Magnús Ver Magnússon is an Icelandic former powerlifter and strongman competitor. He is a four-time World's Strongest Man, having won in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest strongmen of all time.
Scot Mendelson is an American armwrestler and powerlifter, who specializes in the bench press. He has broken multiple world records and was the raw (unassisted) world record holder in the 308-pound weight class with a 701 lb (318 kg) bench press from 2002 to 2020 and the equipped world record holder in the 275-pound class with a 1,031 lb (468 kg) bench press from 2009 to 2021. He also held the all-time world record in the raw bench press, regardless of weight class with 715 lb (324 kg) for 8 years. Working as a self-employed personal trainer, he runs his own gym called F.I.T.
Paul Edward Anderson was an American weightlifter, powerlifter and strongman. He was an Olympic gold medalist, a world champion, and a two-time national champion in Olympic weightlifting. Anderson contributed significantly to the development of competitive powerlifting and is widely considered one of the strongest humans in history.
Dwight Douglas Furnas was an American professional wrestler and powerlifter. He was an APF National and World Powerlifting Champion, who set multiple world records in the 275 pounds (125 kg) weight class. As a wrestler, Furnas worked for, among other promotions, American majors World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) best known for being part of the tag team The Can-Am Express with tag team partner Phil Lafon. Furnas was also a longtime mainstay of All Japan Pro Wrestling.
William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Theodore Arcidi is an American former professional wrestler, actor and powerlifter. He is known to be the first man in history to bench press over 700 pounds in competition, establishing an official world record.
Donald C. Reinhoudt was an American powerlifter and strongman. He won the IPF World Powerlifting Superheavyweight Championship four consecutive times (1973–1976), and won the World's Strongest Man in 1979.
Andrew Bolton is an English powerlifter and strongman who was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire. He is the first man to deadlift 1000 lbs/453.6 kg, doing so in 2006.
Bench press world records are the international records in bench press across the years, regardless of weight class or governing organization, for bench pressing on the back without using a bridge technique.
James Gregory Henderson, also known as Big James Henderson and James "Hollywood" Henderson, is a former American powerlifter who specialized in the bench press. He competed in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and was five times Super Heavyweight World Bench Press Champion. He was the second man to bench press over 700 pounds [lb] (317.5 kg) and the second man to bench press over 700 lbs raw. James set numerous world records throughout his career, including the all-time world record in the raw (unassisted) bench press with 711 lb (323 kg).
Stan "The White Rhino" Efferding is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and a powerlifter competing in the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF). He held the all-time raw world powerlifting records in the 275-pound-class in the Total without knee wraps and in the Squat without knee wraps (854 lbs). Due to his enormous physical strength, regularly competing in professional powerlifting contests along his career in professional competitive bodybuilding, Efferding is often referred to as the "world's strongest bodybuilder".
Konstantīns Konstantinovs was a Latvian powerlifter of Russian descent. His raw deadlift of 426 kg (939.2 lb), set in 2009, was formerly the heaviest raw deadlift, and was the world record for the 140 kg (308 lb) weight class until 2022.
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
Truman Hugh Cassidy, better known as Hugh Cassidy, is an American metal sculptor, jazz musician, and former powerlifter who competed in powerlifting just prior to the formation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). In 1971, he became U.S. National Powerlifting Champion as well as World Powerlifting Champion at the inaugural Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) World Championships, defeating the young soon-to-be all-time greats Jim Williams and John Kuc in the super heavyweight division.
Blaine Sumner is an American world champion powerlifter from Conifer, Colorado, currently residing in Gillette, Wyoming, United States.
Jon Frederic Cole was a discus thrower,powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter and strongman from the United States. He competed in powerlifting just prior to the formation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). Having set world records in the squat, deadlift and Total during his career, he was multiple times AAU US National Powerlifting Champion as well as an outstanding Olympic weightlifter, discus thrower and shot-putter. Being the "premier strongman" of the early 1970s for his overall excellence in powerlifting, Olympic lifting and strength-based track and field, Cole was at one time known as the "strongest man in the world" for holding the greatest combined powerlifting/weightlifting super total of all time. Jon Cole was not only officially the first man in history to total 2200 lbs, he also became the first man to squat over 900 lbs as well as the first to total 2300 lbs in competition on October 28, 1972. Today, he is enjoying legendary status in the powerlifting scene and is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest powerlifters in the history of the sport. His lifts, which are considered as raw by today's standards, are still mostly unequaled in his weight class: He still holds the all-time greatest raw (unequipped) powerlifting totals in the 242 and the 308-pound division. While past his prime as a lifter, he competed in the first annual World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, where he finished in 6th place.
James Talbot Williams was a record holder professional competitive powerlifter from the United States of America. He competed in powerlifting just prior to the formation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). During the early 1970s he set bench press national and world records in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). On November 9, 1972, he performed bench press of 675 lbs. Jim Williams was the first man to bench press 300 kg (661.41 bs) in competition the international governing body for the sport of powerlifting.
Dan Green is an elite American powerlifter and owner of both Boss Barbell Club and Mountain View Fitness in Mountain View, California. His best competition lifts in the 242 lb (110 kg) weight class are an 848 lb (385 kg) squat, a 530 lb (240 kg) bench press, and an 837.5 lb (380 kg) deadlift. His best powerlifting meet total at 242 lbs is 2210 lb (1002.5 kg). His best competition lifts in the 220 lb (100 kg) weight class are an 837.5 lb (380 kg) squat, a 501 lb (227.5 kg) bench press, and an 827 lb (375 kg) deadlift. His best total at 220 lbs is 2110 lbs (957.5 kg).
Michael Hall is a retired American powerlifter, who is perhaps best known for being a pioneer of the drug-free movement in powerlifting. Hall is considered the first African American Super Heavyweight powerlifter to win a World Powerlifting Championship.
Heather Connor is an American powerlifter, competing in the 47 kilogram weight class. She is a 2-time IPF world champion and 6-time national champion.
United States