Bodie LaCoe deadlifted 293 kilograms, or 646 pounds, at a bodyweight of 58.8 kilograms during the IPF World Junior and Sub-Junior Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, on August 25, 2025. The lift set the men’s 59-kilogram Open Classic deadlift world record and gave the American the junior world title by just 0.5 kilograms.
The mark was just under five times his meet bodyweight. The exact ratio is 4.983, so the viral claim of more than five times bodyweight is slightly wrong.
The other update is larger: LaCoe no longer holds the current record. Michael Slabic raised it to 303 kilograms on June 13, 2026. LaCoe’s 293-kilogram mark lasted 292 days.
LaCoe’s final deadlift did three jobs at once: it completed a 623-kilogram total, won the junior world title by half a kilogram, and set the Open world record.
The 293-Kilogram Lift Was an Open Record
| Record detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Athlete | Bodie LaCoe, United States |
| Division | Men’s 59 kg Junior Classic |
| Lift | 293 kg, 646 lb |
| Bodyweight | 58.8 kg, 129.6 lb |
| Event | 2025 IPF World Junior and Sub-Junior Championships |
| Date and place | August 25, 2025, San Jose, Costa Rica |
| Status today | Former Open record; current mark is 303 kg |
LaCoe competed in the junior age division, but the deadlift exceeded the Open record as well. That is why contemporary results list it as both an age-group achievement and the best IPF Classic mark in the class at the time.
Calling it only a junior record would undersell the lift. Calling it current in late 2026 would be outdated.
The Winning Margin Was Half a Kilogram
LaCoe completed a 207.5-kilogram squat, a 122.5-kilogram bench press, and the 293-kilogram deadlift for a 623-kilogram total.
His path through the deadlift attempts was 265, 277.5, and 293 kilograms. The final selection was aggressive, but it was also tied to the championship standings.
PowerliftIQ’s meet data shows LaCoe won the junior 59-kilogram title by 0.5 kilograms. Without the final record pull, he would not have reached the winning total.
This is one reason powerlifting records are more than isolated gym numbers. The lifter and coaching team must read the standings, choose attempts, and still execute after squats and bench presses have already produced fatigue.
It Was 4.983 Times Bodyweight
Dividing 293 by 58.8 gives 4.983. Rounding that to about five times bodyweight is fair. Saying more than five times is not.
The difference is small in ordinary conversation but important in a record article. A lift of exactly five times his weigh-in would have required 294 kilograms. The 293-kilogram bar was one kilogram short of that ratio.
Relative strength is especially striking in the lightest men’s IPF class. Still, ratios across classes should be interpreted carefully because body mass and maximum strength do not scale linearly.
The clearest reporting gives both numbers: 293 kilograms lifted at 58.8 kilograms bodyweight.
The Record Lasted 292 Days
LaCoe held the Open mark from August 25, 2025, until June 13, 2026. At the 2026 IPF Classic World Championships in Druskininkai, Lithuania, Michael Slabic pulled 303 kilograms in the same class.
The official IPF results identify Slabic’s lift as both an Open and Junior world record. It added 10 kilograms to LaCoe’s mark.
Current record lists also show Cardin Do at 297.5 kilograms later in 2026, with LaCoe’s 293 now third on the progression behind Slabic and Do. That does not retroactively remove LaCoe’s record. It changes its status from current to former.
Record status must be checked at publication time. Our article on Joshua Cheptegei’s 10,000-meter mark applies the same rule: historical achievement and current ownership are separate facts.
No Exact Record Video Was Reverified
Public clips and meet coverage exist around LaCoe’s lifting, but no accessible video was matched with enough confidence to the complete 293-kilogram record attempt, the correct meet, and an authoritative source.
This article therefore does not embed a similar deadlift or a later equipped lift as if it were the 2025 Classic record. LaCoe has competed in other equipment divisions, and those performances are governed by different records.
The result does not depend on a social clip. OpenPowerlifting’s meet record, the championship listing, and subsequent IPF record results establish the number and progression.
What Lifters Can Learn Without Copying a Max
LaCoe’s performance shows how a third attempt can be selected for both a record and the meet result. It does not mean a recreational lifter should chase a five-times-bodyweight deadlift.
Maximal pulls bring high fatigue and leave little room for technical error. Productive training usually spends far more time below maximum, building positions and strength through manageable repetitions.
For a practical look at programming, read our evidence review of low reps versus high reps for strength and size. The goal is steady adaptation, not recreating an international record attempt.
The accurate conclusion honors both the achievement and what happened next: Bodie LaCoe pulled 293 kilograms at 58.8 kilograms bodyweight, won the junior world title by 0.5 kilograms, and held the IPF 59-kilogram Open Classic deadlift record for 292 days.
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References
- OpenPowerlifting. (2026). Bodie LaCoe competition history.
- OpenPowerlifting. (2025). 2025 IPF World Junior and Sub-Junior Championships results.
- PowerliftIQ. (2025). 59 kg junior championship standings.
- International Powerlifting Federation. (2026). 2026 Classic World Championships men’s results.
- OpenIPF. (2026). Current IPF records.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have an injury, ongoing pain, or a medical condition, talk to a doctor or physical therapist before you change how you train or eat.
