52-Year-Old Powerlifter Benches 300 Pounds
Jen Thompson, a 52-year-old powerlifting legend who has dominated the sport since 1999, recently showcased her ability to bench 300 pounds. Her extraordinary feat demonstrates longevity and consistency in strength sports as she continues to compete and inspire lifters worldwide.
- While the lift in the video was 300 pounds, her official competition record is even higher; she set an all-time world record in March 2023 by benching 146 kilograms (321.8 pounds). - Known as "132 Pounds of Power," Thompson is an 11-time International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world champion and was inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame in 2019. - Her prowess isn't limited to the bench press; her best raw competition lifts also include a 353-pound squat and a 457.5-pound deadlift. - Thompson has secured over 50 titles at the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) national level since her first sanctioned competition back in 1999. - Outside of her own training, she is a high school teacher who runs a weight training class and a powerlifting club for students after school. - She was first inspired to compete after she and her husband (now her coach) saw a bench press competition on Venice's Muscle Beach during their honeymoon.
