Exercise Scientist Critiques the Internet’s Final Boss of Lifting
In a Nutshell
The video critiques an extreme lifter known as "El Campion" who uses multiple belts and supports to handle 1500-pound loads on squats and leg presses, but the speaker flags dangerous equipment setups like overly high squat racks and unstable Smith machines. He recommends low-setup exercises for training efficiency and promotes his Versa Gripps Hyper Belt as ideal for bodybuilding-style reps. The lifter earns a 10/10 champion rating, with a proposed head-to-head matchup against Kyriakos Grizzly.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The individual referred to as "El Campion" performs extreme weightlifting attempts with massive weights. He uses multiple belts as supports, with the current load at 1500 pounds. The speaker notes that the lifter has a physical advantage due to his size, joking that his anatomy has been trained for such extreme positions with heavy weights.
The ideal lift setup occurs when weights are pre-arranged so the lifter only needs to position themselves under the bar. Fixed-weight machines with pin adjustments are preferred because they eliminate manual weight loading. Workouts requiring extensive preparation time, mental burden for setup, or physical energy to move heavy weights create disadvantages. Personal trainers working with successive clients should avoid exercises requiring long preparation times.
- Platform push-ups
- Lunges
- Pull-ups
- Dumbbell biceps exercises
- Straight rows
These exercises avoid constant unscrewing and re-screwing of clips. The "El Campion" rowing exercise is not recommended for personal training due to extensive setup requirements.
The speaker recommends 5-6 belts for heavy lifting. The "Hyper Belt" from Versa Gripps is promoted as a wide, flexible, thin belt designed for bodybuilding repetitions between sets of 5 and 30. Jared Feather and the speaker helped design this belt. Versa Gripps is the sponsor with links in the description.
The biceps exercise tower did not tip over during the lift, which could have been fatal. Some large gyms fix equipment to the ground to prevent movement. The speaker mentions using resistance bands for biceps exercises as a professional technique.
The lifter uses a sectioned weightlifting bar and performs squats with supports that are too high. When supports are positioned too high for squats, there's at least a 50% chance of dangerous execution unless doing half squats, quarter squats, or Olympic weightlifting movements. The speaker shares a personal story of lifting 900 pounds off a rack after joking about it, describing the experience of being crushed under the weight for two seconds before it began to rise.
The Smith machine blocks used for chest compressions are considered untrustworthy and potentially dangerous. The speaker states these can break, creating life-threatening situations. The lifter performs repetitions with 135 pounds for six repetitions, which the speaker uses to assess actual strength versus legendary reputation.
The speaker suggests "El Campion" may have a counterpart in Kyriakos Grizzly, referring to both as part of "the assembly of the gods." A potential head-to-head showdown at lifting is proposed, with viewers encouraged to comment.
The largest dumbbells at LA Fitness weigh 120 pounds. The lifter performs movements without belts initially, though later revealed to have belts already on. Multiple belts (three total) and two sets of knee wraps on each knee are observed.
The movement resembles an inverted leg press with body twisting as depth increases. The Smith machine is not designed to carry such extreme weight loads. The speaker mentions the "Arsenal Strength" device as potentially capable of handling such loads.
The RP Hypertrophy application provides structured workout plans with dozens of options. Users select plans, enter weights, and the app manages months of productive training.
The lifter performs one repetition on a leg compression device with 1500 pounds. Three belts are used, with an elastic band also visible. The speaker advises that half-rep leg presses should involve lowering the backrest as far as possible, removing maximum weight, and achieving full depth comparable to Nick Walker's technique.
Deep leg presses and hack squats performed a few times weekly develop big muscles, strong tendons, full flexibility, and complete range of motion. The extreme technique demonstrated should only be attempted by those with exceptional physical capabilities.
"El Campion" receives a 10/10 champion rating. The speaker hopes Kyriakos Grizzly heard the call for a potential matchup.
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