Female fitness athletes have always gotten a bit of a bad rep, with people considering them to be less capable. However, as we demonstrate today, this is not necessarily the case.
When it comes to the bench press, there is not a better chest exercise. Therefore, it is a good way to pinpoint just how strong am athlete is. While bodybuilders are not necessarily required to be strong, they still need a certain level of muscularity. As a result, the bench press is a staple of both male and female athletes.
Obviously when comparing men and women, there is a huge discrepancy. However, this is not to say that female athletes are not as capable. There are some ladies who could easily out-bench men in the gym, with some impressive lifts. Today we are going to take a look at some of those amazing women, who are able to bench press unbelievable amounts.
These are 15 of the top female fitness athletes, and their heaviest bench press:
- 15. Pauline Nordin – 110lbs
- 14. Oksana Grishina – 200lbs
- 13. Tina Nguyen – >200lbs
- 12. Dana Linn Bailey – 225lbs
- 11. Dena Westerfield – 315lbs
- 10. Kristy Hawkins – 319lbs
- 9. Dayana Cadeau – 352lbs
- 8. Julia Vins – 363.76lbs
- 7. Iris Kyle – 375lbs
- 6. Debi Laszweski – 375lbs
- 5. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia – 375lbs
- 4. Nataliya Kuznetsova – 375lbs
- 3. Erica Cordie – 150lbs (4 reps)
- 2. Alina Popa – 242lbs (4-6 reps)
- 1. Becca Swanson – 600lbs
15. Pauline Nordin – 110lbs
Pauline Nordin is one of the IFBB’s top female bodybuilders. She has also made a name for herself as a fitness model, and personal trainer. She even was able to be a trainer on the Nordic version of “The Biggest Loser,” putting her training skills to the test.
When it comes to bench pressing, Nordin does not actually include that into her workout routine. However, what she does include is dumbbell presses, which is essentially the same thing. When doing the exercise, she uses 55lb dumbbells. Therefore it is safe to assume that she would be able to do a set of 110lb, if she were to switch to bench pressing.
14. Oksana Grishina – 200lbs
Originally hailing from Russia, Oksana Grishina moved to California to further pursue her career in fitness. As the reigning Ms. Fitness Olympia champion, she is established as one of the most elite female bodybuilders in the world. As a result, it is expected that she is to be in excellent conditioning.
Weighing in at 115lb, she somehow manages to bench press a solid 200lb. While alone that is not too crazy, compared to her bodyweight this becomes impressive. Honestly she could probably do better if she desired, but she typically maintains her chest development by lifting 110lb in prep.
13. Tina Nguyen – >200lbs
As a 2014 NPC National Figure Champion, Tina Nguyen quickly established herself as a top talent. Furthermore, when she has gone on to win the 2017 San Antonio Pro, she made herself known among female bodybuilders. She is known for her incredible physique, while maintaining a very feminine appearance. As a result, she has amassed a massive following on Instagram.
When it comes to her gym work, Nguyen is no slouch. Although it is worth noting that the bench press is not a part of her regular routine. However she has revealed that she is able to bench more than Barack Obama, who can hit 200lb.
12. Dana Linn Bailey – 225lbs
One of the most elite female bodybuilders in the world, Dana Linn Bailey is a wonderful talent. She won the 2013 Mr. Olympia in the Women’s Physique division. These performances have allowed her to gain an incredible popularity, getting over a million Instagram followers.
Bailey has an incredibly toned physique, due to an intense training regimen. Part of that involves a solid and decently heavy bench press. When she hits the gym, she is know to be able to pull an impressive 225lb.
11. Dena Westerfield – 315lbs
Dena Westerfield is a bodybuilder hailing from Florida. She made a name for herself with her bulky frame, and impressive muscles. However, she has made her biggest impact as a personal trainer, helping others achieve their success.
Westerfield spends a lot of time in the gym, working with other people. Despite that, she still manages to find time to train herself. Her bench press is quite impressive, hitting a massive 315lb. It is not often for female bodybuilders to hit a bench press of over 300lb, but she crushes it.
10. Kristy Hawkins – 319lbs
Kristy Hawkins is an incredibly accomplished individuals, and not just as a bodybuilder. She has also accomplished a ton as a powerlifter. Moreover, and perhaps most impressively, is that she is also a chemical engineer.
When it comes to her workouts, Hawkins also takes a scientific approach. This has allowed her to get a bench press of 319lb, setting her above many of her peers. This is a quite impressive lift, almost as crazy as the rest of her life accomplishments.
