Trinity’s Club Powerlifting Team allows students to compete in sanctioned powerlifting competitions and build strength. Powerlifting has a reputation of being an inaccessible sport due to high competition, equipment costs and a lack of understanding. However, the 10 members on the team, which was formed in 2019,  make the sport more accessible to students by covering meet fees, gym costs and offering guidance to those interested in competing. 

Club members can choose from a variety of meets around San Antonio to compete throughout the year. In return for competing in one competition a semester, the club provides members with a free gym membership to San Antonio’s Texas Strength Systems (TSS) powerlifting gym. The meets vary in skill level, including the Rookie Rumble, a meet held every fall for beginner powerlifters of all ages. They also offer more competitive meets like the Texas Strength Classic or Texas Iron Triathlon for more experienced lifters. 

Powerlifting meets typically consist of squat, bench press and deadlift events. Before the meet, competitors submit their “starting weights” to set the amount of their opening lift. Upon a successful lift, proper form for the event and in adherance to the judges’ timing commands, the lifter has 90 seconds to determine their next lift weight and submit the number to the judges.

On April 26, Trinity Chapa, junior business major and team captain, will compete in her third meet at the Texas Iron Triathlon, accompanied by new members, Hannah Jackson, sophomore English and communication double-major. Azure Sanchez, sophomore Earth and environmental geosciences major, is attending but will not compete in the meet due to an ACL tear. 

Sanchez lifted in high school to train for wrestling and joined the powerlifting club in college to compete in the events she had already been training in. She has competed at two meets since joining the club, winning first place in both. Coming from a background in competitive combat sports like wrestling and jiu-jitsu, Sanchez said she finds powerlifting far less complicated and more of a competition with herself.

“I would say it’s honestly just simpler. You don’t really need a brain to do it. You just need to be strong or you just got to like it. It’s not super complicated,” Sanchez said. “You got to have discipline to actually go to the gym and work on it yourself.” 

The club does not train regularly as a team, but will occasionally carpool and work out at TSS together. The captains offer advice to new lifters about their form, training schedule, what to expect at a meet and what makes the sport different. 

“Powerlifting is definitely way more individual, but it still requires a support system, so just having people there to watch you lift is cool,” Chapa said. “You don’t have a team to work with, which is way different than any sport I’ve ever known. There’s been more individual focus, but the training can be where you work with a team to help you achieve your goals.” 

Evan Denzer, sophomore engineering major, and Deakon Shaffer, chemistry major, represented Trinity at the Rookie Meet this fall. Chapa accompanied them to help submit weights and check in. She offered advice on what weight to submit for their next lifts, brought singlets and offered them some of the club’s wrist wraps, knee sleeves, belts and baby powder. Powerlifting is a sport everyone should try, Chapa said. 

“I think powerlifting is really intimidating to a lot of people, and just sounds like something that’s really hard and scary to do, but it’s actually pretty simple,” Chapa said. “Doesn’t take much time out of your day, and we give you everything you need. I think it’s just a good way to stay in shape, try something you’ve never done before and get rewarded for it.”

For students interested in lifting and working out, powerlifting is not as intimidating as it sounds Sanchez said. Newcomers can also learn lifting movements by watching videos on YouTube or TikTok, according to her. It may be silly, but these resources helped her figure it out.

“I’ve noticed a lot of girls are scared to go to the gym,” Sanchez said. “I go to the gym by myself all the time. I’m like, I have my AirPods in. No one is looking at you. Don’t be scared. If anything, I would find a gym buddy or someone who knows how to lift and work out with them.”