garry benford - Biography

Garry Benford – Fitness Professional, Speaker & Champion

With over 50 years in fitness, Garry Benford has built a career spanning personal training, corporate wellness, gym ownership, and public speaking. He began as a strength coach while earning his B.S. and M.S. at Slippery Rock University, later serving as Fitness Director at the YMCA and Orthopedic One, where he created programs that reached thousands.

Garry W. Benford graduated Cum Laude from Slippery Rock University with a B.S. in health and physical education in 1977 and Suma Cum Laude with an M.S. in exercise science and sports medicine in 1979.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association selected Benford as the recipient of the Original Member Founders Award in 1978. He earned his certification from the NSCA in 1988 and was certified as a personal fitness trainer in 1995 by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Benford, who is the author of Powerlifting: A Guide for Coaches and Athletes (1986), served as the meet director for 11 National and two World Powerlifting Championships.

In 1989, Benford was inducted into the Powerlifting Hall of Fame. He received an elite ranking as a 198-pound powerlifter in 1990 (710 Squat, 445 Bench Press, 600 Deadlift); has a personal best of 733 pound in the squat (American Master's Record), 460 pounds in the bench press (485 American Master's Record) and 606 pounds in the deadlift, for a 1,776-pound total. Since the age of 50, Benford has broken 42 world records in the bench press, competing in five different powerlifting federations, in the 198-pound bodyweight class. In April of 2018, he set an International Powerlifting Association World Record with a bench press of 435 pounds at 63 years of age. In September of 2023, Benford set a new national record in the bench press in the American Powerlifting Federation with a gold medal lift of 405 pounds at the age of 68.

In September of 2025, Benford broke his 42nd world record in the bench press at the age of 70 with a body weight of 198 pounds with a 360-pound effort in the American Powerlifting Federation. He became the first person over the age of 70 to bench press 360 pounds while carrying a body weight under 200 pounds.

A certified personal trainer and strength & conditioning specialist, Garry has worked with clients of all ages since 1995, now specializing in seniors. He offers one-on-one and group training, with a supportive, approachable style rooted in both professional expertise and personal experience—having undergone 15 orthopedic surgeries and open-heart surgery himself.

An accomplished powerlifter, Garry is an eight-time National Masters Champion, World Champion, and record holder, inducted into both the Powerlifting Hall of Fame and Slippery Rock’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Beyond the gym, Garry treasures his family—his wife Pascale, a fellow athlete, and their two accomplished daughters. Today, he continues to inspire others through training, seminars, and his 24-Day Jumpstart health program.

Garry's Book

"Powerlifting: A Guide for Coaches and Athletes" is a book authored by Garry Benford, a prominent figure in the powerlifting community who was inducted into the Powerlifting Hall of Fame in 1989. Published in 1986, the book was written by Benford, who also served as a meet director for multiple National and World Powerlifting Championships.