Liam Anderson broke the same national bench press record twice in the span of a few minutes — and he wasn't even trying to do it the second time.

  • 402 pounds — Anderson's record-breaking third-attempt lift
  • 396 pounds — the record he broke moments earlier, on his second attempt
  • 17 years old — his age at the 2026 USA Powerlifting Southwest Regional Championships
  • 500 pounds — his stated goal by the time he turns 20

Two records, one meet

The Shenendehowa High School senior competed at the 2026 USA Powerlifting Southwest Regional Championships, entering the American record books for the 16-to-17-year-old age division at up to 82.5 kilograms body weight. On his second attempt, Anderson pressed 396 pounds, breaking the standing national record for his age and weight class.

He wasn't finished. On his third and final attempt, Anderson loaded the bar even heavier — 402 pounds — and broke his own brand-new record before he'd had time to fully process the first one.

"The first one when I broke the record, I was the most confident I've ever been. I knew I was gonna break it. I trained the whole entire month prior," Anderson told News 10. "The third lift, I had no clue. It was just pure adrenaline and in the moment ... I was like, 'I'm doing this for my mom.' I've never felt so much pride in myself."

What comes next

Anderson turns 18 later this month, which moves him into a new age division. He's already set his sights on the 18-to-19-year-old world record, along with a bigger long-term target: pressing 500 pounds by the time he turns 20.

Anderson said he trained specifically for a month leading into the meet with the record in mind, rather than simply hoping to post a new personal best. That preparation is part of why the second record came as a surprise even to him — he'd planned for one breakthrough, and adrenaline carried him to a second.

Why it resonates beyond the platform

Records set at a regional powerlifting meet rarely make national news, but Anderson's reaction afterward is part of why this one traveled. Surrounded by competitors he'd never met before that day, in a gym full of strangers, he said the moment turned into something bigger than a number on a bar — cheered on by people who had no reason to know his name an hour earlier.

He's also using the platform the record created to encourage other young athletes to set specific, measurable goals rather than vague ones. A month of deliberate training turned into two American records in a single competition — and, by his own account, a level of personal pride he said he'd never felt before stepping up to that bar.

From Shenendehowa to the national stage

Anderson's rise is a reminder that record-setting strength sports aren't confined to major arenas or professional circuits — a regional meet in a school gym can produce a genuine national record, verified by USA Powerlifting's official standards for weight class and age division. Bench press records at this level are certified the same way as any senior national mark: strict form, three judges, and a bar loaded to a weight the lifter has to call in advance.

That's part of what made the second lift so remarkable. Anderson didn't just add a few pounds to be safe — he called for a jump that turned a comfortable record into a much tighter margin, then made the lift anyway. His coaches and teammates now expect him to keep climbing the record book as he moves into the 18-to-19-year-old division later this year, chasing a mark that's stood since before he started competing.