You may know Batman (Bruce Wayne) for his plethora of superpowers. Superhuman strength is one of his many abilities, and it is one such power that many heroes in DC possess.
Given his superior strength, you may wonder how much Batman can lift. Is there any real limit to how much weight Bruce Wayne can move? Keep reading to find out.
Batman’s super strength allows him to lift more weight than even the strongest human beings. He can lift 1,000 lb (454 kg) over his head, and it’s been shown in the comics that he can regularly bench press over 1,000 lb. This means he can lift a half-ton.
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How Much Can Batman Bench Press?
Batman is 6’2, and most sources point him to weighing 210 lb. For context, Julius Maddox is often regarded as holding a raw bench press of 796 lb (361 kg), with raw meaning they may not wear a bench press compression shirt while completing the lift.
Something to note is that Maddox’s body weight is twice that of Wayne’s at 430 lb, and at times, it reaches the 470 lb mark.
Danial Zamani surpassed Maddox’s lift a few months before the latter hit 804 lb (365 kg). And like Maddox, Zamani significantly outweighs Bruce Wayne.
With near-superhuman strength, it’s safe to say Batman can outlift Maddox and Zamani by quite a substantial amount. And it’s also important to remember that our two powerlifters were hitting their one repetition max bench press with the weight listed above.
So how much could Bruce Wayne bench press if he walked into your local gym? He would put up over 1,000 lb (455 kg) in repetitions, as seen in Batman #655.
This was defined as a “regular workout.” So what would be Batman’s one-rep max?
During a so-called “regular workout,” it’s common to see people perform a set of 10 reps. So if Bruce Wayne were bench pressing 1,000 lb for 10 reps, his max bench would sit at 1,330 lbs (605 kg) per Muscle & Strength’s bench press calculator.
If he bench pressed 1,000 lb for 15 reps, that number would sit at 1,475 lb (670 kg).
How Much Can Batman Squat and Leg Press?
Most people measure pure strength with three core lifts: bench press, deadlift, and squat. Unfortunately, we have no data on Batman’s max squat or deadlift.
However, leg press is another popular movement that many gym goers measure strength by. Batman once mentioned his max leg press sat at 2,500 lb (1,137 kg).
However, Batman, given his super strength, may leg press more than this. Former professional bodybuilder and occasional powerlifter Ronnie Coleman performed eight reps with 2,300 lb (1,045 kg) in 2007.
Per Trainer Metrics, Coleman’s max, at roughly 300 lb (136 kg) in body weight, would have sat at 2,856 lb (1,298 kg).
So perhaps Bruce Wayne simply ran out of room to put more weight onto his leg press machine and stated 2,500 lb as his max. This equals 1.25 tons.
How Much Can Batman Lift Over His Head?
Another theory regarding Batman’s regular and maximum lifts in the gym (and that they could be lower than that of a few notable bodybuilders and powerlifters) is that he just might not be as gym strong as he is when fighting crime.
For example, he once lifted the 500 lb (227 kg) Solomon Grundy with one arm, and has lifted steel beams weighing between 800 lb (364 kg) and 1,000 lb (454 kg) over his head with both arms.
He also once lifted a 1,000-lb ceiling, telling us that when in the field, his overhead press is well above that of the current 468.5 lb (213 kg) world record. This equals a half-ton.
Can Batman Lift a Car?
Since Batman has only lifted 1,000 lb (454 kg) over his head, and since even a small compact car weighs between 2,600 lb (1,181 kg) and 3,000 lb (1,363 kg), it’s clear that Batman cannot lift a car over his head.
However, if we’re talking about deadlifting a vehicle off of two wheels, that could be a different story.
For example, in the 1975 docu-drama Pumping Iron, Mr. Olympia contender Franco Columbu partially deadlifted a car. With what we know about his strength from the information above, Batman could deadlift a car off two wheels in much the same way as Columbu.
And if he gained enough leverage, Wayne could probably even flip it onto its roof.
Batman’s Strength Compared to Other Superheroes
As you may have guessed, Batman’s overall strength is lower than that of many superheroes, even those around his size and smaller.
For example, Marvel’s Spider-Man (Peter Parker) once held buildings together in the comics. In Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man even held up what looked like a steel beam that weighed beyond what Batman would have lifted.
Per the comics, Captain America (Steve Rogers) warms up with 1,100 lb (500 kg) on the bench press. This shows us that, at least in the gym, Cap is stronger than Batman. He’s even pulled off incredible feats like holding helicopters.
Thor and the Hulk (Bruce Banner) are often regarded as the strongest characters in Marvel, and Batman pales in strength to both of them. At least in the comics, the Hulk can lift 150 billion tons when angered.
Compared with Superman (Clark Kent), it’s no contest. Superman has enough strength to bench press the Earth for five straight days. Black holes are arguably the most notorious regions of spacetime, but Superman could hold them if he wanted to.
Often referred to as the second strongest hero in DC Comics, Wonder Woman, unlike Batman, can fully lift vehicles.
As you can see, Batman is far weaker than some of the most notable Marvel and DC superheroes.
One reason is that he’s neither a god (or goddess), a Kryptonite, nor been injected with or exposed to anything that would give him excessive superhuman strength.
But Batman is perhaps the wittiest of the aforementioned heroes. When given prep time, he has a chance to defeat any of them.
If Batman can set traps and find a way to lure a stronger opponent into them, he will win a fight every time, regardless of how much stronger they are.
Conclusion
Like many superheroes in DC Comics, Batman possesses superior strength. However, he is somewhat weaker than many heroes, as he can only lift roughly a half-ton over his head, and 500 lb (227 kg) with one hand.
This makes Batman among the weaker heroes in DC and Marvel. If pitted against most heroes in an impromptu one-on-one battle, he would likely lose. But if given the appropriate amount of prep time, few could overcome him.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.