My Top 6 Final Boss Epic Lifts

There are certain lifts that just hit different.

I am not talking about gym influencer nonsense. I am not talking about the kind of lift where somebody stacks up half the gym, moves the weight three inches, and then posts it like they just conquered the universe. I am talking about real, measurable, brutally hard standards that separate the serious lifters from the casuals.

These are what I call final boss epic lifts.

They are not beginner standards. They are not intermediate participation trophies. They are the kind of lifts that, if you achieve them, you have done something most people will never do. You have built strength. You have built muscle. You have put in time. You have learned how to suffer under the bar and keep coming back.

These are my top six final boss epic lifts you must achieve to be a legend.

1. Bench Press 225 x 20

The first final boss lift is 225 for 20 on the bench press.

Now, everybody talks about a 225 bench like it is some kind of standard. And yes, for a intermediate lifter, benching 225 for the first time is a big deal. But 225 for 20 is a different animal completely.

This is not just a strength lift. This is power, muscular endurance, chest horsepower, triceps strength, shoulder stability, and mental toughness all wrapped into one brutal set.

A lot of people can grind out a sloppy single. Far fewer can get under 225 and take it for 20 real reps. By the time you are halfway through the set, the lift changes. It stops being about confidence and starts being about pain tolerance, breathing, tightness, and refusing to quit.

If you can bench 225 for 20 clean reps, you are not just strong. You have built a serious pressing engine.

2. Squat 315 x 20

The second final boss lift is the only other 20-repper on the list, and that is the squat with 315 for 20.

This one is nasty.

A 315 squat is a good milestone for a lot of lifters. But taking 315 for 20 is a completely different universe. Your legs are burning, your lungs are on fire, your upper back is getting crushed, and somewhere around rep 12 you start questioning all of your life decisions.

This is one of those lifts where the weight is not just on your body. It is in your head.

A true 315 x 20 squat requires leg strength, conditioning, bracing, focus, pain tolerance, and the ability to keep fighting when your body is screaming at you to rack the bar.

It is not just a leg test. It is a soul test.

3. Deadlift 495 x 1

For number three, we are going in a different direction with the deadlift. No high reps needed here.

A 495 deadlift for a single is a final boss lift because five plates is still extremely hard to achieve and very rare to see in a commercial gym. People online act like everybody is deadlifting five plates, but walk into most normal gyms and watch what happens. You are not going to see many legitimate 495 pulls.

The deadlift is simple. The bar is on the floor. You either pick it up or you do not.

There is no need to turn this into a 20-rep death set. With the deadlift, a five-plate single is enough. It requires serious posterior chain strength, grip, upper back strength, bracing, and the guts to attack heavy weight off the floor.

A 495 deadlift is not common. It is not casual. It is not something most lifters will ever do.

That is why it belongs on the list.

4. Weighted Dips and Pull-Ups 45 x 10

Number four is a combination standard: weighted dips and weighted pull-ups with 45 pounds for 10 strict, non-cheat-focused reps.

This might not seem like a lot on paper, but if you can actually do this, hats off.

Weighted dips with 45 for 10 show serious chest, triceps, shoulder, and upper-body strength. Weighted pull-ups with 45 for 10 show serious back strength, arm strength, grip, and relative strength. And the key here is strict reps. Not flailing. Not half reps. Not turning the pull-up into a lower-back spasm. Not bouncing through dips like your shoulders are begging for mercy.

I am talking about clean, controlled, focused reps.

This standard is important because it proves you are not just strong with a barbell. You can move your own body, add load, and still dominate the movement.

If you can hit both of these for 45 x 10, you have earned respect.

5. Military Press or Seated Overhead Press 185 x 5

Number five is a military press or seated overhead press with 185 for a minimum of five reps.

I do not really care which version you use. Standing military press, seated overhead press, whatever. Just make it a real press and move the weight with control.

Everybody is bench press obsessed, so 185 on the overhead press might seem super heavy to a lot of lifters. But here is the thing: if you are able to bench 225 for 20 and you cannot press 185 for reps, something is really broken.

Your shoulders, triceps, upper back, and pressing strength should not be that far behind.

The overhead press exposes weaknesses. You cannot hide as easily. You cannot bounce it off your chest. You cannot turn it into a circus lift if you are doing it properly. The weight has to move overhead, and your body has to be strong enough to support it.

A 185 x 5 overhead press is a real standard. It tells me you have built more than just a bench press. You have built a complete pressing base.

6. Dumbbell Rows 150 x 10

Number six is dumbbell rows with 150 for 10.

I know you probably do not have 150-pound dumbbells in your gym. I do not care. I am tired of seeing 50 to 70-pound dumbbell rows treated like serious back strength.

We need to raise the standard for what decent back strength actually is.

A heavy dumbbell row done properly builds lats, traps, rhomboids, rear delts, erectors, grip, and overall pulling power. It is one of those movements that makes you look and feel brutally strong when you take it seriously.

Now, I am not talking about standing there and yanking the dumbbell around like you are trying to start a lawn mower. I am talking about hard, heavy, controlled rows with intent.

If you can row a 150-pound dumbbell for 10 strong reps, you are no longer playing around. That is real back strength.

Bonus: Romanian Deadlift 315+

The bonus final boss lift is a Romanian deadlift with 315 plus, done like a Romanian deadlift is supposed to be done.

Not just bending over.

There is a difference between loading up 315, unlocking your knees, folding forward randomly, and calling it an RDL, and actually performing a strong Romanian deadlift with control, tension, a proper hip hinge, hamstring loading, and a locked-in torso.

A real 315 plus RDL is serious business. It builds hamstrings, glutes, erectors, upper back, grip, and total posterior chain strength. It also requires discipline, because the movement falls apart quickly when ego takes over.

If you can RDL 315 plus properly, that absolutely deserves bonus final boss status.

Final Thoughts

These lifts are not random. They represent something bigger than just numbers.

Bench 225 x 20 proves pressing power and muscular endurance. Squat 315 x 20 proves legs, lungs, and mental toughness. Deadlift 495 x 1 proves brute strength off the floor. Weighted dips and pull-ups with 45 x 10 prove serious upper-body and relative strength. Pressing 185 x 5 overhead proves you have more than just a bench. Dumbbell rowing 150 x 10 proves your back strength is not fake.

And that bonus 315 plus RDL? That proves your posterior chain is not made of paper.

These are final boss lifts because they demand more than casual effort. They demand years of consistency, hard training, progression, and a willingness to keep showing up when things get heavy.

If you achieve them, you have done something.

You have earned legend status.