Sideline Stories: Erik Voden, USA Powerlifting Strength in Numbers, Power by Example
Powerlifting is a pretty straightforward sport where the athlete has nine attempts to establish the highest aggregate total possible across three different lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. Whoever has the highest total at the end of the meet, per weight class (12 weight classes for men, 11 weight classes for women), is declared the winner.
The state of Maine has a rich history with the sport, producing multiple national and world level competitors, however, Maine took a backseat to the early 2010s renaissance that has, in many ways, defined the landscape of modern strength sport. However, Maine is coming back with a vengeance and two people are leading the charge to make sure Maine has a seat at the table for the second boom currently manifesting.
Together with my close friend, Andrew Graves, we are bringing a national caliber atmosphere to local and state level competition. Growing up in Old Orchard Beach, we have each carved a unique reputation in the sport in many capacities. Andrew, 25, is a 22x state record holder, a regional champion, referee and, over the last year, was voted State Chair for the State of Maine; he is literally the leader of all decisions regarding our chapter of USA Powerlifting, a fully drug-tested federation that has representation across all 50 states. I am 24 years old, a 46x state record holder, a junior national silver medalist, and coach with many of my athletes living and competing in-state.
As a collective, we have also become meet directors, quite prolific ones at that, as we hosted our 4th competition in one year this summer in Saco. Since Andrew has taken over the reigns we have experienced a rapid growth in terms of the state’s presence on the national level. From mid-2021 to now, we have sent 8 lifters to national meets up from the one to two a year sent from 2013-2019.
At the center of all this has been our approach and revamp to local, and later, state-level meets. Typically, powerlifting is very grand at the national level and very lackluster in terms of presentation and equipment at the levels below. Andrew and I have made it our mission to provide lifters in-state, the experience of high level meets, without having to actually attend and qualify for said meets.
Things that were typically not offered at the local level, at least in the state of Maine, are now offered in bunches. It would not be uncommon to have low-grade equipment in the warm-up area, sometimes dangerously so; we have outfitted our warm-up room with several high-end barbells, calibrated plates, and competition-style racks. Most meets give out medals for winners. We do that, yet also give away cash prizes, apparel, and supplements to our winners, something very uncommon at the local level. We have also enacted baseball and MMA-style walk up music for attempts, something that has taken some trial and error but has been a huge hit with competitors. Lastly, we have invested heavily in our presentation and livestream, with Andrew creating his own DIY stream set-up that has allowed us to reach 2300 viewers across two different competitions, with a full, sport-specific breakdown and commentary on each lifter. When we say we are changing the landscape of strength sport in Maine, we are doing our best to talk the talk and walk the walk!
We welcome all participants of all strength levels and are fully inclusive of all registered lifters. Questions are welcome about our meets, powerlifting as a whole, USA Powerlifting, or how to sign up for your first meet. You’re strongly encouraged to check out our next competition!
YouTube: USAPL Maine
Instagram: usaplmaine
