87-year-old Minnesota powerlifter raises the bar by breaking world records

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - At least twice a week, Ted Lindberg works out at The Vault Fitness in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

"The challenge. I like a challenge and it’s something athletic I can do," said Lindberg.

But this 87-year-old is raising the bar in his favorite sport.

"I feel pretty good about it, but you gotta remember at 87 years old, I don't have a whole lot of competition - like nobody - whatever I lifted was the record," said Lindberg.

Lindberg says he started lifting weights 75 years ago.

"They hadn't invented the bench yet,” he said. “You'd just lay on the floor on a piece of cardboard."

When he retired from the construction business, he started powerlifting as a way to get out of the house and refocus his energy.

"This is my social life right here,” said Lindberg. “I quit chasing women years ago and if I caught ‘em I wouldn't know what to do with them and I quit drinking because God gave me sobriety."

Last November, Lindberg set a world record for his age group by lifting 220 pounds at the World Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas. In doing so, he broke the previous record of 214 pounds, which he set in Chicago while qualifying for the competition.

"That's one thing I like about his age is a lot of people are like, ‘He's older and not a lot of competition at his age,’” said Chad Henry, Lindberg’s trainer. “But he bench pressed 240 pounds at a local competition. That's not an easy task at any age."

Even though the octogenarian has two world records, he wants to set another when he's 90. He plans on riding the bench for at least another 10 years after that.

"Nothing else to do,” he said. “I can't run a foot race. I'm not smart enough to do a lot of other stuff and this is just a great place."