Scot Mendelson

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Scot Mendelson (born February 21, 1969) is an American powerlifter and armwrestler who specializes in the bench press.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

During his career he set 64 world records<ref name="pantheon">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> predominantly in bench pressing and was the raw (unassisted) world record holder in the 308-pound weight class with Template:Convert from 2002 to 2020 and the equipped world record holder in the 275-pound class with Template:Convert from 2009 to 2021. He also held the all-time world record in the raw bench press, regardless of weight class with Template:Convert for 8 years.

He's the only man in the world to hold both raw and equipped (multi-ply) world records, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bench pressers of all-time.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Early life

Mendelson is Jewish, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York.<ref name="Menches">Menches You Don’t Want to Mess With at jewishjournal.com</ref> His maternal grandfather Morris Reif, known as the "Bronxville Bomber" was Rocky Marciano's stable mate and scored 75 knockouts in 115 fights.<ref name="Menches"/> In his youth Mendelson loved sports and played baseball and American football. Starting strength training when he reached his teens, he moved into the sport of wrestling and boxing, where he first recognized his rapid growth in strength.<ref name="muscle-munch">Muscle-Munch Interview with Scot - 2012</ref> Then he moved into bodybuilding. With his pure strength showing even more through his bodybuilding training, Mendelson decided to become a powerlifter.<ref name="musclepower">Scot Mendelson biography at musclepowershop.com</ref>

Powerlifting career

Mendelson started as a raw benchpresser and in 2000, benched Template:Convert raw at APF California State & LALC Invitational. He then moved into equipped division in multi-ply category and benched Template:Convert during the same year in APF Los Angeles Lifting Club competition.<ref name="openpl">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During 2001 APF Senior Nationals, Mendelson benched Template:Convert in multi-ply and in the same year at WPC World Championships in South Africa bettered it to Template:Convert. By the end of 2002, he took his equipped PR to Template:Convert.<ref name="openpl"/>

In 2002 APF Northern California Open Championships in San Francisco, Mendelson bench pressed Template:Convert raw becoming the second person in history after James Henderson to bench press 700 lb raw. It was also the all-time world record for the 308 lb (heavyweight) class.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Raw world record

In 2003 APF West Coast Push-Pull championships @ Starks Gym The Live Free or Die Family in San Carlos, Mendelson broke Henderson's five-year old Template:Convert all-time raw bench press world record regardless of weight classes with Template:Convert with only his 2nd lift.

In 2003 APF Senior Nationals, he took his equipped PR to Template:Convert and then to Template:Convert during Bench America I competition. However in 2004 Mendelson got disqualified thrice in a row at WPO World Record Bench Bash, Senior Nationals and Iowa State & WPO Qualifier.

In 2005 Atlantis New England Bench Press competition, in front of Ed Coan as the head judge, Mendelson broke his own all-time raw bench press world record with Template:Convert.<ref name="powerliftingwatch raw">All-time RAW Powerlifting world records compiled and updated by PowerliftingWatch.com</ref><ref name="critical bench records">Bench Press Records compiled by criticalbench.com</ref><ref>Katterle, Sean (February 2009). "Power Surge: The Bench Press - History, Records and Raw Lifts". Ironman Magazine, p. 241</ref> The record remained unbeaten for another 8 years until Eric Spoto benched Template:Convert in 2013.<ref name="722 vid">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

Equipped world record

At 2005 APF Nationals, Mendelson benched Template:Convert in multi-ply,<ref name="openpl"/> becoming only the third man in history after Tim Isaac and Gene Rychlak to achieve this feat.

