Isle of Wight prison officer Zoltan Mihalyi has broken the British bench press record with a lift of 183kg.
Zoltan – who lives in Newport – was competing at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) South West Qualifier competition. This event – organized by the 349 Barbell Team – has set for Zoltan’s qualification to the Nationals later this year and the European Arnolds Classic in Madrid, the largest multisport event in Europe .
The event is sponsored by actor and bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the squat, Zoltan began with a solid 275kg, followed by an impressive 300kg. He then aimed for a personal best of 310kg on his 3rd attempt and nailed it with ease.
In the bench press, despite slight discomfort in his shoulder, Zoltan’s favourite lift didn’t disappoint. He started with 165kg, moved to 175kg, then shattered the British record with a phenomenal 183kg on his 3rd lift.
In the deadlift – the final challenge – Zoltan started with a comfortable 275kg, then 295kg. For his last lift, he needed 307.5kg to reach the coveted 800kg total. The weight reached his knees but refused to budge further, leaving him just shy of his goal.
Overall, Zoltan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He achieved a total of 788kg, 53kg more than last year, with personal bests in squat and deadlift, and a British record in bench press. His efforts earned him the top spot in the UK rankings and fifth in the world, along with invitations to the Arnold Classic and the Nationals later this year.
Following his success, Zoltan has expressed his gratitude to the Vectis weightlifting club head coach Mick Snudden and his sport therapist/chiropractor Dr Abi Mackett from Newport RMA Sports Injury Clinic.
Pretty impressive guy!! Well done