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Ed Coan

sports Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Ed Coan is a famous American powerlifter. Many people call him the greatest ever. He broke 71 world records during his career.

Powerlifting is a sport of strength. It focuses on three main lifts. These are the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. A lifter's total is the sum of these three weights. This total shows how strong a person is. Ed was known for being very strong in all three.

Ed's journey to strength started in a basement. He was once a skinny kid at school. People used to pick on him there. He decided to start bodybuilding to get stronger. He used old machines with cords to train. Later, he used Olympic weights from a friend. He even read a book by Arnold Schwarzenegger to learn.

He eventually joined the Chicago Health Club.

His career had many big moments. In 1991, he became a record holder. He was the lightest person to reach a huge total. This happened at the Senior Nationals. In 1998, he set another record in the 110 kg weight class. He also had a great lift in South Africa. That was at the 1994 IPF Senior World Championships.

He competed in different weight classes like 100 kg.

Ed faced some very hard times in his career. He failed drug tests three times with the IPF. He was suspended in 1985 for using a steroid. He was suspended again in 1989. In 1996, he tested positive in Salzburg, Austria. This led to a lifetime ban from the IPF. Because of this, his 1996 win was removed.

In 2016, the IPF said his training seminars were not allowed.

Even with these bans, Ed is still a legend. Many people in the powerlifting world respect him. He was put in the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Today, he does not compete in those big events. Instead, he spends his time as a mentor. He helps young lifters learn the sport. He shares what he knows with the next generation. This helps the sport of powerlifting continue.

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