The BOSM English Press reached out to Aakash Bist, the captain of the powerlifting team, to talk about the team’s prospects this year. 

Powerlifting is a strength sport involving three different lifts: squat, deadlift, and bench press. The sum of the weight lifted in all three events determines the final rank of the players. Powerlifting is generally thought of as an individual sport, but Aakash does not agree with that notion. Having been to many different competitions, he opined that the presence of a team produces positive energy. He feels as if he can lift ten additional kilograms when his teammates are cheering him on.

When asked about the team’s training regimen, Aakash said that it is quite varied. Some days are reserved for building strength, for which the load is increased the number of repetitions is lowered. This makes for a short but intense workout. Other days are for hypertrophy, for which the number of repetitions is increased, making for a more prolonged workout. This year, the addition of a new category of bodybuilding has caused a change in the training regimen of the team. Bodybuilders have to also focus on their posing and therefore, must train separately for that. The team does heavy lifting in the evening and cardio and bodybuilding in the morning. In his opinion, having a dedicated coach for the team this year has helped them train better and more efficiently. Aakash feels that Malviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur (MNIT) is by far BITS’ greatest competitor. He added that B K Birla Institute of Engineering Technology also performed very well last BOSM.

Talking about the powerlifting team’s past achievements, Aakash said that they have been successful in both BOSM and outstation competitions. At sports meets held at MNIT and IIT Roorkee, the team bagged four gold, two silver, two bronze and two gold, two silver and one bronze medal respectively. Even though they did not fare as well in IIT Bombay, winning only one gold and one bronze medal, Aakash felt that it was a good learning experience for the team nonetheless. 

Recruitments for the powerlifting team are unorthodox. The team spots students who do regular weight training in the gymnasium and approach them informally. Formal trials are conducted after BOSM. 

Aakash said that even though he had been fascinated by powerlifting since his first year, he never took it up until his second year. He had always associated the gym with the idea of losing weight, but after joining powerlifting, he realised that there are many other goals and targets that he can set for himself physically.  Even though Aakash does not intend on taking up the sport professionally after college, he would continue to pursue it as a hobby.

In Aakash’s opinion, being captain is a hectic job. Apart from taking out time for his training, he also has to take out time for the team and be on the lookout for potential recruits. Amidst all this, he also has to juggle academics and internships. Nevertheless, he is finding it to be a good learning experience, and he is getting by with scheduling his day properly.