Amanda Kohatsu won two gold during her first bodybuilding show.
Amanda Kohatsu recently made the transition from powerlifting to bodybuilding and it as a rousing success. During the NPC Iron Games on Nov. 13, Kohatsu made her bodybuilding debut. Anaheim was the site where Kohatsu was able to win both Women’s Physique and Open Figure.
Kohatsu took to Instagram to celebrate her achievement. In her caption, she thanked her team and said that prep for the next competition will begin this week.
“Update: WE DID THE THING! ????????,” Amanda Kohatsu wrote.
“Yesterday I competed in my very first bodybuilding show @musclecontest Iron Games! I ended up taking overall in Women’s Physique and Open Figure! ????????????✨????
I’ll have more to say when I come up from my food coma ???? but Monday we are back on prep for the next show ????.
????HUGE THANK YOU to my coach/husband/business partner/bestie @teepopoola and my posing coach extraordinaire @kennywallach for believing in me!!
Thank you SO MUCH to my crew and family for coming out! As someone who always tries to be there for everyone, it felt so amazing to walk off
Stage to a huge group of loved ones cheering for me! ????????
Like I said before, having my dad be at the show was the biggest prize…and I’m happy to report, I got that! ????????????????”
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Amanda Kohatsu began competing in powerlifting back in 2016. She has competed in six sanctioned events between the 67.5kg and 75kg weight classes. In six events, Kohatsu has finished on the podium six times and has three victories.
Amanda Kohatsu’s first win came during the 2017 USPA California State Powerlifting Championships. This came after finishing as the runner-up in her debut at the 2016 USPA Southern California Open. Kohatsu added two more victories in 2019 during the Southern Powerlifting Federation Super Training Classic and USPA Lock It Out Barbell Desert Wars. Her most recent competition is where she was able to log her best scores.
During the 2019 Lock It Out Barbell Desert Wars, Kohatsu began with a 192.5kg (424.4lb) squat. She then logged a 107.5kg (237lb) bench press and 222.5kg (490.5lb) deadlift. This landed her a total of 522.5kg (1,151.9lb).
This transition is one that Kohatsu had been planning for a long time now. She was interested in competing back in 2020 but COVID halted that plan. Now, she has made the necessary adjustments to succeed on the bodybuilding stage.
Amanda Kohatsu will be back on stage soon and it will be interesting to see how she follows up her debut. Training has already begun so it is clear that Kohatsu is passionate about the sport and she has shown that she can compete.
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