competition For Julius Maddox
Maddox is set to compete at the C.T. Fletcher’s Iron Wars, scheduled for January 24, 2022, at the Iron Addicts Gym in Signal Hill, CA. Maddox is supposed to face Danial Zamani, who is his only real rival for the raw bench press world record. Zamani is constantly lifting more than 700 lbs on the bench press, and it would not be surprising to see him break Maddox’s world record.
Maddox is the current raw bench press world record holder with a 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds) lift, scored at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown III in Miami, FL.
The interest for that competition is heightened by the possibility of Maddox attempting the 800-pound bench press. He has already attempted the lift multiple times, but has never managed to succeed.
Related: Danial Zamani Annihilates 315kg (695lbs) Raw Bench Press in Training
Judging by his Instagram posts, Maddox is working on his conditioning and trying to gradually build up strength for the competition. He is probably trying to change the approach to prevent the possibility of injuries, as he suffered a pec injury in May 2021, just a month before his scheduled 800 lbs WR attempt. Furthermore, Maddox wasn’t far off the “Isabel” WR, so maybe we could see him trying it again and possibly breaking it.
