Michael Martin. (submiited photo/Aaron Lemoal)

By Nigel Maxwell

A show of strength

P.A. power lifter breaks two world records

Oct 21, 2020 | 12:00 PM

Michael Martin has been to a number of powerlifting competitions all over the world, but breaking not one but two world records last weekend at a competition in Regina, exceeded even his own expectations.

The GPC World Powerlifting Championships were hosted by the South Saskatchewan powerlifters. Martin, 57, recorded a 590 lb. squat (world record), as well as a 370 lb. bench press and a 658 lb. deadlift. His total score earned him the second world record.

“I wanted to get the deadlift record and I wanted to get the squat record in raw,” he said. “Anything else was bonus.”

In addition to setting the new records, Martin also won best overall lifter after the equipped competition last Friday. The difference between the events is that during the equipped events, athletes can wear a number of items such as a squat suit, knee wraps, a bench shirt, or a deadlift suit which help protect their body from injury and also help the athlete in most cases lift more weight.

Martin has now competed at two powerlifting competitions during the pandemic and explained the main difference is there is no crowd watching and the spotters and the judges all wear masks.

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“If you are not a lifter, you have to wear a mask,” he said.

Aaron Lemoal and Michael Martin at the GPC World Powerlifting Championships. (submitted photo/Aaron Lemoal)

A number of other athletes from Prince Albert also attended the recent competition including Tim Agnew, Karen Sinoski, Michael Petersson, and Aaron Lemoal.

Lemoal, 21, broke the Canadian squat record in his weight category (128 lbs.) with a lift of 348 lbs. He also claimed the Canadian and world record in the benchpress after recording a lift of 237 lbs.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell