Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest never turned his back on a challenge, especially while in the company of his friends. In a recent YouTube video, Priest looked back on performing 1,017 reps on the leg press machine in one set for a $200 bet.
Competing as a bodybuilder for three decades (1980s-2000s), Priest stood out with grainy muscle detail and freaky fullness. Cracking the top seven at Mr. Olympia a handful of times, Priest was a dangerous Open competitor, who holds wins over icons of the sport like eight-time Olympia titleholder Ronnie Coleman.
In addition to his impressive physique, Priest also possessed next-level power and endurance. He recently showed as much after looking back on when his body went numb all for an opportunity to show off his strength while picking up some extra cash.
Lee Priest Reflects on His Set of 1,017 Reps on Leg Press in Prime, ‘My Feet to My Quad Went Numb’
When asked about the legendary leg press set, Priest relived the experience, mentioning that his lower body went numb at 500 reps.
“What was the most reps you ever did on the leg press?”
“1,017. 1,017 [in one set]. Joe was there and everyone was there and they were like bet you can’t do 200. I did 200. Bet you can’t do 3, it just kept going. I got to the point where around the 500 mark I couldn’t even feel my feet it’s just like numb.”
Priest used his calves to help alleviate the burning sensation. After reaching 1,017 reps, he decided to stop.
“But what I could do is like how I just showed you with the calves. They were burning that bad, I had to hold it there but I could lift one leg off and just shake it and do that but I couldn’t re-rack it. So, even if I just held it for a couple of seconds and shook my legs but then I got to 1,000 like 17, and said fuck it. That’s enough.”
He explained that he was lifting 500 pounds during the bet, and at one point, lost all sensation in his feet.
“I think it added up with the sled itself and the plates on it it was like around 500 so it wasn’t a huge amount but you know, it felt heavy the more you did but then it got to the point where I said it was so funny because from my feet to almost [my thigh] here because your legs are up there for so long and once you get to a point where you got a super heavy weight it hurts and makes you stop. If it’s medium weight even if you had a five-pound dumbbell curl for biceps, you can keep going even though it’s burning like crazy.”
“From my feet to my quad went numb so it was the weirdest feeling that I was pushing the weight but I couldn’t feel it. Almost like you can’t feel your feet on the plate. That was just from a bet for like $100, $200. World Gym John Kayla [is where I did it],” shares Lee Priest.
Lee Priest was known for testing himself in the gym alongside other bodybuilding icons like Tom Platz. After training legs with Platz, Priest said he felt like he was going to have a heart attack later that night. He has also pumped iron with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he learned a special technique for growing the triceps.
There’s no denying that any weight, Lee Priest’s 1,017-rep set on the leg press sounds excruciatingly painful but don’t let that stop you from pushing this bet on your gym bros.
Watch the video from the Sam’s Fitness – Gym Equipment YouTube channel below:
RELATED: Lee Priest Explains Why You Need to Stop Doing Partial Reps
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