He might come across a soft-spoken at first. However, put him in the gym or a competitive environment and you will see an entirely different Eben Booyens being unleashed.
With his current, unequipped one rep max weights on the main compound lifts, outside of competition sitting at 200kg (bench), 200kg (squat) and 245 (deadlift), Booyens hopes to improve those numbers going forward.
Booyens 35, is quietly confident he can put up a decent showing when he competes at the 2019 SA Equipped and Unequipped Bench Press Championships scheduled for the Bay on February 23.
He is coming off the back of a scintillating performance two weeks ago at the Edge Fitness Club Bench Press Competition where he pressed an unofficial provincial record of 200kg.
Booyens now moves into his final two weeks of preparation looking to hit similar numbers and possibly improve that number at nationals.
Speaking to Weekend Post at Edge Fitness Club in Walmer on Thursday afternoon, Booyens said: “For the SA bench press championships, it will be slightly difficult as I have to weigh in twice on the day, once for the unequipped competition, then again later in the day for the equipped competition.

“However, my aim is just to go out there and do well. If I could get an SA record in the under 93 kg category it would be a goal achieved,” he explained.
He explained that the difference between the equipped and unequipped lifting was that equipped lifting makes use of a bench shirt, or squat/deadlift suit, which is used to improve performance during powerlifting or bench press competitions.
Booyens is the current holder of the SA equipped bench press record in powerlifting, which stands at 216kg and said he would love to set a new standard in the discipline, but admitted it would take a lot of hard work and dedication.
Booyens also competed at the EC Classic Powerlifting Championships in the Bay in January, where he managed to qualify for the provincial team to compete at the nationals early next month in Potchefstroom.
“If I could break the provincial squat record, which currently stands at 210kg, it would be great, I managed to get 200kg in last month’s [powerlifting] competition. In addition to getting a good bench of at least 190kg and deadlift close to 250, I need to get a total of over 650 in order to qualify for the SA team,” Booyens added.
Qualifying for the SA powerlifting team after nationals in March would see Booyens pull on the green and gold for only the second time in his career, having done so at the World Bench Press championships held in South Africa last year.
Despite a disappointing performance, Booyens said he learnt a lot from the competition and would use it as a learning curve going forward.
Born and raised in Despatch, Booyens comes from a very sport orientated family, with his father and siblings having played cricket and rugby respectively.
He matriculated from Despatch High School in 2001. He also played first-team cricket in high school, as well as playing rugby and doing some athletics. But none brought him as much success as his weightlifting exploits.
“I use to train at the Hard Bodies gym in Despatch just trying to stay fit and healthy.
“I saw two fellow lifters and coaches, Andre Ludik and Jacques Knoesen entering the gym with some Olympic weights and I thought this could be fun to do, so that is where it started.
“I started strength training. I really love strength as I was getting a bit tired of just the fitness aspect having done much of that during my school years for the various sport. I enjoyed challenging myself in the gym, and seeing how much stronger I could get.”
He took part in his first competition. In 2007 he competed again, making it all the way to the national championships in a bench press competition, his first, which he managed to win as well and in so doing, qualified for the national team.
Booyens has had numerous provincial representations, before taking a break from competitive lifting in 2011 in order to tend to his family life. He returned in 2016 where he started intensive training and competing again in 2017...