Emily Hu is a multi-time powerlifting world record holder, engineer, and reality TV contestant who’s been making waves in the strength world for years. She had one of the fastest progressions ever from powerlifting newbie to world record holder, and while she’s best known for her record shattering bench press, Emily’s built an elite total that continues to push boundaries across multiple weight classes.
Her profile skyrocketed in early 2019 with an appearance on NBC’s “The Titan Games,” hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. So what does one of the world’s best powerlifters do after a stint on one of entertainment’s biggest stages?
Get stronger, of course.
Emily and host David Thomas Tao catch up to chat powerlifting progressions, bench press technique, and what going mainstream will really mean for strength athletes around the globe.
Want to go even more in-depth on our conversation? Check out the full podcast transcription below on this page.
In this episode of The BarBend Podcast, guest Emily Hu and host David Thomas Tao discuss:
- How Emily found powerlifting despite having no background in strength training (1:00)
- When Emily realized she had great potential in the sport of powerlifting (3:20)
- Setting a World Record for the first time (6:22)
- Getting cast on NBC’s “The Titan Games” and auditioning from Nepal! (8:08)
- The toughest part about competing on reality TV (10:10)
- What “The Titan Games” could do for perceptions of strength sports and strength athletes (14:51)
- What powerlifting owes to CrossFit (though many powerlifters won’t admit it) (18:05)
- The things strength athletes should and shouldn’t focus on in their first year of training (21:00)
- Emily’s training volume and how that has changed with her growth in the sport (24:00)
- Prioritizing recovery and Emily’s unorthodox approach to nutrition (26:41)
Relevant links and further reading:
- Follow Emily Hu on Instagram
- Read our in-depth interview on Emily’s training and recovery protocols
- Watch Emily’s top 2 tips for a bigger bench!
- Check out Emily’s competition results on Open Powerlifting