Kara Bohigian: the powerlifter with three records

Kara Bohigian is a US powerlifter who squats 251 kg, bench presses 205 kg and deadlifts 228 kg — her bench press is three times her body weight. In this profile we break down her training, her knee injury and why she thinks every woman should lift iron.

Who is Kara Bohigian?

Born on April 12, 1975, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She competes in the 67 kg and 75 kg weight classes. Her personal records are impressive: a 251 kg squat, a 228 kg deadlift and a 205 kg bench press.

She started with Olympic weightlifting in 1996, and her first powerlifting competition took place in November 2000. She has competed under a long list of federations: USAW in Olympic weightlifting, and APF/WPC, WPO, IPF, USAPL, USPF and WABDL in powerlifting.

Her family background explains a lot. Kara’s father was a successful soccer player and track and field athlete, later a coach — an athletic, muscular man. According to Kara, her mother gives her the “highest energy level in the world”, which is also where her ability to handle a high training volume comes from. Her older sister Melanie doesn’t lift, even though she has plenty of athletic potential. The whole family supports her wholeheartedly. Kara even has a tiny dachshund, Stella, who looks surprisingly muscular for such a small dog.

Kara Bohigian’s training philosophy

Kara’s training is radically different from that of a typical powerlifter. She combines the most valuable exercises from different schools of thought, constantly adapts her programs and keeps learning new techniques.

She builds her squat and deadlift mainly through Olympic weightlifting exercises, plus separate technique days to get used to powerlifting gear. Her pressing sessions are even more unconventional — her favorite lift is the standing press. When she bench presses on its own, she mostly does it without a shirt, with a wide grip and high volume. It’s also done with chains, both with and without a shirt.

Vincent Dizenzo introduced Kara to the approaches of Sebastian Burns and Bill Crawford, and as a result she stopped using multi-ply bench shirts. She has just one bench shirt she trusts, and she knows exactly how to use it. That simplicity is what has helped her make progress in the bench press.

She found her way to lifting at just 15 — at first to improve her shot put results. She was the only girl on her team who seriously loved lifting weights. There were always guys around who thought it was cool and encouraged her to keep going.

Kara Bohigian’s knee injury

Kara doesn’t like talking about it — the injury was a major disaster that could have been avoided. Her lesson is simple: always insist that your spotters give your lift their full attention.

The silver lining is that without the knee injury, she would never have paid the bench press such attention or reached 180 kg, let alone 205 kg.

Her plans for the future are clear. In the bench press she is quietly creeping toward 500 pounds (227 kg) — first 473 pounds (215 kg), then 220 kg and so on. Her short-term goal is to repeat 205 kg, which is three times her body weight (68 kg). In the deadlift she wants to beat 501 pounds (228 kg) — that number has stood still since 2002 and needs separate attention. And most important of all: getting the knee back to 100% working order.

Kara Bohigian’s message to girls

“People think a muscular body and heavy weights aren’t for women. Too bad for those who think so.” According to Kara, lifting weights is a great way to build confidence, shape a toned butt and prevent osteoporosis.

For those worried about becoming too masculine, she has a pragmatic answer: after an aggressive workout you can always go home and bake, and using lip gloss between sets is perfectly allowed, too.

Kara Bohigian’s career highlights

• Two weeks before the 2005 APF competition, she injured her knee and tore her meniscus. On the morning of the surgery she still did a bench press workout; she was back in the gym 5 days after the operation. Leg immobilized, on crutches to the bench press station, with 164 kg + 18 kg of chains on the bar, she did triples.
• She trained a whole cycle with professional bodybuilder Annie Rivieccio, who set the pace and properly “cooked” Kara on several occasions — despite never having trained like a powerlifter.
• At the 2005 Arnold Classic, she cleaned Ryan Kennely’s bloody face with her wrist wrap.
• At the 2003 Arnold Classic, she was assigned as knee wrapper for Steve Goggins when Goggins squatted 501 kg. All weekend long, Kara’s hands were “protected, cared for and under supervision”.
• She competed in Olympic weightlifting in five different weight classes within 18 months.

FAQ

Are Kara Bohigian’s records raw?

No. The 251 kg squat, 228 kg deadlift and 205 kg bench press were done in a bench shirt and lifting suit, so with equipment rather than raw. For a woman, these numbers are still seriously impressive.

What weight class does Kara compete in?

The 67 kg and 75 kg classes. Her 205 kg bench press is about three times her body weight when she weighs 68 kg.

Does lifting weights make a woman masculine?

Kara’s own answer: no. Lifting weights shapes the butt, builds confidence and prevents osteoporosis. And there’s nothing wrong with putting on lip gloss between sets.

Sources

criticalbench.com — Kara Bohigian profile
ironasylumgym.com — Women of Power

Translated by Janar Rückenberg

Come and work out! ArtGym