Idaho Falls powerlifting championship produces record-breaking lifts — and a painful setback

IDAHO FALLS — Mark Hamilton of Idaho Falls was on his way to setting a national powerlifting record, but an injury prevented that from happening.

Hamilton was one of about 30 competitors at Empire Strength and Fitness Gym’s “Battle for the Throne” state powerlifting championship held at Center Stage Theater in Idaho Falls Saturday. It included squat, bench press and deadlift competitions.

The event was sanctioned by the U.S. Powerlifting Association, and each contestant was there not to compete against the others, but to try to break a previous record. They were ranked into groups, based on age and weight, and took turns one at a time in each round.

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Hamilton set a state record earlier that day in his age group, bench pressing 436 pounds. During his attempt to lift 450 pounds, he flinched, and the spotters quickly removed the weight from his chest. As he got off the bench, he moaned in pain, uttering the words, “Something broke!” They came to his aid, grabbed his arm and helped him backstage. See what happened in the video above.

Curtis Bishop, one of three owners at Empire Strength and Fitness, tells EastIdahoNews.com Hamilton tore his pectoral muscle and was rushed to the hospital.

Although his injuries aren’t life-threatening, it was a bit jarring for those in attendance. Bishop says injuries like this aren’t uncommon in powerlifting. While it’s a painful setback for Hamilton in more ways than one, Bishop says Hamilton is going to be ok, and he wishes him well in his recovery.

Meanwhile, Jase Byrd, 21, of Pocatello, is one of multiple participants who set at least one record at the championship. During the squat competition in the morning, he lifted 612 pounds, breaking the previous national record in his age bracket of 611 pounds.

Byrd says breaking the record was his goal coming into the tournament. His reaction to achieving it was a three-word response.

“It felt good!” Byrd said.

He participated in the bench press and deadlift competitions later in the day, setting a national bench press record by lifting 420 pounds. EastIdahoNews.com was not there for the deadlift portion, but Byrd said he was hoping to break his own record.

Jacob Torres, 33, of Pocatello, also set a national bench press record of 387 pounds. Although he’s competed in powerlifting tournaments for the last five years, Torres says it was a last-minute decision to participate in the Idaho Falls event.

“I was chasing the state record. Before the competition, it was around 330 pounds. I knew my opener would be more than that. I didn’t look up the national record until today,” Torres says. “I decided to bump my (previous record) half a pound or so to see if I could beat it, and it feels really good.”

Byrd started lifting weights with his dad in middle school about eight years ago. Getting to this point is the result of a lot of hard work and discipline. Byrd says that proper diet and adequate sleep are critical to powerlifting performance.

Powerlifting is a sport his whole family is involved in. His parents, Jason and Victoria, own a nonprofit aimed at promoting strength training for suicide prevention.

Byrd says this was his first time competing in a USPA-sanctioned tournament, and he’s planning to keep training and competing with his family.

“On Christmas, we go to the gym together and screw around,” he says. “I’ll probably try and break a personal record for Christmas.”

EastIdahoNews.com will update this story with a full list of results when they’re available.