Althouse

Who are you, and what is your statistics position?

My name is Andrew Althouse. I am a biostatistician at the University of Pittsburgh, with a faculty appointment in the department of medicine, supporting clinical research initiatives in a variety of medical specialties. I have collaborated with physicians and written papers about diabetes care, cardiology, cardiac surgery, obstetrics, and gynecology—just to name a few!

Tell us about what you like to do for fun when you are not being a statistician.

I enjoy watching and participating in strength and conditioning sports: power lifting, weightlifting, CrossFit, and Strongman competitions. I perform some type of “strength workout” four to six days per week. My training incorporates several tools—mostly heavy barbell lifts (back squats, front squats, and deadlifts), but I also use kettlebells (a big iron ball with a handle on it), heavy sandbag carries and lifts, and other odd-object lifting whenever possible. I exercise for about 30 minutes every night when I get home from the office … and usually unwind with a nice cold beer afterward!

Althouse lifts 585 pounds. His heaviest lift is 600 pounds, but 585 pounds is the biggest lift he has completed in his garage.

What drew you to this hobby, and what keeps you interested?

I started lifting weights as a teenager with my father, who competed as a Masters powerlifter for several years (and still lifts weights). I carried this hobby/passion on through high school and college as a football player, and when I purchased my first home last year, I couldn’t wait to outfit a “garage gym” setup with a squat rack, barbells, and bumper plates from Rogue Fitness.

What keeps me interested? There’s both a physical component and a mental component to my enjoyment of lifting weights. Physically, this hobby keeps me feeling healthy, strong, and vibrant. Mentally, the challenge of continuing to make progress and the self-satisfaction one gets from completing good lifts are gratifying. There is perhaps no other hobby where one can draw such a direct line from “work done” to “progress made.” Academia and professional life often feel like a difficult series of ups and downs.