DAN GREEN
thighs come into contact with his calves. He then bounces back up at a fourth of the speed he came down with and begins to A Look Behind the scenes r te grind out the squat while tryif rl g Powe Of A world Record Holdin tight as ing not to let the weight slip from possible. He starts to cross his his shoulders. Dan’s face turns arms under the bar and lets the a dark red, bloodshot eyes pop bar settle behind his shoulders out of their sockets, and after pass through the plain a brief pause in the middle of white office and into the dark the rep he manages to finish it and dimmer space of the gym; “Every gym should off. What looked like a definitive the weight room. I peer around the corner of one of the walls have a few people that max out was actually just the to find the most muscular man look for a better place that first of two. After a succinct pause at the top he then drops I have ever met. I greet him can treat weightlifting like back down into the hole and right before he begins to get under a bar loaded with 600lbs, an actual sport, and not struggles back up, making the preparing to front squat the just be treated as though rep look smoother than his last. With a puzzled look on his face weight. Before he gets under they’re an outsider” he backs away from the weight the bar he looks skyward while and makes no commotion over simultaneously chalking his a lift few people on this earth broad chest and bulky shoulders. and his cheeks become bloated have ever accomplished. Dan looks at the bar with total confidence, knowing that his rigorous with air as he begins to take two training has ensured his success. shaky steps backward with 600lbs aniel Green is an AmeriBefore the lift begins Dan fastens pressing down on his body. Dan then descends downwards with can world recording holding powhis weight belt above his waist, usthe weight, deep enough so his erlifter in two weight classes, an ing the rack to torque the belt as
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extremely rare feat for a powjoyed lifting weights more than his erlifter. Dan holds his records actual studies. It was not until a in both the 242lbs and 220lbs an’s interest in lifting friend brought to Dan’s attention weight classes. For having known weights started at a young age, that you could train for reasons about Dan for an extended other than aesthetics and period of time and having that it was perfectly safe to looked to him as a role mod- “Every time I lifted weights do so. Once Dan graduated el for my own training, I was that were new to me and I college and became a persurprised to learn he was sonal trainer he ended up so local to the area. Dan was realized I could continually with a lot of time train, and born in Mountain View, Calhe trained he discerned find new things to improve as ifornia and now owns a gym that he had the potential in the very same area called at; I think that just made me to succeed and progress “Boss Barbell Club”. The aim in the sport. Dan realized, feel like there wasn’t a big of his gym is based on “sim“Every time I lifted weights ple economics,” Dan says, limitation on me” that were new to me and I “ Every gym should have a realized I could continually few people that look for a better although at the time it was more find new things to improve at; I place that can treat weightlifting recreational. Lifting weights was think that just made me feel like like an actual sport, and not just always a part of his life and he there wasn’t a big limitation on be treated as though they’re an became more serious about his me”. Dan had the potential to beoutsider”. With his gym Dan aims passion for weightlifting when come a name in the sport; all he to give powerlifters a home, a he attended college at Michigan needed to do was begin to dediplace where they train with other University, where he majored in cate himself to it. Aside from his lifters who share their interest in Economics. As Dan went through powerlifting career, Dan always powerlifting. college he realized that he en- had dreamed of opening a gym of
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his own, and In 2013 that dream became reality when he opened Boss Barbell Club. Dan was able to purchase the needed equipment from a previous gym he worked that closed down and he used his savings to purchase a building to host his gym and also acquired the clientele to ensure the success of his business. The gym is also co-run by his wife, Sparkle Webber, who also acts as Dan’s
manager. Sparkle deals with Dan’s sponsors and often has to make sure that they do not cheat him and use him for their own personal gain, which has become a common problem she encounters. Sparkle says, “People are wanting him for their own selfish needs, or their business, saying, ‘Oh hey can I shoot a video at your gym’ or ‘Hey can you wear my shirt?’ and then they’re
benefitting from it...So everyone wants him to jump on their boat or their bandwagon and no one’s willing to give him anything for it.” Sparkle also prepares most of the food that Dan needs to eat in order to recover from training and also diet down for his weight class in competitions.
