#393 The Brutal Price of Powerlifting: "Was It All Worth It?" | Jon Grove

Dave Tate's Table Talk

Dave Tate

Fitness, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 586 Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 167 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jon Grove — North Georgia Barbell founder, APF Georgia State Chairman, WPC Junior World Champion, and true powerlifting lifer.

Jon competed in powerlifting for 20 years (1990–2010), lifting in the first monolift meet in history and the very first WPO meet. He's a multi-time national and world champion, owner of the legendary North Georgia Barbell (2002–2013), and a self-described amateur historian of the sport. After 33 years on gear, a hip replacement, and decades in the APF trenches, Jon now writes about powerlifting history, injuries, PEDs, and what it really means to be "all in" for a fringe sport.

Connect with Jon:
Medium: https://medium.com/@northgeorgiabarbell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngbb_powerlifting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/north.barbell
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ngbb_powerlifting

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Transcript

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0:00.0	There's two kinds of people in animal.
0:02.0	Aggressive as hell, banging the head in the bar.
0:04.0	And then they're gone.
0:05.0	Then there's the overthinker.
0:06.0	And they're the person that can tell you every PR foam roll in.
0:09.0	They're in the gym for like 45 minutes.
0:10.0	Get her at the squat bar.
0:11.0	But I find that neither one of those guys are the best.
0:13.0	It's time to sit down, keep it real, and cut the bullshit.
0:26.1	Welcome to Table Talk.
0:28.6	John Grove, I've been looking forward to this one since we spoke at Lores Me forever ago, like a year ago.
0:36.6	Likewise.
0:37.6	First question I have for you, and you've got to pay attention here, is, was it all worth
0:44.7	it?
0:45.3	Because you've spent 20 years competing, and now you're kind of like I am.
0:49.3	You're further removed.
0:50.6	We've paid the price for all that.
0:53.9	And the easy thing is just to say, was it all worth
0:56.9	it? Then the answer is, oh, yeah, of course. But when I throw in all, that changes the context.
1:04.5	You want me to actually take all into consideration that we're all? Like not being married
1:10.0	anymore? And it wasn't all worth it.
1:13.6	But, but man, I, I, I love the ride.
	...

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