How Strong Was Ted Arcidi Really?

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks for watching. What do you think of Arcidi’s strength?

[@mikerov5618]

@@StrengthUniverse Of course these guys eat a lot and use substances .... But yes, his bench press strength is almost unhuman. Do you think julious maddox is stronger than him?

[@orlandoramos1878]

Keep up the good work is pretty interesting to me and I'm looking and hearing about all the details about him I should give it a crack at it trying to be stronger you know you guys did a good job keep the door what you doing

[@StrengthUniverse]

@@orlandoramos1878 Thanks Orlando

[@StrengthUniverse]

@@mikerov5618 julius is stronger in the bench press, however both athletes are very closely matched on the Squat and Deadlift

[@orlandoramos1878]

@@StrengthUniverse play inspire media to powerlift I like the British bulldog I wish you to do something about his cousin too you guys keep up the good work don't let nobody discourage you

[@aldrogo7510]

Ted's 705 bench was one of the Iconic moments of Powerlifting. He was born to bench - perfect leverages for it and he trained like a maniac.

[@quasimode9038]

and all that without steroids

[@manuelschmidt3530]

@@quasimode9038 looool

[@jebsdaddy141]

@@quasimode9038 I hope you are kidding.

[@matthewconnor6817]

We know plenty wrestlers bumped up their numbers, but he has a Legit 700lb bench in competition back when shirts were no more than a loose slingshot is now.

[@joejones1779]

I started lifting at 13, which was 1983. Ted Arcidi was by far my favorite lifter, my main inspiration. I remember getting the copy of "Powerlifting USA" with him on the cover. I never got as strong as him, but did have a offical bench press of 585 pounds in competition. Thanks for the video, it brings back a lot of memories.

[@Dmoriarty1993]

Awesome bench!

[@Mooggie75]

Ted was a beast!

[@mikerov5618]

Υes indeed!!

[@marxmaxmuscle1]

This is always an interesting topic. Bill Kazmaier also wrestled for a time. Now when it comes to in ring usable strength I don't see either Bill or Ted in the top 10 but they could have had some excellent adventures together as a tag team.

[@everythingstrength1485]

They both weren't technical. Using power moves to work the crowd. After you get so bulky, it's hard as F to move efficiently

[@nbaldwin45]

‘In-ring usable strength’ brings in agility, coordination, leverage knowledge, explosiveness and flexibility as well as strength. Amateur wrestlers like Lesnar, Dr Death and the Steiners had all of those qualities in spades but when it came to brute strength, powerlifters like Kaz, Furnas, Henry and Arcidi left them in the dust

[@BuJammy]

Except they hated each other.

[@CapAnson12345]

The problem is they'd run across the ring once and be gassed. I'm exaggerating but pro wrestling as much as anything is cardio. And no flexibility. Raw power and nothing else is pretty boring in wrestling.

[@justeatingchipsandwatching]

might have ended up being a bogus journey

[@dadimadh4528]

Great job as always, Nigel. What a blast from the past! Ted was a unit.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Cheers Tim, always appreciated

[@abhinavkumar547]

Ted arcidi was unbelievable strong in his time. Great video mate. In addition to his world record bench presses , he also has done 500 lbs for 21 reps , which is i think world record for that weight. I m not sure Julius Maddox or someone has pressed 500 lbs for more reps or not. I don't think his neck behind the press no. was world record at the time he claimed it. Guys like Steve Merjanian , Ken Patera and i think one of the barbarian brothers did over 400 lbs before arcidi's claim. Later Scott Norton did more too. As far as him being the strongest pro wrestler concerned, he is probably in top 10 or 15 of all time. Ken Patera was stronger than him in overall body strength, so were Bill Kazmaier, Mark Henry, Doug Furnas , Tom Magee , Scott Norton , Paul Anderson etc.

[@parkerbohnn]

Tom Magee couldn't even pee! He wasn't much.

[@dantemarotta356]

Grew up on Powerlifting USA , Competed because I saw Ted lift live. Great memories 👍

[@mr.tymesup3894]

Complete Monster

[@willyjenkins8756]

I remember Ted at Ben’s Gym in NH. My friend was squatting with 315 and Ted asked to work in with him and proceeded to do behind the neck presses with the same weight. He was huge and a really great guy. Great sense of humor.

