Real stories of grit in powerlifting
Strength is forged in adversity. See how my athletes, from busy professionals to parents, push past their limits to own the platform.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Shweta, a dentist, at her first National Championship. We corrected her basic technique, including breathing and bracing, and she added 42.5kg to her total, earning a bronze medal. Her journey from a general fitness plan to a powerlifting podium is remarkable.
Yuti's journey to a bronze medal after overcoming immense personal loss. Despite the emotional toll and a last-minute weight cut affecting her strength, her determination to get back on the platform and perform is a testament to her resilience.
Yuti's journey to a bronze medal after overcoming immense personal loss. Despite the emotional toll and a last-minute weight cut affecting her strength, her determination to get back on the platform and perform is a testament to her resilience.
Yuti's journey to a bronze medal after overcoming immense personal loss. Despite the emotional toll and a last-minute weight cut affecting her strength, her determination to get back on the platform and perform is a testament to her resilience.
About Stories of Grit: Beyond the Barbell
You will see PRs and medals here, but the real work happened long before the meet. My athletes are dentists, mothers, and students dealing with health battles or personal loss. I focus on modifying training loads around their actual lives, ensuring they reach competition day stronger and injury-free, not just burned out.
Powerlifting is often reduced to the total weight on the bar, but the path to that total is rarely a straight line. I work with athletes who juggle high-pressure jobs, family responsibilities, and significant health challenges like thoracic endometriosis or the recovery from personal loss. My coaching philosophy is built on three pillars: technical accuracy, sustainable volume, and human-centric programming.
For athletes like Pooja, who returned to the stage to set national deadlift records despite a medical diagnosis, the goal wasn't just adding more weight. It was managing pain and fatigue so she could perform without compromising her health. For Shweta, the challenge was transitioning from a generic fitness template to a sport-specific plan, which required correcting fundamental biomechanics in her Squat, Bench, and Deadlift.
If you are tired of programs that do not account for your life outside the gym, we should talk. Whether you are dealing with a nagging injury or you have hit a strength plateau, I provide detailed SBD video analysis, specific biomechanical corrections, and competition-specific peaking strategies. We start with where you are today, not where a generic template says you should be.
Vedant Pawnikar
I'm Vedant Pawnikar, a powerlifting and strength coach. I don't just coach for numbers. I coach for the person behind the bar. Whether you're a beginner with back pain or a veteran chasing a national medal, I'm here to build your grit and your technique.
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