Wheels’ new training journey hit a reflective milestone.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
Larry “Wheels” Williams has been very forthcoming about his decision to stop using steroids and transition to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). The powerlifter/strongman/influencer has officially been training with TRT for almost half a year now. In the process, he’s documented several steps of this strength journey —perhaps most notably sharing a massive squat from November 2022 and his recent heaviest-ever deadlift while on the treatment to start 2023.
Wheels’ latest update from his foray into TRT and new strength life featured the athlete running through a full mock powerlifting meet. The idea was to test where his current one-rep maxes stand on the powerlifting staples of the squat, deadlift, and bench press. On Jan. 7, 2022, the athlete shared a video on his YouTube channel detailing said performance and his overall thought process.
Wheels performed his bench press and deadlift completely raw, save for a lifting belt, and used knee wraps for his squat. Here’s an overview of Wheels’ mock powerlifting performance:
Larry Wheels | Jan. 2023 Mock Powerlifting Meet Results
- Squat (W/Wraps) — 330 kilograms (727.5 pounds)
- Bench Press (Raw) — 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds)
- Deadlift (Raw) — 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds)
- Total (Raw W/Wraps) — 910 kilograms (2,006.2 pounds)
One of the other main reasons Wheels decided to conduct this meet was to compare his top TRT lifts with when he was on steroids and at a similar body weight. The athlete does possess higher personal records (PRs) for each of these lifts, but those were at a heavier body weight.
When it comes to Wheels’ TRT squat while using knee wraps, he actually lifted 1.1 kilograms (2.5 pounds) more than his previous squat with wraps PR from January 2014, per Open Powerlifting. According to Wheels in the video, in regard to his bench press, his lift of 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds) was 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds) less than his top bench press at a similar body weight while on steroids. Finally, Wheels didn’t hide his displeasure with his deadlift of 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds), but comparatively, it held up well to his previous steroid-assisted PR of 374.7 kilograms (826 pounds) (again at relatively the same body weight).
To close the meet (and the video), Wheels reflected on how far he’s come with TRT, this meet, and after stopping his extended steroid use. It seems as if one of the biggest names in strength sports is enjoying how his new personal endeavor is unfolding.
“This prep has been very enlightening, seeing what I’m capable of on TRT … I’m enjoying the process. I feel great. I think I look better than ever. Skin, sleep, mood, everything is stable.”
Featured image: Larry Wheels on YouTube
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).