[@franklee1205]

😅 Glad to hear and made it through those years and lived to tell about it. There were, apparently: unsubstantiated roomours that he passed on shortly after his wrestling venture with the WWF... great back story and update 👍👍👍. 🙏💖✌️😌

[@myostar7]

I competed in 1980 in New Haven winning the Bench Press Nationals Ted was second to me. I remember him as friendly I didn’t realize he would go on so far. As a note we competed in tee shirts only. Pics on my u tube.

[@StrengthUniverse]

540lb bench at 242lbs, top tier lifting!💪👍

[@GJ-mn9ly]

Great video as always💪

[@mcfarvo]

I didn't know about Ted until now! Wow!

[@seanmiller7889]

Turn in your man card!

[@cldavis33]

My brother and I spotted Ted back in the early 90's at Balloons Gym in Fort Worth Tx, on a bench press with dumbbells - can't remember the weight, but too heavy for Ted to lift onto the bench by himself, LOL. I just remember he was utterly unnaturally huge as a steroidal freak of a man with HGH and who knows WTF else he was on. It was that moment seeing these kind of freaks in person that I lost the lifelong desire to want to be 'big' like a bodybuilder after looking at these guys. I'm now 58, 5'9, 195lbs, still strong, still fast, and I feel amazing. I lifted a DL of 400lbs just to do it, but a played competitive tennis for 25 yrs. I now have fun grip training just to pick up heavy shit, or crush stuff LOL. You don't need the drugs boys, you DON'T. Your CNS can train you to be effing strong AF if you really want to be strong.

[@amplify3735]

very very good vid good tribute to Arcidi

[@jeffg2486]

That monster could skate???!!! Frickin crazy!

[@rojoloco3911]

I remember as a kid seeing Ted bench 705 pounds at the Meadow Glen Mall in Medford, Massachusetts. I think he was pushing a supplement he had or something like that. It was crazy, especially to me--I think a 75 pound kid at the time.

[@gregmarsini74]

I remember when Ted made his debut in wrestling with Lou Albano as his manager it was amazing

[@jfro5867]

Jeez. Strong guy. Wow.

[@scottw3039]

Great video

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks Scott

[@krzysztofmarciniak102]

Hello, a somewhat forgotten master of the bench press, thank you for reminding me of him, nice material as usual, and I would like to ask for background music from 4:03 to the end of the video. Regards, Krzysiek

[@mason7119]

Arcidi had a killer thick physique.

[@dragon81heart]

Seeing Ted and Bill compete against one another in strongman would have been a dream come true Unfortunately that never happened

[@Coach_BigMac]

@@dragon81heart i don't think it would have been as competitive as many may think. Teddy was strong but was more of a specialist. Bill was an all-around strength athlete.

[@dragon81heart]

@@Coach_BigMac I agree, but it would have been fun to see nonetheless

[@Coach_BigMac]

Bill Kazmaier was also a professional wrestler. While he wasn't a stronger bencher than Arcidi, he was an all around stronger athlete. More accomplished in strength sports.

[@That90sShow]

Ken Patera was stronger

[@parkerbohnn]

Much stronger.

[@parkerbohnn]

@@That90sShow At the time he was the first man to military press 500 pounds.

[@bradreid6057]

A great bench presser, for sure! Arcidi's best bench press meet result was 718 lbs.. But, his best competitive squat was 501.5 lbs. and his best deadlift was 600.7 lbs. No, not that these were his all-time peaks as gym lifts, just what he recorded in comps. Ted was very much a specialist.

[@andrewbecker3700]

This is right around the time the reverse grip came into favor. Ted had conventional grip bench numbers that were unheard of then. When he broke 700lbs. I believe it was with an Inzer blast suit. After that shoulder injury, he never lifted anywhere near those weights without a suit, or at least a bench shirt on.

[@mikesbbody]

I heard a interesting story about Ted and his B.P record from 84 by my old powerlifting coach who was there at the time and witnessed the lift I also heard Ted was looked down on by his Father for not becoming a dentist like his father at least that's the story I heard but what a awesome B.Presser he was!

[@oliverempting8551]

What a human muscle mountain, overwhelming. Since I'm only 4.2 feet tall and weigh 60 lbs, he could have just lifted me with one hand and without any issues. So admirable and impressive

[@deeboy5588]

Got to wonder what gear was available back then?

