USAWA

I had a guy I’ll call “Dick” that I went to high school with. He was telling everyone that he could bench press 300 for 10 sets of 10 reps. Now, he looked fairly well built but that was a pretty fantastic claim. My Uncle invited him to come down to the gym. He loaded up the bar, finally did 245 for 3 reps and got pinned on the 4th. Come to find out he had been lifting on a Universal machine.

Thanks guys. Believe it or not, the story is not embellished as it needed no embellishment.
ET

Yes, thanks for that story, ET.

You sayin’ I shouldn’t listen to my ‘dick’??
We’ve all heard stories of the Phantom Lifter. You know the one: Still cut to shreds after Thanksgiving,Christmas and New Years, Benches 400+,Squats 600+,usually a cousin to the storyteller. Friend of mine manages a local gym. Been hearing ’bout so and so’s cousin in the Marine Corps, almost makes it in for a workout while home for the holidays,year after year. Big,cut and strong…yada,yada,yada. The guy makes it in and IS big,cut and STRONG!! Manager friend of mine spots him(not that he needed it) for sets of eight on the bench with 405. Next time in, guy is squatting 600 for fives. This would be the ONLY time in 29 years of lifting, I’ve know the Phantom Lifter to show up!!

Nice writing Eric.