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jonus.ong

@jonus.ong

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BSc Sports Science, Physiotherapy
NSCA-CSCS
IPF Level 2 Trainer/Coach
Coach mentorship @enso.powerlifting

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547.5 @ 64.14 | 86.64 GLP

This one meant a lot to me.

Not because of the numbers nor the placings but because of the effort I’ve put into training. After returning to powerlifting I told Jonus I would try my hardest to become the best version of myself. Both as an athlete and as a person.

And try I did. Though it might seem rather minuscule to others it truly meant a lot to me that I was able to put genuine effort into something I wanted. For the longest time I never really understood what it meant to want something badly enough to struggle for it. With almost everything else in life I had always found it easier to walk away before things got difficult.

I wouldn’t deny that some things went my way while others didn’t. But perhaps that’s the beauty of trying. To put your heart into something without knowing whether it’ll ever amount to anything. For once I found myself appreciating the pursuit rather than the outcome. And I think that alone means more to me than any number ever could.

I would like to thank the upandcomingyappinglifters group chat for all the yapping, the APAC gang for being day 1’s and lastly JTC for facilitating me with a great place to train.

Lastly a dedicated paragraph to @jonus.ong for giving me the privilege of competing stress-free on meet day. I don’t think I’ve ever truly appreciated the privilege of simply being able to lift without having to worry about what attempts to take. Thank you for allowing me to focus on nothing but lifting and for always having my back.

The burden of becoming, and still I tried.

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165(-5) injured LOL
120(-2.5)
220(+10)🥉
(4th overall) @78GLP

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547.5@64.15
170/177.5/182.5
117.5x/117.5/127.5 (injured)
225/237.5/242.5x

Meet recap soon

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65kg bw

I didn’t get a proper peak so I probably won’t sqaut anything above 185 in comp but I’m happy with this given I’ve fallen sick more times then months this year

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65kg bw @jonus.ong

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For every time I say “I don’t think I can”, @jonus.ong answers with, “What if you just do it”. Sometimes in not so many words 🤪 (loljk Couch is actually very eloquent)

With all the travels and ECAs I got myself into last year — plus the question of weight classes lingering — it was hard to say how we would show up this Nats, especially with such a short prep.

So, the goal was just to learn how to swat away demons and compete without internal pressures.

We won some clutch attempts and we lost some too haha
But I can confidently say that demons were swatted.

@jonus.ong & @twain.teo thank you for being in my corner through prep and real life; for indulging in my therapy vlogs and always knowing the right things to say to fix my head back on straight. After so many years in this sport, it’s easy to know what to do in the gym, but also just as easy to lose yourself as an athlete without the right support.

@isquatyourmum & @bey0nshey - both of you continue to be inspiring and formidable competitors, it’s an honour to share the platform with you titans.

@powerliftingsingapore always grateful for every opportunity to compete and don the SGP singlet.

@kwladrian your voice in the crowd fuels my soul #4lyf. Also thanks for the chicken hotpot 😘

To the cheerleaders that spent their Valentine’s Day watching me lift 9 times - words can’t express how much that meant to me 🫶🏼
@the.rojak.girl
@nazmisyaz1
mielfille_cherie

P.S. Last picture accurately depicts mine and Jonus’s athlete/coach relationship

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[Reformd 2026]
My first meet as a dad.

Squats
210/225/235 (-15kg)

Bench press
127.5(x)/127.5/135 (-5kg)

Deadlift
255/275/280 (-12.5kg)

Total: 650kg (-25kg)

Bw: 81.1kg

IPF GL Points: 91.04 (-3.9)

I’ve spent the last 8 years of my life hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, to try to bring up these three numbers.

The gym almost feels like a religion, an iron temple. I’m blessed to have made lots of friends, gained a lot of fond memories and learned so much!

But I’m afraid this chapter has to take a back seat now.

I haven’t been lifting heavy for about a month, been working on other aspects of life. I’ve also signed up for Hyrox w @_hohomustache LOL (kena the Singaporean adult hobby curse).

And I’m afraid to admit it, but the past month felt liberating. To spend time with loved ones. To not have to lug around a huge training bag. To reshuffle priorities and not think about training, nutrition, rest and to be more present with my family.

