Sagar, 26 · Structural engineer · Koteshwor
20 weeks: a 312.5 kg total to 400 kg at his first meet
Sagar had lifted on his own for two years when he decided to enter his first powerlifting meet. Twenty weeks with a trainer took his total from 312.5 kg to 400 kg, and he made 8 of his 9 attempts on the day.
- Trainer: Arjun Thapa
- Personal training plan
- 20 weeks
BeforeWeek 1AfterWeek 20Before and after
+87.5 kg on his total in 20 weeks
Two years lifting alone and stuck. Half his squats were too high to count. He made 8 of 9 lifts at his first meet.
- Started
- 6 April 2026
- Length
- 20 weeks
- Trainer
- Arjun Thapa
- Plan
- Personal training
Measured from April 2026 to August 2026, 20 weeks
- Total
- 312.5 kg400 kg
- Gym testing day vs meet
- Squat
- 105 kg135 kg
- Meet attempt, below parallel
- Bench press
- 72.5 kg87.5 kg
- Paused, on command
- Deadlift
- 135 kg177.5 kg
- Meet attempt
Before
Where Sagar started
Sagar had trained on his own in a crowded gym for two years. His numbers had stalled, and he waited 20 minutes for a rack most evenings.
He wanted to enter a meet but didn’t know whether his squats were deep enough or how to pick his attempts.
The turning point
The free session
On his free session, Arjun filmed him squatting. Two of his five reps were above parallel and would have failed in a meet.
Arjun wrote down the numbers from that day as his starting total, 312.5 kg, and the date of a meet 20 weeks away.
The plan
The plan Arjun wrote
The plan was built backwards from the meet date.
- Four sessions a week: three with Arjun at 8 PM, after the evening rush, and one on his own.
- Squat depth and a paused bench, to competition standard, from week 1.
- A testing day each month, with every lift judged by two trainers.
- Sauna after the Friday session, his only rest ritual.
- A 10-day lighter block before the meet.
- Attempts chosen with Arjun the week before: openers he could lift on a bad day.
How it went
Week by week
Week 1
Every squat to depth
The weight on his squat dropped to 90 kg so that every rep was below parallel. He hated it for a fortnight.
Week 8
Accessory work that mattered
Upper-back and shoulder work for the bench, with a trainer watching every set.
Week 12
Testing day: 370 kg
The monthly testing day put his total at 370 kg, with every lift judged to standard by two trainers.
Week 20
The meet
Squat 135, bench 87.5, deadlift 177.5. His only missed attempt was a third bench at 92.5 kg.
The result
What changed in 20 weeks
Sagar’s total went from 312.5 kg to 400 kg in 20 weeks, at a body weight that went from 74 to 76.8 kg. He made 8 of 9 attempts at his first meet.
He now has a plan for his second meet, with a target total of 430 kg.
“I thought I needed to get stronger. Mostly I needed to learn what a legal squat is.”
Most first-timers lose a meet in the warm-up room, not on the platform. We picked openers Sagar could lift on his worst day, and that is why he went 8 for 9.
Arjun Thapa, strength trainer
What it cost
NPR 15,000 a month, on the Personal training plan
Today’s price, as of 28 October 2026. Gym + classes, with your own trainer for 12 sessions a month.
Build muscle with a trainer: how it works and what to expect
Who a plan like this suits
A good fit if
- You lift already and want to enter a meet.
- You want someone to judge your depth honestly.
- You can train at least three evenings a week.
Not a fit if
- You only need a rack and train alone. The Gym plan is NPR 4,500 a month.
- You want 24-hour access. We open 5:00 AM – 9:00 PM, sunday to friday.
