Two goals that usually don’t play nice: get stronger and get leaner. I’m doing both anyway, and here’s why.

If you’ve been watching what we’ve been doing at Asgard Athletica lately, it probably looks like a mash-up of powerlifting prep, spreadsheets, and the occasional “why is this man voluntarily doing cardio” moment.

So here’s the plan, in chronological order, because it all ties together.

May 16: The Meet Is The Point

Just before the start of the new year, I picked my next powerlifting meet.

I didn’t compete in 2025 due to scheduling conflicts with the two meets I typically try to do. For the past couple decades, I’ve really only done Smitty’s NASA meets up in Flora. I got to thinking about it, and I honestly think the last time I competed somewhere else might have been as far back as 2010.

I can’t do Smitty’s summer meet again this year, so I had to find another one.

I’ve always considered doing the Lexen meet at the Arnold Expo. It’s been a while since I lifted in front of a crowd like that. But budget-wise, the Arnold can only happen so often for me.

When I saw Evansville was starting a fitness expo this year and including powerlifting, I thought, perfect. I signed up. It’ll be my first SPF meet ever, and I hope this first River City Fit Expo is the start of something cool a little closer to home. I live about an hour away from Evansville. So when you see me tagging the River City Fit Expo, that’s what’s going on.

The Program: I Finally Chose Structure Over Vibes

This may surprise people since I’ve been competing in powerlifting for more than 30 years, but I don’t actually train specifically for powerlifting, at least not the way I used to.

Probably not since I last ran true conjugate waves back in 2008–2009.

Outside of a few brief runs at CrossFit competitions and training, I’ve mostly stuck with basic strength protocols like 5/3/1 or GZCL, then manually adjusted volume as I got closer to a meet.

This year, I wanted to run an actual peaking program.

I looked at a few, but ultimately decided to subscribe to Proven Strength and Performance. The programs are from John Haack and Andy Huang. If Ed Coan didn’t exist, I’d consider Haack the GOAT of powerlifting. I got to meet Haack and watch him compete in strongman a couple of years back. Plus, we both wear Captain America singlets, so he has to know what he is doing, right?

What I like is the library meets you where you’re at: beginner, intermediate, advanced, offseason volume work, pre-meet peak work, all of it.

After some tinkering early in the year, I’ve been running the intermediate peak 4-day split, but only training 3 days a week. That helps spread out volume on this Masters-age body.

I started with the 3-day split and quickly developed elbow tendinitis, which has always been an issue for me when I’m squatting heavy and benching with volume. That has gone away since I switched to the four-day split.

Basically, I gave myself 12 weeks to get through a 9-week program.

And honestly, I really do think a four-day split spread across three days a week is a simple, underutilized tweak for older lifters to sustain progress without getting beat up. So if you see me tagging Proven Strength or Bilbo Swaggins on the gram, this is why.

The Marek Challenge: Health Markers, Not A Magazine Cover

There’s an old saying in fitness: it’s hard to serve two masters at once. Usually it’s talking about cutting weight and getting stronger at the same time.

It’s not ideal. Calorie deficits don’t exactly lead to hypertrophy, and hypertrophy doesn’t exactly lead to weight cuts.

So yes, it would be really stupid to enter a transformation challenge, which is almost always about getting as lean as possible in a short time, while also training for a meet, right?

Tis I! Your king of stupid!

I entered the Marek Health Transformation Challenge. Do I expect to win the $10,000 prize? No, not really. But I decided well before the challenge that 2026 is the year I want to drop a couple of weight classes. Every year I get older, the harder it gets.

More importantly, I need to finally do something about some bloodwork trouble spots I’ve been backburnering for a few years.

I started working with Marek a couple of years ago. If you’re not familiar, they’re a professional medical telehealth team that runs extensive bloodwork and then advises protocols based on those lab results. I’ve worked with Sawyer Newman over there as my coach for a while now, and he’s awesome. But I also haven’t fully attacked some of this stuff before this year.

Sarah and I were already getting pretty locked in even before the challenge started, so I thought, why not lean into it and see if this keeps me even more accountable?

I’ve got to improve my lipid panels and my insulin sensitivity before this decades-long, pre-diabetes, thing becomes much harder to fix. I need to address the excess weight (I was close to 40% body fat when I started), because it’s hell on the joints, as two knee surgeries and slower recoveries can attest to.

One of the biggest reasons I signed up is that the challenge actually includes lab result improvements.

Now, it’s still heavily weighted toward before-and-after photos, which is likely what will cost me. I can make significant improvements that won’t show up in a dramatic “shredded” photo.

These contests are typically won by someone already fairly lean doing a hard cut and getting really lean.

That ain’t me.

I could cut from 30% body fat to 22–25% and you might see it in the face some and maybe the gut. That kind of cut would be a huge win for me. But the after photos that typically win these contests look like a guy going for the cover of Muscle & Fitness, or whatever the modern equivalent is these days.

Hey, I still work for a newspaper. What would I know.

The next cover I land on is more likely to be an AARP mailer than a fitness magazine.

Cutting Without Losing Strength

So here we are, trying to cut a fair amount of weight while not losing strength.

I’ve had the conversation with myself, my wife, and my coach that I’m willing to accept some strength loss if it means long-term health. I’m at that point in my life. PR or ER sounds less fun when that second option becomes a little more realistic.

The funny thing is, I’m more than halfway to my weight cut goal and the strength hasn’t dropped. I think my total next month could be right in line with what I was doing 2–3 years ago at a higher bodyweight.

I’ve done that by being smart with cardio, doing more Zone 2 work (which I’ve always avoided in the past), and spreading out the split over more time so cardio days can actually fit.

And I’ve been making sure I hit macro minimums, not just maximums.

I track everything. I have a spreadsheet with 7-day average green zones for protein, carbs, fat, and fiber. I could cut quicker if that was really the goal, and I’d probably have a better chance of winning a photo contest. But that isn’t my goal.

I’m trying to lose fat without sacrificing muscle I’m going to need later in life. Progress is slower walking that fine line, and that’s okay. I’m approaching this much more long-term than a 12-week challenge.

So if you see me tagging Marek Health or using a challenge hashtag, that’s what’s going on.

Sarah: The Real Cheat Code

And lastly, if you’ve followed along on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen none of this has been just me. You’ve seen Sarah in just about every post.

Is she into powerlifting now and thinking about competing? Absolutely not.

Is she doing the Marek transformation challenge? Nope.

But she has similar goals and outlooks on training and fitness, so she’s gone along for the ride with me and has been the best partner I could ask for, in the gym or otherwise.

This is much easier when you have a support system, and a spouse who’s bought in is the best support system you can ask for, at least in my experience.

Especially when your wife has a little OCD and kicks butt at bulk meal prepping from the protein-heavy cookbooks I buy.

Basically, Sarah is a badass, and I try to acknowledge that as often as I can.

The Bottom Line

So there you have it. A way-too-long explanation of what I’ve been doing in the gym and the kitchen lately.

Lift Heavy. Learn Daily.