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Joshua Flemembaum is a relative new comer to the sport of Powerlifting having entered his first competition only 3 years ago. Since then, Josh has compiled quite an impressive portfolio including 6 teenage state records, 2 national records, and 1 world record.
- S&B: Tell me a little about yourself.
- Josh: I'm 18 years old, I live in Lutherville, Maryland, and I'm a Senior at Pikesville High School. Half of my school day is spent attending Towson University where I am currently taking advanced placement courses in Spanish.
- S&B: Outside of Powerlifting, what else do you enjoy doing?
- Josh: I enjoy punk rock music, going to concerts, and hanging out with my friends.
- S&B: How long have you been training and when was your first competition?
- Josh: I started going to the gym when I was in the 8th grade. My parents let me work with a personal trainer so that I could lose weight. I was rather "hefty" back then.
In 1997, I started working with George Petrides and he introduced me to the powerlifts. Less than a year later, in 1998, he convinced me to compete. He entered me into an APA (American Powerlifting Association) meet and I took first place in my division along with a state record in the deadlift. I've been hooked ever since!
- S&B: What are your current best lifts in training and in competition?
- Josh: Well, first off, all of my best lifts have occurred during competition. George and I plan my lifting cycles so that my strength peaks on the day of a meet. So far it seems to be working. I only train and compete "raw" meaning no knee wraps, no wrist wraps, no squat suits, or bench shirts. Only gear allowed is a lifting singlet, shoes, and a belt.
At this time in my lifting career I prefer lifting raw, but one day I may decide to "suit up" and wear all that stuff. So far in the 198 lb. RAW division, my personal bests are:
- 405 Squat
- 255 Bench press
- 515 Deadlift.
All of these took place on December 20, 1999 at the AAU Teenage Worlds in Annapolis, Md. I also hit a 510 deadlift in the 181 lb. class weighing only 175 lbs. back in May, 1999.
- S&B: What is your training routine like?
- Josh: I lift Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Mondays I train shoulders and triceps using behind the neck presses and dips as my main lifts. Tuesday is Squat day. On Thursday I work on the bench press and on Friday I'll either deadlift or power clean depending on how close I am to a competition.
Most of my training centers around sets of 2 to 5 reps. George sets me up on a cycle that is usually 6 to 12 weeks long. He has me start with sets of 10 reps then gradually takes me down to sets of 2 reps with a weight that is around 95% of my projected max.
- S&B: What do you feel you need to work on the most?
- Josh:My bench. Definitely my bench. It's getting a lot better but I still want to get it more in proportion to my other lifts. George has me doing a lot of bench work with towels and rubber bands and stuff. It really seems to be working. My bench has increased around 60 lbs. over the last year. I am definitely more lower body strong!
- S&B: Do you use any supplements?
- Josh: I have never used any legal or illegal supplements. I've just never felt a need to use them. My lifts have been going up consistently without them.
- S&B: To date, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
- Josh: Well, there are two. First would be the fact that as a young child I was overweight and had no real athletic accomplishments to speak of and after 4 years of hard work and "gorilla warfare" training, I have become an accomplished powerlifter and world record holder.
Besides that, I'd have to say my 510 deadlift at the 1999 AAU Teenage Nationals. The reason is because I increased my max by over 50 lbs. in less than 3 months. To top it off, I competed that day with sun poisoning that ended up keeping me home from school for 3 days!
- S&B: What is your goal in powerlifting?
- Josh: To squat 550, bench 350, and deadlift 600 all RAW. I would also one day like to earn a spot on the Senior National Squad.
- S&B: Anything else you'd like to say?
- Josh: I'd like to thank my parents first for understanding my original goal of getting fit and then for supporting me in pursuing my goals in powerlifting. I'd also like to thank George Petrides for getting me started and for helping me reach the top in the world of powerlifting.
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