Powerlifting as a competitive sport will be on hiatus. But I’ll continue to lift heavy because it’s fun.

Shoutout to @jonus.ong for working with me to finish third overall best male GLP this meet. Unfortunately we had a back tweak about two weeks out. Had difficulty walking but his masterful rehab fixed me up pretty well. We were making good progress before that but alas, it is what it is. We only get more resilient the more we mature in this sport.

Shoutout to the folks at @powerliftingsingapore for this meet and for @reformd_training for the prize money hehe.

And to my lovely wife for being supportive of this strength journey, for holding the fort while I’m out training and for bringing our daughter to see her daddy lift ❤️

To another year of strength!

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Reformd 4.0 Bench-Only Recap
3 Jan 2026

Did a slightly crazy thing - 2 meets in 2 weeks

Wanted to give the bench-only experience a go just to see what it's like. And also in case my knees retire me from full power early against my will.

What I learnt
1. It's so fast...over like in less than an hour
(Also pretty sure cos we had the dream team for spotter loaders)

2. So first lift nerves is not a squat thing but a first-lift-of-the-whole-meet thing.

3. My coach @jonus.ong is a magician cos I'm a problem child.
Honestly weren't sure how this meet would turn out after getting this crazy lower back muscle spasm a week out that rendered me quite useless for a few days.

Anyway, mission accomplished. Squeezed out the new NR of 85.5 and bagged some cash.

Many thanks to @reformd_training and @powerliftingsingapore for organising and all the volunteers and referees for making this possible.

More Bench-only maybe?

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Reformd bench only meet 2025

195 (NR)

Thanks to couch @jonus.ong and uncle @unclebennylifting

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Ark Powerlifting Open 2025 Meet Recap

After a year of experimenting and competing at 63, decided that life is more than calorie counting 😅

Came to APO to clock a valid total as a 69 for 2026 and ended with more than expected.

Weighing in slightly heavier than usual (enjoying going back to eating whatever I felt like abit too much), I was generally relaxed although a tad worried my good old knees would flare up. Thankfully they held up quite well and also managed to lock out enough for the refs IYKYK.

Highlight was going to 170.5 anyway to try to beat my total NR despite a no lift at 162.5. All that RDL during training culminating to this lift.

Haven't had this much fun at a meet in awhile!

Thank you Coach @jonus.ong for yet another fruitful meet prep and game day handling!

S - 120 / 127.5 / 135kg (-7.5)
B - 77.5 / 81.5 / 85kg (+5)
D - 155 / 162.5X / 170.5kg (+3)
T - 390.5kg (+0.5)

BW 67.9kg
GLP 81.63

Thank you @powerliftingsingapore and @arkbloc for another amazing meet.

And of course, thank you referees and volunteers for making the meet possible.

Thank you @ascendvisuals_ for the photo printout.

Till the next one (Bench only in about 2 weeks!)

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Learnt that duck walks is the key to a squat PR. Went to some foreign countries to handle some athletic people in onesies lifting colourful plates. It was good.

Thanks for the trust.

APAC 2025:

@t.w.faith
@nantharlifts
@mrhoody
@urmumlifts
@bicmanlifts

Uni Worlds 2025:

@nidelog
@lifting._.duckling
@joonkhong
@swolenovan
@_woeijin

Onto the next one.

@ascendvisuals_ @whitelightsmedia.intl

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Back in early July, we had the chance to travel to Himeji, Japan to document our Singaporean athletes competing at the Asian Pacific African Championships.

While we weren’t the official media team, we did what we do best: capturing the raw emotion of our athletes representing the red and white and more. From the build-up to the final down command on the platform, every moment told a story of pride, pressure, and perseverance, pushing not just for personal bests but to earn points for our nation.

We walked away with new friendships from all across the region and a newfound appreciation for the global lifting community. Grateful to the competition officials for welcoming us, and full respect to the Singaporean coaches who worked relentlessly behind the scenes for Team Singapore. Their dedication and presence anchored the team from start to finish.

Truly, an experience we’ll never forget.

Shot by 4 participation boys.

@powerliftingsingapore
@asian.powerlifting.federation

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