Joseph Borenstein Unofficial Total World Record - Image credit @SBD Apparel YouTube & @sbd.usa Instagram
At just 21-years-old, Joseph Borenstein is projected to become one of the greatest powerlifters in the world, all thanks to his incredible achievements thus far. Most recently, Joseph participated in the 2024 SBD Raleigh, which took place on July 27th in Durham, North Carolina. Despite competing against some experienced athletes, Joseph managed to take the win and set an 865-kilogram (1,907-pound) Unofficial U83KG IPF Raw Total World Record.
Joseph Borenstein’s 2024 SBD Raleigh Performance Overview
Joseph Borenstein was actually added to the 2024 SBD Raleigh lineup as a replacement for Brian Le, who withdrew due to an injury. So, Borenstein had just around seven weeks to prepare for the competition, although his initial plan was to have an off-season during this period. However, the opportunity to compete in such a high-profile competition was too much for him to reject.
Joseph Borenstein came into the competition at a weight of 82.8 kilograms (182.5 pounds), which placed him in the 83-kilogram weight class. He perfectly executed all nine of his attempts and even set new Competition PRs across all events. In turn, he grabbed the gold medal in the men’s overall division, which also secured him a prize reward of $3,500.
Squat
As seen in his session, Joseph Borenstein likes to have his opener much lighter than the rest of his lifts. So, his first squat came out to 267.5 kilograms (589.7 pounds), which moved at an impressive speed. In turn, he increased the weight to 285 kilograms (628.3 pounds) for his second attempt, which also did not give him much of a struggle.
On his final attempt, Joseph Borenstein looked to set a new Competition PR. Consequently, he loaded 295 kilograms (650.4 pounds) on the barbell. Performing the squat with an unusually wide stance, Joe quickly descended to the required depth, exploded back up with tremendous force, and reached lockout.
267.5 kilograms (589.7 pounds)
285 kilograms (628.3 pounds)
295 kilograms (650.4 pounds) — Competition PR
Bench Press
The bench press was a similar story as the squat, but this time, Joseph Borenstein managed to set a new Competition PR on his second attempt of 205 kilograms (451.9 pounds). Moreover, on his third attempt, Joe managed to further improve that PR by an additional 5 kilograms (11 pounds).
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192.5 kilograms (424.4 pounds)
205 kilograms (451.9 pounds)
210 kilograms (463 pounds) — Competition PR
Deadlift
With incredible performances in the first two attempts, it all came down to the deadlifts. So, even after locking out his second attempt at 340 kilograms (749.6 pounds), Joseph Borenstein was still far from his goal.
In turn, Joseph decided to go for 360 kilograms (793.7 pounds) on his final deadlift attempt, which shocked everyone watching the competition. Seeing that he had never deadlifted over 340 kilograms (749.6 pounds) in competition, it was unclear if this would be an impossible task for Joe.
However, Joseph Borenstein believed in himself and, along with the cheers from the crowd, managed to grind out the 360-kilogram (793.7-pound) deadlift. To achieve this, he used a sumo stance and a hook grip.
315 kilograms (694.5 pounds)
340 kilograms (749.6 pounds)
360 kilograms (793.7 pounds) — Competition PR
Total — 865 kilograms (1,907 pounds) — U83KG Unofficial IPF World Record & Competition PR
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
As if Joseph Borenstein’s performance was not impressive on its own, it is important to point out that he suffered an injury just 10 weeks out from the competition. Namely, he re-aggravated a back injury, which has been troubling him since early 2024. So, he first had to recover from the injury and then build up for the show. In his words, Joe did not know what to expect from his performance, but it turned out extremely well.
Joseph Borenstein now has 21 sanctioned powerlifting appearances to his name, despite being just 21-years-old. Of those, Joe has managed to win 15 competitions, with the 2024 SBD Raleigh being his most notable victory. He is hopeful of making it onto the IPF platform in the near future, where he would be able to make his Total World Record official.
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.
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