Every so often an athlete comes along who refuses to be put in a box, and Stefi Cohen is exactly that. She is one of the strongest women in the history of powerlifting, a professional boxer, a doctor of physical therapy, a successful entrepreneur, and one of the most influential voices in strength training. Standing barely five feet tall, she has repeatedly redefined what’s possible, lifting weights that seem to defy physics and then reinventing herself in an entirely different sport.
Here’s a complete look at Stefi Cohen’s remarkable career, her training philosophy, and what makes her such an inspiring figure in the fitness world.
Details such as competition records and fight results are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing and may have since changed.
Quick Facts
- Full name: Stefanie Cohen Magarici
- Born: 28 March 1992, Caracas, Venezuela
- Nationality: Venezuelan-American
- Height: Around 5 ft (152 cm)
- Competition weight: Around 123 lb (56 kg)
- Disciplines: Powerlifting, boxing
- Education: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), University of Miami
- Known for: 25 powerlifting world records; first woman to deadlift 4.4 times her bodyweight; the Hybrid Performance Method
Early Life and Background
Stefi Cohen was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, the only child of a lawyer father and a tailor mother. She was a naturally active and competitive child, playing soccer, tennis, and running from a young age. When her family emigrated to the United States during her high school years, she continued to excel at soccer, which is what first led her into the gym.
At around 16, Cohen began lifting weights to build strength and conditioning for soccer. It didn’t take long for her to realise that her passion for training had eclipsed her love of the game. That discovery set her on a path that would make her one of the most decorated strength athletes on the planet.
A Powerlifting Legend
It’s difficult to overstate Cohen’s dominance in powerlifting. Over her career she set an astonishing 25 world records across multiple weight classes, establishing herself, pound for pound, as arguably the strongest woman ever to compete.
Her single most famous feat came in 2017, when she became the first woman in history to deadlift 4.4 times her own bodyweight, pulling around 485 pounds while weighing just 121 pounds. To put that in perspective, that’s like an average-sized man deadlifting over 700 pounds. She went on to push her personal best to around 500 pounds, numbers that remain almost unbelievable for an athlete of her size. Her extraordinary deadlift strength, alongside elite squat and bench numbers, cemented her legacy.
Having conquered the sport and with little left to prove, Cohen stepped back from competitive powerlifting around 2020, ready for a new challenge.
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Reinventing Herself as a Boxer
Rather than resting on her laurels, Cohen did something few elite athletes would dare: she started over in a completely different, highly technical sport. In 2021 she made her professional boxing debut, winning her first fight, and went on to build a pro record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw across six bouts, competing on major cards.
Switching from the raw, explosive strength of powerlifting to the finesse, timing, and endurance of boxing is a huge undertaking, and Cohen has been open about how demanding it was, at times training three times a day and describing the sport as consuming her life. Her willingness to leave a position of mastery and embrace being a beginner again speaks volumes about her mindset. If you’re curious about what makes boxing such a rewarding pursuit, our guide on the benefits of boxing explores it in depth.
The Hybrid Performance Method
Central to Cohen’s influence is the Hybrid Performance Method, the training company and philosophy she co-founded. Its memorable ethos captures her whole approach: “move like a weightlifter, look like a bodybuilder, and lift like a powerlifter.”
That philosophy pushes back against the idea that you have to specialise narrowly to excel. Instead, it champions blending different training styles, maximal strength, muscle-building hypertrophy work, conditioning, and mobility, to build an athlete who is powerful, muscular, agile, and healthy all at once. Cohen herself is the living proof of concept: a rare combination of a genuinely muscular physique and elite athletic capability. Her method has helped countless people train in a more balanced, well-rounded way.
How Stefi Cohen Trains
Cohen’s own training reflects her hybrid philosophy. Rather than chasing a single quality, she combines heavy compound lifting for strength, higher-rep work for muscle and resilience, and conditioning for her cardiovascular fitness and, during her boxing years, sport-specific skill work. This blended approach is a big part of why she can be both extraordinarily strong and athletically capable in the ring.