[@WJHandyDad]

if memory is correct he was the first 700+lb bench press, and watching him do it, there appear to be no gyrations or contortions, looks like a very clean lift. If you get a chance would love to see a video on Alan Ritchson, the actor that plays Reacher in the Amazon series

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks, I've made a note of your suggestion but not to get your hopes up, I researched Alan last year and he will not disclose his best lifts, he doesn't see the numbers as important.

[@WJHandyDad]

so we need to start hashtag Alan is scared to be on Strength Universe

[@StrengthUniverse]

@@WJHandyDad 😂

[@WJHandyDad]

sent you a message on FB assuming that is your page and not someone stealing your name and image

[@haroldozaeta3614]

👊🏼💪🏼❤️☮️💯

[@Alex-u1r2i]

"babe wake up strength universe just uploaded"

[@StrengthUniverse]

😂😂

[@justintucker5203]

I want to see a video on jeep Swenson

[@Mazzter88]

A lot of guys went into powerlifting because of Arcidi

[@PinnaclePete]

This is probably a good time to ask this question. There was a bench press specialist around the time of Ted Arcidi that was exceeding his world bench record, albeit with some sketchy form. He had a spotter put one hand on the bar from behind as he pressed it, claiming that because the weight was so heavy, he needed an assistant to help him balance the weight. 😀 While the spotter was obviously assisting him and the lifter was a charlatan of sorts, he still had to be pretty strong to be handling over 700 pounds! I can't for the life of me remember this guy's name. He was occasionally talked about in the magazines and I saved (somewhere) a newspaper article on him. I remember his nickname was the "Titanium Tank," and at the time, he was lifting out of World Gym in Bloomfield, New Jersey U.S.A. which is no longer there. Anyone remember this guy? I wondered if he did any legitimate powerlifting contests under strict rules.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Was it Eric Klein?

[@PinnaclePete]

@StrengthUniverse That name doesn't sound familiar, but I can't rule it out since I don't remember his name.

[@st.fiacre6685]

There was another guy in the mid 80s that did a touch and go bench press with 700 pounds, on television with Vince McMahon. His name was Big John Stud, or something like like that.

[@StrengthUniverse]

@@st.fiacre6685 That wasn't real it was Kay-fab

[@powermonger1]

It was Jimmy the iron bull pellechia

[@AndrewTait-tu5mr]

Mass monster

[@countrydawn418]

I still have his figure.

[@nbaldwin45]

He definitely had the highest bench of any wrestler but I always heard his bench was disproportionately high. To be fair though I think 90% of Ted’s training was focussed on bench so who’s to say what his squat or DL might have been if he really trained for them? He was a monster nonetheless

[@abhinavkumar547]

Despite that he deadlifted 730 lbs and squatted 750 lbs for good depth and 800 lbs for slightly above good depth.

[@SeptemberChild1835]

Imagine Ted in CrossFit!! 😳😳

[@nbaldwin45]

@@abhinavkumar547 which is really impressive but nowhere near as impressive as his bench.

[@mikerov5618]

Very informative video. He was very strong but looking so huge, almost not normal. I prefer athletes to be lean and strong, and not looking like beasts...

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks, I think his build definitely affected his ability to be athletic

[@emp100k]

To this day he still holds the full meet records for raw bench press in the -125 kg (275 lb) class and the -140 kg (308 lb) class with presses of 295 kg (650 lb) and 302.5 kg (666 lb) respectively. These records have stood since 1984.

[@StrengthUniverse]

On paper but the squat and deadlift were only really token lifts

[@millerjohn619]

200lb strict curl for 9 reps is crazy strong.

[@dylanschnetzler1031]

You should do a vid on Joe Ladnier

[@nadnavlis240]

Arcidi was so strong that he changed a wrestler's fed trajectory mid stream. Talentless and awkward wrestler, but strong as heck.

[@jeremiahposey4722]

How about doing a video on Braun Strowman or Odyssey Jones?

[@StrengthUniverse]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYrJq614fZ1-Y7M

[@Aroundhere185]

I live in NH. Ted ows a few apartment buildings in Manchester that he bought by paralyzing the money he got off Vince McMahon. Smart guy. I bought some gym equipment off him years ago. He will sell you garbage equipment though.

