Blog

Written by: Sarah Strong When we load unthinkable amounts of weight on the bar on a regular basis, we are bound to see injuries from time to time. Fortunately, a variety of tools exist to help with recovery and injury prevention.  Dr. Meena Nang, PT DPT, has been powerlifting since...

"A civilized animal will kill us all" -Unknown (I heard it from MDLP) A change in perspective can be hard to swallow but it can be necessary and should be welcomed. I was listening to The Battle Axe podcast Episode21 and one of my dear friends and mentors, MDLP (Michael De La...

There are many different ways to get passed “post-meet blues” and for some, it’s not as serious as getting ahead of it before we start dealing with anxiety attacks or depression.

By: Brittany Kohnke Powerlifting has become one of the fastest growing sports during the last 10 years. What was once considered a dying breed has now almost quadrupled in participation across the country and world wide. This increase has kickstarted the emergence of strength and powerlifting coaches as a result....

Written by: Avi Silverberg A deload is a training phase that purposely reduces the volume and/or intensity of your workouts in order to offset fatigue. The goal of a deload is to maintain your level of strength, recover from any prior training stress, and prepare the body for future training. ...

Written by Ivy Knight It happened. I know it sounds ridiculous to some but I’ve never failed a squat on the platform. In fact, I’ve actually been terrified about it. What if I drop it? What if they don’t catch me? What if they get hurt? What if I get...

Written by Sarah Strong As a coach, one thing I see my lifters struggle with eating to support their lifting goals. Meal prep companies can be very costly (thought excellent if you can afford it!) and doing the prepping yourself can be daunting. I have broken down ten tips to...

Written by Coach Ben of Big Benchas Adequate foot placement and the ability to create leg drive in the bench press is something I see plaguing lifters with difficulty. It is one of the hardest technical aspects involving the bench press. Even when you have leg drive down, you run...

Written by: Sarah Strong The following blog post is the author's personal experience. It is in connection and in honor of domestic violence awareness month. It is meant to inspire and encourage others who may have gone through or are going through similar experiences. Neither the author or the creators...

  Written by Lindsay Gray “Why don’t you go take care of your disabled daughter?” … said the basement dweller.  And just like that, the entirety of my Instagram almost got deleted. I have gone toe – to -toe ..er keyboard to keyboard with my fair share of trolls, but...

Written by Sarah Strong When I found out I was pregnant with my son, Max, I decided to continue powerlifting as normal. At that point, I had been powerlifting for about three years and a certified personal trainer for about six. I was comfortable and confident in the gym, and...

  Written by Sarah Strong In powerlifting, a powerlifter can be described as either raw or equipped. “Raw” refers to lifting with little to no supportive equipment. “Equipped” lifting refers to using single-ply or multi-ply suits to support the lifter.  The suits are made from a highly tensile fabric that...

Written by Brittany Kohnke Powerlifters and anyone looking to improve the Big 3 are always looking for ways to become more efficient and effective in the execution of the squat, bench, and deadlift.  Sometimes a simple cue can make this happen. Throughout my years as an educator, athlete, and coach,...

Written by Sarah Strong “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift” – Jón Páll Sigmarsson.  Numerous deadlift variations and deadlift accessories exist to strengthen any weakness in pulling. The following are my top three recommended deadlift accessories to build a bigger lift: Rack pulls/ block...

 Written by Leighann Dewitt MS, RD, LD/N Have you ever felt anxious, irritable, achy, stiff or suffer from insomnia? Have you just accepted this as your “norm”? Well, you may be lacking a very important nutrient in your body, Magnesium also referred to as the relaxation mineral.  Magnesium (Mg) is the...

(Photo by Aperture by Angelica) Written by Rachel Jimenez The weekend is here, the weigh-ins are over, and the competition you’ve prepped so hard for is less than 24-hours away. Exciting, right? PRs and Pop Tarts as far as I can see. As you’re prepping your meet-day bag, you may...

Written by Sarah Strong You pull your third deadlift, wait for the “down” command, and lower the bar grinning with satisfaction. Three pretty white lights flash behind you. You finished your meet. You got that PR you wanted… or maybe you didn’t. You achieved that goal total, or maybe you’re...

Have you ever talked to someone and immediately feel connected to them as if you've been friends your entire life? That's how I felt the first time I chatted with Lisa. We started talking about her becoming an admin for Club GWPL, our Private Facebook Group and we talked about...

The past year has been a year of growth. I needed to reset myself. Honestly, it had nothing to do with powerlifting but because that was such a huge part of my life I needed to break up with it in order to figure what other aspects of my life...

Written by Brittany Kohnke The king of all exercises: the squat.  What seems so easy for some can truly be a royal pain in the ass for others.  Perfecting your squat technique takes an understanding of biomechanics and consistent refinement and practice.  Working with a variety of athletes and being...