Jonathan Cayco - Image credit @league_of_lifting Instagram
Jonathan Cayco is one of the most incredible powerlifters in history, but his deadlifts were not as great compared to his other lifts. It has posed a challenge for him in multiple competitions and even cost him the title at the 2022 IPF World Championships. So, Cayco has spent over a year improving his deadlift abilities and has finally broken through his plateau. This happened during Cayco’s recent training session, where he locked out a humongous 350.5-kilogram (772.7-pound) deadlift All-Time PR.
In order to achieve the new deadlift milestone, Jonathan Cayco put on a lifting belt and approached the 350.5-kilogram (772.7-pound) barbell. He then set up a conventional stance, took a big breath, and grabbed the bar with a mixed grip. Cayco soon started pulling, and the weight flew up to his knees, where he seemed to have slowed down a bit. However, Cayco then sped up once more and locked out a new Personal Record.
“This is heavier than the 3rd deadlift I missed at 2022 Worlds, so I’m happy to finally overcome it. (In training at least!)
Also 13 lbs over what I did at Worlds this year lol”
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Jonathan Cayco learned his lesson at the 2022 IPF Worlds and does not plan on making the same mistake again. So, now that he is preparing for the 2024 IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, Cayco is making sure that his deadlifts are up to par with everything else. The competition will take place on February 10th, 2024, meaning that Jonathan still has approximately 13 weeks left to prepare. Moreover, the fact that he set a new deadlift PR this early in his preparation shows that he is already in incredible shape.
While his deadlift is progressing, Jonathan Cayco is mostly known for one event, the bench press, and is thus nicknamed “Mr. Bench”. Not only is he the best bench presser among the current 93-kilogram weight-class powerlifters, but he is also the greatest one that the IPF has ever seen. The most recent proof of this came at the 2023 IPF World Championships, where Cayco set a new Bench IPF World Record.
However, this was just one of many records that Jonathan Cayco set throughout his career in powerlifting. So, it is safe to conclude that Cayco was very successful during the eight years that he has been competing. Especially since he has also claimed ten gold medals from 16 sanctioned appearances.
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
It is now very important for Jonathan Cayco to transfer his newfound strength on the deadlift into an official competition. The last time that he set a Deadlift Competition PR was more than a year ago. So, if he does improve on that at the 2024 IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, Cayco will likely break the U93KG IPF Total World Record as well.
If you have questions or need clarifications, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will respond promptly.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.