BUTLER TWP — Coaches need not apply.

Alex Truman is doing just fine on his own, thank you.

The former Butler High School heavyweight wrestler, who turns 22 in two weeks, continues to turn over the world record book in power-lifting.

Truman competed in the 242-pound pro junior division at the International Power-lifting Association World Championships in York earlier this summer and set three world records in squat, bench and dead-lift.

Two of the records he broke were his own — set in 2010.

“I do everything myself,” Truman said. “Most of the guys I compete against have personal coaches, dieticians, all of that.

“There’s no one else to credit for what I’m doing in this sport but me and I feel good about that.”

Truman is among the younger competitors as well. Most of the lifters at the world meets are between 25 and 30 years old.

Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 235 pounds, Truman squatted 635 pounds, benched 500 and dead-lifted 680. He was named best overall lifter at the IPA World Championships.

The meet consisted of more than 200 competitors covering 13 divisions.

“The competition started at 8 a.m. on a Saturday and didn’t end until 8 p.m. that Sunday,” Truman said. “It was crazy.”

Truman previously competed in Strongman events, but now participates solely in power-lifting competitions.

“When I was in Strongman, I competed a lot more often because there were more events,” Truman said. “With power-lifting, I only compete once or twice a year.”

But he’s involved in the sport all of the time.

Truman practices for 90 minutes every day despite working for a juvenile corrections facility in Mercer and working on a degree in criminal justice. He will be a senior at Slippery Rock University this fall.

“I lift weights, do cardio ... Much of my training regimen depends on how my body feels,” Truman said.

Since graduating high school, he has won national titles and two dozen other competitions in Strongman or power-lifting.

Truman said “my diet is ridiculous. I eat about three pounds of meat a day. Chicken, beef and rice comprise most of what I eat.”

Truman figures his next competition will be a world championship event in Russia during March of next year. That would mark the first time he will compete outside of the country.

“But I’ve gone up against competition from other countries over here,” he pointed out.

Ultimately, Truman hopes to pick up sponsorship from a major company and dedicate himself fully to training “without having to worry about a job.”

For now, it’s all about getting stronger.

“In Strongman, you have to be more physically fit and it’s more about endurance,” Truman said. “In power-lifting, it’s one rep and you’re done.

“You get three attempts per (squat, bench and dead-lift) lift, nine lifts total, so you have to make them count.”