My Powerlifting Journey

From a first meet as a teenager to #1 national ranking, and what the sport has taught me about discipline.

Line drawing of a gym: a lifter filming himself on a phone at a rack of plates, and another standing by a bench adjusting his sleeve. — The room, more or less.

I won't lie, this one is very difficult to write for me. I cringe a bit at my powerlifting self that takes it so seriously, and I've only focused on my general health & fitness for the last few years.

I could go on and on about what the research says about optimal frequency, intensity, and set & rep ranges depending on where you are in your training cycle. There's also optimal limb lengths for lifts that are out of your control. It's a game of context and listening to your body while making iterative, continual improvements. (or doing steroids, but I've been natural my whole life and intend to remain so).

I'll leave this blog post incomplete until I'm in the mindstate to give it an honest recollection and dissect some of my opinions.

You can follow nearly all the highlights of my powerlifting journey on my hobby instagram: @thommasphan2.

I proudly benched 365 lbs and also deadlifted 365 lbs with one hand. LOL.

Will finish later.