# Progression of the bench press world record

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.
The advent of bench press shirts, which support the lifter's shoulders and provide upward force, have increased records significantly since 1985. As of 2023, the world record bench press without any equipment ("raw") was set by American Julius Maddox at 354,709 kg (782,000 lb), surpassing his previous record of 349 kg (770 lb).
The current world record (equipped, with shirt) is held by American Jimmy Kolb established on July 29th, 2023, at the 2023 IPA Tristar Bash meet, when he successfully locked out 2,431 kg (5,360 lb), beating the previous record by 23 kg (51 lb).
The women's equipped bench press record belongs to Avory Brown, from New Zealand, who lifted 317.5 kg (700 lb) (2023, IPL standards), and the raw bench press record belongs to April Mathis from the United States, who lifted 207.5 kg (457.4 lb) (2016, Southern Powerlifting Federation standards).

## Before 1973

| Weight | Year | Record | Gear |
| 164 kg (362 lb) | 1898 | Georg Hackenschmidt presses 164 kg (362 lb) from the floor. | raw |
| 165 kg (364 lb) | 1916 | Joe Nordquest presses 165 kg (364 lb) from the floor. | raw |
| 227 kg (500 lb) | early 1950s | Doug Hepburn becomes the first man to bench press 400, 450, and 500 lb. In November 1950 he pressed 400 lb (181 kg). He pressed 450 lb (204 kg) in 1951, and 500 lb (227 kg) on May 28, 1953. | raw |
| 263 kg (580 lb) | 1953 | Doug Hepburn presses 580 lbs (263 kg) in training, using a "collar to collar" grip and a slight bounce on the chest. | raw |
| 250 kg (550 lb) | 1957 | Doug Hepburn presses 550 lbs (250 kg) in Portland, Oregon. He would follow this lift with an unsuccessful attempt at 600 lbs (272.5 kg) that resulted in a severe shoulder injury. | raw |
| 281 kg (619 lb) | 1957 | Paul Anderson presses 620 lbs (281 kg) unofficially. | raw |
| 256 kg (565 lb) | 1959 | Bruno Sammartino presses 256 kg (565 lb). | raw |
| 279 kg (615.5 lb) | 1967 | Pat Casey presses 615.5 lb (279 kg) on March 25, 1967 and becomes the first man to bench press over 600 lb officially. | raw |
| 288 kg (635 lb) | 1971 | Jim Williams presses 288 kg (635 lb) at the Eastern USA Open. Then in November, he presses 300 kg (661 lb). | raw |
| 306 kg (675 lb) | 1972 | Jim Williams presses 306 kg (675 lb) with only ace bandages on his elbows, wearing a T-shirt on November 9, at the 1972 AAU World Powerlifting Championships. Williams' best performance in the bench press was 326.5 kg (720 lbs) unofficially. | raw |

## Foundation of the IPF

With the foundation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), the federation began keeping "official" powerlifting world records as the international governing body for the sport of powerlifting. Previous records which hadn't been set within the newly established rules, were reset (for example, elbow bandages had been allowed prior to the formation of the IPF, but were later outlawed). These are the official bench press records after the IPF-reset until they surpass the previously set mark of 306 kg (675 lb) by Jim Williams.
| Weight | Year | Record | Gear |
| 263 kg (580 lb) | 1973 | Don Reinhoudt presses 263 kg (580 lb) raw at the inaugural IPF World Powerlifting Championships in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on November 10, 1973. | raw |
| 267.5 kg (590 lb) | 1974 | Don Reinhoudt presses 267.5 kg (590 lb) raw at the AAU Senior National Championships in Fort Worth, Texas on September 1, 1974. | raw |
| 275.5 kg (607 lb) | 1975 | Don Reinhoudt presses 275.5 kg (607 lb) raw on May 3, 1975 in Chattanooga. | raw |
| 276.5 kg (610 lb) | 1977 | Wayne Bouvier presses 276.5 kg (610 lb) in August, 1977. | raw |
| 277.5 kg (612 lb) | 1978 | Doug Young presses 277.5 kg (612 lb) on April 3, 1978 in El Dorado, Arkansas. | raw |
| 278 kg (613 lb) | 1979 | Lars Hedlund presses 278 kg (613 lb) on June 21, 1979 in Stockholm. | raw |
| 280 kg (620 lb) | 1979 | Bill Kazmaier presses 280 kg (617 lb) on July 8 at the USPF Nationals in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and then breaks his own record with 282.5 kg (623 lb) on November 4, 1979 in Dayton, Ohio at the IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships. | raw |
| 285 kg (628 lb) | 1980 | Lars Hedlund presses 285 kg (628 lb) on March 4, 1980 Copenhagen. | raw |
| 287.5 kg (634 lb) | 1980 | Bill Kazmaier presses 287.5 kg (634 lb) despite quadriceps injury at the 1980 World Series of Powerlifting in May 1980 in Auburn, Alabama. | raw |
| 300 kg (661 lb) | 1981 | Bill Kazmaier first presses 290 kg (639 lb) and then 300 kg (661 lb) at the USPF West Georgia Open Powerlifting Championships, held in Columbus, Georgia on January 31, 1981 to become the first human to officially bench press 300 kg (661 lb) (raw) in an IPF-sanctioned meet (and without elbow wraps). | raw |
| 302.5 kg (667 lb) | 1984 | Ted Arcidi presses 302.5 kg (667 lb) without wrist wraps on April 1, 1984 in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Hawaiian Internationals at only 286 lb (130 kg) bodyweight. | raw |