For everyday lifters, the lesson from her training isn’t to copy her exact routine, but to embrace the principle behind it: you don’t have to choose between being strong, muscular, and fit. A well-structured programme that includes heavy compound movements, sensible volume as covered in our guide on how many exercises per muscle group, and some conditioning can develop all three together.
Beyond Sport: Doctor, Advocate, and Entrepreneur
What makes Cohen especially compelling is that her expertise is more than physical. She holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and works as an exercise physiologist, giving her a deep scientific understanding of the human body that informs everything she teaches. This blend of elite athletic achievement and genuine academic credentials makes her a rare, trustworthy authority in a field full of noise.
She has also become an important advocate for a healthier relationship with training and food. Having spoken publicly about overcoming an eating disorder earlier in her life, Cohen uses her platform to challenge extreme weight-loss and diet culture, encouraging people, women in particular, to prioritise strength, adequate nourishment, and building muscle over restrictive dieting. It’s a refreshing, empowering message, and one that aligns with a balanced approach to nutrition like the one we outline in our bulking vs cutting guide. Alongside all this, she has built a substantial business and a large, engaged social media following as a writer and educator.
Steffi Cohen Scandal
In November 2023, Cohen’s former boyfriend and his current girlfriend reported to the police that Cohen had accessed the man’s laptop, logged into his iCloud account after guessing commonly used passwords, and retrieved nude photos of his girlfriend. This incident took place nearly two years after Cohen discovered their relationship. They told the police that Steffi leaked those photos of her in order to humiliate her.
On Tuesday 28th of May 2024, Miami-Dade Police officers confronted Cohen in the Coconut Grove area of Miami. When they informed her of her arrest and instructed her to accompany them to the station, she refused, according to the police and started to act physically.
Eventually, Cohen was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
In court, Cohen was granted a $3,300 bond, as reported by NBC Miami. She was also ordered to stay away from her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend.
What We Can Learn From Stefi Cohen
Cohen’s career offers several powerful lessons. Her hybrid philosophy shows that you don’t have to sacrifice one fitness quality to gain another. Her leap from powerlifting to boxing demonstrates the value of a growth mindset and the courage to start again. And her advocacy reminds us that strength, in body and mind, is a far healthier goal than chasing an ever-smaller number on the scale. Above all, her career is a masterclass in what relentless dedication, applied intelligently, can achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stefi Cohen? Stefi Cohen is a Venezuelan-American athlete widely regarded as one of the strongest female powerlifters in history. She has set 25 powerlifting world records, was the first woman to deadlift 4.4 times her bodyweight, later became a professional boxer, and holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
What is Stefi Cohen’s deadlift record? Her most famous feat was becoming the first woman to deadlift 4.4 times her bodyweight, lifting around 485 pounds at a bodyweight of roughly 121 pounds. She later pushed her personal best to around 500 pounds.
Is Stefi Cohen a boxer? Yes. After stepping back from competitive powerlifting around 2020, she transitioned to professional boxing, making her debut in 2021 and building a pro record of 4-1-1 across six fights.
What is the Hybrid Performance Method? It’s the training philosophy and company Cohen co-founded, built on the idea of blending strength, muscle-building, and conditioning to become well-rounded, summed up as “move like a weightlifter, look like a bodybuilder, and lift like a powerlifter.”
How tall is Stefi Cohen? She stands around 5 feet (152 cm) tall and competed at roughly 123 pounds, which makes her feats of strength all the more remarkable given her small frame.
The Bottom Line
Stefi Cohen is far more than a powerlifter, a boxer, or a scientist, she’s all of these at once, and that refusal to be defined by a single label is exactly what makes her so inspiring. From breaking 25 world records to reinventing herself in the boxing ring, from earning a doctorate to championing a healthier, strength-focused approach to fitness, she embodies what’s possible with intelligence, courage, and relentless work.
Whether you’re a strength athlete, a beginner, or simply someone looking for motivation, Cohen’s story is a reminder that the human body and mind are capable of far more than we often believe, and that true strength is about building yourself up, not tearing yourself down.
