Page 169 - Muscle & Fitness (February 2020)

B Y Z A K W O J N A R

One day following a recovery
program session, Maddox, who
has been powerlifting only for
a little over seven years, put JULIUS MADDOX
his strength to the test, in a 6'1"
dungeon-like basement gym 441 lbs
with nothing but dirt for a floor.
He and his workout partners Owensboro, KY
put all the weight they could irregularstrength.com
on the bar, and he pressed it
for two. @irregular_strength

“We added the weight up
afterward, and it ended up
being 505 pounds,” Maddox
says. “The guys were like, ‘You
realize that nobody is doing
this type of weight like this.’
So it got me fixated on C.T.
Fletcher and things like that.
And I started watching those
things, and I’m like, ‘I think I
can get there.’ ”
Today, Maddox, 32, gets his
endorphin rush by lifting heavy
weights. But while he’s not set-
ting records, Maddox is aiding
kids in his Kentucky commu-
nity, helping them veer away
from doing drugs like he did in
his younger days and preaching
the merits of physical fitness.
“If I can change one person
or inspire one person to live a
different life, then I’m fulfilling
my purpose,” he says.

WHAT’S NEXT?

As for the future, Maddox has
his sights set on breaking his
own record. “I want to do some-
thing that no man in the history
of the world has done,” he
says. “I will be the first man on
earth to ever bench-press 800
pounds raw.” He has the op-
portunity, and this time there’s
nothing standing in his way.
“I got a second chance at life,
so I’m not going to waste it this
time,” Maddox says. “I’m going
E R I C A S C H U LT Z To watch the entire interview,
to take full advantage.”

head to muscleandfitness.com.