Former gifted school student sets Asian record in weightlifting

At the age of 19, Khoa has many achievements in the field of bodybuilding such as: gold medal (HCV) in the men's physique category under 19 years old; silver medal (HCB) in the men's sport category under 19 years old; bronze medal (HCĐ) in the men's physique category under 21 years old at the WFF Muscle Tour Vietnam 2022; gold medal in the men's sport category under 19 years old; silver medal in the men's physique category under 19 years old; bronze medal in the men's sport category under 21 years old at the WFF Muscle Tour Vietnam 2023...

In 2023, Khoa also set an Asian record in powerlifting when deadlifting with a weight of 251.5 kg (age 18 - 19) at VPC Warriors 2023 - recognized by the Global Powerlifting Alliance. Currently, in training, Khoa can lift 260 kg in the squat, 170 kg in the bench and break his own record when deadlifting with a weight of 300 kg.

Khoa said he started working out in 10th grade with his sister to improve his health. At first, he had difficulty with incorrect techniques and muscle pain, but gradually he became passionate and determined to pursue this sport.

Cựu học sinh trường chuyên lập kỷ lục châu Á về nâng tạ- Ảnh 1. — At the age of 19, Khoa (middle) has achieved many achievements in bodybuilding.

“Because studying is very stressful, I always try to finish my homework as soon as possible. Even though I am very tired after going to the gym, I still have free time when I get home and continue studying. If I have to go on a trip, I will also study during my free time and find a nearby gym to work out. Balancing between training and studying is very difficult, but if I have enough discipline and passion, the results will be worth it,” Khoa shared.

Although he studied at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted (HCMC) and was used to the pressure of being surrounded by many talented and intelligent friends, Khoa realized that the competition in his studies was getting more intense, forcing him to try his best to achieve the best grades.

“Peer pressure makes me quite stressed, but being surrounded by hardworking and talented people also helps me improve. To overcome this pressure, I have to try very hard with discipline, diligence and find the most effective learning method. I have learned how to manage my time appropriately, even studying at the gym to achieve good results,” Khoa shared.

Cựu học sinh trường chuyên lập kỷ lục châu Á về nâng tạ- Ảnh 2. — Khoa won a gold medal at the WFF Muscle Tour Vietnam in 2022 and 2023.

Khoa participated in his first bodybuilding competition when he was in grade 12. To prepare for this competition, Khoa had to start dieting 4 months in advance with the aim of losing as much fat as possible. And as a result, Khoa won the gold medal at the WFF Vietnam 2022.

Cựu học sinh trường chuyên lập kỷ lục châu Á về nâng tạ- Ảnh 3. — Khoa is currently a student majoring in Multimedia Communications at RMIT University Vietnam.

Currently, Khoa maintains 5 training sessions/week, each session from 3 to 4 hours. In the near future, Khoa will participate in the VPC Planet Power 2024 tournament and aims to win a gold medal. Regarding some opinions that people who practice bodybuilding will not study well, Khoa said: "In fact, practicing bodybuilding or maintaining an active lifestyle has many benefits for both physical and mental health. There is no scientific evidence that it negatively affects human learning ability or intelligence. The balance between maintaining physical health and intellectual development is the key to achieving success in both study and life."

Cựu học sinh trường chuyên lập kỷ lục châu Á về nâng tạ- Ảnh 4. — Khoa when he was studying at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted

Mr. Nguyen Thien Loc, Strength & Conditioning Coach, currently working at 496 Ba Thang Hai Street, Ward 14, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, who directly trains Khoa, commented: “Khoa has a great passion for this subject. When I first started working with Khoa, I realized that he did not have perfect training techniques. But Khoa learned quickly, proactively gave feedback so that I could adjust my training plan and calculate appropriate strategies. I think Khoa will go very far in the field of bodybuilding.”

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