In October last year, Jason Kelce returned to his old training facility to test himself. While he absolutely shattered one of his career records, he met his match on the squat rack.

Travis Kelce's older brother was joined by Fernando Noriega, director of player performance and sports science for the Eagles. During his NFL days, Kelce routinely lifted 500 lbs, and so he tried to beat it.

The former NFL star warmed up with 135 lbs and easily reached 455 lbs. But when he tried 550 lbs, he couldn’t do it and dropped the bar. Then he tried 505 lbs, and still couldn't finish it. "That was way harder than it should be," he said while short of breath.

However, what was most remarkable was his hitting a top speed of 19.72 mph in his first attempt at the speed test. It was faster than his best recorded speed of 19.2 mph during his playing days.

Even Noriega was floored. "Some of the guys that are playing now probably can’t hit that. Like, that’s crazy," he said.

Since retiring from the NFL in March 2024, Kelce has been on a fitness journey, balancing life after football with the same competitive approach he displayed throughout his 13‑season career.

He has even shed around 30 lbs, and despite failing the 505 lbs squat, he impressed an icon.

A bodybuilding legend praised Jason Kelce

Seven-time Mr. Olympia and Hollywood action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on the post.

In fact, Arnie believed that Kelce could actually do it. "You had the squat! You just thought too much. Turn off the brain and do it again," Schwarzenegger encouraged Kelce.

Besides heavy squats and speed, Kelce also tested out his fitness on the agility ladder, Force Plate jumps, and power tests. However, he didn't come close to breaking his records in any of the other exercises.

Kelce’s peak force in 2023 was 9,362 Newtons on the force plate jump. That day, the 38-year-old could only hit 7,000 Newtons.

Tell us what you thought about Jason Kelce's performance in the comments.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi