Strongest kid in world calls our area home

by Pete Byrne (pmbyrne@wsbt.com)

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Blake Harris

(WSBT photo)

By Jim Pinkerton

(WSBT) At first glance, Blake Harris looks just like any other 15-year-old kid. But upon further review, you'll see that Blake packs a lot of power!

Last month, Blake competed at the World Bench Press Championships in North Carolina. His lift of 187.5 pounds broke the world record which had stood for 7 years!

"I wanted to break the World Record, but I wasn't sure if I could do it. I knew what it was," he said.

Blake began weight training when he was just 8 years old. Not in the gym, but at home. He started with push-ups and eventually graduated to the bar.

"We bought him a weight set, and just made sure he did a lot of high repetitions, low weight lifts. Nothing heavy, just a lot of reps. And he did a lot of pushups," said his father, Terry Harris.

Seven years of training under his father's supervision has sculpted Blake into the strongest 15-year-old in the world.

"At one point, he could do 100 pushups in a row ... without stopping," Harris said.

And with one world record already to his credit, Blake doesn't plan on stopping now either.

"I'll probably go to more competitions, and see what I can do in different weight classes. See if I can break more records," he said.

Saturday, Oct 4 at 6:21 PM Brandon Renner wrote ...

I am from MT.Vernon,KY and i am 16 yaer old and wiegh 179 pounds and can currently bench press 415 pounds

Wednesday, Sep 24 at 6:37 PM eddie wrote ...

you kids are nothing to me. im 14 and i bench 1230 pounds. hop off

Wednesday, Aug 27 at 8:16 PM mikey brown wrote ...

alright i'm 15 and i bench 320 pounds and weigh 215 pounds and i have a friend who is also 15 that weighs 135 pounds and benches 215 pounds so he aint the strongest 15 year old for sure and he aint the strongest at that weight

Thursday, Aug 14 at 11:56 AM Tom wrote ...

He's not the strongest kid in the world richard Sandrak is

Tuesday, Aug 5 at 12:20 AM Anonymous wrote ...

thats because for his weight class too

Monday, Jul 28 at 6:01 PM 2 wrote ...

i lift 698 and bench press 892 and im 13 im the strongest kid in the world

Monday, Jul 21 at 9:41 AM RAMIRO RUTIAGA wrote ...

IM 14 AND I LIVE IN PLAINVIEW Tx I BENCH 300 AND SGUAT 400!!!!

Thursday, Jun 19 at 5:55 PM Chris Calcutt wrote ...

I just turned 16 and I can now bench 360 max. What is this fake stuff about a 15 year old benching 250 and is the strongest in the 16yr world take it off your not deadly dont be proud.

Thursday, May 22 at 10:47 PM Dylan Powell wrote ...

hey i am 15 from Twin Falls, Idaho i can bench 330 ponds with perfect form following all the rules! i want to show this kid how to really lift! i have never taken anything to help me! so if anyone wants to tell me where to compete i will take the true throne as the world's strongest 15 year old!

Thursday, May 15 at 6:23 PM brendan wrote ...

im 15 got a 275 bench squat about or around 450 and deadlift around 500

Friday, May 2 at 12:03 PM Anonymous wrote ...

that is a fake if you search him up and all that you will not find him and his title anywhere. only on this page.

Friday, May 2 at 12:00 PM William wrote ...

Thats just stupid I am 15 and I can do 130 push ups in a row and I can lift up to 250 pounds and I am 5'8 and weigh 156 pounds.

Tuesday, Apr 22 at 4:08 PM Harry wrote ...

hi im 15 years old weigh 120 pounds and can bench press 250 do 100 on dumbells and squat 380

Friday, Apr 11 at 11:53 AM guy wrote ...

that is actualy a good lift for a small guy. I'm 15 im 6'0 and weigh 195 and I do 255 for bench. I squat 380 and deadlift 440. Ima soon gonna put vids up of it.

Saturday, Mar 22 at 3:35 AM slayer wrote ...

Im with all these other kids. he is definately not the strongest fifteen year old. last year, when I was fourteen, I could bench 210 pounds, and now, a few months later, i can bench 240. Im n ot saying im the strongest kid, but that kid definatley isnt.

