Instead of crunching numbers, a doctoral student in mathematics at Dartmouth College will be pumping iron at the 2025 USA Powerlifting Massachusetts State Championships on Sunday in an effort to qualify for next year’s national championships.
Haochen Wu, 29, of Lebanon, will be among nearly 200 competitors taking part in the two-day event that begins on Saturday in Natick, Mass.
At the competition, Wu, who is in the 90 kg. weight division, will squat, bench press, and deadlift.
If his heaviest successful lifts out of three attempts in each discipline combine to match or exceed 717.5 kg, he qualifies for the 2026 USA Powerlifting National Championships in Lombard, Ill, this June.
Wu, who started powerlifting in 2021, initially lifted to stay healthy and find a workout schedule that fit well with his obligations as a graduate student.
But once he started competing, Wu got the powerlifting bug.
“After competing, I realized the community of powerlifting is very supportive, so we push each other to become better, so then I just became more and more interested in this,” said Wu, who has competed seven or eight times over the years.
Additionally, Wu said the “rigorous, meticulous discipline” aspects of the sport aligned with his research and personality.
Preparations for Sunday’s lifts have been underway for several months, during which Wu has been coached by Eric Lapointe, who runs the Odyssey Barbell Club in Salem, N.H.
Lapointe, who has been coaching for 10 years, has assisted Wu for almost a year.
“Since we started working together, he has made nothing but progress,” Lapointe said.
As part of the coaching, Wu has a program that involves training four times a week with heavy weights and low reps, along with other exercises, which he completes at Plotkin Fitness on Miracle Mile in Lebanon. The results and videos are sent back to Lapointe.
At Plotkin, Wu stands out for his politeness and his consistency, owner Aaron Plotkin said.
“We all kind of consider him the most polite and respectful member of the gym,” said Plotkin. “Even though he’s the guy in there squatting 500-600 pounds, he’s the first one to ask if he’s in somebody’s way or if he can help.”
While Wu’s politeness and respectfulness stand out to Plotkin, another clear attribute of his, as his coach points out, is discipline.
“He’ll take everything very seriously and make sure he checks all his boxes,” Lapointe said.
Wu was complimentary of the community at Plotkin Fitness for their support, whether it be spotting him or offering encouragement.
“I think I’m fully well prepared for this competition,” Wu said.
As Sunday approaches, those around Wu are confident he’ll deliver a performance worthy of national championship qualification.
“I’m very confident in him,” Lapointe said. “I feel really good about it. We are cutting it a little bit close, like it would have to be a good day, but not even necessarily like an impossible day or a lucky day by any means. It should be there.”
Plotkin pointed to Wu’s methodical nature in his preparations and the strength gains he’s made this year.
“I personally think he’s going to do extremely well,” he said. “The weight that he is capable of lifting at his bodyweight is very impressive.”
Wu said Sunday is probably his last shot at qualifying for next year’s national championships, given the timing of the New Hampshire State Championships, which do not occur until March.
Wu said this is the most confident he has felt in his preparations.
“I feel the momentum already because the prep was very successful,” he said.