### Equipped (with bench shirt)

| Weight | Year | Record | Gear |
| 320 kg (705 lb) | 1985 | Ted Arcidi first presses 307.5 kg (678 lb) and then becomes the first man to bench press over 700 lb with a lift of 705.75 lb (320 kg), performed without wrist wraps, but with one of the first prototype supportive bench press shirts, which was 50% polyester and 50% cotton and only one layer thick. | shirt |
| 326 kg (718 lb) | 1990 | Ted Arcidi presses 326 kg (718 lb) at the APF Bench Press Invitational on September 30 in Keene, New Hampshire. | shirt |
| 329 kg (725 lb) | 1993 | Anthony Clark presses 329 kg (725 lb) in May and then on September 25, breaks his own record with a 333.5 kg (735 lb) lift at the USPF Northwest Open. | shirt |
| 335 kg (738 lb) | 1994 | Anthony Clark presses 335 kg (738 lb). | shirt |
| 335.5 kg (740 lb) | 1995 | Jamie Harris presses 335.5 kg (740 lb) at the APF State Championships in March 1995. | shirt |
| 336 kg (741 lb) | 1995 | Chris Confessore presses 336 kg (741 lb) at only 236 lb (107 kg) bodyweight on June 17, 1995. | shirt |
| 340 kg (750 lb) | 1995 | Anthony Clark presses 339 kg (748 lb) and 340 kg (750 lb) at the Great Bench Press of America Meet in Texas. | shirt |
| 349 kg (770 lb) | 1996 | Anthony Clark presses 349 kg (770 lb) and later 354 kg (780 lb) in September 1996 at the Mr. Olympia. | shirt |
| 356 kg (785 lb) | 1997 | Anthony Clark presses 356 kg (785 lb). | shirt |
| 364 kg (802 lb) | 1999 | Tim Isaac is the first man to bench press over 800 lb* with a lift of 802 lb (364 kg) on July 24 in Phoenix, Arizona. | shirt |
| 408 kg (900 lb) | 2003 | Gene Rychlak is the first man to bench press 900 lb (408 kg). | shirt |
| 455 kg (1,004 lb) | 2004 | Gene Rychlak is the first man to bench press over 1,000 lb with a lift of 1,004 lb (455 kg) in November. | shirt |
| 457 kg (1,008 lb) | 2006 | Scot Mendelson presses 457 kg (1,008 lb) (February 18) in a powerlifting exhibition called Fit Expo in Pasadena, California. | shirt |
| 458 kg (1,010 lb) | 2006 | Gene Rychlak presses 458 kg (1,010 lb) (December 16). | shirt |
| 470 kg (1,036 lb) | 2007 | Ryan Kennelly presses 470 kg (1,036 lb) (September 22–23). | shirt |
| 476 kg (1,050 lb) | 2007 | Ryan Kennelly presses 476 kg (1,050 lb) on December 1, at the APA Northwest Open in Kennewick, Washington. | shirt |
| 485 kg (1,070 lb) | 2008 | Ryan Kennelly presses 485 kg (1,070 lb) on April 12, at the APA Northwest Iron War in Kennewick, Washington. | shirt |
| 487 kg (1,074 lb) | 2008 | Ryan Kennelly presses 487 kg (1,074 lb) (July 13). | shirt |
| 487.5 kg (1,075 lb) | 2008 | Ryan Kennelly presses 487.5 kg (1,075 lb) on November 8, at the Pride Strength Wars in Kennewick, Washington. | shirt |
| 488.5 kg (1,077 lb) | 2013 | Tiny Meeker presses 488.5 kg (1,077 lb) on April 13, at the SPF Texas State Powerlifting Championship. | shirt |
| 500 kg (1,102 lb) | 2013 | Tiny Meeker presses 500 kg (1,102 lb) at the Cajun Hardcore Powerlifting Meet, December 14 in Buena, Texas. | shirt |
| 501 kg (1,105 lb) | 2020 | Will Barotti presses 501 kg (1,105 lb) on June 20 at the Metal Militia Power Wars. | shirt |
| 503.5 kg (1,110 lb) | 2020 | Will Barotti presses 503.5 kg (1,110 lb) on December 12 at the Metal Militia World Championships. | shirt |
| 508 kg (1,120 lb) | 2021 | Jimmy Kolb presses 508 kg (1,120 lb) on June 27 at the IPA Strength Spectacular Powerlifting Championships. | shirt |
| 510 kg (1,125 lb) | 2021 | Tiny Meeker presses 510 kg (1,125 lb) on November 20 at the IPA Nationals Powerlifting Championships. | shirt |
| 512.5 kg (1,130 lb) | 2022 | Bill Gillespie presses 512.5 kg (1,130 lb) on January 22 at the 365Strong New Year Power Bash. | shirt |
| 599 kg (1,320 lb) | 2022 | Jimmy Kolb presses 599 kg (1,320 lb) on February 27 at the 2022 IPA Pennsylvania State Powerlifting Championships. | shirt |
| 612 kg (1,350 lb) | 2023 | Jimmy Kolb presses 612.5 kg (1,350 lb) on February 4 at the IPA Hillbilly Havoc meet. | shirt |
| 635 kg (1,401 lb) | 2023 | Jimmy Kolb presses 635.4 kg (1,401 lb) on July 29 at the 2023 IPA Tri-Star Bash in Elizabethton, TN. | shirt |
* note: Anthony Clark performed a controversial 800-pound bench press at the Arnold Classic in 1997, 2 years before Tim Isaac. This lift was, however, later turned down.

