Weightlifting: Varga hungry for success

Powerlifter Steve Varga is targeting a two-lift total of 900kg.
Powerlifter Steve Varga is targeting a two-lift total of 900kg.
Dunedin powerlifter Steve Varga has a big appetite and hopes it will lift him to the magical total score of 900kg.

His eight daily meals consist of two meat meals, and the other six have milkshakes mixed with eggs.

He eats 25 eggs each day and drinks 2 litres of milk. He adds in fruit - oranges, kiwifruit and apples - and drinks 4-5 litres of water.

Varga also has an appetite for success with his weights.

He broke a South Island record at Timaru last month with a total of 840kg and has now set his sights on 900kg.

Varga (36), won the New Zealand 110kg powerlifting title with total of 840kg.

It was a personal best score by a massive 40kg. He wants to add 60kg to this score.

He improved his personal best scores in all his disciplines - 25kg on the squat (320kg), 10kg on the bench press (10kg) and 5kg on deadlift (315kg).

The deadlift was also a South Island record.

"I'm working on a new grip and am confident that it will help me get the extra 60kg," he said. Varga was a heavyweight when he started powerlifting eight years ago.

He won the New Zealand title in the 110kg class in 2004, then reduced his weight and won the gold medal in the 100kg class two years ago.

Last year, he added two South Island records in the squat (295kg) and the deadlift (310kg) in the under-100kg category.

He qualified for the World Powerlifting Championships in Austria last year but could not make the trip because of a lack of finance, but compensated by winning a gold medal in the 100kg at the Commonwealth event in Christchurch last December.

He also won a bronze at the Oceania championships in Fiji in 2004 and competed at the world championships in Norway in 2004.

The former wool classer quit his job two years ago to begin a personal training business, which has left him with more energy and time to dedicate to training.

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