FREEPORT — Ants can lift 5,000 times their own body weight.

Eli Morrison isn't quite at that level yet.

But the Freeport junior can certainly carry more than his own weight.

Morrison, who is just 5-foot-3 and 130 pounds, set a national raw bench press record in his age group and weight class at the World Natural Powerlifting Federation North American Championships last month in Youngstown, Ohio, with a lift of 230 pounds.

The “raw” bench press means no help from specially designed lifting shirts that help increase how much a competitor can lift.

It was just Morrison, some chalk and his pure strength.

“It was pretty much straight adrenalin,” Morrison said, laughing.

Morrison, 16, has only been powerlifting since his freshman year in high school.

He gave up football to focus solely on lifting.

“I knew I could lift a lot of weight early on, especially in the bench press,” Morrison said. “But I really never expected to be this good at it.”

Morrison said he routinely bench presses 230 pounds while lifting on his own and has gone as high as 240 pounds.

Training isn't easy, he said, especially as a competition nears.

That's because Morrison must cut down to 123 pounds to participate in his weight class.

He was down to 120 pounds when he competed in Youngstown.

“It's so hard,” Morrison said. “I was really dehydrated to be honest. I was drained. It's pretty much all that work for basically 10 seconds of competition.”

He's also been injured — shoulders mostly.

But he has no intention to quit anytime soon.

“I'm going to powerlift for the rest of my life,” Morrison said. “I see people who are in their 70s doing it. That's the plan anyway.”

Morrison's next big competition will come Oct. 18 when he competes in the World Natural Powerlifting Federation World Tournament of Champions in Youngstown.

He is shooting for the world record there.

That record for 13-to-16 year olds in the 123-pound class is 235 pounds.

Morrison said he plans to branch out to more events in the future.

“Once I can drive,” Morrison said, laughing. “My parents support me. They take me to the gym and competitions.”