9. Dayana Cadeau – 352lbs
Dayana Cadeau is an incredibly accomplished bodybuilder, having competed for over 20 years. She is known for her huge physique, yet maintaining symmetry. Even getting older, and turning 51, she still keeps her form, even getting leaner in recent years.
Cadeau’s approach to training puts more of a focus on technique, over bulk. However she has been able to hit a one lift max of 352lb on the bench press. As far as female bodybuilders are concerned, this is beyond unbelievable.
8. Julia Vins – 363.76lbs
Julia Vins is one of the most popular female athletes in the world today. Known as “Muscle Barbie,” she gained a massive social media following for her doll-like face, with incredible physique. This Russian athlete has made herself a huge name in the fitness world, and as an Instagram model.
In the gym, Vins typically focuses on her legs, which are her favorite thing to work. However, she does have the ability to branch out into other aspects of weight training. This is a result of her being able to break some powerlifting records. When it comes to the bench press, her max lift is 363.76lb, which is not too shabby.
7. Iris Kyle – 375lbs
Few other female bodybuilders are as impressive, and accomplished as Iris Kyle. She has managed to reach heights of popularity, setting her apart from other women. She is recognized for her massive size, and great definition.
Size like that, does not come without training hard. Kyle is regularly putting in hard work in the gym, leading her to a long-lasting career. However, she has been known for being able to hit a 375lb bench press. This alone, is almost beyond comprehension, but she made it look easy.
6. Debi Laszweski – 375lbs
Debi Laszewski is similar to Iris Kyle, in the sense that she is also known for her massive size. While it is not something that is for everybody, she is proud of her male-like physique. She puts a ton of work in the gym, to have accomplished these results, and she is not ashamed of that.
That work is, in part, a factor of her ability to bench press massive weights. She loves the bench, calling it her favorite compound exercise. As a result, she has a max lift of 375lb, making her one of the strongest female bodybuilders in the world.
5. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia – 375lbs
At 51 years old, Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia still has an unbelievable physique. Another massive woman, she is a bulky bodybuilder, who is known for her size. While this style is not attractive to some, she has found happiness in herself, and the things that she does.
In the gym, Yaxeni is still able to go hard, despite her age. Her highest bench press ever is 375lb, which is simply impeccable. Therefore, she is one of the strongest women to ever walk the bodybuilding stage.
4. Nataliya Kuznetsova – 375lbs
Nataliya Kuznetsova is one of the most physically imposing female bodybuilders ever seen. She has a size and frame that seems almost cartoonish, with it’s massive bulk. However, it is known that this is purely a product of hard work, and intense training.
Update: Nataliya “Amazonka” Kuznetsova Looks Huge Ahead Of Romania Pro
Another person able to bench press 375lb, Kuznetsova is again one of the strongest women alive. She has been able to use her incredible achievements to become an ambassador for female bodybuilding, generally. She truly is a physical specimen, and a beast of a woman.
3. Erica Cordie – 150lbs (4 reps)
Erica Cordine is known for her ability to have a decent size, despite being all-natural. She is still able to be successful, and strong, even without any sort of steroids. Therefore, when it comes to female bodybuilders, she is impressive in her own right.
Now, Cordine does not train chest, so she does not bench press. Nevertheless, she has a ton of muscle in her chest, and is able to keep it on. As a result, when looking at her training videos, it seems likely that she would be able to do four reps, at 150lb, if she were to take to benching.
2. Alina Popa – 242lbs (4-6 reps)
Alina Popa is a Romanian bodybuilder, who has been competing for over twenty years. Therefore she has consistently demonstrated incredible ability, leading to a great physique. At 39 years old, she is still looking huge, with no sign of slowing down.
When looking at her size, it seems likely that Popa could reach a one rep max of over 300lb in the bench press. However, she has not attempted that at any point. Although she does say she typically hits 242lb for 4-6 reps, which is still mind-boggling.
1. Becca Swanson – 600lbs
Becca Swanson is regarded as the strongest woman to have ever walked the planet, even on our own listing. She has some unbelievable lifts in her accolades, achieving huge success over her career. In fact, she holds many powerlifting records, and championships for her efforts over the years.
The reason Swanson tops this list, is for her heaviest recorded bench press. She completely dominates her other contemporaries, having bench pressed a gigantic 600lb! That is scary heavy, for either male or female athletes.
Female bodybuilders are starting to gain a ton more respect in the fitness world. With bench press skills like this, it is easy to see why. The fact that so many women can lift this heavy defies the expectations of many, and proves that they are just as strong as their male counterparts.
