The power neighborhood misplaced a brother with the passing of California powerlifting legend Richard Schoenberger on July 20. Affectionately nicknamed “Massive Daddy,” he was 57 years outdated.
Schoenberger was recognized in native lifting circles for his prodigious, unenhanced power. He was a drug-free lifter and achieved his private information “uncooked” (no help from lifting shirts or different implements). His greatest uncooked bench press in a contest was 612 kilos, and he as soon as benched 625 throughout a exercise—on the time a world file within the American Beginner Athletic Union. Schoenberger was as constant as he was dominant, posting a exceptional 13-year undefeated streak in bench press competitions by means of the Nineties and early 2000s. His different PRs included a 525-pound standing navy press, 850 kilos for 10 reps on field squats, and a 425-pound bench press at age 16.
Schoenberger was a longtime coaching associate of well-known powerlifter, bodybuilder, and actor C.T. Fletcher. The 2 had been so shut that Fletcher always referred to Schoenberger as “my brother.”
A GoFundMe Web page has been created in honor of the late powerlifting icon. In line with his son, Josh Schoenberger, The Richard “Massive Daddy” Schoenberger Legacy Basis was set as much as assist youthful athletes study correct lifting method—the sort Massive Daddy would commonly preach—in a “optimistic surroundings.”
Robust and Drug Free
“So far as the numbers and competitions, you need to keep in mind that he was a 100% lifetime drug-free athlete,” Fletcher as soon as stated of Schoenberger’s powerlifting information. “There are solely a handful of men in historical past which are drug-free guys, lifting in a T-shirt, who [bench-pressed] over 600 kilos. And also you’re taking a look at one [in Richard Schoenberger]. It’s a giant f–-ing deal.”
Schoenberger’s feats of power went past the load room, into true strongman territory. In a 2019 interview, he advised a narrative of when he as soon as actually picked up a automotive – a Volkswagen that his father was engaged on within the household’s yard. He lifted the automotive from the aspect and rolled it over, a lot to the shock (and pleasure) of his dad, an extremely sturdy man in his personal proper.
Initially from Lakewood, CA, Schoenberger performed school soccer as a linebacker and nostril guard at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo for 2 years (1987 and 1988) following a stint at Cerritos Junior School and Lakewood Excessive College earlier than that.
Exterior of powerlifting, Schoenberger was a faithful household man, survived by his spouse Leslee and sons Josh and Zach. Professionally, he was an completed engineer and loved a profitable profession as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agent.
“He was precisely what the world must be,” Josh advised M&F days after his father’s passing. “To know him was to like him. He was a real-life tremendous hero. He made you a greater particular person by simply being in his presence.”
An enormous, sturdy man, weighing as a lot as 350 kilos throughout his powerlifting profession, Schoenberger was by all accounts a delicate big—an affable, down-to-earth kind that others flocked to. If you happen to knew Massive Daddy, you appreciated him.
No Greater Fan than His Household
Of all his admirers worldwide, Richard Schoenberger had no greater fan than his son, Josh. As a 12-year-old, Josh recollects one impactful second a father and son outing—on the health club, in fact—that modified him eternally.
After years of being taught the bench press fundamentals at house, the 12-year-old shares the story of receiving his first weightlifting take a look at when his father lastly introduced him to an area 24-Hour Health for a exercise.
The outing started with a small warmup and a few fatherly method ideas, then it was time to carry.
It was bench press day, and Massive Daddy began off with a forty five on all sides for a fast warmup. “I bear in mind he saved saying it was an off day,” Josh recollects. Quickly after, 135 went to 225, then got here one other pair of 45s. After ending a set of 315, Josh says his father turning to him and casually asks, “Ought to I preserve going?” “I’m like, yeah, preserve going.” Josh stated.
There was a terrifying catch, Josh says: “My father goes, ‘Okay, however you’re gonna spot me.’ I used to be like, I don’t know, it’s actually heavy. I don’t know if I can. And he goes, ‘NO, you bought this.’ It simply gave me this confidence. when he advised me I had it, I actually had it.”
And now with about 40 gymgoers gathering across the space, Massive Daddy proceeded, banging out what Josh says was about 20 reps. On the ultimate rep, Josh stated his father “struggled”—leaving it as much as his him to complete the job. Josh used all his preteen would possibly to get the bar again onto the rack safely onto the rack. Your entire health club cheered, after which Richard turned to his son, and confidently stated that it was his recognizing assist that helped him get by means of the set.
“You and I each know now {that a} 12-year-old ain’t bought an opportunity pulling that weight up,” Josh recollects. “however that was the kind of confidence that he gave to everybody that he met. It was unimaginable.”
Tributes for ‘Massive Daddy’ Schoenberger
“The mightiest man to stroll the face of the Earth,” Fletcher stated of Schoenberger within the days after his passing. “It isn’t his 13 world drug-free titles, his 600+ bench press, his 1,000+ squat, and even his 525-pound strict navy press that made him the mightiest. It’s the truth that he at all times had a phrase of encouragement for everybody he encountered. This was my brother. We skilled collectively for 35 years, we reigned collectively as champions, and we grew outdated collectively. And once I was virtually lifeless, my brother held me up! He by no means acquired the accolades a champion of his stature ought to have, possibly due to his refusal to ever take any kind of enhancing medication, or possibly it was as a result of he was actually one of many nicest individuals you’ve ever met, with the largest coronary heart you’ve ever seen. His spouse and two sons had been his life. A devoted father, loving husband, brother, and my brother. Now he’s in heaven warming up the bench for us so we are able to proceed our set – Richard ‘Massive Daddy’ Schoenberger.”
Jeff Tomko contributed to this text.
