GND Athletes Take on the West Loop Winter Classic
Last weekend, four GND Strength Society members and clients stepped onto the platform at the USAPL West Loop Winter Classic, putting months of consistent training to the test. For some, it was their first time competing. For others, it was another opportunity to refine skills, push limits, and show up with confidence.
At GND, competition isn’t about chasing numbers for the sake of numbers. It’s about learning how to perform under pressure, trusting the process, and showing up for yourself and your community. The West Loop Winter Classic was a perfect example of that.
Let’s take a closer look at the four GND athletes who competed and what their performances represented.
Athlete Spotlight: Adit Baruah
Adit came into the West Loop Winter Classic with 4 meets under his belt and looked to make a huge debut right here at GND. His preparation leading up to the meet focused on high-intensity lifts, pushing accessory exercises, and simply having a good time while lifting.
On meet day, Adit delivered a strong and composed performance:
Squat: 205kgs/451lbs
Bench: 127.5kgs/281lbs
Deadlift: 235kgs/518lbs
Athlete Spotlight: Seamus Cullinan
For Seamus, the West Loop Winter Classic marked his first ever competition! His training block emphasized focusing on improving technique with all three lifts and getting a base of strength for this starting out point.
Meet highlights included:
Squat: 130kgs/286lbs
Bench: 105kgs/231lbs
Deadlift: 170kgs/374lbs
Athlete Spotlight: Konrad Ben
Konrad approached this meet with a clear goal: get this first meet under his belt to grow. With his time spent training at GND with his Trainer, Riley, he developed a strong foundation built on discipline, patience, and effort.
His meet-day results:
Squat: 122.5kgs/270lbs
Bench: 82.5kgs/181lbs
Deadlift: 170kgs/374lbs
Athlete Spotlight: Josephine
Rounding out the GND crew was Josephine, who stepped onto the platform with two meets under her belt, but looking to come back to the platform after a rocky few years. Their preparation leading into the West Loop Winter Classic centered around working with her Trainer, Riley, to build confidence under the bar and create new PRs to continue forward with.
Meet results included:
Squat: 137.5kgs/303lbs
Bench: 57.5kgs/126lbs
Deadlift: 155kgs/341lbs
More Than a Meet
Competition days are about more than totals and placings. They’re about the environment. You get the warm-up room encouragement, teammates showing up to support, and the shared experience of doing something hard together.
The West Loop Winter Classic was a reminder of what makes GND special, which is athletes pushing themselves while being backed by a community that genuinely cares.
We couldn’t be prouder of these four members and clients for representing GND Strength Society with confidence, effort, and integrity. No matter the outcome on paper, stepping onto the platform is a win in itself.
If you’ve ever thought about competing, or just want to train with intention, this is what it looks like.
