Basketball, football and baseball are all typical sports found in high school sports competitions.  However senior-twin brothers Aaron Wong and Aidan Shieh compete in a different type of sport, competitive powerlifting. Competitive powerlifting is a sport which revolves around strength, dedication, and consistency.   The sport of powerlifting is a weight lifting competition that consists of three main lifts or categories, the bench press, the back squat, and the deadlift.

In powerlifting you must hit certain standards regarding technique such as depth in the back squat and bench press.  If your form hits the standards it needs to, and your lift is successful you will receive three white lights meaning the lift counts.  However if something goes wrong with your form or within the lift, you will receive a red light, and a lift receiving 2 or more red lights will not qualify for your total.  In order to get your total your total you add the the successful lifts pounds total.  For example if you bench press 200 pounds, squat 300, and deadlift 400, all successfully your total will be 900 pounds.  The placements are given based on the highest to lowest totals in each weight class (weight classes are used to separate different sized lifters based on weight).

Powerlifting is a sport practiced all across the world, and for Aidan and Aaron, their journey into the world of weights started in Taiwan. The brothers lived in the country partially during their 7th and 8th grade school years. During their time there, they often passed a small, intriguing gym. After their mother asked the gym about lessons for Aiden and Aaron, they were introduced to the sport by Taiwan weightlifters.

Powerlifting and weightlifting are two different types of competitive lifting. To recap, powerlifting focuses on the training of three main lifts being the squat, bench, and deadlift. Competitive weightlifters often compete with two main lifts being the snatch and the clean and jerk.

In Taiwan, Aiden and Aaron started out learning foundational movements, practicing good form with the basics. They also learned competitive weightlifting specific movements. After the brothers returned to Norwin for their 9th grade year, they both participated in Norwin wrestling. During their time wrestling, the brothers found a love for bodybuilding which prompted them to continue to train for into their sophomore year with some powerlifting training sprinkled into their routine. Both taking a greater interest in the sport of Powerlifter in their junior year, the brothers decided to join an online program by a man named John Haack, who holds multiple world records and is currently considered one of the best powerlifters of all time.

“I think we just found a passion in it. We found that we could be really good at this,” said the brothers.

Aiden and Aaron currently train at a gym with experienced powerlifters who provide them with advice and assistance during their training. Even with their advanced training and support system within the powerlifting world, the brothers have yet to compete in a powerlifting meet. However, they do plan to compete in their first meet in April of 2025. Another Norwin senior, Conner Harper, will also be participating in this competition.

Currently, Aidan and Aaron are in pre-prep season where they are training on a volume program, meaning they are focusing on muscle building through muscle fatigue. This type of program works in weekly schedule where one week Aidan and Aaron may focus on higher repition a with relatively low weight, and the next week may focus on lower repetition with higher week. An important factor of their program is the delaod week where the brothers

“When we first started the volume program, it was so hard. We were doing our squat, bench, and deadlift and they were all relatively higher weight. It takes a while for your muscles to get used to high reps, so it started off really hard. It took a while, honestly, to get used to it,” said Aaron.

Another important aspect of powerlifting is maintaining weight. Powerlifting competitions are separated by weight class and gender, meaning competitors are all within the same weight range and gender. Powerlifting works similarly to wrestling, where you want to be at the top of your weight class to hold the most advantage in a competition. Aidan and Aaron make sure to take note of their weight to maintain their class.

“Most people think that if you gain more weight, you’re going to lift heavier, but for me, it’s really not like that at all,” Aidan stated.

While the brothers plan to compete in the same weight class, they will be competing in two different categories called Raw-Modern and Raw-Classic. The difference in these categories is based off of equipment usage. In Raw-Modern, competitors may use knee sleeves or knee wraps, while in Raw-Classic competitors are not permitted to use any form of supportive equipment other than a belt.

Even in their first meet, the brothers have high expectations for their performance. Aaron hopes to beat the state record for the deadlift, and Aidan hopes to beat the state record for the squat. Overall, Aidan and Aaron are striving to place their names next to their older brother Austin, who holds the Pennsylvania classic bench record in his weight-class, on the state

record list. For now, the brothers are focused on getting themselves ready  in every aspect for the day they’ve been so long preparing for.

Aidan and Aaron plan to continue powerlifting for a while. In fact, both of brothers are committed to the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt is one of the few colleges that offers a powerlifting club, and the brothers plan to join the team. In addition, Aidan and Aaron have considered a future in Power-building, a cross over between powerlifting and body building. Austin, their older brother, trains for power-building.

While the brothers can already lift respectable numbers at their age and weight class, their journey has only just begun with their first meet approaching quickly. With individual drives on top of a brotherly support system, it is clear that Aidan and Aaron are ready to leave their mark in the sport of powerlifting