Powerlifting After a Heart Attack: Michael Gaudet’s World Championship Comeback

Michael Gaudet survived a 100% LAD “widowmaker” heart attack, returned to heavy barbell training, and became a world champion powerlifter at 62. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Michael shares how strength training, coaching, consistency, and decades of athletic experience helped him keep pushing forward while living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years. Michael has been a wrestler, competitive cyclist, sports car racer, mountaineering instructor, musician, chemical engineer, and powerlifter. After his heart attack in 2023, he rebuilt carefully, returned to the platform, placed at World Cup Masters, earned a spot on the U.S. team, and won a world championship in Seoul. Niki, Andrew, and Michael discuss powerlifting after a heart attack, strength training after 60, managing type 1 diabetes while training, the mental side of competition, simple barbell programming, and why consistency matters more than complexity.