LIHU’E — When Adam
Tabalno enters a national and international weightlifting competition, he isn’t just doing this to fulfill his competitive edge.
Tabalno is now the No. 1 67-kilogram weightlifter in Hawai‘i, with state records in the clean-and-jerk and total.
In addition, he is No. 1 in masters 40-plus and in the 67-kilogram weightlifter division in the country. Most recently, Tabalno won the 2020 United States of America Weightlifting Masters national championship, and is now the 67-kilogram national champion, breaking two national records in his division.
Tabalno broke one record in the snatch at 220 pounds, and total at 475 pounds.
He aspires to be something his clients and the community of Kaua‘i can aspire to.
“I want to set an example, as I mentioned,” Tabalno said. “As a consultant, I get to lead by example, not only in performance, but also in moral principles and values.”
Tabalno competed in the men’s 40-to-44 age division, and qualified for the Reebok CrossFit PanAm Competition, set to take place in Northern California Oct. 19 to 25. CrossFit Games events contain a wide range of high-intensity, functional movements, including gymnastics skills, power-lifting, Olympic lifting, running, rowing and more.
Athletes perform snatches, attempt dead lifts, climb ropes, scale obstacles, and lift sandbags — any movement is fair game if it tests skill, overall athleticism and determination, according to the competition’s official website.
Discovering his passion
Tabalno is used to competitions. Since the age of 12 he participated in traditional school-sanctioned sports like track, football, wrestling, and then mixed martial arts.
Then he found CrossFit, and a passion was born.
Tabalno said one of his primary goals for entering competition is to inspire CrossFit Kaua‘i clientele and to set a positive example for his community.
Tabalno built a business model based on the idea that individuals on Kaua‘i can inspire others to achieve their fitness goals.
The web-based company, thptruehumanpotential.com, is a company Tabalno formed three years ago, and continues to expand.
Tabalno’s company lives up to its mantra on the website that features a plethora of inspirational stories of people tapping into their human potential, and the website also offers remote coaching sessions, performance-appeal clothes, and a podcast run by Tabalno.
The whole website predicated on self-mastery offers a wide variety of resources and guidelines for clients to tap into human potential.
THP is a limited liability company, and is Tabalno’s main business, in addition to the Kaua‘i CrossFit, which has a new location at 3-3131 Kuhio Hwy. in Lihu‘e.
The website provides stories of local athletes and regular people who compete in various forms of aerobic exercise and competitions and have achieved their goals.
Finding a balance
Spending nearly 20 years in the military provided Tabalno’s reference to discipline required.
Tabalno has participated in the following events during his 20-year career: USAW Weightlifting National competition, former professional MMA fighter, IFBB National Bodybuilder, Competitive Functional Fitness Athlete, and Competitive Stand-Up Paddle-Foil Boarder.
He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology at the University of Washington, his master’s degree in strategic intelligence at American University, and his doctorate in student psychology of human performance at Grand Canyon University.
He is a USA Weightlifting Level-2 instructor, and OPEX CCP Level 1 Coach — Program Design-Assessment-Nutrition-Business Systems and is a certified elite trainer strength and conditioning coach-certified sports nutrition coach, and Crossfit level one and CrossFit powerlifting instructor.
With all of these achievements, he doesn’t feel the need to explain himself to anyone.
“I am at the point in my life where I don’t feel like I have to prove myself over and over again,” Tabalno said. “I am happy and content on where I am at in my life.”
Competing in his early 40s takes a little more discipline, Tabalno admits.
“I think you have to find that balance during the training process,” Tabalno said. “You have to maintain that mindset of eating right and recovering right, and you can do that in the gym maintaining a family.”
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Jason Blasco, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
