Powerlifter, 15, hopes to shatter deadlift record
Alex Giuliani’s spring break did not include a break.
"Lift. Eat. Sleep." Those were the 15-year-old’s plans.
He is prepping for the Las Vegas Open and Southwest Regional Benchpress, Deadlift and Pushpull Championship, where he hopes to set a national record. The competition is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 6 at CrossFit Las Vegas, 7540 Dean Martin Drive. It is sanctioned by the United States Powerlifting Association and is free for the public to attend.
Alex hopes to surpass the raw deadlift record of 460 pounds in the 13-to-15 age division for 198 pounds or under. There is also a division for suit-assisted deadlift. Specialized performance deadlift suits make it easier to lift the weight and usually increase a person’s maximum lift by 20 to 50 pounds.
The deadlift is a technique where a barbell is lifted off the ground from a bent-over position to an upright stance.
Alex already set a state record of 429 pounds at a March 10 competition in Pahrump. The previous state record was 352 pounds.
"When I did it, it was really easy," he said. "I’m getting a lot stronger now."
Alex is a freshman at Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School, 2015 S. Hualapai Way. He is the third baseman for the baseball team and a middle linebacker in football. He plays basketball, too, but said he is not good at it. He does it for the conditioning, he said.
Alex is a thick 5-feet-10 inches. He speaks low and little about himself. At one of his four weekly sessions with his trainer, Cameron Fraser, he works on the deadlift, doing reps of 300 pounds and moving up to 405 with relative ease.
"I make beasts," Fraser said. "I don’t mess around."
Fraser has about 15 clients whom he trains. Most of them work out in his Summerlin garage near Palo Verde High School.
Alex first trained with Fraser at age 12 because he wanted help with his baseball swing. Fraser introduced him to his gym, and the two have been working together ever since.
"I first got interested to get stronger for sports," Alex said, "to just get stronger in general and just get in shape."
He was always gifted physically, Fraser said of Alex.
"He was still a beast," Fraser said. "Just good genetics. Big shoulders, big legs."
Fraser also trains Alex’s younger brother, Blake, who is going to become stronger than Alex, Fraser said.
Alex’s father, Roger Giuliani, is an attorney and a lean marathon runner. He said he is happy to support his son because his workouts are supervised.
"This is a great compliment to what he does with sports," Giuliani said. "Part of this is doing it the safe way (with a licensed trainer). A lot of kids hurt themselves because they don’t know what they’re doing."
Alex maintains a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet and drinks a bottle of water per class period. Fraser recommends that his clients "eat like a caveman" to keep their bodies fueled. He recommends chicken, steak, vegetables and nuts.
Alex plans to attend college and hopes to play sports during that time. He does not plan to make a career out of athletics, though. Law or medicine is in his future, he said.
For more information about the United States Powerlifting Association, visit uspla.org.
Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.
