Noriko continues to do what few have done before at her age.
Iida Noriko has become a special figure in powerlifting as she continues to compete at 90 years old. Not only is Noriko competing, she is reaching new heights.
In January, Noriko took part in the 2026 Japan Bench Press Championships. She competed in the 57kg division, where she reached and completed a 50.5kg (111.3lb) lift.
The bench press was the only event in the competition. Noriko began with a 47.5kg (104.7lb) life before adding more weight. Her final attempt of 50.5kg set a new Japanese record in the Masters 5 age class. It was also just 5kg short of the record in the Masters 4 age class.
Iida Noriko began her fitness journey as a marathon runner. She has completed some incredible ultramarathons in her career, including the Marathon des Sables in Morocco. After sustaining an injury while running, Noriko began powerlifting as she wanted to remain active but was unable to continue running marathons. During her career, Noriko has taken part in eight sanctioned competitions. She has won three gold medals se won during the IPF Bench Press World Championships where she won the Raw Masters 4 division in 2023 and Raw & Equipped Masters 4 division the very next year.
Bench Press Basics
The bench press is a compound upper body exercise. The main target of the bench press is the chest, but it also develops the triceps and the front deltoids. It can be done in a variety of ways, from dumbbells to cables, but, if you want to move the maximum amount of weight, which is key to packing on muscle mass, you need to be doing the flat bar bench press.
When you are bench pressing, you should always have a spotter with you, just in case you get stuck in the bottom position, or to help prevent injury. Be sure also that you secure the ends of the bar with collars. However, there is a proviso here; if you are working out at home on your own, you may prefer to leave the collars off the bar. That’s because if you get stuck with the bar on your chest, your only option short of crushing your chest, is to angle up the bar so the weight slides off one end.
The bench press can be done for two reasons:
- To build muscle
- To push heavy weight and build strength
A lot of guys get confused about what their training goal really is. If it is to develop your chest muscles, your mindset will be very different than if you are solely focused on getting as much weight up as humanly possible. In this article, I am going to assume that your primary focus is to build your chest aesthetically.
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