In 2006 Iron Man Bodybuilding contest's Fit Expo in Pasadena, Mendelson broke Rychlak's Template:Convert all-time equipped bench press world record with Template:Convert with only his 1st lift.<ref name="atwreq">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Eventhough the record didn't last long with the arrival of 'unlimited' equipment category with the rise of the likes of Ryan Kennelly, Will Barotti, Tiny Meeker, Bill Gillespie and Jimmy Kolb, Mendelson improved his multi-ply PR to Template:Convert by 2008 WPC World Championships in West Palm Beach.<ref name="en.allpowerlifting.com">Scot Mendelson Powerlifting statistics (incomplete) posted at en.allpowerlifting.com</ref>

Mendelson's lifetime PR came in 2009 APF Holiday Festival of Strength in Camarillo, where he benched Template:Convert in multi-ply<ref name="powerliftingwatch">All-time Powerlifting world records compiled and updated by PowerliftingWatch.com</ref><ref name="culture">"Champion weightlifter presses the issue of cannabis and sports" by CULTURE Template:Webarchive</ref> which stood as the all-time multi-ply world record in the 275-pound weight class until Jimmy Kolb in 2020 as well as the all-time multi-ply world record in Masters (40+) category irrespective of weight class until Tiny Meeker in 2013.<ref name="openpl2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Injuries and accidents

In 2004, Mendelson was involved in a devastating car accident, that sent him to intensive care for three weeks with a fractured skull, broken ribs, broken leg and a right foot held on only by the skin. After a dozen surgeries, his right ankle was finally removed and he was left with one leg about 2 ½ inches shorter than the other. He was also left with an addiction to Vicodin.<ref name="culture"/> The ankle injury was also the main reason why he was unable to compete in the other powerlifting disciplines the squat and the deadlift.

In 2013 Mendelson notoriously tore his pec while attempting a raw bench press of Template:Convert.<ref name="pectear">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

After another car accident in 2015 that made Mendelson unable to continue as a top level powerlifter, he started armwrestling in 2016 and has placed high in national level championship and attended the zloty tour 2018.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXFrftmieug http://www.zlotytur.com/tour.php?id=25&photo=yes</ref>

Legacy

Mendelson is a three-times National<ref name="Menches"/> and five-times World<ref name="culture"/> Bench press champion and his career 64 world records in powerlifting<ref name="culture"/><ref name="interview video"/> is only seconded to Ed Coan.<ref name="pantheon"/> He is the only bench presser in the world to hold both the raw and equipped (multi-ply) world records,Template:Refn and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bench pressers of all-time.

Personal records

done in official Powerlifting meets<ref name="Soong">ALL TIME HISTORICAL MEN AND WOMEN’S POWERLIFTING WORLD RECORDS Template:Webarchive</ref>

• Raw Bench press – Template:Convert @SHW class (2005) (Former All-time World Record)

→ Raw Bench press – Template:Convert @308 lb class (2002) (Former World Record)

• Equipped Bench press (multi-ply) – Template:Convert @275 lb class (2009)

→ Equipped Bench press (multi-ply) – Template:Convert @SHW class (2006) (Former All-time World Record)

done during training according to Scot himself

• Equipped Bench press (unlimited) – Template:Convert<ref name="interview video">Video: Scot Mendelson - World's Strongest Bench Press Powerlifter</ref>
• Raw Bench Press – Template:Convert for 8 repetitions<ref name="interview video"/>
• Squat – Template:Convert<ref name="muscle-munch"/> (not to parallel depth)
• Deadlift – Template:Convert<ref name="muscle-munch"/>

Personal life

Mendelson is divorced (2008) to his ex-wife, Maricelle, herself a world champion Powerlifter, Kung Fu practitioner and a martial arts champion.<ref name="Menches"/><ref name="Maricelle">"Maricelle Garcia Mendelson: World's strongest Pinay" at asianjournal.com Template:Webarchive</ref> They have three children, two girls and a boy.<ref name="Menches"/>

Mendelson runs his own 6,000-sq. ft. private personal training gym in Sherman Oaks called "Fitness Individualized Training" (F.I.T.), which teaches strength training and combat sports. Being a supporter for the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes since his first car accident, he opened up his own medical marijuana dispensary "Mendica", together with his friend Eric Roberts in 2009, which goes under the tagline 'one-stop shop for rehab, rebuilding, relaxation and natural pain medication'.<ref name="culture"/>

See also

• Progression of the bench press world record
• Ryan Kennelly
• Gene Rychlak
• Eric Spoto
• James Henderson
• Jim Williams
• Ted Arcidi
• List of powerlifters