Powerlifter Heather Connor Blasts Through 80-kg (176.4-lb) Raw Bench Press PR

Heather Connor is already known for her strong work ethic and dedication to her training regimen. She has however pushed herself even further over the past year by embracing new challenges both mentally and physically. Heather Connor, who had previously won two IPF World Championships, was unable to secure her third title last year due to significant obstacles that arose before and during the competition. Despite narrowly missing a target, Heather Connor has been motivated to an even greater extent and is now even more determined to succeed. So, with the aim of improving her so-called weaknesses, Heather focused a lot on the bench press. This resulted in a brand new bench press PR of 80 kilograms (176.4 pounds), proving that she is on the right path.

Heather Connor is widely recognized as one of the best deadlifters in the world, but her advancements in the bench press could make all the difference in her pursuit of a championship title. The most weight that Heather has ever benched in a competition is 75 kilograms (165.3 pounds). So, as every gym-goer knows, a 5-kilogram (11-pound) difference on the bench press can require months, if not even a year, of hard work to achieve.

To make her new feat even more impressive, Heather Connor only put on a lifting belt, making the bench press PR raw by all standards. It also looked to be surprisingly easy for Heather, who perhaps left some room for another PR in the future. She has not revealed her bodyweight at the time of the lift, but she usually competes in the 47-kilogram weight class.

Watch the lift here:

Related: Powerlifter Heather Connor Annihilates a 152.5-kg (336.2-lb) Raw Squat PR

Heather Connor received the invitation to the 2023 IPF Classic Powerlifting World Championships recently and accepted the offer a few weeks ago. Therefore, she has ten weeks until the action takes place in Malta, more than enough time to get in peak shape and score some more PRs.

“Accepted my 5th World Champions invite to represent the U.S in Malta. Time to show up as my healtiest/strongest self!”

Although Heather Connor faced some challenges in 2022, she also achieved notable successes, including winning the AMP National Championship and the 2022 FFForce Girl Power competition. Heather also set a new IPF World Record Deadlift of 185 kilograms (407.9 pounds) at the 2022 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. However, she aims to significantly improve this record in the future, having locked out over 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds) a few times in training already.

Overall, Heather Connor boasts a successful resume, consisting of 24 sanctioned appearances and 16 victories. She also holds several World Records, making her a well-known figure in the sport.

Heather Connor’s Competition PRs

• Squat: 143 kilograms (315.2 pounds) — (2021 USAPL Raw Nationals)
• Bench Press: 75 kilograms (165.3 pounds) — (2021 Ireland-UA ABS Pro)
• Deadlift: 192.5 kilograms (424.4 pounds) — (2021 USAPL Raw Nationals)
• Total: 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) — (2021 Ireland-UA ABS Pro)

Related: Powerlifter Heather Connor Totals 417.5 kg (920 lb) In Training

Heather Connor’s Competition History

Relative to her weight class, Heather Connor’s 80-kilogram (176.4-pound) bench press is certainly one of the more impressive accomplishments one can achieve in powerlifting. It also makes it clear that Heather is becoming better in every aspect of her physical and mental readiness, which might be key in her fight for the 2023 IPF World Championships title.