Child genius who graduated UC Davis aged 16 shares life wisdom, powerlifting advice

‘Instead of being the Jimmy Neutron of campus, I wanted to fit in more’


Jacob Rothenberg agrees his life has been a journey so far. As a child genius, he began community college aged 11. He transferred to UC Davis aged 14 and then graduated with a BA in Sociology at 16. Seeking to fit in as a young teen, he turned to weightlifting – a hobby that became his current career. Today he is a professional powerlifter who can deadlift 633 pounds. That’s the combined weight of 23 watermelons, 15 gallons of milk, and two toddlers. We spoke to Jacob about his life so far.

What was your adjustment to college like at that age and how did you find yourself on the path that you’ve followed?

I’ve mentioned my story in one of the books I’ve written on Amazon for powerlifting called “Raw Conjugate,”
published two months ago. It relates with starting school young and transitioning to powerlifting. I did start college at 11, to sum it up really quickly, I enjoyed it a lot. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. When I was 14, around the time I was at UC Davis, instead of being the Jimmy Neutron of campus, I wanted to fit in more. So I pursued lifting weights as a way for me to bulk up and look more like a freshman and not as much like a typical 14-year-old. And I fell into powerlifting by chasing numbers, instead of going after aesthetic appeal. From there, I continued lifting weights.

At age 21, I decided to commit toward my first powerlifting competition here in the Bay Area, that’s when I was 21 years old. When I graduated with my MBA at 23, I then made the commitment to train at a powerlifting gym full time, that had a powerlifting team and I was able to progress much faster within the sport with a dedicated coach and so on.

Aside from powerlifting, what kept you busy on campus?

I’ve always been a very competitive person, even since childhood. Aside from academics where I was fiercely competitive, I actually competed in playing video games versus other people for money as a kid. I was a 15-year-old at UC Davis playing those arcade games with Street Fighter and such. It was a hobby of mine, I was an electronics dork back then.

Jacob in college

Any regrets?

The one regret I have is starting steroids too soon. With powerlifting and with most athletes who compete on the professional level, I’ll be up front with you, most people are taking something. Knowing this, I was influenced to start anabolic steroids at around 22, which is considered relatively young with steroid use. And I think it’s stunted a lot of natural potential I could have gained by knowing more basics of powerlifting. Instead, I looked for the shortcut and the fast way toward making progression.

Are there any other side effects you’ve experienced from steroids?

No major side effects aside from a little acne breakouts and such. But know that in general, people stunt their progress too soon from being a natural lifter to being enhanced with anabolic steroids. I published a book a few months ago on Amazon, which is doing very well, and it’s the first and only book published about steroid use and powerlifting that I’ve completely written myself. And in my book, that’s exactly what I said: not to start too young, if you do decide to make the transition, and to use very minimal, semi-responsible dosages. That’s what I’d like to do moving forward. I’d really like to be more of an educator provide informative details about my experiences and mistakes.

Can you give me some numbers on how much you can lift?

Starting out, it’s worthy to note that it took me seven years of training to bench press 225 pounds and in the world of powerlifting, that is a very minimal number. I just say that to know I’m not a genetic freak when it comes to strength. It’s taken a while to accumulate to what I’m able to lift now. My best numbers in competition as of last year are a 633 pound squat, 418 pound bench, and 633 pound deadlift in the 242 weight class category.

Can you tell me, in a typical day, what do you eat?

It’s nothing crazy. I eat six meals a day, every day. It sounds a little freakish, but it’s not that much. The first meal is a protein shake with chocolate milk, the second meal is a chicken bowl with white rice, the third meal is Chipotle, I love their burrito bowls. Then, the fourth meal is a pre-workout with a protein bar and a shake. My fifth meal is a chicken sandwich and the sixth is a chicken salad with no carbs.

So what are you doing now? And what’s next?

I’m a pretty prominent author for the powerlifting niche on Amazon. One of my books is “Eat Clen, Tren Hard: The Guide for Steroid Use in Powerlifting,” along with two training manuals I’ve written for powerlifting. I don’t have the psychotic level of dedication that the world class powerlifters have. I have a full time job and responsibilities. I’d be more focused on educating the next generation of lifters coming up, so they can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes I’ve made and progress faster as a result of that. But, honestly, I’m very happy where I am now in life. I’m working in international sales. I don’t do powerlifting full time by any means. I do international sales for a plumbing and mechanical sales company here in the Bay Area in California. I’m very happy with authoring books, but my next meet will be in November this year. And from there, we’ll see.

Has your academic background, including your sociology background helped you in your success and recent projects?

As far as lifting, it has absolutely no bearing, especially that Sociology degree that I have. Unfortunately, that’s why I had to go back to business school. You have to have a self analytical mindset and giving yourself critical feedback. Knowing how to be resourceful and how to find answers in anything you might not know, related to your progression.

Are academics important to you?

Education is paramount, because there is no way you’re going to figure out all of the intricacies of anything. Put effort into learning more.

Do you have any other quips about your time growing up?

Competition breeds excellence. I know it sounds a little cocky to say, but if you’re competitive, you will find a way to win and you will find out what it takes to do well. If you are competitive, you will find a way to achieve your needs.

Do you have any advice for young adults?

Be patient – success doesn’t come overnight. No matter how hard road might seem or what people advise you to do, stay committed to the process and realize it can take years to obtain something significant in your life goals. Never stop learning. Read books.