“I competed in a Drug-Free Raw (no suits or wraps) Powerlifting meet,” he said. “I came in first place in my weight class (under 205 pounds) and I also won ‘Best Overall Male Lifter’ for the day. I did a 551 pound squat, a 369 pound bench press, with a pause on the chest, and a 600 pound deadlift all while weighing 194 pounds.”
Bevilacqua explained, “How you win ‘Best Lifter’ is not by how much weight you lifted but the total pounds you lifted for the day by your amount of body weight. This formula is used to judge all athletes despite the different weight classes. It is essentially your power to weight ratio. It was a great feeling to win against all different weight classes.”
On his preparation for this contest, he said, “The biggest thing I did to prepare for this meet was to be consistent day in and day out for months. Powerlifting meets are not won in one workout but won over time. This was my first contest in over a year. I took the year off of competing due to the birth of my son but I did not take off from training.”
Bevilacqua continued, “I did not miss one workout session or meal leading up to this meet. I tell this to all of my clients who come to train with me at my personal training studio in East Meadow. It does not matter if you are doing everything right all the time as long as you are trying your best every day you will succeed.”
When it comes to tracking his workouts, Bevilacqua is very much “old school.” “I track all my workouts in a notebook with a pen. Not a tablet with a pen, an actual black and white notebook. I truly believe in keeping things simple. The basics done over time will equal great results,” he said.
Bevilacqua competed on Saturday, November 10, and he will pick up training on Monday morning. “Training never stops. I do not have any other competitions lined up for the rest of the year but winning this contest has qualified me to compete at the big national level next year in October,” he said.
“USAPL Raw Nationals is one of the biggest Drug-Free Powerlifting meets in the world,” he said. “It attracts over 1,600 competitors nationwide. I plan on taking the year to train specially for that one contest. That’s where the best of the best compete and it’s an honor to be able to share the platform with those guys.”
For aspiring powerlifters, he encouraged them to “take plenty of videos of themselves lifting.” “I take lots of videos of all my lifts in the gym,” he admitted. “Taking videos from all different angles allows me to see what I am doing wrong and what I can improve upon. It will show you where form breaks down and helps you to prevent injuries before they occur. I am also a firm believer in practicing as you play.”
He continued, “In a powerlifting meet, for example, you are doing the squat first then the bench press and then the deadlift. This allows me to practice game day three times per week as opposed to someone who trains the movements on different days. My body is used to that routine so on the day of the contest it’s just a normal workout day for me.”
Bevilacqua concluded our latest interview with the following inspirational words: “See it, believe it and never stop working to make it happen.” “If you have a goal go out there and do what you have to do to accomplish it, do not let anything stop you! If you are interested in some personal training and/or powerlifting training, please check me out at my official website.”
As Digital Journal reported, Bevilacqua is nominated for four “Best of Long Island” awards in the “Health and Fitness” category. He is up for “Best Personal Trainer,” “Best Gym,” “Best Weight Loss Center” and “Best Nutritionist.”
For more information on his fitness center, check out their Facebook page.
