Ngoka might be the strongest teenage powerlifter you’ve never heard of.
Last updated on August 6th, 2024
UK super-heavyweight powerlifter Joshua Ngoka has had a meteoric start to his career. His recent performance at the 2024 British Powerlifting (BP) British University Championships (BUC) was less than two years after his debut competition. In that time, he has added nearly 200 kilograms to his total.
Ngoka’s best squat in competition is the 340 kilograms he scored at the 2024 BUC. However, it looks like that personal record will soon fall as soon as Aug. 2, 2024. Nogoka shared a squat session on social media wherein he squatted a comfortable-looking 360 kilograms.
In the video, Ngoka shares his warm-ups from 315 kilograms upward. He squats using knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and a lifting belt, all permissible under classic (“raw”) rules. The squats shown were:
- 315 kilograms
- 335 kilograms
- 350 kilograms
- 360 kilograms
While 315 kilograms and 335 kilograms looked easy, 350 kilograms slowed Ngoka down. The 360 kilograms squat, however, seemed just as fast as the earlier warm-ups. This is reflected in the caption:
The top set moving faster than LWU [last warm-up] needs to end.
BP is the British affiliate of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and uses its weight classes and age categories. Until the end of 2023, Ngoka was in the sub-Junior category (ages 14-18) and made rapid progress.
Ngoka’s first meet was a local qualifier; a stepping stone to his first national event: the 2023 BP British Junior Championships (BJC). He won convincingly and took his first British title in only his second competition.
This secured Ngoka a place on the British team heading to the 2023 IPF Junior World Championships (JWC). Ngoka was over 150 kilograms ahead of his nearest rival. In just three competitions, he went from novice to sub-Junior world champion.
At his first international meet, Ngoka won gold medals in all three disciplines and broke the sub-Junior deadlift and total world records with 320 kilograms and 800 kilograms, respectively.
Not long after, in his final competition as a sub-Junior, Ngoka competed at the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Junior Championships. He swept the board of gold medals, finishing nearly 200 kilograms ahead of the silver medallist. He extended the sub-Junior deadlift and total world records to 330.5 kilograms and 838.5 kilograms, respectively.
In 2024, Ngoka moved into the Junior age category (ages 19-23) — a challenging transition. Adding 29 kilograms to his total was good enough for second place at the 2024 BP BJC. Ngoka recovered his winning streak at the 2024 BP BUC, hitting an 882.5-kilogram total.
Ngoka is on the roster for the 2024 IPF JWC in Malta at the end of August. He is listed in fifth place in the nominations. Given his recent improvements, he could be a contender for the podium.
