171 Cant breathe, crushing weigh (1/2)
As his hands gripped the cold iron barbell, he got ready to bench press 250 lbs, almost twice his body weight. There were many people watching on, but not a single one of them expected him to succeed.
The only one who had any semblance of belief was Jacob, though even he was uncertain if Ben could accomplish the feat. Meanwhile, Owen showed an expression of contempt, waiting for the moment the barbell dropped so he could laugh at the arrogant kid who dared waste his time. Afterward, he'd make sure Ben would pay the price though, getting him tossed out from Hearth altogether.
Big red glanced at the two corporate slaves standing at the ends of the barbell. ”Hey! Make sure your hands are on that weight! When it falls, don't let it crush him like a bug!”
The two chuckled, along with a number of others around. Still, the two spotters held the ends of the barbell to make sure they could lift it when the moment came.
Having done this exercise many times in the gym, Ben positioned his feet, then his back, and last he tightened his grip. He took deep breaths as he prepared himself mentally...
This was the moment that decided his future. If he failed, his journey in the tower and at this prestigious company would be over, a terrible result, and one he couldn't afford.
Knowing this, his will solidified and his eyes became sharp. Next, he clenched his palms, held his breath, and pushed!
The bar lifted off the rack, and the weight put immense pressure on his hands, muscles, and joints… The weight of it caused his face to turn red, visible to everybody nearby...
Seeing this, Owen shook his head. ”Kid, don't hurt yourself. If it's heavy, just put it back.”
The two men on the sides planted their feet, knowing they'd need to be prepared to get so much weight back up when it collapsed.
Ben breathed in. He only needed to complete one rep, which meant bringing it down to his chest and then back up. The longer he waited, the more difficult it would become. So, he made his move!
He lowered the barbell, but it was at a snail's pace! Watching this, Owen sighed. It was clear to all that it was too heavy for him, like the most he could do was let the bar descend without crushing him right away. Everyone in the room shared one opinion.
'Once that bar hits his chest, he's done for…'
'If it's so hard to lower, there's no way he can get it back up. That's much harder...'
'He's dead and donions…'
Seeing him struggling as the weight pressed on him like a trapped dog, many onlookers shook their heads. Some made snide remarks and others even laughed!
”What a joke…”
”He can't even do one rep…”
”One rep? He can't even breathe!”
Owen snorted. ”Little sh*t…wasting my f*cking time...” Still, his eyebrows creased. He wanted to curse at the little bastard more, but if Ben stayed under that bar, it would become dangerous. Yet, as Owen prepared to shout to the two spotters to lift the bar, something shocking happened!
Everyone heard a loud exhale come from Ben's mouth!
Then, the bar started to rise!
Everyone's eyes bulged as the room turned silent at this unexpected scene!
The bar was off his chest!
Going higher!
Higher!
Now, all the observers were the ones who couldn't breathe instead!
Because soon, the bar reached the top! Ben completed one rep!
Audible gasps spread throughout the space!
It was too surprising! They all just witnessed a small teenager bench press almost twice his weight, and after such a desperate situation! No one understood how! It was such a turnaround!
Owen kept blinking as if refusing to believe it, but he soon showed a helpless smile. ”All right, kid. Not too bad. Nice rep, you can put the bar ba—”
He cut off his own words mid-sentence because out of nowhere, the bar began to descend again!
'Did he run out of arm strength to hold it up?' Owen prepared to call the two spotters to lift the weight, but stopped himself when he realized something. This time, the bar's descent was even smoother!