One on One with Powerlifter Jaydan Velasquez

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: November 29, 2020

Editor’s note: Hometown Sports editor Kenny Varner caught up with power lifter Jaydan Velasquez,who recently broke the world record in her sports. We talked about her beginning of her career and where her road has taken her in such a little amount of time.

HS: How did it feel when you broke the record?

JV: Breaking the world record was exhilarating! It was a mixture of being super surprised but also very accomplished. If someone told me that I was going to beat a world record in powerlifting a few years ago, I would have never believed them.

HS:What poundage did you lift?

JV: Squat: 320 lbs

Bench: 146 lbs

Deadlift: 285 lbs

HS: How many hours a week do you work out? What does your week consist of?

JV: I train about 2 to 4 hours a day 5 times a week. I am training for the CrossFit open that is in February also. I train CrossFit in the mornings on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and powerlift in the evenings. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, I focus only on CrossFit. Fridays and Mondays are my rest days.

HS: When did you start powerlifting?

JV: I started CrossFit In January of 2020 at OPEX in State College. My coach, Jordan Alturas, started putting in some powerlifting programming into my training. This helped me build my strength and also laid the foundation of learning proper technique. In July, I started training with Larry Pacifico. Larry is legendary in the world of powerlifting.

HS: Who got you involved in this sport?

JV: My grandfather was a competitive powerlifter as well as my cousin, Logan Williams. They both trained with Larry Pacifico and knew he would provide the proper training to help me get where I am. Logan took me to meet Larry and that day, we started training.

HS: What are your goals now?

JV: My goals right now consist of training and focusing on doing really well in the CrossFit Open. This is the first step toward the CrossFit Games. I also plan to compete in the Arnold Classic in 2021 for powerlifting and hopefully break my own world records.

HS: What’s your favorite lift to do?

JV:My favorite lift is the squat. It is my strongest lift and I enjoy doing them.

HS: How long have you been competing in the sport?

JV: Not long. That was the first meet I have ever done and I am very excited to continue my journey. I love setting new goals.

HS: What advice would you like to give someone starting out in lifting weights?

JV: Something I would like to express to others is, never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Set your own goals and go after it. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed. The only person that can determine how much you succeed is YOU. You have to put in the work, push yourself past your own limited beliefs (safely) and have fun!

What good age do you think it would be good to start lifting.

ANY AGE! You can start whenever you are ready and want to. The important thing is to ensure you have the right people teaching you proper lifting techniques so that you remain safe and injury free. You need to understand how much is too much and pace yourself so that you can set goals and achieve them the healthy way. Most importantly eat healthy and stay active in something you love to do.