Funny: Analysing the Robertson "1,000lb leg press" video.

[Mugsy]

Mondays' Top 10 linked to the video of Pat Robertson leg-pressing 1,000 lbs to demonstrate his new energy drink.

No argument that the 74 yearold Robertson is lifting a lot of weight, but it doesn't appear to be the "1,000 lbs" as claimed in the video (and 2,000 would have to be the sum of multiple lifts as the bar can't support that much weight.)

The first two weights on the bar, Robertson tells the interviewer are "about 45 pounds each... or about 135lbs" including the bar itself. First off, the bar does not weigh 55lbs. The 6' steel bar weighs 35. And the first two "Cap Barbell" weights are only 25lbs each, for a total of 85lbs. Heavy, but not 135 "to start out with".

A standard 6' weight bar has a maximum capacity of 1,000 lbs, and indeed in the video, there's certainly no room for more than the five 45kg weights on each end (they do make a 7'2" bar, but Robertson is not using a 7' bar.)

Then the weights are added "Barbell Standard" 45kg/99lb weights according to the writing on the side. I have been unable to find the "Barbell Standard" Brand of weights online, but the weights they label as "45kg" appear to be the same size/width as standard 25kg/55lb weights.

Here is what 250kg/550lbs of weights looks like on one bar:



and



Look at the bar bend. And that's two fewer weights than what's on Robertson's bar.

And as Think Progress pointed out, lifting at an angle reduces the total weight lifted even more. But they still credit him as lifting an absurd "1,000 lbs". The video does not claim he's liking "2,000", they only claim to show "1,000" in total... apparently, the 2K lift wasn't caught on video. :)

If my math is right, at an approximate 30' angle, lifting what appears to be 250kg, Robertson is pushing up closer to 216kg/477lbs, not even close to the 1,000lbs claimed in the video.

Not bad for a 74 year old, but definitely not the 1,000lbs claimed in the video. Funny. But is anyone surprised that these guys would knowingly and willingly perptrate a fraud on their Luddite followers?

[ComerPerro]

1. Damn. That's a lot of time spent looking at Pat Robertson's legs

:puke:

[FSogol]

2. Is "Bearing False Witness" still or sin or have these cons lied

so much, it no longer matters?

[zbdent]

4. Nope . . . the "Swifties" are still alive

[Goblinmonger]

3. Plus his range of motion

is about an inch and a half, and he needs to use his upper body strength to make it happen. OK, good for a 70+ year old guy, but he's lying about his prowess.

[havocmom]

5. And that makes his claims for his shakes false advertising.

No wonder GNC backed away. Their lawyers prolly figured some enterprising weight lifters were poised to sue their asses.

[Mugsy]

6. But you have to prove "he knew".

But unfortunately, you'd have to prove Robertson knowingly deceived his viewers and that he himself did not *know* what he was saying wasn't true.

I heartilly believe Robertson thinks what he is alleging is 100% true.

[havocmom]

11. He probably "believes" those diamonds are mined by 7 happy short guys

Well, maybe 6 happy short guys and one old grump ;)

He believes whatever works for him at the time from what I have observed

[TlalocW]

7. Not to defend Pat

But in gym speak, you "lift" what you have on the bar or machine. From a physics standpoint, you are right though.

He has approximately 990 pounds on the "hip sled" that he's using with the weight combined with the moving part, which probably weighs about 50 pounds (in my experience). However, speaking as someone who has gotten several school systems mad at him for judging a high school state weight lifting contest too strictly, he's not doing a proper lift. He's barely moving down and back up, and he's using his hands and arms to help with the lift. Still, that's somewhat impressive for a 74-year-old.

There are guys like Pat in every gym who think just because they load up a bar and do one or two crappy reps, that they're big tough guys. Someone in my gym, who my friend and I nicknamed Nugent because of his resemblance to that other asshole, would slam out 10 reps of 250 (bench press) but barely go down 3 inches, and then in between sets, he would go around and tell everyone else what they were doing wrong. That's what Pat would be doing if he had a membership in a private gym, except he would be damning you to hell as well as offering bad weight lifting advice.

TlalocW

[Bandit]

8. You don't seem to realize that God can make those weights

as heavy as he wants. God can make a forty five pound weight into a five hundred pound weight without changing it's size. :shrug: I just can't figure out why Robertson didn't lift three tons instead of only one.

[spuddonna]

9. "With God as your spotter, no weight is impossible! Act now, and get ..."

"... 2 weeks of Pat Robertson's Energy Drink, free!" :evilgrin:
As Buzz Lightyear so succinctly put it Mr. Robertson: "You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."

[maxsolomon]

10. humor the old fool

i think that's what his TV station is stuck doing.

he'll be powerful until he dies - he never got a blowjob from an intern.

[seabeyond]

12. weighs 35. lie. a minister lies, tell me it aint so.... n/t

[rustydog]

13. Thou shalt not bear false witness???? hey Pat?

[smartvoter]

14. I hate Robertson, but I have worked out on exactly that same machine

and a very high weight level (not 2,000, but closer to that than 1,000) and there was no bend. However, his range of motion is limited to that final extension and EVERYONE's legs are powerful in that limited range of motion centered around full extension. This simply is not a real lift. I'm sure others here who are -- or have been -- gym rats will tell you the same.