With a 405-pound bench press, a 585-pound squat and a 565-pound deadlift, junior Dylan Smith is the sitting 5A state champion in powerlifting. Smith began powerlifting after he committed to living a healthy lifestyle.

After struggling with weight management during his childhood, Smith began living healthier when he was around 10 years old. He said that at the time, he was unhappy with his body. After getting a weight set for Christmas, he started setting goals to lose weight and build muscles.

Smith’s initial goals were too difficult to begin with, ultimately causing issues.

“At first, I went a little too quick. I lost a lot of weight really quickly,” Smith said. “Over the next few years I learned how to slow down and do things a little bit more intelligently, more safely.”

Smith has since adjusted his diet and workout regimen to better suit his weight loss and fitness plans. He spends two to three hours at the gym each day and around one to two hours cooking himself meals with ingredients like oats, rice, potatoes and lean meats. This constant planning and time devotion is what helped Smith set a state record and win two state titles in a row.

“Really, [those achievements] just set me up to set new goals,” Smith said. “I’m always excited to meet a new goal, but then unfortunately … once you meet a goal, you have to set a new one.”

Besides working on improving his personal growth, Smith is also a personal trainer at iRISE Performance in Lenexa. He enjoys this particularly, since a large part of his passion for fitness is helping others transform themselves like he was able to do for himself.

“I like that I can motivate people to get in shape,” Smith said. “I don’t really promote bodybuilding or powerlifting, but just overall fitness. Helping people start their healthy lifestyles is exciting for me.”

Junior Blaine Boudreaux works out and competes with Smith regularly. Since they began lifting together freshman year, Boudreaux  has enjoyed working out with Smith.

“He just really knows what he’s doing,” Boudreaux said. “He’s a real smart guy. He’s not just a meathead.”

After winning his state titles and competing in multiple powerlifting competitions this past winter, Smith is now preparing to compete in his first-ever bodybuilding show this summer. Bodybuilding has always been an underlying theme in his goals and progress in powerlifting. Smith also hopes to continue his lifestyle into the future.

“I’m going to try to do it in a safe and healthy way that allows me to continue for my whole life,” Smith said. “I hope I still enjoy this when I’m 40 or 50. A lot of guys will get injured but I’ve just got to stay safe.”