I made a post on this in the O35 Main, but this is so cool I'm putting it here for posterity:
Last Friday, as I was training, a very large man came in & set up a bench station in the power cage. I think he threw 2 plates on to warm up, then a 3rd.
Then a 4th. Strong reps, quick, clean, perfect form.
Then the big bands came out & he hooked them up to the cage corners & down onto the bar. Then a 5th plate. More strong reps. A 6th plate went on. Then a pair of quarters.
He asks me "Can I get a spot?"
ME? This guy has more plates on a bar than a Chinese buffet and he wants ME to give him a spot?
"Sure!"
I had to CRAWL over the bench to get back behind the cage. He told me his cadence for a lift off & that he was aiming for 2-3 reps.
I basically was doing an obscene rack dead spotting him!
So, he slides in, arches back out, gathers himself, eyes close, breath long and slow. He counts down "1...2...3" and on 3 we both lift. He finds his sweet spot, lowers the bar...1....2....3....rack. He had a 4th no problem if he chose.
Turns out this is him:
His name is Tony Petrino, and he is the World Record holder for bench press at his age & weight (Masters 308 lb. Class ~
716 lbs. Bench Press.)
He is super nice, really sharp & a HUGE dude! Really knows his stuff. He gave me a lot of awesome advice on both bench & squat. I think he squats 818 or 881, and he says his deads "suck"....only 650. Asked me "So, are you a PT, a bodybuilder?" which made me think of what Baldie said about you are not until someone notices you as
. This is the 2nd time I've been asked in 2 days.
WHAT are the &^%$#@! odds that someone like this TRAINS at the same lil' fitness center I do????? I cannot believe my luck that I may be able to learn from him!