Powerlifting: Shariq Haidery takes home runners-up trophy

Shariq Haidery

Shariq Haidery, 16, from Rochdale was runner-up in the 83kg class at the Powerlifting Championships held last week.

Across the three disciplines of squat, deadlift and bench press, Shariq lifted an impressive total of nearly 400kg, finishing in second place and taking home the runners-up trophy.

Shariq, a pupil at Manchester Grammar School (MGS) and a member of the School’s newly-founded Powerlifting Club, has been on a bulking-up diet of an eye-watering 4,500 calories a day, rivalling that of wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

He is now cutting his calories down to remain in the lower weight categories for competitions, with a clean diet consisting mainly of chicken and rice.

His daily routine involves a busy school day with training in the school’s gym at lunch time, homework until 8pm, evening meal, back to his local gym to work out, before finishing with another meal and then bed.

He said: “I was really happy to come second, although I know I can lift more.

“I’ve been lifting for about a year, and I really enjoy not only lifting the weights but knowing I’m getting stronger each time. I look at it as a journey and hopefully I can get stronger and lift even heavier weights.”

Shariq now has his sights on increasing his deadlift to 200kg and competing in the national finals later this year.