John Cena Thinks The Bench Press Is Garbage, And He’s Letting The NFL Know

What’s that? You would think John Cena — now officially one of the two most decorated world champions in history — would be ride or die for the bench press? Aw, you’re just saying that because of his rockin’ bod. While the man himself might absolutely love lying on his back and using his massive pectorals to shove weight upwards, he thinks it’s a stupid way to evaluate an athlete. And he has no problem calling the NFL out for doing just that.

Cena sat down with Sports Illustrated to talk about how he has recently bench pressed 463 pounds once again, just a few months before his 40th birthday. But he was quick to point out that if he was forced to do the NFL Combine, bench press would be the ONLY thing he’s good at, and he’d probably do so poorly at all the other aspects of the Combine, he’d get kicked right out of the NFL Draft. Because bench press doesn’t mean jack about whether you’re a good athlete.

“I love a lot of the tests in the Combine; I hate the bench press for reps test. I think it’s the most worthless test of skill that they have at the Combine. And an organization like the NFL, they’re going to come back with, ‘Oh, what does the kid know?’ But I know a lot about strength and fitness, and upper body reps for a segregated weight, for max [weight], is a horrible test for the Combine athletes. I love the agility tests, I love the sprint tests, vertical jump. All that stuff is really fun to watch, but step your game up with the strength assessment, NFL. It’s not a good one.”

This is a truly fantastic point, and one that shockingly few actual NFL analysts make. Have you ever seen the guys who have set the world bench press records? They have the proportions and mobility of a grain silo. Not that they’re not in shape, but you wouldn’t want them protecting your quarterback or trying to cover a wide receiver.

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