Home / Sports

Mongolian President Shows off His Strength by Bench Pressing 220 Pounds

By Regina Sienra on September 11, 2026

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida por The Express Tribune (@etribune)

Presidents are, most of the time, stately figures who offer polite handshakes and placating speeches. But once in a while, these figures let loose, showing us the humans behind the manicured public persona. The latest case is that of Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, the Mongolian president since 2021. During a visit to a military unit, Khürelsükh confidently performed some impressive bench presses, surprising everyone in the room.

A clip of the moment has since gone viral. Khürelsükh greeted the soldiers and decided to join their training. Since he was wearing a suit, he took off his jacket and decided to lift some weights. After some brief help from a spotting troop member, the president effortlessly bench-pressed 100 kilograms, or about 220 pounds, for 20 repetitions.

While this is an impressive feat for any weightlifter, it also speaks of Khürelsükh’s past. The 58-year-old president is a former military officer with a background in bodybuilding and martial arts, having served in the Mongolian People’s Army between 1985 and 1990.

In his home country, the president’s achievement has inspired people to take up a similar challenge and push themselves. As such, local weightlifters have been posting videos trying their hand at bench pressing the same weight 20 times. Among them are personal trainer Munkhbayar Enkhbayar and three-time Mister Mongolia champion Erhmee Mendee, who have shown that, while doable, it’s not as easy as the president made it seem. Talk about leading by example!

Watch Khürelsükh lifting 220 pounds in the video below.