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Scot Mendelson

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Scot Mendelson
Personal information
Birth nameScot Mendelson
Nickname"Mendy"
Nationality American
Born (1969-02-21) February 21, 1969 (age 55)
Occupation(s)Powerlifting, Personal trainer
EmployerSelf-employed
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Weight270 - 360 lb (122 - 163kg) active[2]
Competition record
Powerlifting - Bench Press
Representing  United States
WPC World Bench Press Championships[2]
1st 2000 140kg
1st 2001 140kg
1st 2008 +140kg
WPO World Record Bench Bash[2]
1st 2002 +140kg
WPO Bench Bash For Cash[2]
1st 2002 +140kg
World Power Stars International Meet[2]
2nd 2007 UNL
World Power Stars[2]
2nd 2007 +140kg

Scot Mendelson (born February 21, 1969) is an American powerlifter and armwrestler who specializes in the bench press.[3]

He has broken multiple bench press world records and was the raw (unassisted) world record holder in the 308-pound weight class with 701 lb (318.0 kg) from 2002 to 2020 and the equipped world record holder in the 275-pound class with 1,031 lb (467.7 kg) from 2009 to 2021. He also held the all-time world record in the raw bench press, regardless of weight class with 715 lb (324.3 kg) for 8 years.

He's the only man in the world to hold both raw and equipped (multi-ply) world records, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bench pressers of all-time

Early life

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Mendelson is Jewish, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York.[1] His maternal grandfather Morris Reif, known as the "Bronxville Bomber" was Rocky Marciano's stable mate and scored 75 knockouts in 115 fights.[1] In his youth Mendelson loved sports and played baseball and American football. Starting strength training when he reached his teens, he moved into the sport of wrestling and boxing, where he first recognized his rapid growth in strength.[4] Then he moved into bodybuilding. With his pure strength showing even more through his bodybuilding training, Mendelson decided to become a powerlifter.[5]

Powerlifting career

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Mendelson started as a raw benchpresser and in 2000, benched 545.6 lb (247.5 kg) raw at APF California State & LALC Invitational. He then moved into equipped division in multi-ply category and benched 600 lb (272.2 kg) during the same year in APF Los Angeles Lifting Club competition.[6]

During 2001 APF Senior Nationals, Mendelson benched 650.3 lb (295.0 kg) in multi-ply and in the same year at WPC World Championships in South Africa bettered it to 738.5 lb (335.0 kg). By the end of 2002, he took his equipped PR to 782.6 lb (355.0 kg).[6]

In 2002 APF Northern California Open Championships in San Francisco, Mendelson bench pressed 701 lb (318.0 kg) raw becoming the third person history after Shear'Ree and James Henderson to bench press 700 lb raw. It was also the all-time world record for the 308 lb (heavyweight) class.[7]

Raw world record

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In 2003 APF West Coast Push-Pull championships in San Carlos, Mendelson broke Henderson's five-year old 711 lb (322.5 kg) all-time raw bench press world record regardless of weight classes with 713.2 lb (323.5 kg) with only his 2nd lift.

In 2003 APF Senior Nationals, he took his equipped PR to 821.2 lb (372.5 kg) and then to 825 lb (374.2 kg) during Bench America I competition. However in 2004 Mendelson got disqualified thrice in a row at WPO World Record Bench Bash, Senior Nationals and Iowa State & WPO Qualifier.

In 2005 Atlantis New England Bench Press competition, in front of Ed Coan as the head judge, Mendelson broke his own all-time raw bench press world record with 715 lb (324.3 kg).[8][9][10] The record remained unbeaten for another 8 years until Eric Spoto benched 722 lb (327.5 kg) in 2013.[11] At 2005 APF Nationals, Mendelson benched 881.8 lb (400.0 kg) in multi-ply,[6] becoming only the third man in history after Tim Isaac and Gene Rychlak to achieve this feat.

Equipped world record

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In 2006 Iron Man Bodybuilding contest's Fit Expo in Pasadena, Mendelson broke Rychlak's 1,005 lb (455.9 kg) all-time equipped bench press world record with 1,008.6 lb (457.5 kg) with only his 1st lift.[12] Eventhough the record didn't last long with the arrival of 'unlimited' equipment category with the rise of the likes of Ryan Kennelly, Will Barotti, Tiny Meeker, Bill Gillespie and Jimmy Kolb, Mendelson improved his multi-ply PR to 1,025.1 lb (465.0 kg) by 2008 WPC World Championships in West Palm Beach.[2]

Mendelson's lifetime PR came in 2009 APF Holiday Festival of Strength in Camarillo, where he benched 1,030.6 lb (467.5 kg) in multi-ply[13][14] which stood as the all-time multi-ply world record in the 275-pound weight class until Jimmy Kolb in 2020 as well as the all-time multi-ply world record in Masters (40+) category irrespective of weight class until Tiny Meeker in 2013[15]

Injuries and accidents

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In 2004, Mendelson was involved in a devastating car accident, that sent him to intensive care for three weeks with a fractured skull, broken ribs, broken leg and a right foot held on only by the skin. After a dozen surgeries, his right ankle was finally removed and he was left with one leg about 2 ½ inches shorter than the other. He was also left with an addiction to Vicodin.[14] The ankle injury was also the main reason why he was unable to compete in the other powerlifting disciplines the squat and the deadlift.

