How Much Can Captain America Lift? Compared to World Record Bench Press

Marvel has a colorful roster of superheroes with unique powers, ranging from gods, demigods, mutants, extraterrestrials, and so on. However, one of the most popular characters is a military “guy” with peak human conditioning and a circular shield. We’re talking about none other than Captain America. That said, how much can Cap lift?

Captain America can lift 800-1400 pounds just as a warm-up, but when under duress or in emergencies, this number steadily increases. Cap doesn’t have superhuman strength. The super-soldier serum he took only enhanced his physiology, granting him peak human strength.

This article will explore in detail how strong Cap is, how much he can lift in comparison to the current bench press record, and his greatest feats of strength. So if this sounds interesting, read on to get the precise picture.

What’s the World Record Bench Press?

The ultimate test of upper body strength for most weightlifters is the bench press. Therefore, it follows that the world record bench press would indicate how much weight the strongest human being can lift.

That said, the current world record bench press without any equipment (i.e., no bench shirt) stands at 782 lbs. and is held by Julius Maddox of the USA. However, the current world record bench press, with the aid of a bench shirt, currently stands at 1320 lbs. and is held by Jimmy Kolb.

So, now that we know how much a top-level athlete can lift, later on in the article, I’ll compare this figure with how much the Cap can lift. This will give a clear picture as to exactly how strong Cap is.

Does Captain America Have Superhuman Strength?

In both the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America has grown to become one of the most iconic and popular characters. However, some fans seem to always downplay his strength.

There’s no denying that Captain America is strong. I mean, he can use his upper body strength to hold up a helicopter, preventing it from taking off! How insane is that? But yet still, one question abounds in the minds of a lot of people. Does he possess superhuman strength for him to be capable of performing such extraordinary feats of strength? To answer this question, one must first understand how Steve Rogers came to be Captain America.

Steve Rogers was a weakling who was rejected by the U.S. Army during World War II. He volunteered for an experiment where he received the Super-Soldier Serum. The serum metabolized and permanently enhanced Roger’s bodily functions to peak human conditioning. He is the most perfect human in existence, and Dr. Abraham Erskine stated that his enhanced condition was second to none.

The serum didn’t give Rodgers superhuman powers. It just transformed him from a weakly frail-looking young man into a specimen of human perfection. He’s therefore classified as enhanced human”. He has powers superior to those of any Olympic-level athlete ever.

So to answer the question, no, Cap doesn’t have superhuman strength. He has peak human strength. His strength is enhanced to the very peak of human potential.

How Much Can Cap Lift?

A lot of comic book writers usually shy away from stating hard facts and numbers when talking about the powers and abilities of superheroes. Being vague allows them a degree of freedom when writing. Unlike other heroes like the Hulk, Thor, Hercules, and others, Captain America doesn’t possess superhuman strength. He has peak human strength, just more than the average human and lesser than more powerful beings like Thor. That said, how much weight can Cap lift?

Thanks to his enhancement by the super-soldier serum, Cap can lift between 800-1400 pounds. This is just a warm-up. In the movies and comics, we’ve seen Cap perform extraordinary feats of strength. So, when under duress or in an emergency, he can lift way above this figure. This is just a step above what the world record bench press is.

Thanks to the vagueness of the comic writers, the exact amount he can lift is unknown, so the above figures are what we have to work with. Despite this, Cap has learned to use his enhanced strength in multiple battles and situations, performing great acts.

Captain America’s Greatest Feats of Strength

This section will look at some of the moments Captain America demonstrated his strength.

• Holding a helicopter- One incredible thing about Captain America is his ability to summon immense strength whenever the stakes are high. In this particular episode, Bucky is briefly back to himself, but Zemo unlocks his Winter Soldier persona. Everyone’s trying to kill Bucky, but Cap tries to protect him. Bucky tries to leave in a helicopter, but Cap grabs on and curls it like a dumbbell. This is an incredible act of strength.
• Holding off Thanos- The level of Thanos’ strength is demonstrated earlier on in the movie Avengers: Infinity War when he tosses the Hulk around like a rag-doll. This makes it quite clear that the Mad Titan is unmatched in strength. Yet, the Cap somehow manages to do so, albeit briefly. During the film’s climax, as Thanos is closing in on the Avengers, Cap makes a last-ditch effort to buy them some extra time. He physically holds back Thanos for a few seconds. To this day, fans and enthusiasts are surprised by how he managed to perform this feat of strength.
• Takes on a strike from Mjolnir- In the first Avengers movie, we witness one of the most iconic fights between Thor, Iron Man, and Cap. After Iron Man and Thor are engaged in a fight, Cap arrives and tries to calm things down. Thor doesn’t and decides to bring the hammer down on Cap. Despite the immense power of Mjolnir, Cap stands tall and takes the blow with his shield. This causes an explosion that levels the forest, and Thor calms down.
• Takes on 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in an elevator- In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we see Cap scuffle with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in a crowded elevator. Steve uses his strength and wits to outmatch these extremely well-trained agents, resisting two extremely powerful magnets and brushing off several blasts from tasers. 

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