Wednesday, Mar 12 at 3:01 PM matt wrote ...

thats appauling im nearly 16 and can bench press 250 after working up the lactic acid in my muslces easily!

Monday, Mar 3 at 6:54 AM Jon De Petro wrote ...

Hi im 15 from Australia this kid does 187.5 pounds thats not to much i can do 230pounds he shouldnt get that title

Thursday, Feb 21 at 5:07 PM Shane S wrote ...

I just turned 15, and i am in the 9th grade. I have been lifting since the beginning of THIS year. And as of right now i max on bench at 255 lbs. GO GATORS!

Tuesday, Feb 12 at 11:00 PM mohamed adam wrote ...

not to make u guys lose hope but im 15 and i bench press 310 i squat 460 and i calf raise 700 i dont know but should i competeto be the worlds strongest 15 year old

Wednesday, Jan 16 at 8:32 PM Kyle Lynch wrote ...

Thats obviously not natural Im 15 weigh 130 and brench 200 and im on creatine.

Thursday, Jan 10 at 4:15 PM Nick wrote ...

that is not very strong for a 15 year old...but for a 15 year old that only weighs 135 is not bad there is a kid in my school who weighs 125 and can bench around 175

Tuesday, Dec 25 at 12:51 PM John Booth wrote ...

im 15 years old i live n florida and i bench 265 pounds. i deserve that record more than him

Saturday, Dec 15 at 1:39 AM ds wrote ...

chris- educate yourself before making such a comment! go to a meet, see what type of form is REQUIRED- then maybee you would understand why this is a world record! if you do know a kid at that wt.- that strong, please sign him up!

Saturday, Dec 15 at 1:12 AM ds wrote ...

in all my years as a competitive lifter, I have never seen a 15 year old at 132 lbs. bench press this amount of weight with the required form! congratulations kid! That is quite an accomplishment! Best of luck to you in the future!

Saturday, Dec 15 at 12:59 AM ds wrote ...

I'm a competitive USA powerlifter the rules are extemely strict! ie- paused, no bouncing, arching back, buttocks on bench, feet flat, bar lifted evenly, pressd only on the head judges command to lift-after the bar is laying motionless on your chest!

Friday, Dec 14 at 3:35 PM AF wrote ...

I train at the same gym the kid puts up 195 now Very Strict!! He is VERY STRONG

Friday, Dec 14 at 12:10 PM M wrote ...

Blake was in the 132lb weight class not 135. He did a rep challange with 135lbs for 18 reps

Friday, Dec 14 at 7:44 AM chris wrote ...

If you think there is no other 15 year old that weighs 135 in the world that can't bench more than 187, then you are all truly naive. Most kids don't even know of this competition. Good job kid, keep up the work.

Thursday, Dec 13 at 11:41 PM Amanda wrote ...

Okay big guy if you benched that much when you were 15 how much did you weigh? Blake is 5'5" and only 135 lbs. All of the records are based on weight class. If you were so bad then were is your title?

Thursday, Dec 13 at 2:23 PM Cream wrote ...

187.5 pounds?!?! At age 15, I was benching 235!!! Does not sound like very much weight for a 15 year old. Get your story straight!!!!!

Thursday, Dec 13 at 11:16 AM Trey Reynolds wrote ...

Yes he goes to John Glenn High School. He is one of my class mates. He is in my grade.

Wednesday, Dec 12 at 6:19 PM Jerry wrote ...

^^ you're a liar bob

Wednesday, Dec 12 at 4:23 PM ? wrote ...

I believe he is from John Glenn

Wednesday, Dec 12 at 1:35 PM BigRedEvil wrote ...

Duh, read our lovely local news report... he is "from our area". Reporting the news shouldn't be this hard..... I guess me might be from Indiana, but it is possible that he is from Michigan. Only WSBT knows......

Wednesday, Dec 12 at 12:33 PM k wrote ...

so where is he from

Wednesday, Dec 12 at 12:21 PM bob wrote ...

187.5. That seems light for a bench press record. I think they said the kid weighs 135. Wish we knew of this competition 15 years ago. One of my classmates was throwing up 255 as a freshman and weighed 140. At graduation at 155 pds he pressed 440

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