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n 2010, Dan was yet to be the acclaimed world-record holding
powerlifter he stands as gan Dan accepted that he could now. During that year Dan “ I didn’t have a high exnot compete on a serious level went to compete in Russia, with these lifters, at the time he home to some of the worlds pectation for myself. I was just outclassed. Dan said, most distinguished weight- didn’t anticipate being the “I definitely felt a little bit out lifters. Dan competed in the of place”, which became evbest or winning that meet” “World Lifting” federation ident as the meet began and in the 220lbs weight class, the lifters moved over to the was not the same caliber of lifthe ended up competing with er as the powerlifters there, Dan warm-up room to begin to prepowerlifters who would go on to states, “ I didn’t have a high ex- pare their bodies for the max set world records in their re- pectation for myself. I didn’t an- effort attempts they were planspective weight classes. Before ticipate being the best or winning ning to make. The warm-up room the meet began Dan realized he that meet”. Before that meet be- was barren, the bare minimum of
equipment required for lifters to ready themselves for the hefty competition weights. Dan noticed that the Russian lifters were unfazed by the poorly equipped warm-up room, “they didn’t seem bothered by anything, and they just seemed very, very focused.” The fact that the Russian lifters were overflowing with confidence and concentration became evident as the competition began. Dan saw lifters in his weight class but lighter than him out-squat him by over two-hundred pounds. Dan commented the “Russians are meticulous in their technique”. For Dan, this meet ended up being eye-opening. Dan was able to observe and make mental notes analyzing the differing techniques between Russians and Americans. Even though Dan managed to total
a whopping 1708lbs three lift total (Squat, Bench, and Deadlift), setting a new personal record for himself, he recognized the fact that if he were to ever scale up to the level of strength the Russian lifters at that meet possessed he had to change his technique and alter his own lifting philosophies. Dan has since taken on the “Russian confidence” from the enigmatic Russian powerlifters he saw in that dark warm-up room and does not let feelings of excitement and anxiety influence his ability to make rational choices at meets and instead chooses to achieve the numbers he is confident that he can make based on his exacting preparation.
Michael Zundelevich was
training at Gold’s Gym in Mountain View, at the time he was considered the strongest man in the gym, heaviest bench, deadlift, and squat. It was not until Michael noticed that there was a new competitor in the gym that appeared to be above his level of strength. That man would turn out to be one of his best friends, Dan Green. At first Michael felt an unspoken competition between them,“I became hyper-competitive with him,” Michael said. Initially Dan got into contact with Michael through asking him for a spot when he was bench pressing, a lift they were very close on in strength. Dan recognized Michael’s strength and saw it as an opportunity to become training partners and share each others’ lifting methodologies. Michael ended up becoming one
of Dan’s best friends, and for to this sport, often times when five years he was also Dan’s athletes are at the top of their most reliable training partner, sport, whichever it may be, their hardly ever missing a training success may get to their head. session together. Michael got Although from first hand expeto witness first hand as Dan rience with working with Dan on progressed through the ranks this project he has become one of powerlifting, from an unusually strong gym-goer to a world recorder holder in “He doesn’t walk the 242lbs weight class with a 2167lbs total. Strange- around like he is god’s ly enough Dan’s demean- gift to the sport. I find or towards others hasn’t changed at all, Michael has that to be pretty rare observed: “Dan is a pretty among top level athletes, modest person. I’m pretty exposed to this sport, especially in this sport.” there’s a lot of egos, a lot of big headed people out there. Dan is as competitive as they of the most relaxed and humble get; he’s very proud of what people I have ever met, often he has done, this is his life, but giving me advice on questions his demeanor has not changed, I had related to weightlifting. As from the time I’ve met Dan to Michael puts it, “He doesn’t walk when he wasn’t really known around like he is god’s gift to the to now when he is arguably the sport. I find that to be pretty biggest name in the world of rare among top level athletes, sport. To me he hasn’t changed, especially in this sport.”. he hasn’t developed a big ego”. Dan’s personality is very unique
Dan is unsure of what to
make of his future, with a sport like powerlifting “ you always just want to feel like theres no limit...I don’t think theres like an end place, I try to always be better.” Dan doesn’t have any plans for specific records he wants to set and instead plans to continue training and improving his strength. Aside from powerlifting Dan looks forward to caring for his family, and supporting his son as he grows up. Through his gym he hopes to spread the sport to those who are interested and expose the sport to those who are unaware of its existence. While Dan has no specific goals in mind for his future, he is confident he can overcome any potential problems that may arise. “I think I tend to think like an engineer: I want to solve problems as they present themselves”.