Clayton Izuka in before-and-after photos. Left photo was taken on Jan. 10, 2022, while the right one was shot about a year after he focused on powerlifting.
FROM picking a soccer ball to lifting weights.
Clayton Izuka, a former player for the NMI national youth soccer team, is now into powerlifting and looking forward to competing for the islands with his new passion.
“Powerlifting is something that I took first just to find something useful to do in winter time in Michigan. But the more I get to learn about the sport — the techniques and its benefits — the more I get interested in it and decided to focus on it,” said Izuka, who is known in NMI soccer history as the only goalie to have scored in a national team game (his long throw during their Dec. 8 2013 match against Guam landed and rolled into the goal).
The 21-year-old is a senior at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater & Dance and picked up powerlifting in 2020, but began taking the sport seriously just about a year ago. His commitment to his new sport has produced a personal best of 465 lbs in squat, 285 lbs in bench press, and 500 lbs in deadlift for a total of 1,250 lbs — which is a great number for someone who has limited knowledge about powerlifting when he started. picking up weights. Squat, bench press, deadlift are the three activities under powerlifting
Based on the US Powerlifting Classification and Izuka’s weight class (183 lbs/83 kg), his numbers in squat and deadlift are under Class I and his bench press is at Class II. His total lift is also classified under Class II. There are seven levels under the lift classification with International Elite the highest and Class IV the lowest. Classifications are in raw category, which is the type of lifting that does not allow the use of equipment to help support the athlete’s body and help move more weights.
“I am strongest at deadlift, while I would like to work more on my bench press,” said Izuka, who admitted facing challenges with bench press when he first started in powerlifting. Bench press is done with the trainee pressing a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench.
“I have long arms so it’s quite challenging. My long arms served me and my soccer team well when I was at the pitch, but when I am there at the training bench, I really have to make adjustments to have a good performance,” Izuka said.
The Marianas High School graduate, however, added that the hard work, discipline and commitment he learned from playing soccer, has helped him transition to powerlifting easily and achieved good numbers.
“In soccer, we train regularly and that’s the same thing I do with powerlifting. I train six times a week for about two hours every training day. I do it either after school or during long school breaks at the school gym,” Izuka said.
The former NMI goalkeeper who finished in the Top 3 in a tournament held on Saipan in August last year, will head back to Michigan this Wednesday and will hit the gym soon to resume his training and prepare for competitions. He is planning to join tournaments in Michigan and hopefully returns to NMI in the fall for a chance to compete in the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.
“I’ve never thought of going into powerlifting, but now I am very much into it and I like how the mental aspect of the sport has helped me in my studies, in my health, and other aspects of my life. I will continue to trust the process (improving his numbers) and set goals for myself, which includes competing for the NMI in the future,” Izuka said.
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