### Unequipped (without bench shirt)

For the bench press to be considered raw, no bench shirts are allowed; however, wrist wraps, singlets and belts are allowed. Elbow bandages had been allowed prior to the formation of the IPF, but were later outlawed.
| Weight | Year | Record | Gear |
| 320 kg (705 lb) | 1996 | James Henderson presses 320 kg (705 lb) raw in a T-shirt without wrist wraps or a belt to become the second man to bench press over 700 lb raw in May 1996. | raw |
| 322.5 kg (711 lb) | 1997 | James Henderson first presses 700 lb (317.5 kg) and on a later attempt the same day 711 lb (322.5 kg) raw without wrist wraps or a belt on July 13, 1997, at the USPF Senior Nationals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (full three-lift-meet). Today, it is still the highest bench press ever performed in a drug-tested competition as well as the highest ever done in an IPF-sanctioned three-lift-meet. | raw |
| 323 kg (713 lb) | 2003 | Scot Mendelson presses 713 lb (323 kg) on February 8, 2003. | raw |
| 324 kg (715 lb) | 2005 | Scot Mendelson presses 715 lb (324 kg) with belt and wrist wraps on May 22, 2005 in Worcester, Massachusetts at the New England Bench Press Classic. | raw |
| 325 kg (716 lb) | 2013 | Eric Spoto first presses 325 kg (716 lb) and then 327.5 kg (722 lb) with belt and wrist wraps on May 19, 2013, at the 2013 SPF California State Powerlifting Meet in Sacramento, California. Eric successfully benched 661 lb on his 1st, 716 lb on his 2nd and 722 lb on his 3rd attempt on the same day. | raw |
| 335 kg (739 lb) | 2015 | Kirill Sarychev presses 335 kg (739 lb) with wrist wraps and without a belt on November 22, 2015, at the SN-Pro Cup. | raw |
| 335.5 kg (740 lb) | 2019 | Julius Maddox presses 335.5 kg (740 lb) with wrist wraps and without a belt on August 31, 2019, at the Boss of Bosses 6. | raw |
| 337.5 kg (744 lb) | 2019 | Julius Maddox presses 337.5 kg (744 lb) with wrist wraps and without a belt on November 17, 2019, at the Rob Hall Classic. | raw |
| 349 kg (770 lb) | 2020 | Julius Maddox presses 349 kg (770 lb) with wrist wraps and without a belt on March 7, 2020, at the XPC Powerlifting Coalition. | raw |
| 355 kg (783 lb) | 2021 | Julius Maddox presses 355 kg (783 lb) with wrist wraps and without a belt on February 21, 2021, at the Ghost Strong Hybrid Showdown. | raw |

## IPC powerlifting

International Paralympic Committee regulates unequipped paralympic powerlifting competition without wrist wraps or belt.
| Weight | Year | Record | Gear |
| 291 kg (642 lb) | 2011 | Siamand Rahman presses 291 kg (642 lb) (December 4, 2011) | raw |
| 295 kg (650 lb) | 2015 | Siamand Rahman presses 295 kg (650 lb) on July 30, 2015, at the 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan | raw |
| 310 kg (683 lb) | 2016 | Siamand Rahman presses 310 kg (683 lb) on September 14, 2016, at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | raw |