Zuzanna Kula 168-kg Bench Press World Record - Image credit @kulaabulaa & @theipf Instagram
Zuzanna Kula is easily one of the greatest women’s bench pressers at the moment, as shown by her new achievement from the 2024 IPF World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships, which are taking place from May 21st to June 1st in Texas, USA. Zuzanna competed in the 57-kilogram weight class, where she set an impressive 168-kilogram (370.4-pound) Equipped Bench Press IPF World Record.
Coming into the competition, Zuzanna Kula encountered some travel setbacks, including a flight cancellation and late arrival of her luggage. Although that could have had an impact on her performance, the Polish powerlifter made sure to remain concentrated. That being said, her opening lift of 160 kilograms (352.7 pounds) was unsuccessful, mainly due to some technique issues and not her power. Zuzanna corrected herself on the second attempt with the same weight and locked it out successfully.
Moving onto the third attempt, Zuzanna Kula was determined to set a new World Record. So, she loaded 168 kilograms (370.4 pounds) on the barbell and made her way to the platform, wearing a single-ply suit and a pair of wrist wraps. The bar did not move easily, but Zuzanna maintained a perfect technique and received white lights from all three judges.
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Interestingly, the former U57KG IPF Equipped Bench Press World Record was set by Zuzanna Kula less than a month ago. Specifically, she bench pressed 166 kilograms (366 pounds) at the 2024 EPF European Equipped Powerlifting Championships. Thereupon, Zuzanna has set two World Records, exactly 20 days apart from each other. She now holds the records in both the Single-Lift (168-kg / 370.4-lb) and Full-Power (166-kg / 366-lb) divisions.
Although bench press is currently Zuzanna Kula’s primary lift, it is important to note that she has had some incredible squat results in the past as well. However, she suffered an ACL tear in 2023, which undoubtedly still has its impacts on her squatting capabilities. Her result from the recent 2024 EPF European Championships looked promising, meaning that she could be close to getting back to her best.
Despite her very young age, Zuzanna Kula has already made 45 sanctioned powerlifting appearances and won 23 of them. She has been consistently good throughout both the Junior and Open age classes, claiming multiple medals at the highest level of powerlifting and setting multiple World Records.
Zuzanna Kula’s Equipped Competition PRs
Squat: 215 kilograms (474 pounds) — [2022 IPF World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships]
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
Another interesting fact is that Zuzanna Kula won the 2024 IPF World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships by a margin of 18 kilograms (39.7 pounds), proving that she is a standout athlete even among the world’s best powerlifters. So, a bright future and countless other impressive performances await Zuzanna in the future.
If you have questions or need clarifications, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will respond promptly.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
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