Two-Time CrossFit Games Winner Justin Medeiros Entered a Powerlifting Competition and Totaled Over 1,400 Pounds

Justin Medeiros, who has been crowned Fittest Man on Earth® twice, could not wait for the 2024 CrossFit season to hoist a barbell in competition. On Dec. 16, 2023, Medeiros made his competitive powerlifting debut at the 2023 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Holiday Hoist in the raw 90-kilogram (198-pound) weight class; he was one of five athletes in the class.

Medeiros went eight-for-nine in attempts, successfully entering the 500-pound squat club and claiming the silver medal overall with a 642.5-kilogram (1,416.5-pound) total. Check out Medeiros’ performance in the video below, courtesy of The Barbell Spin:

[Related: Patrick O’Connell’s Step-By-Step Snatch Guide]

2023 USAPL Holiday Hoist Results — Men’s Raw 90KG

Below are the overall standings in the Men’s 90-kilogram class at the 2023 USAPL Holiday Hoist:

1. Collin Gole — 662.5 kilograms (1,460.6 pounds)
2. Justin Medeiros — 642.5 kilograms (1,416.5 pounds)
3. Kade Ashby — 627.5 kilograms (1,383.4 pounds)
4. Kolby Ashby — 427.5 kilograms (942.5 pounds)
5. Bradley Colvin — 380 kilograms (837.8 pounds)

Medeiros covered his sanctioned powerlifting debut in an Instagram post expressing his excitement to get back onto the CrossFit Games stage and rebound from his 13th-place finish at the 2023 CrossFit Games.

Powerlifting in CrossFit

While this may have been Medeiros’ competitive powerlifting debut, it is far from his first encounter with the squat, deadlift, or bench press. All three of those lifts that are contested in a powerlifting meet are featured significantly in competitive CrossFit. Strength-focused barbell events were somewhat of a weakness for Medeiros in his early CrossFit career, but he has steadily improved his strength and barbell prowess since rising to the top of the functional fitness sport.

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The most recent example of powerlifting in the CrossFit limelight was the max deadlift event at the 2023 Rogue Invitational. The event was exactly as its name suggests: athletes established their max deadlifts. Chandler Smith and Alex Gazan won that event, locking out 610 and 425 pounds in the Men’s and Women’s divisions, respectively.

While it is rare for a squat, bench press, or deadlift to be featured as a standalone event at the CrossFit Games, the inclusion of those movements is a presumed aspect of the Games’ programming every year. Whether it be kettlebell deadlifts, dumbbell bench presses as part of an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) medley, or sandbag squats (among many, many other variations of each), powerlifting’s presence in the functional fitness space is deeply felt.

The 2024 CrossFit season kicks off with the 2024 CrossFit Open on Feb. 29, 2024, the workouts that have not yet been revealed as of this article’s publication. But Medeiros’ presence on the powerlifting platform suggests he might feel strength could play a bigger role en route to the 2024 CrossFit Games in Fort Worth, TX.

Featured image: @justinmedeiros34 on Instagram