Graduate assistant makes a name for himself as a powerlifting machine.
By Ruth Fitzgerald
Before the day is over, Chris Riley will have consumed two pounds of red meat and downed one chicken shake.
“Yes, I make chicken shakes,” said Riley with a grin.
The unappetizing beverage is the daily diet of Riley, a powerlifter who on March 2 deadlifted 705 pounds at The Arnold, an international event held in Columbus, Ohio in honor of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Universe and California governor. Contestants from 48 countries took part in powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman competitions.
This year, Riley, a 25-year-old graduate assistant working on his master’s in exercise physiology, took second place in the USA Powerlifting Raw Challenge.
Riley’s final stats were: bench press, 374 pounds; squat, 661 pounds; and deadlift, 705 pounds.
And yes, Schwarzenegger was there to enjoy the show.
The win was pretty impressive for someone who has only been lifting weights since late 2008. At that time, Riley was doing Olympic weightlifting, which consists of the events “clean-and-jerk” and “snatch.”
Today, at 296 pounds, he competes solely in RAW drug-tested USAPL competitions which do not require the use of bench shirts or squat suits.
According to Justin Lascek, Riley’s long-time friend and coach, Riley informed him in 2009 that he wanted to deadlift 600 pounds for five repetitions. Lascek said knew this was a distant goal but had faith that Riley could pull it off.
According to Lascek, Riley would always wear the same hole-ridden Arkansas T-shirt whenever he deadlifted. Joking around with Riley, he asked, “Hey man, is that your deadlift shirt?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna wear it when I pull 600 for five,” Riley shot back.
That became his ritual, Lascek said. Riley would show up for workouts wearing his “ratty-ass” shirt and they kidded around that it would explode off him when he finally pulled up his fifth rep of 600 pounds.
According to Riley, the T-shirt survived, but now has even more holes and is paper thin.
Lascek not only trains Riley, but owns and operates the website 70sbig.com which tracks Riley’s and other powerlifters’ progress and competition statistics. The site also displays each individual powerlifter’s workout regime affiliated with the site, as well as diet and workout recommendations.
A powerlifter’s daily routine, especially what he eats, plays a big role in the dedication of an avid competitor.
As unappetizing as a chicken shake may sound, it’s a necessary shot of protein that helps strengthen Riley. He subsidizes his vegetables with V8, drinks 1 1/2 gallons of water and eats one sweet potato per day.
Riley trains four days a week, two to three hours per session, in his makeshift gym he shares with his roommate in their garage. His progress has been tracked over the years on 70sbig.com where one can find videos of Riley during particular training sessions and lifts.
Powerlifting isn’t always fun and games, however. Riley got a bloody nose while deadlifting a few times, and admittedly, had an “accident” once while doing a squat, but continued on with his workout. That’s dedication.
In the future, Riley hopes to move to a larger city or move out-of-state and become a strength trainer for a D1 university. Right now, he has his eyes set on “strongman” competitions. The winner of the strongman competition at The Arnold took home $45,000. Had Riley won first place in his powerlifting division, he would have walked away with $750.
While money is definitely a motivator, it’s the pure love of the sport that drives Riley. It’s his passion, he said.
Lascek encourages every one of his trainees to look at Riley and how far he’s come in such a short amount of time
“You see him deadlift 705 and think it’s a lot, but he was just an average lifter three years ago,” Lascek said. “He didn’t just all of a sudden squat 661 and deadlift 705. He had to earn it every step of the way.”
Riley will compete in the Raw Nationals, held in Killeen, Texas in August.