The following is an edited interview on Feb. 8 between senior Sam Rosenberg and Rank & File that examines his participation in competitive powerlifting.
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Rank & File: So powerlifting, where exactly did it start?
Sam Rosenberg: I started working out and lifting weights during my freshman year in high school, but I didn’t get serious about powerlifting until my sophomore and junior years. I started out at Fitness First Gym in Tyson’s and have been lifting there ever since. My powerlifting team, Team Force, works out there.
R&F:How do you train for competitions?
Rosenberg: The training methods vary with different cycles and levels of intensity. I generally focus on the same core areas no matter what kind of cycle I am on.
I usually work out 4 times a week; chest and back on Monday, legs on Wednesday, conditioning and abs on Thursday, and biceps and shoulders on Fridays. Sometimes I will throw something less conventional into the mix, such as car pulls and pushes. That is always fun.
R&F: How did powerlifting evolve into a hobby? When did you start competing?
Rosenberg: I started out doing this mostly for fun, but I recently began competing with my team. I competed for the first time at the 2010 Virginia RAW Single-lift championships in Virginia Beach in October, 2010.
I then competed in the 2011 Virginia USAPL (United States of America Power Lifting) single-lift championships in Charlottesville.
My team also represented Virginia in the 2011 RAW International Championships in Orlando Florida, where I won the international trophy for first place deadlift for my age group and weight class.
My team was also crowned the “Number 1” team at the international meet, which was very exciting.
I also won first place awards for curl and bench at both of the first two competitions.
R&F: Who has helped you to develop the most as a power-lifter?
Rosenberg: A large part of my success can be credited to Tim Henriques, the coach of Team Force, who has coached me since the first day of my lifting.
When he started training me in my freshman year, I had trouble lifting a 45-pound bar. He took me under his wing and trained me; he truly built me from the ground up. He really motivated me to compete at the level that I do today.
He changed my mindset and taught me to be competitive and to work hard.
I definitely would not have become so dedicated had it not been for his tremendous support. He has been a tremendous inspiration to me for the last four years of my life.
I also owe a lot to my dad who recommended that I get into powerlifting in the first place. The fact that he was a power-lifter in his time definitely inspired me as well.
R&F: Has it been difficultto balance power-lifting and school?
Rosenberg: It can be difficult at time to balance school with powerlifting, but I figure it out.
I usually still get home between five and six even on training days, so I still manage to get my work done … after several hours of reddit.