Cover Powerlifter Kenneth Kaden
Chin trains four times a week for up to four hours a day after work in the evenings
Powerlifter Kenneth Kaden Chin trains four times a week for up to four hours a day after work in the evenings
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Powerlifter Kenneth Kaden Chin strives to give more exposure and support for the sport in Malaysia
Kenneth Kaden Chin never imagined that he would become a powerlifting national champion when he stumbled upon the sport in a shopping mall back in 2017. Immediately captivated by the sport and its supportive community, he signed up to join a local competition.
“I decided to give it a try and experience it first-hand to see how it feels,” he says, adding that he was just a casual gym-goer who did workouts for health and physical purposes. “After joining the competition, I realised I actually have quite a lot of potential to succeed in this sport and decided to continue.”
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Based on his own passion and capability, he also saw a great opportunity to be one of the early adopters of the sport, considering that it was fairly new in Malaysia at the time and had a limited pool of talent.
“Powerlifting has been well established in many other countries, but there was minimal awareness of it locally,” says Chin who went on to join various local and international competitions where he clinched medal after medal. Last year, he set a record for being the first and only Malaysian male silver medallist at the IPF Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships 2022, held in Auckland, New Zealand. He won four silver medals in the U-59kg Open Weight Category division for Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift and Overall Placing.
A test of raw strength
Above Chin never imagined that he would become a powerlifting national champion
Chin never imagined that he would become a powerlifting national champion
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Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport in which an athlete undertakes three lifts—squat, bench press and deadlift, in that order. A test of raw strength, the primary goal is to work towards increasing the maximum weight they lift for each attempt. During a competition, scores are calculated in total based on the amount of weight lifted in each event.
Chin admits that his subtotals at squat and bench press usually put him behind other competitors, but he gains back his lead when he does the deadlift, which is where he excels the most. His personal record is 220kg, which is almost four times his body weight. “My body structure, especially my limb length, is actually very good for deadlifting, which is why I’m able to lift this amount of weight,” he says.
Physical strength aside, mental fortitude also plays a big part in ensuring his success in a competition. “When I face this kind of situation, where I’m far behind [other competitors] and need to rely on my deadlift to [boost] me up again, this is where I need to set my mind, stay focused and be confident in myself. Staying focused is one thing, but being confident that you can do this is very challenging, which not everyone can actually do.
Knowing you’re on the brink of losing, you have to stay focused and believe that when you rise to the occasion, that’s when you’re able to strive for the strength to win. That’s why I always believe that no matter how hard or what kind of obstacles I face, I just do my best and let the results speak for themselves.”
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There is a relatively low barrier to entry when it comes to the sport itself, making it one of the most inclusive sports there is. It is open to various age groups, genders, and abilities. “It depends on how competitive you are at a certain level,” Chin says, “but the sport itself does not require a lot of experience for you to try it out.
“It’s funny, because squats, bench presses and deadlifts are common activities in the gym. It’s just that a lot of people, including myself back then, didn’t know there was a sport that encompasses all these three together. That’s why powerlifting is not exclusive to a certain individual. The best part about this sport is that there are various age categories one can join in. For example, 14-18 year olds can compete in the sub-junior category, while the junior category is open to most college students or high school leavers. Plus, there are masters levels where 40 years and above can compete. I’ve even heard of 90-year-olds competing! This unique aspect of the sport gives powerlifting longevity compared to other sports.”
Regular training is necessary to build up strength and gain a competitive advantage in the sport. Chin trains four times a week for up to four hours a day after work in the evenings. “This is almost three times the time that I used to spend when I was just casually working out. It’s ideal for injury prevention because I need the time to warm up my muscles and make them feel flexible because of the heavy weight I am carrying. When deadlifting, I don’t just start right away at 200kg; I’ll start from one plate and then add on, slowly building up to 200kg.”
To promote inclusion and diversity
Above Chin keeps his eyes on the prize; he trains four times a week at his gym, Life n Fitness
Chin keeps his eyes on the prize; he trains four times a week at his gym, Life n Fitness
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On top of a full-time job as a digital marketer, Chin is also the deputy president of the Malaysian Association for Powerlifting (MAP). He says membership in a powerlifting association is required to enter competitions at the national and international level. To promote inclusion and diversity in powerlifting in Malaysia, MAP has several initiatives to encourage people to try the sport. This includes providing free memberships to youth. “We want to help the youngsters because we recognise the potential that comes from the sub-junior and junior groups based on the past few competitions we’ve had.”
“Also, for us to compete in any international events, we need to comply with the International Powerlifting Federation rulebook, including using a specific list of equipment. Based on what we see from the list, we understand that equipment can be pretty costly. So, one of our initiatives is to find local, [more affordable] brands that have equipment fitting the criteria. For example, in powerlifting, we use knee sleeves to keep our knees warm. As long as the dimensions and measurements fit the criteria, we’ll get that product certified as a nationally approved equipment, which can be used at local and national-level competitions.”
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Happy with the number of achievements under his belt, Chin’s ultimate goal is to represent his country and secure a medal at the IPF World Championships, regarded as the pinnacle of this sporting event. However, despite the lack of attention, funding and support from the sports ministry, he says the powerlifting community in Malaysia continues to work hard to promote and develop the sport further locally.
For those who are on the fence on taking this up, Chin’s parting advice is to “Give it a shot. You won’t know if there’s an opportunity in front of you until you try it. I hear from a lot of newbies and intermediates on being afraid they might not be able to cope with the pressure. Even when they qualify to represent the country, there are concerns about not doing well. So, there’s a lot of things going through their head. My advice to them is not to think too much of the things they can’t control. Just do the things they can control, which are their training, nutrition, and resting schedule... all of these are things they can manage on their own. In the end, the results speak for themselves, so do the best that you can.”
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Credits
Photography: Daniel Adams
Elizabeth Soong is the managing editor of Malaysia Tatler. She loves a good laugh, but is serious when it comes to work, and gets a high from dancing, cats purring, plus enjoys musicals or binge-watching a good TV series. Continually inspired by the people she meets, edits and writes about, you're welcome to see what she's up to on her Instagram @lizsoong.
