Mark Bell's Power Project 2,700+ Total, 12 Days No Sleep | Legendary Powerlifter Chad Aichs
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Mar 25, 2026 Chad Aichs, professional powerlifter and coach who squatted 1,200+ lbs and totaled 2,700+, shares his story. He talks about training methods from Westside, bands/chains and dynamic work. He opens up about chronic insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep studies and recovery strategies. He also covers mindset, pacing competition, health interventions and building life beyond lifting.
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Narcolepsy Was The Hidden Cause
- Chad learned his CPAP didn't fix his sleep because he wasn't getting deep sleep and was later diagnosed with narcolepsy via MSLT.
- He explains narcolepsy disrupts sleep-wake cycles, causing daytime sleep urges and nighttime wakefulness tied to hormonal signaling issues.
Sitting With A Loaded Gun In His Mind
- During his darkest suicidal episodes Chad describes sitting with a loaded gun to his head while simultaneously recognizing the thoughts weren't his true self.
- That internal training to recognize 'this is not real' helped him stop himself from acting on impulses.
Reduce Daily Stress To Recover Better
- Avoid living in chronic fight-or-flight; control external stressors to enable parasympathetic recovery and better training adaptation.
- Chad ties emotional control to recovery: if your boss is the lion, chronic stress prevents post-training recuperation.
