Background
Kennelly, a native of Moses Lake, Washington, grew up in a weightlifting family—his father was a competitive powerlifter.
Kennelly, a native of Moses Lake, Washington, grew up in a weightlifting family—his father was a competitive powerlifter.
He currently holds the World Powerlifting Organization (WPO) and has held the all-time world record in the assisted (geared) bench press with a lift of 1075.0 lbs (4876 kg) from November 2008 until April 2013. This world record is classified as an equipped world record, meaning the lift is performed with the aid of a bench shirt. Kennelly has also bench pressed an unequipped 650.0 lbs (2948 kg) in competition.
Kennelly is a 1992 graduate of Kamiakin High School in Kennewick.
He didn"t start weight training until he was 18 years old, and he didn"t get serious about powerlifting until five years later, when an ongoing best-bench contest at his local gym inspired him to bench press more than 400 pounds to take top honors. Kennelly is 6 feet 2 inches (188 m), making him one of the tallest bench press specialists in active competition.
A few months later on December 1, he pressed 1050 lbs (47727 kg) for another world record. In 2008, he broke his own record again three times:
On April 12, 2008, Kennelly set the bench press record with a lift of 1070 lbs (4853 kg) during the American Powerlifting Association Open Iron War held in Kennewick, Washington.
Finally, on November 8, 2008, Kennelly broke the bench pressed record again with 1075.0 lbs (4876 kg) at the Pride Strength Wars held in Kennewick, Washington for the current WPO equipped bench press world record.
On September 5, 2013, Kennelly was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for importing anabolic steroids from India. Personal records
Powerlifting Competition Records:
done in official Powerlifting meets
Raw Bench press - 650.0 lbs (2948 kg) (raw with only wrist wraps and a belt) (done on October 18, 2010 Universal Postal Union)
Equipped Bench press - 1075.0 lbs (4876 kg) (done on November 8, 2008 WPO).