A Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., recently set powerlifting world records in a competition in Las Vegas.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Reep, the assault chief for Division Schools, 1st Marine Division, prepares for a workout at the gym aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif. (Cpl. Robert Reeves / Marine Corps)
Staff Sgt. Matthew Reep, assault chief of Division Schools, 1st Marine Division, set marks for a 165-pound person at 391 lbs. on the bench press, 556 lbs. on the deadlift, and 1,396 lbs. in combined weight for a bench press, deadlift and squats.
Reep, 39, said he excelled in weightlifting in high school. He has competed in six national powerlifting championship tournaments since 2009, winning 11 events, according to a Marine Corps news release.
“Ever since I started lifting I always just thought I was good, but never paid too much attention to it. I honestly gave it up,” said Reep, a native of Lexington, S.C. “But then when I was stationed in New Jersey for about six months with the Army National Guard, I really started to focus and took it seriously. That’s when I decided that I was going for more than just a workout.”
