Hello, my name is Kevin Serrano. I am a powerlifter, coach, referee, and meet director.

I founded Breakthrough Strength as a platform to elevate the sport through coaching, events, professional services, and education I learned throughout my years of involvement in the sport.

I began my journey in fitness with the goal of losing weight after growing up overweight for most of my childhood. Throughout my weight loss journey, I discovered powerlifting and found it to be a sport like no other, allowing me to find another way to measure my progress that wasn’t the number on a scale.

I joined Lance’s Gym in Chicago in 2018 and competed in my first meet in 2019 at the age of 16. That same year, I qualified for nationals in Lombard, IL, and I continued competing year after year, becoming more passionate for the sport.

As I developed as an athlete, I became increasingly involved, spotting and loading, and handling training partners at local meets to build experience. It wasn’t until 2022 that I took my first step in officiating by becoming a USA Powerlifting State Referee.

Becoming a referee deepened my understanding of powerlifting, helping my experience as an athlete and coach. This experience gave me the confidence to create Breakthrough Strength and start advertising my coaching services, beginning to organize events at my local gym, and see how far I can push my involvement.

I rapidly climbed in rank to become a National Referee in 2024 at 21 years of age, and in just the following year, I qualified, tested, and was issued the Category II (International Referee) Rank, becoming the youngest international referee in USA Powerlifting history. In the same year, 2025, I was nominated for USAPL’s referee of the year award and officiated at the inaugural International Drug-Free Powerlifting Association (IDFPA) World Championship in Seoul, South Korea.

In early 2026, I was appointed as the Co-State Chair of Illinois, marking a pivotal step in my journey to serve in a leadership role within the organization.

Up until this point, I have involved myself in every aspect of powerlifting, and Breakthrough Strength serves as my way to share my knowledge, experience, and support the sport that has done so much for me.