David Laid recently stunned the fitness community by deadlifting 600 rock-solid pounds. He also benched over three plates at 315 pounds for strong repetitions.
These are elite-level strength milestones reserved only for the top echelon of committed lifters.
As a strength coach and avid powerlifter myself, I was thoroughly impressed by David‘s show of brute force. But more importantly, I wanted to analyze and pay tribute to the intelligent programming principles and relentless work ethic that enabled his fitness feat.
In this definitive guide, we‘ll break down:
- Who is David Laid and his background
- Why 600lb/$315lb are massive milestones
- Proper form and function of the deadlift and bench exercises
- Step-by-step how David built up his strength over time
- The science of effective strength programming
- Key takeaways for your own training goals
So whether you‘re a beginner looking to get stronger or an advanced athlete like David, let‘s get fired up about forcing new personal records!
Who Is David Laid?
For those less familiar with the YouTube fitness space, David Laid is an online personality and athlete with over 6 million Instagram followers.
He creates engaging content related to diet, training, lifestyle and more. Most notably, David is completely transparent about his fitness journey – bravely posting his struggles and triumphs along the way.
David‘s highest lifts before this video were:
- 500lb deadlift for 2 grueling reps
- 275lb bench press for 5 reps
As a 190-200lb athlete, these are superb strength levels reflecting many years of proper programming. But David was hungry for more.
He set new monster goals:
- 600lb deadlift
- 315lb bench press
These feats of freakish strength represent a huge 100lb PR on deadlifts and 40lb bench press PR.
Let‘s appreciate why these lifts put David into the elite category.
Why 600LB Deadlift and 315LB Bench Press Are Massive
A 600lb deadlift requires tremendous full body strength. Gripping over 1.5x body weight off the floor, squatting it up and finishing with a powerful hip extension is no easy task.
In fact, only the top 0.1% of David‘s weight class have pulled 600lbs or more in competition according to OpenPowerlifting data.
Similarly, a 315lb bench press signifies mastery of upper body force production. Handling three full plates challenges major muscles like pecs, front delts, triceps to their limits.
Only about the top 5% of intermediate lifters can bench 315+ at David‘s size.
These feats demand technical proficiency, athleticism and high strength capacity across a range of interdependent muscles.
In other words, 600/315 club members have clearly put in their 10,000 hours of intelligent programming and rigorous training.
Let‘s expand on that by analyzing…
Deadlift and Bench Press Muscles Worked
Before viewing David‘s strength-building regimen, we must understand the biomechanics of the deadlift and bench press.
These foundational movements engage all the major muscle groups of the body. When performed properly, they forge elite muscular development in both upper and lower halves.
Muscles Worked: Deadlift
The deadlift calls the posterior chain into action including:
- Spinal erectors: Enable a neutral extension under enormous loads
- Trapezius: Stabilize scapula during hip hinge
- Latissimus dorsi: Reinforce mid-back rigidity for force transfer
- Glutes: Produce maximal hip extension power
- Hamstrings: Move the weight during first half of lift
- Quadriceps: Lock out the knees at the top
So as you can see, the deadlift provides full posterior chain transmutation from foot to cranium.
Now for the bench press…
Muscles Worked: Bench Press
The bench press engages pressing musculature like:
- Pectorals: Produce shoulder flexion and adduction
- Anterior Deltoids: Assist the pecs during pressing
- Triceps: Extend the elbows to complete each rep
- Serratus Anterior: Scapular protraction and stability
- Forearms: Crucial grip support
When honed with proper technique, the bench builds substantial upper body pushing prowess needed for elite strength.
Okay, now that we understand the movements on an anatomical level, let‘s get to…
David Laid‘s Strength Transformation Step-by-Step
David managed to take his strength to the next level through diligent, focused training phases over years. Here is a rough timeline of how his deadlift and bench numbers progressed:
May 2015: 165LB Deadlift, 135LB Bench
- David was 17 years old, new to lifting
January 2017: 405LB Deadlift, 225LB Bench
- Hit 2x bodyweight deadlift after year of Novice Linear Progression
August 2018: 500LB Deadlift, 275 Bench
- Implemented intermediate programming with more volume
March 2021: 600LB Deadlift, 315 Bench
- Advanced programming, diet and recovery protocols
Clearly, this capacity was built brick-by-brick over the long-haul. David‘s strength base now represents a lifetime of passion.
Let‘s expand specifically on how David tailored his training variables leading up to 600/315.
Programming Keys Behind David‘s Strength Gains
There were several programming factors that facilitated David‘s ascent:
1. Progressive Overload
This principle states that you must continually increase demands on the body to make adaptations. David slowly added weight each lift every session, eeking out small PR‘s over time.
He also pushed harder on intensity techniques like rest pauses, down sets, clusters, etc.
2. Exercise Variation
David cycled straight bar, trap bar and sumo deadlift every few months. He also alternated wide, medium, close grip benches. Varying exercises provides new stimuli.
3. Frequent Stimulus
David trained deadlifts and bench press 2-3 times per week each in a structured program. Hitting lifts often enables technical mastery.
4. Targeted Weak Points
Using specialized movements, David reinforced his weaknesses. For deadlifts, he did deficit pulls and rack pulls to overload specific ranges of motion.
5. Periodization
David‘s coaches broke training into phases with different rep ranges, intensities and volumes over time for optimal strength gains.
Let‘s expand on how David fueled this hard training…
Nutrition and Recovery Protocols
While David put in tireless work under the bar, he understoodelligent programming and rigorous training alone won‘t maximize gains.
Proper rest and nutrition influence results as much as program design itself.
Here is how David recovered and fueled between savage sessions:
Strict Nutrition Tracking
David religiously tracked his macros, following a tailored diet for muscle protein synthesis:
- 1 gram protein per pound bodyweight
- Carb cycling for training demands
- Healthy fats for hormone optimization
Sleep Prioritization
Knowing sleep is crucial, David aimed for 8 high-quality hours per night to recharge his nervous system completely.
Active Recovery
David regularly used contrast showers, massage, low intensity steady state cardio and stretching to speed recovery.
Supplementation
He supplemented with whey protein, creatine, beta alanine and betaine anhydrous to amplify training capacity.
Now clearly, David left no stone unturned to reach elite strength levels. Let‘s wrap this up with…
Achieving Your Own Goals
There are several big picture takeaways from David‘s awe-inspiring deadlift and bench press:
- Set specific, measurable goals based on your ambition level. Break records or break barriers – but have a target.
- Master exercise technique before chasing weight. Strength without skill is useless.
- Employ progressive overload as the driving principle to systematically load tissues.
- Strive for consistency with a program over the long run. Rome wasn‘t built in a day.
- Prioritize sleep, nutrition and recovery almost as much as training.
Most importantly though, David personifies that $grit beats everything. With relentless will and self-belief, you can surpass perceived physical limits.
Let his journey ignite your own fitness fire to reach new heights! Please leave any questions below on your own training. Stronger is always better. Stay powerful!