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Mike Joseph (born 23 July 1971), known as Bench Press King, is a Bench press Powerlifter [1] and 10 times British, European and World Bench Press Champion and holder of four World Records as well as holding a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for a 24-hour endurance bench press record. [2]
Joseph was born in Essex in the United Kingdom.
Joseph started competing in powerlifting at the age of 29 and broke the British Record in his first competition. That year he represented England in the World Championships and won his first World Title.
He is a member of the British Drug Free Powerlifting Federation (BDFPA), an affiliate of the World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation, which follows International Olympic Committee and World Anti Doping Association rules, including vigorous drug testing.
In December 2009, Mike appeared on his own show on Sky TV, "The Bench Press King", on the Active Channel.
Joseph claimed nine World Titles before incurring a rotator cuff tear in his shoulder in 2010, which ended required surgery. After a period of rehabilitation and physiotherapy he returned to powerlifting in February 2012, representing Team Great Britain, lifting in the British Championships and breaking the World Record which had stood since 1994. In June 2012, Joseph represented Team Great Britain and won his tenth World Title the World Championships in Autun, France.
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition. Eventually, odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was an Icelandic strongman, powerlifter and bodybuilder who was the first man to win the World's Strongest Man four times and the first and only man to win the World Muscle Power Classic five times. Jón Páll is widely regarded as one of the greatest strongmen of all time, and is credited with developing Iceland's national identity. He was named Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year in 1981, and was one of the best-known Icelandic athletes. In 2012, Jón Páll was inducted into the World's Strongest Man Hall of Fame.
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is best known for his 25-year career in WWE.
Žydrūnas Savickas is a Lithuanian powerlifter and professional strongman. Due to his 84 international wins in major international strongman competitions including four World's Strongest Man championships, eight Arnold Strongman Classic championships, two IFSA Strongman World Championships, and over 70 world records, he is widely regarded as the greatest strength athlete of all time.
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.
Rebecca 'Becca' Swanson is an American powerlifter, strongwoman and former professional wrestler. She broke multiple powerlifting world records, including the heaviest squat, bench press, deadlift and the total. Due to her many accomplishments including unbeaten strength world records to-date, she is regarded as "the strongest woman to have ever lived".
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.
Eamonn Keane is an Irish primary school teacher from Louisburgh, County Mayo who specialises in endurance weightlifting.
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).
Edward Coan is an American powerlifter. He is widely regarded throughout the powerlifting world as the greatest powerlifter of all time. Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting.
Benedikt "Benni" Magnússon is an Icelandic strongman and powerlifter. He has held the raw deadlift world record since 2011 with 460.4 kg (1,015 lb). He also set the world record for the heaviest strongman deadlift in 2014 with 461 kg (1,016 lb), which stood until English strongman Eddie Hall lifted 462 kg (1,019 lb) the next year.
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".
Oders Dell Wilson Jr. was an American world champion powerlifter and world champion strongman competitor.
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
Blaine Sumner is an American world champion powerlifter from Conifer, Colorado, currently residing in Gillette, Wyoming, United States.
Tyler Moore is an International Powerlifter for Team USA and is a competitor in the Men's Open Division. When Tyler was a teen, he was elected as Team USA's Jr Bench Press Team captain and won his first international title at the NAPF Bench Press Championships in 2011. Tyler is a member of the USAPL and competes in both, the equipped and RAW styles of Powerlifting. He is a two-time North American Bench Press Champion and holds 20 American Records. Moore became eligible for Pro competitions in the Fall of 2013 after winning his second international title.
Mariša Golob is the most successful and decorated female in Slovenian powerlifting history.
Brady Anthony Stewart is an American weightlifter. He was born on July 21, 1982, in St. Louis Missouri. Stewart is an 8-time US National Bench Press Team member for USA Powerlifting(Luxembourg 2009, Lithuania 2013, Sweden 2015, Denmark 2016, Lithuania 2017, South Africa 2018, Japan 2019, Czech Republic 2020[canceled due to Covid-19]). Stewart is the current American Record holder in the 120 kg / 264 lbs weight class with a press of 356.5 kg or 785.9 lbs. Stewart is the only lifter in US history to have medaled in IPF OPEN World Equipped Bench Press Championship competition in the 264 lbs weight class. He is also a member of the historic 2009 World Champion US National Bench Press Team.
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.
Enkhbayaryn Sodnompiljee is a Mongolian powerlifter.
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