THE STORY

BEHIND CHASING GAINS

CHASE GLOECKNER

More Than Muscle.

BY CHASE GLOECKNER

My story didn’t start on stage. It started in my grandfather’s living room. He was a national champion powerlifter — strong as hell, but it wasn’t just the weight he moved that left a mark on me. It was how he carried himself. There was pride in what he did. Purpose. Even as a kid, I felt that. I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but I knew I wanted it. I wanted to see what I was capable of.

A shirtless young man wearing motocross pants sitting on a workout machine, pulling on a handle.

By high school, lifting wasn’t a hobby — it was my obsession. That’s when I met Garry Frank. If you know anything about powerlifting, you know his name. First man to ever total 2500, 2600, 2700, and 2800 pounds in competition. Former NFL offensive guard. But to me, he was more than that — he was my coach. My mentor. Garry kept a notebook full of goals, and more importantly — he hit them. He taught me discipline, how to show up for myself, how to lock in on something and not let go until it’s done. That stuck with me. Still does.

High school was a run. I won almost every meet I entered. Two-time national champion, state champ, regional wins stacked up. I got recruited by LSU. The plan was to go all-in on powerlifting. But just before it could really take off, a nerve injury hit. Radiating pain down my leg that never really let up. It cut my powerlifting career short. But I kept training. I couldn’t walk away from the iron. The fire didn’t die — it just changed shape.

A teenage boy with short dark hair and fair skin, wearing a black t-shirt with graphics, black pants, and athletic shoes, sitting on a large barbell with weights, in a gym with red padded walls.

College brought a different kind of challenge. I lost my dad during my sophomore year. It wrecked me. I left school for a while. Took time to breathe, to grieve. When I went back, I finished my degree in Nutrition with a minor in Business. I wanted to understand the body — not just lift, but really know how to build and fuel it. That’s when bodybuilding found me. It wasn’t just the look. It was the structure. The control. Another way to test myself — physically, mentally, emotionally. In 2012, I stepped on stage for the first time at the NPC Red State Classic and took 2nd as a Middleweight. Came back the next week at Greater Gulf, took 2nd again. I was hooked. In 2013, I competed at Louisiana State — another 2nd. In 2014, I made it to Junior Nationals and placed 10th as a Light Heavyweight. I was climbing. But life had its own plans.

A smiling couple standing on a sandy beach with beach tents, chairs, and umbrellas in the background, holding a volleyball.
A smiling man and woman posing together on a sidewalk at night in front of a building with colorful holiday lights in the background
Two fitness competitors, a man and a woman, posing in a gym. The man is shirtless, wearing black briefs, and flexing his muscles. The woman is in a purple bikini with rhinestone embellishments, wearing clear high heels, and smiling.
A muscular man is standing on a wooden floor in front of a plain wall, wearing only dark underwear, and flexing his biceps while smiling.
A man in workout clothes, smiling and flexing his right arm to show his muscles inside a gym.
A muscular man posing with flexed biceps in a gym. He is shirtless, wearing only underwear, and standing on a wooden floor.
A muscular man with a beard smiling, shirtless with arms crossed, standing in front of a wall with blinds allowing sunlight to shine through.
A shirtless muscular man with a beard and dark hair, wearing jeans and a cross necklace, looks out of the window with blinds, holding the blinds with his right hand.
A man and woman with muscular physiques posing on stage, wearing minimal clothing, with a purple curtain in the background.
A male bodybuilder on stage, posing with arms flexed behind his head, displaying muscular physique and tanned skin, in a black posing suit.
A male bodybuilder on stage in a side pose, flexing his biceps and back muscles. He is wearing black posing trunks. The background has a banner with partially visible text and images of women.
A male bodybuilder competing on stage, showing his muscular back and legs, wearing a black posing trunk.

NPC Red State Classic 2012

A muscular male bodybuilder on stage, flexing his back and arm muscles during a competition.
A male bodybuilder poses on stage during a competition, flexing his muscles and smiling, with a backdrop and stage decorations visible.
A male bodybuilder posing on stage, flexing muscles, wearing minimal clothing, with black background curtains.

NPC Greater Gulf States 2012

A male bodybuilder posing on stage, flexing his muscles, wearing a small black posing suit, with a black curtain background.
A male bodybuilder with tanned, heavily muscular physique posing on stage, wearing only a small speedo, smiling with teeth showing.
A male bodybuilder flexing on stage during a competition, posing in bodybuilding trunks against a black curtain background.

