Air It Out Gym’s Garage Powerlifting Meet: Ben and Dante Smash PRs

Air it Out Gym — Aug 3, 2026

Air It Out Gym is a group of friends who train, compete, and document their progress together. They publish their meets and workouts on the Air It Out Gym YouTube channel, but the focus at their August Garage Powerlifting Meet was squarely on two lifters: Ben and Dante.

Dante entered the meet following a summer of rapid progress. His teammates said he had increased his total from somewhere in the 900-pound range the previous year and was now closing in on 1,200 pounds.

He worked up to a strong 425-pound squat before attempting 450. Dante stood up with the heavier weight, although the group acknowledged afterward that it was not taken completely to competition depth. His accepted 425-pound lift remained his best squat of the day.

The same energy continued through the bench press, where Dante finished with a 300-pound best. By the time deadlifts arrived, he was carrying the fatigue of a long session but still completed 495 pounds, giving him a verified 1,220-pound total at a bodyweight of 180 pounds.

The performance confirmed just how much progress Dante had made over the summer. His teammates said he had increased his total from the 900-pound range the previous year and was now beyond the 1,200-pound mark.

Ben followed Dante in the squat with the biggest accepted lift of the day, completing 515 pounds. He then attempted a heavier weight but could not finish it.

The miss did little to quiet the garage. His teammates immediately turned their attention toward the next lift and the next opportunity.

“You fail, you learn. You learn, you move on. Then you win,” the group said during the squat recap.

Ben carried that momentum into the bench press, completing 395 pounds as his teammates introduced him as the “beast from New Jersey.”

He closed the meet with a strong 515-pound deadlift, matching his squat and bringing his total to 1,425 pounds at a bodyweight of 229 pounds.

True to powerlifting’s roots, this independent garage meet combined fierce competition with genuine camaraderie. The meet also reflected the sport’s self-regulating tradition. When one squat was called high, both powerlifters agreed the lift would not count. Every successful attempt was celebrated, every missed lift was met with encouragement, and both powerlifters left with new personal records, knowing their summer of training had paid off.

The final message from the group captured the day best. Ben and Dante had trained together throughout the summer. Their garage meet was not the finish line. It was a milestone marking how far they had come and how much further they intended to go.

Meet Results

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