Dante Leon may only weigh around 180lb, but this Canadian competitor is one of the pound-for-pound strongest athletes in jiu-jitsu. 

The GF Team rep -- who is based in Toledo, Ohio -- lifts serious amounts of weight in the gym, and you can see the results for yourself when the 22-year-old black belt competes on the mat.


Leon's numbers are so impressive that he's even thinking about competing in powerlifting...  but just as a side hobby and for fun! 

​​Below, Leon describes his strength training background, programming, and how much he really lifts in the gym. Take it away, Dante... 


​Photo: Michael Sears

​Every day I lift at 8 AM. I follow this with drilling and hard training afterwards. This way I can balance my training, and I feel I always start my day off right. I can also space it out this way to allow my body to get proper nutrition, hydration, and rest.

I began training in Canada under The Jungle Gym. My friend Mike Coyle taught me a lot about strength training and made me healthy and strong, giving me a great base, and he still helps me to this day. Now living in Toledo, I train full-time at EAO Sports. 

All the athletes here at GF Team Toledo train full-time with Dan Jones. Dan has transformed our strength training and continues to give us new challenges daily that build our strength, mentally and physically, as well as keeping us limber and healthy.

A normal lifting day for me doesn't really exist. Every time we are in the gym, Jonesy hits me with something new. As we focus on building strength, we follow the conjugate method of lifting, which is practiced and perfected by Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell, always using robust weight as well as different tools for accommodating resistance. This includes chains, resistance bands, lifting from a deficit, and board presses.

Dante Leon's maximum lifts

Deadlift: 550lb
Deficit deadlift: 505lb

Squat: 465lb
Box squat: 435lb (plus 165lb band resistance/double chains, approx. 600lb at lockout)

Bench: 295lb x 3
Seated barbell press: 185lb x 8 

435lb squat with bands and chains

Floor press

Deficit deadlift 

Trap bar deadlift, deficit deadlift, and axel bar deadlift

315lb Zercher deadlift 

495lb deficit deadlift 

395lb x 5 deficit deadlift 

445lb raw deadlift