IF YOU’VE BEEN to the gym, you’ve likely been asked how much you can bench. It’s perhaps the most clichéd question in fitness, but there’s no denying that bench press is a good measure of overall strength.
Given how common it is, it’s only natural that we use bench press a point of comparison for strength. And if there’s anyone worth comparing yourself to, it’s the celebrities who literally get paid to be as strong as what they are. If you can out-lift these guys, there’s a good chance you’re doing something right.
So, just how much do some of the world’s most famous actors, musicians and athletes really bench? Here’s what we know, based on verifiable evidence and a handful of estimates.
Kevin Hart: 100kg
Woah! Kevin Hart can bench more than 150 per cent of his 63.5kg bodyweight? He can indeed. And there’s verifiable proof! A video from 2017 shows the actor benching 100kg for three reps. Chances are his one-rep max is even higher.
Kit Connor: 105kg
Kit Connor was filmed hitting his one-rep max of 105kg in 2023. He was only 19 at the time, meaning that his PB is not only seriously impressive for his age, but that it could have risen since then.
Hugh Jackman: 107kg
In 2015, Jackman announced on Instagram that he had joined the coveted 1,000-pound club by squatting 355 pounds, deadlifting 410 and benching 235 (107kg).
Brad Pitt: 115kg
Brad Pitt reportedly did eight reps of bench press at 100kg as part of his chest day in the lead up to Fight Club. If he can do that, it’s safe to assume he can press 115kg for fewer reps.
Chris Pratt: 130kg
While training for Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, Chris Pratt’s trainer has said the actor would do ten reps of 95kg for bench press. If that’s true, we can extrapolate and assume he can hit 130kg for at least one rep.
Chris Hemsworth: 136kg
Hemsworth has never revealed his actual one-rep max for bench press, so we’re estimating here, but we do have some evidence of his approximate strength. In 2018, Hemsworth shared a video of himself benching 90kg for ten reps, in what he claimed was the last of an exhaustive eight sets. If that’s the truth, we can definitely see him hitting 130kg+ for a single rep.
Michael B. Jordan: 143kg
Corey Calliet, who is MBJ’s personal trainer, claimed that the actor could bench 143kg for two reps back when he was training for Black Panther in 2018. Given that Jordan has kept himself in great shape for more than a decade now, we’re willing to believe those numbers.
Mark Wahlberg: 152kg
Mark Wahlberg (who we’ll remind you is only 5’8″) claims that his max bench press is 152kg. ‘Claims’ is the operative word here, because we don’t have any actual evidence that Wahlberg can bench that much, besides his own report. Wahlberg says he was at his strongest in 2013, while preparing for No Pain, No Gain, for which he gained nearly 20kg.
Jonathan Majors: 154kg
Disgraced actor Jonathan Majors rose to fame thanks to his beefed up physique. In an 18-month period, he filmed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Creed III and Magazine Dreams, all of which required an intense training routine. Back in 2023, he said in an interview that his max bench press was “probably 340 pounds (154kg)”.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: 182kg
The Rock’s college football teammate, Leon Searcy, has said that the actor was an incredible athlete during his time in college. “He was out-squatting and out-benching guys who had been there three to four years at Miami. He was benching over 400 pounds (180kg), squatting about 500 (227kg).” The Rock himself claims his PR is 204kg, but we’ve never seen proof of that – post it, Dwayne!
Now that he’s slimming down and over the age of 50, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see The Rock benching this much again.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: 200kg
Arnold’s heaviest verified bench press came at a powerlifting meet when he was 20. It’s likely that this wasn’t his peak, however, and that his real personal best is even higher. He has claimed that his best ever one-rep max is above 250kg, but that has never been verified.
John Cena: 221kg
Back in 2015, John Cena shared a video to Instagram of him benching 221kg, coming tantalisingly close to the legendary 500-pound club – just 13 pounds off! Cena was 38 years old at the time, with decades of lifting behind him.
