Another Myth Shattered

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,557
Location
Pennsylvania
Any lingering doubts about whether whites or blacks are stronger on average were finally put to rest by none other than he-man/goofball Pat Robertson:


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060526/D8HRO5SO0.html


Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says he has leg-pressed 2,000 pounds, but some say he'd be in a pretty tough spot if he tried.


The "700 Club" host's feat of strength is recounted on the Web site of his Christian Broadcasting Network, in a posting headlined "How Pat Robertson Leg Pressed 2,000 Pounds."


According to the CBN Web site, Robertson worked his way up to lifting a ton with the help of his physician, who is not named. The posting does not say when the lift occurred, but a CBN spokeswoman released photos to The Associated Press that she said showed Robertson lifting 2,000 pounds in 2003, when Robertson was 73. He is now 76.


The Web posting said two men loaded the leg-press machine with 2,000 pounds "and then let it down on Mr. Robertson, who pushed it up one rep and let it go back down again." The Web site said several people witnessed the event, and shows video of Robertson leg-pressing what appears to be 1,000 pounds.


Clay Travis of CBS SportsLine.com called the 2,000-pound assertion impossible in a column this week, writing that the leg-press record for football players at Florida State University is 665 pounds less.


"Where in the world did Robertson even find a machine that could hold 2,000 pounds at one time?" Travis asked.


Andy Zucker, a strength-training coach at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, said leg presses of more than 1,000 pounds represent "a Herculean effort, and 2,000 pounds is a whole other story."


"If he was able to lift that much weight, I take my hat off to him, but the numbers suggest that people who lift that much weight are few and far between," Zucker said. "One would have to see what type of leg press it was on and under what parameters it was done."


CBN spokeswoman Angell Vasko said Friday that Robertson was not available for comment because he was "out of pocket" for the long holiday weekend.


Vasko said she has not seen Robertson leg-press 2,000 pounds but that it's not "a huge shocker" that he could.


"Pat is so healthy," she said. "This is something he trained for over an extended period of time. He lives a very healthy, regimented life."


One of the photos Vasko released had a digital date stamp of 1994, although she said Robertson performed the leg press in 2003. Vasko said that perhaps the date was not set properly on the camera.


The CBN Web site attributes Robertson's energy in part to "his age-defying protein shake." The site offers a recipe for the shake, which contains ingredients such as soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, flaxseed oil and apple cider vinegar.


ROBERTSON_2000_POUNDS.sff_RM607_20060526161933.jpg
 

jaxvid

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 15, 2004
Messages
7,247
Location
Michigan
Don Wassall said:
The CBN Web site attributes Robertson's energy in part to "his age-defying protein shake." The site offers a recipe for the shake, which contains ingredients such as soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, flaxseed oil and apple cider vinegar.

This is the same stuff that Bonds used to beef up so he could hit 714 homers.
smiley2.gif
 

white tornado

Mentor
Joined
Oct 5, 2005
Messages
617
Pat's preperation for the 07 N.F.L. combine is going well I predict a forty time in the 4.2 range with about 50 bench reps.
 
Joined
May 1, 2006
Messages
461
It must be the strength of his faith. While I know that the leg press is easier than the squat the world record is 1041 pound set by Brent Mikesell ( i may have mispelled the last name). and for 73 year old man to double is , is well miraculous>
 

Colonel_Reb

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
13,987
Location
The Deep South
2000 pound leg presses are not that uncommon. Most powerlifters can do that much naturally. Even some women can. I used to leg press 800 for 10-15 reps in 10th grade. 2000 does seem high for a 73 year old man though. I have no doubt that he could do 1000 though, which is still really good for his age.
 

White Shogun

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 2, 2005
Messages
6,285
From this site: CBS Sportline

There is no way on earth Robertson leg presses 2,000 pounds. That would mean a 76-year-old man broke the all-time Florida State University leg press record by 665 pounds over Dan Kendra. 665 pounds. Further, when he set the record, they had to modify the leg press machine to fit 1,335 pounds of weight. Plus, Kendra's capillaries in his eyes burst. Burst. Where in the world did Robertson even find a machine that could hold 2,000 pounds at one time? And how does he still have vision?

1,335 lbs. is 30 45-lb. plates. Or, you'd have to have 20 100-lb. plates, although Robertson's people do say that they had to specially modify the leg press machine to accomodate 2,000 lbs.

Some of the other information I've read about his press is that the incline is only 30*, his knees are not at 90*, and he uses his arms to push on his legs as well. One engineering major said that at that incline shown in the photo, Robertson would be at best pushing 1,000 lbs. with 2,000 lbs. loaded on the machine, although of course that is still quite extraordinary, especially for a guy his age.
 
Top