Politician
Barack Obama
44th President of the United States
All evidence
6 records, newest first. Strength changes with age and weight class, so check the date and context before you compare.
2008
- Dumbbell curl (one arm)16 kg × 30
“He picks up a pair of 16 kilo weights and starts curling them with his left and right arms, 30 repetitions on each side.”
CNN quotes, in translation, the eyewitness account of Bild reporter Judith Bonesky, who was in the gym (Obama later said she set up the encounter). 30 reps for each arm. Bonesky's Bild story (2008-07-25) puts the workout in the afternoon, before 5 pm. Obama spoke in Berlin on the evening of 2008-07-24 and went to France on 2008-07-25, so dated 2008-07-24. Newsweek's retelling gives 35 lb.
- Dumbbell curl (one arm)32 kg × 10
“he picks up the 32 kilo weights! Very slowly he lifts them, first 10 curls with his right, then 10 with his left.”
Same session and source as the 16 kg curls: one tabloid reporter's account, relayed by CNN. 10 reps for each arm. A strict 32 kg one-arm curl for 10 is far above usual, and The American Prospect doubted it; Newsweek's retelling says '75 lb. barbells'. Bonesky's Bild story (2008-07-25) puts the workout in the afternoon, before 5 pm. Obama spoke in Berlin on the evening of 2008-07-24 and went to France on 2008-07-25, so dated 2008-07-24.
- Dumbbell triceps exercise (unspecified)65 lb
“working his triceps and hoisting 65 lb dumbbells, according to the National Journal”
Secondhand: TMZ cites a National Journal report that was not found. The exercise and reps are not stated. Dated from 'Friday morning' in a Saturday 2008-06-28 post.
- Bench press200 lb
“He can bench press an impressive 200lbs”
Secondhand: 3 Quarks Daily reproduces John Swaine's Telegraph list of 2008-11 (the Telegraph page is paywalled). No source for the lift and no reps. Spear's (2008-11-20) gives the same 200 lb and credits The Times; Gulf News lists 96 kg in an undated trivia list. This record replaces those two, which repeated the same claim. Dated by the list (2008).
- Dumbbell triceps press15 lb
“which included triceps presses with single 15-lb dumbbells (pretty puny weights) in each hand”
Secondhand: Spear's describes a Politico.com post that was not opened; reps not given. The Baltimore Sun (2008-11-10) says the post described a summer 2008 workout at the Washington Sports Club in Dupont Circle, with 'tricep presses with 15-pound dumbbells'.
- Overhead dumbbell triceps extension50 lb
“When he moved onto overhead dumbbell extensions, he started with 50-lb bells, lifting them once whilst gritting his teeth”
Secondhand: Spear's describes a Politico.com post that was not opened. One rep, then he changed to lighter dumbbells. The Baltimore Sun (2008-11-10) gives 'overhead extensions with 50-pound weights' and dates the workout to summer 2008.