OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — They make sure to warm up properly.
They always use the right technique and rest between sessions.
But in one corner of the gym, at the OKC MAPS 3 Health and Wellness Center, a small group of seniors are lifting the ceiling of what was once considered impossible for men their age.
“I thought I knew how to bench press,” admits John Groth. “Until I found out I didn’t know how to bench press.”
Chip Howe is the youngest of ‘The Bench Press Boys’ at 57-years-old. He joined the group last summer.
He finishes a set and John Groth announces the weight on the bar at 265 pounds.
“I just started rolling with these guys,” he smiles.
Groth started working out here when the Wellness Center first opened in 2018.
Covid put a dent in his routine for a while.
So did a recent bicep injury, but turning 75-years-old this year means he can test his bench press maximum in a whole new division of weight lifters.
“I’m the fat boy in my weight class,” he chuckles. “But I can set record for 75-year-olds and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
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Dwight Stafford is already 77-years-old.
He credits his strength to post hole digging and wood chopping on his father’s farm.
“Dad worked me really hard,” he laughs.
Stafford too competes in bench press competitions and, this year, deadlifting.
“I’d like to do 500 total pounds combining bench press and dead lift,” he continues.
Gary Brooks is already ranked in the Top 5 bench pressers nationally.
As one of the ‘Boys’ who also turns 75-years-old in 2025, he is anxious to put any record in his weight class well out of reach.
“The American record is only 269 pounds,” he states. “I’m already benching a little over 300 pounds.”
‘The Bench Press Boys’ just keep pressing, every other day, testing strength, and pushing each other to press harder than, perhaps, anyone every has.
For more information on the MAPS 3 Health and Wellness Center, click here.
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