Meet Hazel, One of Irelands Top Powerlifters…

In celebration of our Fit Food promotion running throughout June, we are delighted to announce the sponsorship of Irish international powerlifting champion Hazel Hu. Hazel is currently in full training towards the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships in Texas next month! We sat down with 50 kilogram (kg) Irish Champion for a chat last week. In the first of a series of posts, learn a bit about Hazel and her journey in powerlifting…

Q. Hazel, where did you first hear about powerlifting? 

I first heard about powerlifting from a friend of mine who was doing it at that time. I felt intrigued and wanted to pick up a barbell as I have done some deadlifting and other forms of strength training before.

Powerlifting is a sport that involves the test of strength in 3 lifts; the squat, bench press and the deadlift. As a competitor you will attempt to lift as much weight as possible for one repetition in a set sequence and number of attempts. 

Q. Tell us a bit about your journey towards being selected to compete for ireland in the IPF Powerlifting World Championships…

Hazel (centre), Coach Jay Farrant (left) and Q Cafe Company Wellness Coordinator, Leah, in ABS Gym, Glasnevin.

 I entered my very first meet (competition) in February 2014 when my coach Jay Farrant saw my potential in powerlifting. With no expectations and absolutely no clue on what I was doing I won all three lifts in my division with an 80kg (80 kilogram) squat, 45kg bench press and 107.5kg deadlift. This is where my journey in powerlifting began.

I then proceeded to compete in several other national and international events like the 4 Nations, IrishPF Nationals, Battle of The Boyne and IPO Pro Invite where I consistently did well. Based on the standards on the meets I qualified to be a member of the Irish National Squad Team to represent Ireland for the IPF World Championships. My current best lifts are 120kg squat, 67.5kg bench press and 145kg deadlift in the 52kg division.

Q. Tell us a bit about what your training week is like…

My training consists of two lower body days and two upper body focused days. I train my back area every day. When I am closer to a competition I perform less volume and instead focus on heavier weights and lower reps.

Look out for our next posts on how Hazel manages her weight and eating for competition and balancing business, family and training.

Check out an awesome video of Hazel training in the lead up to the recent Irish Pro Invitational….

Are you interested in finding your local powerlifting club? Visit Powerlifting Ireland for more information.