In 2013 Mendelson notoriously tore his pec while attempting a raw bench press of 716.5 lb (325.0 kg).[16]

After another car accident in 2015 that made Mendelson unable to continue as a top level powerlifter, he started armwrestling in 2016 and has placed high in national level championship and attended the zloty tour 2018.[17]

Legacy

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Mendelson is a three-times National[1] and five-times World[14] Bench press champion and has broken 64 world records during his career.[14][18] He is the only bench presser in the world to hold both the raw and equipped (multi-ply) world records,[nb 1] and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bench pressers of all-time.

Personal records

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done in official Powerlifting meets[19]

  • Raw Bench press – 715 lb (324.3 kg) @SHW class (2005) (Former All-time World Record)
→ Raw Bench press – 701 lb (318.0 kg) @308 lb class (2002)
→ Equipped Bench press (multi-ply) – 1,008.6 lb (457.5 kg) @SHW class (2006) (Former All-time World Record)

done during training according to Scot himself

  • Equipped Bench press (unlimited) – 1,201 lb (544.8 kg)[18]
  • Raw Bench Press – 650 lb (294.8 kg) for 8 repetitions[18]
  • Squat – 900 lb (408.2 kg)[4] (not to parallel depth)
  • Deadlift – 880 lb (399.2 kg)[4]

Personal life

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Mendelson is divorced (2008) to his ex-wife, Maricelle, herself a world champion Powerlifter, Kung Fu practicant and a martial arts champion.[1][20] They have three children, two girls and a boy.[1]

Mendelson runs his own 6,000-sq. ft. private personal training gym in Sherman Oaks called "Fitness Individualized Training" (F.I.T.), which teaches strength training and combat sports. Being a supporter for the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes since his first car accident, he opened up his own medical marijuana dispensary "Mendica", together with his friend Eric Roberts in 2009, which goes under the tagline 'one-stop shop for rehab, rebuilding, relaxation and natural pain medication'.[14]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Ted Arcidi held raw and equipped (single-ply) world records.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Menches You Don’t Want to Mess With at jewishjournal.com
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Scot Mendelson Powerlifting statistics (incomplete) posted at en.allpowerlifting.com
  3. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Scott Mendelson about fight with Cyplenkov. YouTube.
  4. ^ a b c Muscle-Munch Interview with Scot - 2012
  5. ^ Scot Mendelson biography at musclepowershop.com
  6. ^ a b c Anonymous (11 September 2021). "Scot Mendelson (M)". Openpowerlifting.org. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  7. ^ "All-time RAW Powerlifting world records compiled and updated by PowerliftingWatch.com". Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  8. ^ All-time RAW Powerlifting world records compiled and updated by PowerliftingWatch.com
  9. ^ Bench Press Records compiled by criticalbench.com
  10. ^ Katterle, Sean (February 2009). "Power Surge: The Bench Press - History, Records and Raw Lifts". Ironman Magazine, p. 241
  11. ^ "video: Eric Spoto 722 lb World Record Raw Bench Press - Official Video". SuperTraining.TV. YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.
  12. ^ "Scot Mendelson's 1008lb Record Bench Press 2/18/2006 at FIT EXPO in Pasadena, CA". YouTube. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  13. ^ All-time Powerlifting world records compiled and updated by PowerliftingWatch.com
  14. ^ a b c d e "Champion weightlifter presses the issue of cannabis and sports" by CULTURE Archived 2013-01-26 at archive.today
  15. ^ Anonymous (20 November 2024). "Bench > Rankings > Multi-ply". Openpowerlifting.org. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ "The Worst Pec Tear In Powerlifting History". YouTube. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXFrftmieug http://www.zlotytur.com/tour.php?id=25&photo=yes
  18. ^ a b c Video: Scot Mendelson - World's Strongest Bench Press Powerlifter
  19. ^ ALL TIME HISTORICAL MEN AND WOMEN’S POWERLIFTING WORLD RECORDS Archived 2013-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Maricelle Garcia Mendelson: World's strongest Pinay" at asianjournal.com Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
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