In January 2022, at the age of 62, Bill Gillespie accomplished the biggest bench press by any man in history with a lift of 1129.8 pounds.

And he was wearing Lasso socks. 

We're in awe of this accomplishment and honored Bill was able to find the support he needed with Lasso Socks on his feet and through his current mission to do what no man has ever done before. We caught up with Bill on the heels of this groundbreaking moment to see what he has in store for the future and to learn a little more about this bench-pressing, record-breaking beast. 

"This past weekend at the age of 62 I was blessed to bench the biggest bench of all time by any man in history with a lift of 1129.8 pounds! And I’m wearing my Lasso socks! In fact I wear my Lasso's 24 hours a day and they only come off to shower."

So, first of all, how does it feel to accomplish such a feat as this? The biggest bench of all time by any man is no small claim! Congrats again. 

Right now it really hasn’t sunk in. But while getting this lift means a lot to me, my focus has always been on the journey and not the goal. While I am very competitive, I actually told myself going into my last attempt that I would have been fine if I missed it. It wouldn’t have defined who I am or the 50 years that I had invested into reaching this goal. It’s so important that we learn and enjoy every day because that’s the fulfillment of training. 

That is so humbling to hear, and so well said! Why do you prefer to lift in Lasso performance socks? And from your experience, what separates them from other socks in the category?

Blood flow to my legs is key to me being able to use my legs as much as possible. The amount of pressure on my legs is unbelievable and that's the key to being able to stay in position, which allows you to keep your technique. This also allows for a better chance of success and a reduction in the chance of an injury. I have tried several other brands of socks and they either weren’t tight enough or too tight in the wrong places. I felt like when I switched to Lasso performance socks, I took a step up in quality.

In general, what motivates you to lift like this and strive for a healthy lifestyle? 

I have always wanted two things. One was to be strong. The second was to be the best of all time at something. I wanted to stand on top of the mountain and know that nobody has ever been here before. To achieve this dream, I had to look at every detail that would improve my performance from sleeping, eating, drinking activities and even socks!

Let's talk about recovery. How do Lasso socks assist with your recovery methods after the stress of such strenuous lifting? 

I wear my Lasso socks ALL DAY before, during, and after every workout. I wear them to bed and to be honest, the only time that I take them off is when I take a shower! Otherwise my lower legs start to swell and ache.

When you aren't working out or breaking world records, how do the benefits of Lasso compliment your day-to-day life? 

As I said earlier, Lasso socks simply prevent swelling in my legs and the ache that comes from the swelling. That way, the blood flow can be directed to the areas of my body that need recovery.

Awesome, we love to hear that. What inspires you to Stay Moving and keep pushing forward in life? 

Lasso socks absolutely played a big role in allowing me to train and recover safely in my pursuit of the biggest bench press of all time. If I’m not recovering then I have to do lighter workouts, which means I can’t go heavy because I haven’t recovered. 

That's incredible to hear. Well, let us know! What's the next big feat you're hoping to accomplish this year? 

Since I am retiring from competitive lifting, I will continue to train and get myself in better shape and fitness. I also want to pass on the training information that I have developed over the years in the form of a book. I also want to reflect on the process that I went through to achieve the 1129 bench so that I can have a better insight on life. With that, I want to be able to process that information and be able to communicate it to other people so they don’t have to go through 50 years of training to develop the insights that I have learned along the way.

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