[@Faktantarkastaja]

Aleksander Karelin 💪💪!!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Right here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2SUYmqdo72jjKc

[@howardsonscementproductsin883]

Doug Young

[@damiensmith9240]

725 is just crazy, especially for back then. I'm not a powerlifter, but I'm pretty strong and my best is 375.

[@aaronrus]

I saw the ‘bench shirt’ that Arcidi used and other lifters used, it does not assist the lift, and is less compressing than modern spandex singlets . It’s less ‘equipped’ than the modern unequipped meets

[@mikerieck306]

I remember watching Ken Patera holding back a van with his back against a wall on the WWE weekday show. Vince was behind the wheel of the van. Lord Alfred Hayes was there and Lou Albano was Patera's manager. It was awesome and almost killed Patera....wheels spinning, tires smoking etc. Anybody else remember that?

[@PinnaclePete]

@mikerieck306 I don't remember that, but I saw Lou Albano on television not much before he died. It was after midnight. I was channel surfing, looking for something interesting to watch. I looked through the higher UHF channels (this was pre-cable) and on a low budget, local station (Bloomfield, NJ), there he was! Lou Albano! He was there to help raise money for a local girl that had a rare form of leukemia and wasn't doing well, a girl my sister was friends with! It was the only time I ever saw him out of character, talking like a normal person. He explained how he would glue earrings with rubber bands attached to his cheeks before his interviews and other trade secrets. I had so much respect for the man after seeing this interview, raising money for an unknown girl on a low budget channel hardly anyone watched with no publicity or fanfare! The girl unfortunately didn't make it.

[@roytsusui1761]

It was staged!!!🫵🤣🤣

[@mikerieck306]

@@roytsusui1761 Prove it.🙄

[@georgewins8818]

The bench press that broke Kaz's record was touch-and-go. Was this in the IPF? I would have assumed that IPF judges would require a 2 second pause.

[@StrengthUniverse]

No where in the rules, is specified a 2 second pause, only that the bar is lowered to the chest and pressed when the Judge gives the command to "Press"

[@georgewins8818]

@@StrengthUniverse I understand that.The same applies to squats as well. But there is no way a judge's hand clap preceded Ted's lightning quick barbell trajectory reversal. Also, IPF judges are notorious for taking their sweet time giving "the signal." The time interval between chest contact with the bar and the signal is obviously up to the judge's discretion. Of course, the judge isn't staring at his watch trying to time his signal precisely but the most common number I've heard bandied about regarding the informal wait interval is two seconds, at least in the IPF. Those guys don't mess around.

[@BuJammy]

@@georgewins8818 You seem to be applying 2024 judging standards to the 1980s. Only you know why.

[@harveypratt995]

Everything is touch and go anymore. Nobody pauses. It’s like that on every lift on every KZbin video I see.

[@robertburatt5981]

Didn't strict press 405. That was NOT the standard 7ft Olympic bar with standard 5lb collars.

[@BuJammy]

lol

[@MikeSerota]

0:51 that did not look like a picture of Ted Arcidi himself.

[@StrengthUniverse]

There are no pics of a young Ted so I did my best to improvise

[@MikeSerota]

@@StrengthUniverse oh ok

[@thomaswood7030]

He.was.strong.but.was.he.on The.roz😮

[@chr970]

Massive strength, but I’m not believing those skull crusher claims, not a chance.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Technically it was a french press and certainly believable as that exercise recruits the shoulders and chest as well

[@chr970]

@@StrengthUniverse then, it was not a skull crusher.

[@SeptemberChild1835]

@@chr970 Or, WAS it? 🧐 Skullies have variations. Like deadlifts and Wellingtons.

[@chr970]

@@SeptemberChild1835 okay I’ll buy that as it must be the case. A proper one with just triceps extending?Not a chance he does that set. Basically it’s the same weight as his reported behind the neck press,….but for twice as many reps? Funny. End of story.

[@MikeSerota]

Is all this credit invalid so to speak if he ever used anabolic steroids?

[@BuJammy]

No, it doesn't invalidate it. In fact, it heightens the achievement, because he did it all with really small balls.

[@MikeSerota]

@@BuJammy is that a serious point?

