Maliek Derstine is a competitive powerlifter and sports programmer who has been competing since the age of 13. He began powerlifting as an extension of high school off-season training regimen and entered his first teenage competition after only five weeks of learning the competition lifts. He notes the "individual nature of pushing personal limitations and competition" as reasons for his love of powerlifting.
Maliek's accomplishments include winning the IPF Powerlifting Jr. title in 2011 and more recently being the all-time total record holder for the 181-pound/82.5-kilogram weight division. He also has experience in strength and conditioning, coaching at the high school level for over four years. His goal as a member of elitefts is to provide quality insight and information into the development of superior performance of athletes and coaches within the strength community. He believes that an athlete's greatest asset is their ability to inspire and educate others around them to also achieve success and greatness.
Maliek's best raw lifts include a 778-pound squat, 540-pound bench, 677-pound deadlift, and 1930-pound total in the 198-pound weight class.
Read his first article An Introduction to the Yearly Training Plan of the Strength Athlete now!