If you have been paying attention to Force Barbell’s online presence this month you have probably seen something about Nathan Barna. We are very proud of this young man, who came to us just over a year ago as a 17 year old looking to start a career in the sport of Strongman.
Last year when we met Nathan, he was putting up decent numbers for a high school kid, especially at for a body weight of 190 pounds: Bench Press 315; squat 365; deadlift 405, and clean 220; he had never performed a snatch or a jerk. Nathan has made huge strides in the past 13 months. He has made massive gains on all his lifts and is now up to a body weight of 225 pounds: Bench Press 375; squat 465; deadlift 550; snatch 231; clean 319, and jerk 308. But it’s not just his numbers that are going up. Nathan is starting to make a reputation for himself on the national scene in multiple strength sports.
In September, Barna won the title of Illinois’ Strongest Man and earned a bid to the United States Strongman National Championships this coming June. He also participated in his first ever weight-lifting competition in December, hitting a 100kg snatch and a 132kg clean and jerk for a Junior National Championship qualifying total of 232kg (510 pounds). Just two short months later in Oklahoma City, Nathan found himself competing in only his second Weightlifting meet ever on the national stage! During the two months leading up to nationals Nathan honed his skills, and on February 15th hit a 105kg snatch and a 140kg clean and jerk increasing his competition and lifetime best total to 245kg (540 pounds). Nathan’s 13kg personal record earned him 9th in the country in his weight class and age category.
Currently, Nathan is preparing for his first ever USAPL Powerlifting meet in April, where his current numbers will land him a bid at the USAPL National Championships with room to spare. Force Barbell is very proud of the hard work and dedication Nathan has shown and looks forward to seeing how far he will go in his lifting career.