[@StrengthUniverse]

😂

[@TheBatugan77]

​@@BuJammy 😮

[@olderthanyoucali8512]

700 lb. Equipped bench. Not raw! It matters!

[@StrengthUniverse]

As was clearly talked about in the video

[@mc365mc]

He was legit strong, but Ken Patera.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Ken was a real athlete

[@tobyspearen7180]

Mark Henery bill Kaz

[@StrengthUniverse]

Absolutely, however in that one area e.g the bench, Ted was king

[@The_Huntmaster]

Carl Styles had a total of 1846 .

[@BiGGROBB-]

joel Laurinatis Dead lifted 925

[@BiGGROBB-]

just in case you don't know that person Animal from the road warriors

[@davidwagner9644]

​​​@@BiGGROBB-Sadly he passed on 20 September 2020 at age 60.

[@BiGGROBB-]

@@davidwagner9644 i thought it was September 2021

[@davidwagner9644]

@@BiGGROBB- says 2020 in his obituary. He was only 60 for a few days and he died. On a side note, his older brother Joe and my uncle played basketball in college together. Joe was a 6ft 4 in small forward at a D3 school in Minnesota.

[@PitfallHarry72]

2:10 "...claimed to squat 340kg to good debt and 363 a little high?" Um... what?

[@StrengthUniverse]

Depth

[@albertargibay3979]

rip.

[@rudolphrudolph-n1l]

Well, Ted Arcidi had the strongest bench press of any pro wrestler ever but overall strongest wrestler ever, no. Marc Henry, Bill Kaizmaier, Andre the Giant.

[@RobertMarkovich-j5z]

What are you simple minded ? MR. KEN PATERA !!!! Hand's down !

[@StrengthUniverse]

""What are you simple minded?"" From someone that doesn't know what a question mark means😂

[@RobertMarkovich-j5z]

​@@StrengthUniverseshut up and go pretend that you're tough pencil neck !

[@bjorneriksson6480]

more a strength athlete who also fake wrestled for money, he was no wrestler like Im not a musician because I occasionally noodle on a guitar

[@SeptemberChild1835]

Who cares? All wrestling is fake, anyway.

[@richardbrown9138]

Why doe's he / she have collars bones like a woman? Very Strange! God bless!

[@polarbear4612]

Bench shirts are ridiculous. Some of those shirts can bench 200lbs by themselves. 😂

[@StrengthUniverse]

Not the shirt he used, back in those days you'd be lucky to get 30 - 50lbs

[@JimSib1]

Ken Patera had better functional strength than Ted Arcidi which is why he excelled at pro wrestling. Ted Arcidi forearm blows couldn't have crushed a grape.

[@StrengthUniverse]

No Doubt Ken was the better athlete

[@JimSib1]

@@StrengthUniverse Agreed.

[@SeptemberChild1835]

@@StrengthUniverse No.

[@StrengthUniverse]

@@SeptemberChild1835 it’s a fact. He competed in a far more extensive range of sports to a much higher level and broke more national and World records

[@Underhills]

Was he natty? 😂

[@greggclark9671]

YEAH, you forgot the STEROID ABUSE.

[@StrengthUniverse]

99.9% of professional strength athletes use

[@BuJammy]

Yeah, they're awesome.

[@DevelopmentalIssues-e3y]

He was on roids

[@BuJammy]

and?

[@glennday7802]

There's no such thing as a valid world record unless the lifter has been drug tested by a certified agency, such as WADA. Drug-enhanced lifts are trash.

[@StrengthUniverse]

As he never competed for an drug tested / drug free federation, it's irrelevant

[@BuJammy]

That makes no sense.

[@levonschaftin3676]

drug-enhanced lifts are the majority bud. you don't have to like it but that is reality.

[@peterreed8349]

Oh ffs... you do not need to add "REALLY" at the end of all your video titles!

[@SeptemberChild1835]

Why?

[@BuJammy]

really?

[@realitywithmj4334]

AI videos like this are the turds of you tube

[@Rand-w5b]

wait what? 2:31 skull crushers with 171kg x 6??

[@StrengthUniverse]

It was actually a french press, still hella impressive though

[@MrABN86]

It’d be really interesting to know how strong Karelin was.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2SUYmqdo72jjKc