Jen Thompson is a powerlifting icon who has made a name for herself in the world of strength sports. Over the course of her career, she has set dozens of records and established herself as one of the strongest women in the world. In spite of her numerous accomplishments, she continues to push herself to new heights, as evidenced by her recent training lifts of immense proportions. Her greatest lift is the bench press, which she has mastered repeatedly. Her most recent feat, a 147.5-kilogram (325-pound) bench press, is especially impressive, as it represents 2.25x her bodyweight.
Jen Thompson shared the incredible feat of strength on Instagram, and what made it all the more remarkable was the fact that Jen performed the lift raw, meaning that she did not use any supportive gear except for wrist wraps. This demonstrates not only her raw strength but also her mastery of proper form and technique. Jen’s bodyweight at the time of the lift was 65.3 kilograms (144 pounds), which makes the lift 2.25x her bodyweight.
“I’m just going to beat all the “fake plates” comments from the get go!”
Watch the lift here:
Related: Powerlifting Icon Jen Thompson Smashes a 335-lb (152-kg) Raw Bench Press PR
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There were some people who doubted if the plates which Jen used were actually real. So, Jen took it upon herself to place the weights on the weight scale, and it came out to exactly 325.05 pounds (147.5 kilograms). However, another proof of Jen’s strength are her official performances, for example, when she bench pressed 148.5 kilograms (327.4 pounds) at the 2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime.
Jen Thompson has not competed professionally in 2023 yet, but her 24-year-long powerlifting career has seen her take part in over 100 sanctioned contests. She came out victorious on quite a few occasions, which made her an 11x IPF World Champion. In addition, Jen was also inducted into the International Powerlifting Federation’s Hall of Fame, making her an icon of the sport.
Jen Thompson’s Competition PRs:
- Squat: 160 kilograms (352.7 pounds) — (2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime)
- Bench Press: 148.5 kilograms (327.4 pounds) — (2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime)
- Deadlift: 207.5 kilograms (457.4 pounds) — (2018 USAPL Raw Nationals)
- Total: 511 kilograms (1,126.5 pounds) — (2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime)
Related: 48-Yo Powerlifting Icon Jen Thompson Sets 320.7 lbs (145.5 kg) Raw Bench Press USAPL World Record
She has not yet revealed what her next competition will be, but she is currently very close to outperforming her bench press competition PR which is also a USAPL American National Record. So, it is evident that some more record-breaking performances are on the way for Jen in the year 2023.