MARK HENRY

OLYMPIC LIFTER, POWERLIFTER, AND WWE SUPERSTAR MARK HENRY WEIGHS IN ON HOW TO GET CRAZY STRONG

In pro wrestling, rules don’t apply to  Mark Henry. Last spring, the WWE aired  a 225-pound bench-press contest between Henry and fellow superstar Ryback. Henry assumed the spotter’s position behind the rack and proceeded to press the bar down onto Ryback’s neck.  In the gym, though, rules apply to everyone, and The Mark Henry Way “Three weeks  from setting a new max, you need a confidence-building week. For squats, take 90–95% of your max and do one  or two reps, even as half reps. You need to see  what the weight feels like.” “You need to build grip in the deadlift.  I do rack pulls with 1,000 pounds—starting with the weight sitting on the pins of a power rack— and after I lock it out, someone pulls out the pins and I lower it real slow.” “If you really want to get strong, you have to be in the gym six days a week. I break it down by chest and triceps, back and biceps, and legs. Those are my three days, so everything gets two days a week.” “Mix up whatever exercises you want, but squats, good mornings, and deadlifts—you always have to do these. Don’t ever rotate them out. They  are too important.” Henry says without adhering to the basics,  he wouldn’t have the impressive résumé  he’s got—a 1,003-pound squat, a 935-pound  deadlift, and a 551-pound bench—not to mention  53 reps in the aforementioned bench-press competition. If you aspire to these numbers—or  ones more modest—you can learn a lot from his  rules of lifting. “When it’s time to hit the new max, you have to get mentally ready. Start the warm up an hour out. It doesn’t have to make you sweat very much, or at all. You just need to get pliable. You can’t be too tight.