Rowan O’Malley is a weightlifting phenom known as the ‘World’s Strongest Schoolboy.’ In a recent interview with This Morning, O’Malley revealed that he started lifting weights as a one-year-old and continues to eye a future in powerlifting. Fueling his efforts at the gym, O’Malley regularly consumes an average of 3,000 calories daily.
Despite leading a busy schedule with grade school classes, O’Malley refuses to let the obligations hold him back from getting under some heavy weight. Having taken social media by storm, the 10-year-old continues to defy expectations with a number of impressive lifts, whether it be a squat, deadlift, or bench press. He has ambitious plans for the future as he intends to test himself as a powerlifter in the UK once he turns 12 years old.
Rowan O’Malley Talks Road to Becoming a World-Record Powerlifter at 10 Years Old
According to O’Malley, he began powerlifting at a very young age but started with no weight to become accustomed to the movements.
“I started with no weights, just the techniques so I could know what I was doing first,” said The World’s Strongest Schoolboy O’Malley. ‘I deadlifted the world record for a 10-year-old and I was nine, and that’s when it first started to get a bit serious.”
With the ability to lift twice his body weight, Rowan continues to pick up multiple powerlifting records. As it stands, O’Malley is already the strongest 10-year-old under 56 kilograms of all time. But he’s not the only impressive powerlifter making headlines at 10. Rory Van Ulft is known for her deadlifting strength, Jordan Mica, a USAPL record-holder, is another child who has drawn praise for his epic feats of power.
Is Strength Training and Weightlifting OK for Kids?
Whether or not powerlifting is a suitable activity for children is up for debate depending on who you ask. Some believe strength training can pose some risks to children and adolescents who are not supervised, as their bones are not fully developed. However, others contend that weightlifting is an effective way for kids to enhance physical fitness and well-being. Strength training also provides a host of benefits to children, such as enhanced body composition, strength, and power.
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As for Rowan O’Malley, he’s yet to suffer from any injuries during his budding powerlifting career. With time and youth on his side, O’Malley has no intention of putting his dream on hold and will continue to aim for personal and world records.
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