Dan Mahoney
I love a good story about how Powerlifting changed someone’s life. Whether they found it at a terrible time, or a good time, whether it gave them confidence or comradery, changed them physically or mentally, the idea that hoisting some weights can alter your existence on this planet for the good… is kind of the entire thought process of the Garage Gym Competition.
Not often do you find someone who Powerlifting did literally ALL of those things though. Our Athlete today, Dan Mahoney, of the Working Class Barbell Crew, is one such athlete. Dan and I have chatted since year 1 of the GGC. In year 1 I put up a prize of a donation of $100 to the charity of a winners choosing. Dan won that prize and chose Special Olympics, which sent us down a path of donating over $6000 to Special Olympics in the past 4 years. So Dan’s existence runs through the GGC as more than just his lifts, but his generosity as well. Today, I am excited to share a bit of Dan’s story.
Alright Dan, tell the people a little about yourself
If you had asked me to describe myself ten years ago, I would’ve told you I was a hard-working Dad who liked to drink beer with my friends, dabble in my hobby of choice at the moment and half-heartedly pursue a bit of exercise when time allowed. I would not have told you I have always considered myself an athlete. And, I definitely would not have told you I was a dedicated power lifter.
Now, at the age of 57, I can look back over those ten years and see the slow transformation of events and changes in my thinking and priorities that brought me to a place of mental and physical strength I had never considered nor thought possible.
Born and raised in the Southside of Chicago, I’m a working class guy with a working class attitude. I work hard and I used to like to party hard too. I take pride in my accomplishments and have built a great life for myself with my wife and two sons. I play bass and guitar, used to be a competitive home brewer (before it was cool), had a roller blading phase and rode my bike often during my “biking phase”.
Through all of this, I also lifted weights on and off – not really knowing what I was doing. When my kids were in high school and playing football, which coincidentally coincided with me feeling the effects of lifestyle and aging, they would come home and talk about squats and deadlifting. I became intrigued. To be honest, I thought the deadlift was the stupidest lift ever and couldn’t understand why the kids were talking about it so much and what the benefits could possibly be.
Is that how you got a little more into “powerlifting”?
Yeah, I started reading a lot of material and eventually started “Strong Lifts 5×5” on my own. I was watching videos and asking a lot of questions of people at a commercial gym. I was somewhat annoying but I think the fact I was older helped me out and people would give me pointers.
My new interest in lifting couldn’t have happened at a better time in my life. I was drinking too much and the frequency was increasing. I knew I couldn’t continue down the road I was on.
Fortunately for me, or maybe some would call it divine timing, in 2017, I had a casual conversation with my niece’s husband, at a holiday party. Ryan definitely looked like he worked out and I saw a chance to talk lifting and maybe even get some pointers.
I asked Ryan if he knew anything about deadlifting and squatting. And although I didn’t know it at the time, this was the conversation that began my journey to get sober and permanently change my lifestyle to become the old-guy power lifter and garage gym competitor I am today.
Ryan invited me to work out with him at a commercial gym he was using at the time and added 40 lbs. to my squat max on the first session. I was hooked. I bothered the shit out of him through texts and some phone calls and he was gracious and encouraging.
Soon after, Ryan acquired a bunch of weights and equipment and started lifting in his garage. I asked Ryan how often he worked out there and he said, “pretty much every day”. I kind of slipped myself into the small crew he had at the time, which consisted of a small group of his friends, my niece and Ryan’s dad, Frank, a great golden-oldie like me, whose presence and friendship helped me feel not so out-of-place.
This random group of people grew into what would become, Working Class Barbell, and I became a regular at the garage – showing up every chance I could, which was pretty much every day when I was in town.
They didn’t know it at the time, but the Working Class Barbell crew were the biggest help, beside my wife and kids, getting me through my lifestyle change. I quit drinking on October 17, 2017, and have not had a drop since.
Dan, thank you for sharing that. I know the WCB crew is a tight group whom I have tremendous respect for, and knowing that they supported you through that transition, well…
Lets talk about the GGC.
My first Garage Gym Competition was in 2018. Ryan had decided to host a meet and thought it would be the perfect introduction for me to an actual meet. He was right! I’ve competed in the Garage Gym Competition every year since. I’ve also competed in two sanctioned events outside of the Garage Gym Competition, but they’re not the same vibe.
My life circumstances have changed somewhat since I began working out with the Working Class Barbell crew. In April 2020, we moved to Michigan. As many of you are aware, April of 2020 was probably not the ideal time to leave your crew and be quarantined alone at home in a new state. It was quite a change to have to start working out alone and become my own hype man!
Luckily for me, I had put together a basic set of barbells and was able to use dumbbells along with a short-squat rack I had acquired. As a bonus, our new home in Michigan had a dedicated space for my workout equipment and I felt blessed to be able to continue pursuing my passion.
I kept at it and have learned working out at home does have some advantages. I don’t have to wait for a squat rack, can work out in my underwear, crank the tunes of my choice and I don’t waste time driving to and from the gym. But I miss working out with a crew – big time.
I have found a new local gym, Rochester Performance Gym, and plan to become a full-fledged member in 2022. The people there are great and they make this old guy feel welcome every time I go.
What does the 2022 GGC look like for you?
I’m gearing up for the 2022 Garage Gym Competition, working out at home with virtual support and camaraderie from the crew at Working Class Barbell. My 12 week prep starts mid-February and I’m shooting to break a few PR’s!
I have recently started re incorporating bands, camber attachments, earthquake bar and chin-up/pullup exercises to my repertoire. I am looking forward to competing in the Garage Gym Competition in the spring of 2022. My plan is to participate at Working Class Barbell back in the Chicago area. My goal is to improve on my highest total of 1105 by 40- 50 lbs.
If this old guy can do it, anyone can!
Dan Mahoney -Masters 4, 90Kg weight class
Thanks Dan!
Dan runs his account private, but you can check out the WCB crew here: https://www.instagram.com/working_class_barbell/
