Tumbarello’s feet off the ground is a fitting symbol of this achievement, which will make many float with joy.
When it comes to upper body prowess and strength, powerlifter Joseph Tumbarello gets what he wants. Taking a look at his general social media without any context of his career, goals or ambitions, one can see an athlete wholeheartedly committing to bench press his chest strength by any means necessary. A brick house centered on a power chest has outdone itself with its latest impressive feat in the books.
On January 16, 2022, Tumbarello posted a video to his Instagram profile There he successfully locked a 281.2-kilogram (620-pound) Larsen press. While wearing a lifting belt, wrist wraps and elbow wraps. In general, any type of bench press above 600 pounds is attractive. That’s understandable, a lot of weight to mount on the barbell and lift from the chest. Except Tumbarello, who weighed 115.2 kilograms (254 pounds) during the lift, did not perform a conventional bench press. He used a variation of the Larsen press – Extend the legs fully and let the feet hang on the floor – and a Personal Record (PR) is identified in the process.
What makes Larsen’s press particularly difficult and heightens the perspective of Tumbarello’s recent power performance equates to basic physics.
The athlete’s feet are off the floor in front of the bench during their set, eliminating any ability to use leg drive to aid in the Larsen press lockout. In a regular bench press, athletes can utilize their leg drive for greater stability during the exercise when their feet are firmly planted on the floor. With the legs taken out of the equation, the athlete must better utilize a combination of their chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles to finish their press and remain stable at the same time. It can be very beneficial to implement the Larsen press regularly as a routine.
For Tumbarello, even looking at the new Larsen press, this display of upper-body strength looks like just another day in his barbell-laden “office.”
On a competitive basis, Tumbarello has experience showing what he’s capable of in the gym’s bench press. According to this Open Powerlifting, the powerlifter has competed in two professional competitions, the 2019 Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) Heatwave 7 (H7) and, most recently, the bench press-only 2022 RPS Bench for Bubbs (BFB). Tumbarello competed with wrappers in the 100-kilogram weight class at H7 and raw in the 125-kilogram category at BFB. He can boast a respectable first place victory in both.
(Note: Tumbarello competed in both the Juniors and Open divisions at the HeatWave 7 event. He won the Juniors division and placed second in the Open.)
Including this huge Larsen Press PR, Tumbarello 2023 has wasted no time in attacking full steam ahead. Less than three weeks into the new year, the athlete has already shared 10 separate Instagram clips demonstrating some form of bench press training. With such dedication to his craft, it’s no wonder he can lift 600 pounds without his feet firmly rooted to the ground.
Featured Image: @josephtumbarello on Instagram
