Mica is an exceptionally strong preteen.
Jordan Mica is not your average 11 year old. The young athlete may enjoy some typical childhood staples—playing video games, coming home when the street lights come on—but include being an accomplished weightlifter in that mix. He’s not far behind, continuing to show why he could be a bona fide superstar as power sports fans watch him grow.
On July 22, 2023, the manager of Mica’s Instagram account shared an update on his latest exploits as a 120-pound competitor. A clip from the 2023 US Powerlifting Brigade Barbell Open (USAPL) shows Mica squatting 80 kilograms (176.3 pounds), bench pressing 42.5 kilograms (93.7 pounds), and deadlifting 90 kilograms (198.4 pounds). According to the post title, all top lifting stats are all time raw competition PR for Mica. As of this writing, while shining with milestones of strength, it’s unclear how Mica fared in all-around competition. The same clip shows Mica receiving a medal, but the distinction was not specific.
In terms of assistive equipment for his lifts, it doesn’t seem like Mica needed much help, as he weighed in at 53.4 kilograms (117.7 pounds) during the competition. Mica didn’t use a lifting belt or wraps for any of her best lifts. The knee pads for his squat were the measure of his extra equipment. Mica achieved his best deadlift pull from a conventional stance while using a mixed grip. He competed in the contest without a belt and in the raw, which added to the mystique of him as a rapidly developing powerlifter.
In particular, the athlete blocked all nine allotted attempts.
Here’s an overview of Mica’s performance at the 2023 USAPL Barbell Brigade Open:
jordan mica | 2023 USAPL Barbell Brigade Open Top Stats
- squat — 80 kilograms (176.3 pounds) | Best competition of all time
- Bench press — 42.5 kilograms (93.7 pounds) | Best competition of all time
- dead weight — 90 kilograms (198.4 pounds) | Best competition of all time
- Total — 212.5 kilograms (468.4 pounds) | Best competition of all time
Mica, whose parents choose not to have her lift weights all year, apparently had a different focus on her pre-competition training. The caption to Mica’s competition post dictates that the athlete participated in wrestling and jiu-jitsu in addition to spending quality time with weights, refining his technique. Such a “balanced” grooming process seems to have benefited Mica’s strength prospects to a breaking point of personal boundaries.
Considering that Mica doesn’t strength train year-round, it becomes easier to see his ceiling as a powerlifter. For an athlete of any age, showing that much strength despite only specific periods of time when he actually lifts weights is an excellent sign of his long-term prospects. Only time will tell for Mica, but these are the kind of events that usually only stem from the career of an established powerlifting star.
Featured image: jordan_mica on Instagram
