Matua SN is current leader of 1,000LB club challenge

The current leader in Latte Built Gym’s Latte Beast 1,000LB Club Challenge is Matua San Nicolas, who opened the floor of the Prime Warriors 19-39 age group with a whopping 1,335-lb total weight lifted last Saturday at the Latte Built Gym.

The monthly competition designed to test strength, skill, and determination was absolutely obliterated by the 19-year-old who lifted a one-rep max in the three core lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift.

His heaviest squat was 495 lbs., his bench press was 405 lbs., and his deadlift was 465 lbs for a combined total weight of 1,335 lbs.

That is the number to beat in next month’s challenge which will be held on the first Saturday of every month.

The other division is the Master Legends 40+ year old and is still open to challengers.

Each event has three rounds where each competitor can try to out lift their previous attempt. Each attempt is allowed a maximum time of one minute to complete the lift.

Competitors will identify on the registration slip their desired starting weight for each event. Once all lifts are complete and the scorecard is added up, each competitor will be classified into one of the following categories based on their total weight lifted across all three lifts: 500 lbs (women only); 750 lbs (men and women); 1,000 lbs (men & women); and 1,200 lbs (men and women).

The Top 7 competitors in each age category will have their names featured on the Latte Beast Leaderboard for the entire month, showcasing their total combined weight. Their names will remain on display until the next month’s challenge, where new champions may emerge to take the top spots.

San Nicolas said after the challenge, “I feel good and pumped up. I still have to work on accessories after that.”

On how he felt of his performance overall with his lifts, he said, “I did okay. I just need to learn how to wait for the rack call for the bench press.”

In the challenge, he hit a new personal best in the deadlift at 465 lbs. When asked how confident he was with the numbers he put up, he said, “I wouldn’t say I’m confident. There’s always someone that will come and beat it. But I’m always going to come back and keep improving, and hopefully keep increasing my total every month.”

He added that he’s been focused on strength training for years and has competed in powerlifting competitions in the U.S. when he was 15 years old.

James Lee, a Latte Built personal trainer, was the judge of the challenge, while the spotters were Latte Built’s other personal trainers—Lorenzo Sanchez, Aaron Pamintuan, Ralph Villas, and Jolo Berueco.