Chad Vaughn is many things: weightlifter, Olympian, father, husband, coach, broadcaster, and mentor. He’s one of the most decorated athletes in American weightlifting history, with more national titles and international team appearances than we can count (seriously). And while Chad is best known for his two Olympic Games appearances — 2004 and 2008 — his career continues to this day in both Senior and Masters competition.
In fact, Chad just narrowly missed out on yet another national title in May 2019 — and he did it at age 39. That’s incredible longevity, and while it’s increasingly common to see older lifters competing for Masters titles, it’s rare to see them doing so against competitors 20 years younger.
Chad’s body of knowledge is incredible. And his lessons in strength, movement, mobility, and recovery have clearly built a foundation for a storied athletic career. But what can Chad’s experience teach the rest of us?
Those lucky enough to be coached by Chad one-on-one know firsthand the sort of impact his pointers and best practices can have. We also touch on his career as a broadcaster and podcast host.
Our hope is that listeners at home can also learn from one of the best in the game.
In this episode of The BarBend Podcast, guest Chad Vaughn and host David Thomas Tao discuss:
- How Chad found weightlifting in high school while training for football (4:00)
- Chad’s experience at two Olympic Games and transitioning to more of a coaching focus (8:05)
- What Chad didn’t know about weightlifting UNTIL coaching became a larger part of his life (12:35)
- Chad’s recent return to the National Championships after a relatively length break (15:00)
- Will Chad return to the national stage? (19:20)
- How Chad approaches training differently after over two decades in the sport (and why less is often more) (24:15)
- The USA Weightlifting podcast and how that media presence has grown (26:25)
Relevant links and further reading:
- Follow Chad on Instagram and Twitter
- Learn more about Vaughn Weightlifting
- Tune into and subscribe to the USA Weightlifting Podcast
- Read some of Chad’s posts on BarBend
Featured image courtesy Will Breault
