Good Sports: Central High grad breaks powerlifting world record

Meet Jonathan Cayco - a powerlifter who trains at Legion Training Camp in Clovis.

"It's fun to lift heavy - at the end of the day, we get to lift as heavy as we can. Seeing the numbers go up month to month, year to year is really rewarding," says Cayco.

The Central High grad got hooked on powerlifting from watching videos online, he's been training and competing at meets for almost five years. This sport takes discipline. He trains six days a week for four hours a day.

"We kind of have to force sleep, force food sometimes. I have to be really strict on my diet - high protein. How much protein? On a good day, about a pound a day, he says.

This summer at the California State Championship in Anaheim, that hard work came to fruition.

He broke the unofficial world record in powerlifting total for his weight class.

The total weight combines his squat, bench, and deadlift attempts. Cayco broke the record at 1,903 pounds.

He also broke the American record for bench press, a record that was held for ten years.

"They actually got him on the phone right before I attempted the lift. He said, 'Oh good luck, records are meant to be broken'. So that was a really cool experience to have that and then go and actually do it."

Cayco is competing in the 2019 Raw Nationals this weekend to earn a spot on Team USA. If he wins a national championship and makes the team it will take his career to the next level.

He'll then have the chance to compete in Belarus for the World Meet in June of 2020.