17 Oct From 1,000-Pound Squats to Theology: Adam Driggers on Strength, Faith, and Finding Purpose
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Article Rundown
- Powerlifting Brotherhood: Brian and Adam reflect on 15 years of training, competition, and lifelong friendships.
- Injuries and Longevity: Adam discusses his severe back injury, overcoming ego, and prioritizing long-term health.
- Faith and Theology: Adam shares his journey from competitive powerlifting into biblical scholarship and ministry.
- Finding Greater Purpose: Brian and Adam explore faith, family, personal growth, and changing priorities throughout life.
Adam Driggers on Strength, Faith, and Finding Purpose
What happens when something that defined your life for decades is no longer your biggest priority? For some people, that transition is difficult. For others, it opens the door to something they never expected.
I recently sat down with my longtime friend and former training partner, Adam Driggers, to discuss our years in powerlifting, the injuries that changed our perspectives, and his journey into theology and ministry. Adam and I have known each other since 2003, and while our lives look considerably different today, many of the lessons we learned under the bar still apply.
Family, Longevity, and a Different Reason to Train
Adam describes himself as a husband, father, and grandfather before anything else. Alongside his wife, he owns massage schools and spas. Despite his accomplishments in powerlifting and theology, family remains central to his identity.
Now 53, Adam approaches training differently. He still enjoys lifting, but maintaining his health and mobility for his grandchildren has become a greater priority than moving heavy weights. I’ve seen this same motivation in my own clients. Many aren’t concerned about setting personal records anymore. They simply want to pick up their grandchildren, play with them, and enjoy life without their backs, knees, or hips limiting them.
Building a Powerlifting Brotherhood
Adam and I met at the Jax Open in 2003 and began training together that September. Before building his home gym, Adam regularly drove 45 minutes each way to access specialized powerlifting equipment.
Eventually, he decided to create his own training environment. Rather than spending months discussing the investment, he purchased a metal building and arranged for the concrete work. His wife discovered the project when the construction crew arrived at their property.
That gym became our home for approximately 15 years. We trained alongside guys like Brandon Tripp, Shane Sheppard, Tony Garland, Keith Southwood, and many others. Some of my favorite memories came from those sessions. We pushed each other, traveled together, celebrated victories, and dealt with the disappointment that inevitably accompanies competitive lifting.
The Injuries That Changed Everything
Powerlifting creates tremendous highs, but it can also produce devastating lows. Adam experienced both.
At the 2013 Arnold, Adam suffered a severe back injury while squatting approximately 930 pounds. He initially believed he had broken his ankle because that was where he felt the pain. However, the injury involved multiple lumbar discs and damage to supporting spinal structures. His symptoms became severe enough that he spent four days hospitalized for pain management.
He eventually returned to competition, but the experience changed his perspective. Having a wife and children made the potential consequences of another serious injury impossible to ignore.
We also discussed the dangers of allowing ego to dictate training. Even after retiring, Adam could still squat more than 600 pounds and bench impressive weights without preparing for competition. He admitted that part of his motivation was proving he was still stronger than the younger lifters. Today, he deliberately avoids certain competitive training environments because he knows how easily that mentality could return.
The Regrets and Rewards of Competition
When I asked Adam about his biggest powerlifting regrets, two things stood out. He never successfully completed a 1,000-pound squat in competition, despite accomplishing it during training. He also believes he had the potential for a 2,400-pound total but never managed to put all three lifts together on the same day.
His best reported total was 2,250 pounds at 198 pounds bodyweight. Injuries and the physical demands of competition often prevented him from performing at his best across all three lifts.
Still, what Adam remembers most fondly isn’t necessarily the numbers. It’s the friendships, the atmosphere, and the years spent building something together.
From Powerlifting to a Deeper Study of Faith
Around 2017, Adam began questioning theological ideas he had accepted since childhood. Raised in a Christian household, he encountered questions about ancient religions and biblical history that encouraged him to investigate his beliefs more thoroughly.
That search introduced him to the late biblical scholar Dr. Michael Heiser and his book Reversing Hermon. Heiser’s work challenged Adam to examine Scripture within its original historical, cultural, and linguistic context.
Adam eventually studied through the Awakening School of Theology and later completed seminary. Today, he serves as an elder at Bold City Church, where Pastor Jason Masters leads the congregation.
Interestingly, Adam and his wife had previously helped mentor Jason when he was younger. Returning years later to serve under his leadership required humility, but Adam recognized the growth and maturity Jason had demonstrated.
Understanding Scripture Beyond Sunday Morning
One of the most interesting aspects of our conversation involved how people interpret the Bible. Adam believes modern readers frequently overlook the cultural context surrounding biblical passages. Through Dr. Heiser’s scholarship, he became particularly interested in supernatural themes, spiritual rebellion, and references to other divine beings in ancient biblical literature.
These interpretations are debated among theologians, but Adam’s central argument is that readers should investigate Scripture rather than automatically accepting familiar explanations.
We discussed a comparison to my book, Gift of Injury. Someone reading it thousands of years from now would need to understand modern sports, medicine, and training to appreciate its meaning. Adam argues that understanding the ancient world is similarly important when approaching Scripture.
The Great Story and Finding Your Place in It
Adam is now developing additional books and educational courses, including The Great Story, which examines the Bible as a connected narrative from Genesis through Revelation. His approach emphasizes understanding the larger story rather than treating Scripture as isolated passages or a checklist for personal behavior.
We also discussed his work on Revelation, the importance of rest, and the spiritual conflict described in Ephesians 6. For Adam, studying theology isn’t simply about collecting information. It’s about understanding one’s place within a much larger narrative and acting accordingly. Our conversation ultimately reinforced something I’ve learned throughout my own life: strength, knowledge, and accomplishment mean considerably less without perspective.
Adam and I spent years chasing numbers under the bar. Today, our priorities have evolved, but the discipline, curiosity, and willingness to challenge ourselves remain. Sometimes the greatest progress comes from recognizing that the things worth pursuing have changed.
Contact Info and More!
For more on Brian Carroll:
Website: PowerRackStrength.com
Email: Brian@PowerRackStrength.com
Instagram: BrianCarroll1306
For more on Adam Driggers:
Website: BTStheology.com
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