Thomas V. - 1st Place in 110kg M1 | USPA Smash Weight Open X

• Thomas enjoyed a string of personal records in his first powerlifting meet with a 358lb squat, 254lb bench press, and 452lb deadlift. As an active father who had only taken up strength training in a few years prior, his progress is a testament to his dedication to training.

Gail E. - 1st Place in 100kg+ M3| USAPL Exceed Full Send Classic II

• Gail had a fantastic second powerlifting meet. She again competed in the push/pull division and walked away with a competition best bench press and matched her previous deadlift from last competition. Bench press came first, where Gail bench pressed 116lb for a 5lb personal record, both in and out of competition. When Gail needs to grind out a lift, she can tap into that skill very well - and that rep was quite the grind. She finished with a 187lb deadlift on the third after missing the same weight on her second attempt from a grip issue. We played it safe and opted to repeat 187lb for the third attempt and it flew. Great work, Gail!

Jeffrey C. - 6th Place in 100kg Open | USAPL Hidden Strength Brawl

• Jeff competed in his first powerlifting meet just one year after picking up a barbell. While I’m proud of the effort on the day, we both know it was not the meet Jeff was looking for. The squat event went off without a hitch, receiving zero red lights throughout and going 3 for 3, finishing with a 330lb squat. Third attempt on bench press looked to be just 2.5kg too heavy - Jeff fought hard for a what would have been a bench press PR at 253lb, and ultimately missed. This meant he would have to stretch even further on his third deadlift attempt to reach his goal of a 1,000lb total. After a smooth 402lb, I was confident Jeff could hit 440lb and fulfill the plan - but I was proven wrong when the bar got stuck just as it was passing the knees. Jeff finished with a 964lb total on 7/9 attempts. Not a bad day by any means, and it takes guts to put yourself out there after just 1 year of training. The 1,000lb total will fall soon.

Jami E. - 1st Place in 82.5kg Open | USAPL Thanksgiving Throwdown

• Jami crushed her first powerlifting meet. She came in first place in the 82.5kg Open with a 248lb squat, 143lb bench press, and 352lb deadlift. Jami successfully completed 8 out of 9 attempts, her only miss being a hard fought 155lb bench press. Her nerves were high, and I'm proud she was able to stay focused, use them to her advantage, and land a first place finish.

Ella L. - 1st Place in 67.5kg T3 | USAPL Thanksgiving Throwdown

• At our third meet together, Ella saw more improvement and continued to build her total, even qualifying for USA Powerlifting Nationals! She achieved a 655lb total, which was a 22lb PR compared to her previous and highest total. All with a massive squat PR at 265lbs, a bench press PR at 110lb, and a 281lb deadlift to round out a perfect day 9/9 day. Ella’s growth as a competitor has been great to watch and be a part of.

Kazumo W. - 4th Place in 56kg Open | USAPL Thanksgiving Throwdown

• Kazumo did a great job her first powerlifting meet. This competition took place in November of 2023, but prior to January 2023 Kazumo had never performed a barbell squat, bench press, or deadlift. To have the mental strength to step on the platform after just 11 months of training is a formidable accomplishment itself. With a 154lb squat, 88lb bench press, and 209lb deadlift, Kazumo achieved a 451lb total.

Gail E. - 1st Place in 100kg M2 | USAPL Hidden Strength Showdown

• Gail set a California bench press record of 110lb in her first ever meet. She participated in the push/pull division, pulling a 187lb deadlift on her third attempt, which gave her a perfect 6 for 6 day. Gail says that she knows that powerlifting is the best thing she did for herself in retirement.

Rida H. - 1st Place in 75kg M1 | USPA Rise Above Fitness

Open

• Rida overcame her nerves and had a blast going 8/9 in her first ever powerlifting meet. While the nerves masked her strength, we played it smart and picked numbers that Rida would be confident loading. She performed a 154lb squat, 88lb bench press, and a big 248lb deadlift. While she took home a gold medal, competing at all and getting out of her comfort zone were major wins!

Brian P. - 4th Place in 100kg Open | USPA Rise Above Fitness Open

• Brian hit a stellar 1,215lb total while making 8/9 attempts. He came in strong as ever and chipped his best gym squat for a 452lb PR on his third attempt. Third attempt on bench was the only truly risky number we took that day at 319lb, and he unfortunately missed after nailing a smooth 297lb second attempt. Brian successfully completed all 3 deadlift attempts, matching his all time deadlift PR at 463lb. All while staying cool and showing sharp technical execution.

Ella L. - 1st Place in 67kg T2 | USAPL SoCal Showdown 2

• With only a 3 month turnaround from her first meet, Ella still saw improvement in the squat and bench press, narrowly missing a 286lb deadlift, while still hitting an 11lb total PR at 633lb. Her 259 squat was the highlight of the day, while the 110lb bench press continued to evade us on the third attempt. With a more conservative attempt selection on bench press and adjustments to deadlift programming in training, next meet will be much improved.

Ella L. - 1st Place in 67kg T2 | USAPL Hidden Strength Brawl

• This was Ella’s first ever powerlifting meet at just 17 years old, and showed potential for a bright future as a T3 and Junior lifter. She successfully completed all 3 squats, finishing with a 248lb squat. Bench press did not go as we expected it to. Ella had hit a 110lb single in the gym recently - we opened with 99lb expecting to match or surpass 110lb. Her opener moved well, but her second attempt at 104 pounds got stuck halfway through the lift. Instead of attempting it again and potentially going into deadlifts frustrated and dejected after 2 missed attempts in a row, we chose to scratch the 3rd attempt and regroup. Ella finished the day on a high note with a PR deadlift of 275lb and with more pounds in the tank.