NPC louisiana state championships 2013

Back view of a muscular man flexing his biceps on stage during a bodybuilding competition, wearing black briefs, with a dark background.
A male bodybuilder in a black posing trunk flexing his muscles on stage during a bodybuilding competition, with a black curtain backdrop and various sponsor banners on the side.

Around this time, Amy — my wife — was going through health issues. Fibroid tumors. We were trying to start a family. I made the call to step away from competing. I pulled back on everything — training, supplements, even PEDs. She came first. That was never a question. We looked into IVF, but it wasn’t the right time. What I could do was coach her — and that’s exactly what I did. In 2017, Amy won Overall at NPC Southern Muscle (Figure). Later that year, 1st place at Battle of Texas. In 2018, she placed 4th at Junior USA’s. Watching her succeed — watching her confidence grow — that flipped a switch in me. I realized this wasn’t just a side gig. I could actually coach. I had something real to give.

I stopped competing to focus on building our life. We sold our house, built a new one, and I poured into coaching. Into people. Into what would eventually become Chasing Gains. In 2019, after five years off, I got back on stage at NPC Bayou Muscle. Placed 2nd as a Light Heavy. I hired AJ Sims (Cement Factory) to take me to the next level. Then my grandfather — the man who started it all — passed away just as prep started. I was crushed. But I used that pain. I dedicated that prep to him. In 2020, I won Overall at the Louisiana State Championships — both Open and Louisiana Only. In 2021, I went to war at NPC USA Championships. Over 30 guys in my class. I took 2nd. It was the most stacked class I’d ever been in — and I held my own.

NPC JUNIOR NATIONALS 2014

A male bodybuilder with a muscular physique flexes his back and arm muscles in a hotel room, wearing black briefs, with tattoos on his shoulders and chest, and short dark hair.
A muscular man with tattoos posing in a hotel room.
A male bodybuilder with dark hair and beard, wearing a tiny black posing suit, flexes and poses on stage during a bodybuilding competition, with a backdrop featuring green foliage and wooden textures.
Three male bodybuilders on stage posing during a competition with a backdrop that reads "NPC Louisiana 2020" and "Open Champs".

NPC BAYOU MUSCLE 2019

A male and female bodybuilder posing with medals and trophies at a bodybuilding competition. They are standing in front of a banner that reads 'NPC Louisiana Champions'. The woman is wearing a sparkly bikini, and the man is wearing black posing trunks with a medal around his neck.
Three male bodybuilders on stage flexing their muscles at a bodybuilding competition, with a backdrop displaying 'NPC Louisiana Open Championships 2023'.

NPC LOUISIANA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020

A muscular man with tattoos posing in a kitchen, wearing black underwear, with prominent muscle definition and scars.
A muscular man with dark hair, beard, and sunglasses, flexing his right arm and holding a soda can, wearing pink flamingo-patterned swim trunks, at a poolside setting with palm trees and lounge chairs. Another man wearing sunglasses, a white cap, and blue tank top stands beside him, smiling.

BUT even then, something in me was shifting. Amy’s health became a priority again. The fibroids came back. More surgeries. We tried IVF — three rounds. Three losses. It was brutal. I watched her go through hell, and I couldn’t fix it. Eventually, we had the conversation: What if we adopted? And in 2025, we met our son, Jesse. Four days old. Ours. That moment changed everything.

That same year, I made the jump. I left my full-time job. Went all-in on coaching. No backup plan. Just belief. Now, I coach 50+ athletes — from lifestyle clients to national-level competitors — all under the brand I built from the ground up. From pain, from love, from purpose.

Chasing Gains isn’t just about muscle. It’s not just macros and training splits. It’s about owning your story. It’s about showing up, even when life hits hard. It’s about chasing the best version of you — no matter what the past looks like. This brand is my legacy. And I’m just getting started.

NPC USA’S 2021

A muscular, shirtless man with a beard and cross necklace standing in front of a window with blinds, with his hands on his hips and looking to the side.
A muscular man with a beard and tattoos is adjusting a red towel around his neck. He is wearing a black cap, grey shorts, and brown boots, and is standing against a dark background.
A shirtless muscular man sitting on a stool against a plain gray background, wearing gray sweatpants, red high-top sneakers, a black cap, and a cross necklace, looking upward with a contemplative expression.
A shirtless man with tattoos sitting on a stool, wearing gray sweatpants, red sneakers, and a black baseball cap facing away from the camera in a studio setting.

- CHASE GLOECKNER CHASING GAINS