Blog

A mini-review of the effects of taking oral contraceptives (both combined and progesterone-only) on athletic performance in women. Written by Helena Humphries I have recently seen a few posts on social media and on various other blogs which claim that taking oral contraceptives reduced strength, primarily through reduction of available...

Written by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Systems I’ve caught some heat in the past for saying, “There’s no such thing as a weak lockout in the Sumo Deadlift, only a poor starting position” and I will die by that statement because I wholeheartedly believe it to be true. In...

  Interview by Sarah Brenner Our hormonal cycle is important. Periods are important. For strength athletes, it is especially helpful to understand our hormones and how they can affect our training and strength gains. We sent over a list of questions to Veronica McNelis, a personal trainer, powerlifter, and advocate...

Written by Robert King Tonight one of my students was going for a heavy lift and she missed it.  In training and on the platform, I do my best to not have my athletes miss lifts or reps. However, every lift we miss is an opportunity to learn. You learn more from the lifts...

Written by Renee-Rose Garcia As someone who trained into my first powerlifting meet sans coach and only through the assistance of Instagram friends and articles upon articles, I couldn’t help but think of the questions I had leading up to my own meet. Going into my 6th meet in two weeks,...

By Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems Fatigue management is one of the most important aspects of a well throughout out program because, without it, you’ll lack the ability to move the prescribed weights from session to session, as well as create the adaptive response required to get stronger....

  Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT Many powerlifters and athletes, in general, have one side or limb that is stronger and more stable than the other. In powerlifting, many of us have this blatantly pointed out during the bench press. One common biomechanical error that occurs during...

Written by Chelsea Nkwodimmah Listening to that one song before a top set. Putting your left wrist wrap on before your right. Wearing that lucky pair of deadlift socks for meet day. It’s no doubt that hours of hard training go into being an amazing athlete. But for a special...

We were so lucky to interview Alica Webb, and learn more about her experience in powerlifting and how it has impacted her life. Alicia was full of great stories and advice and we hope you enjoy reading her interview as much as we did! Well first introduce yourself to the...

Introduce yourself to the GWPL Community Christine Castro Federation: IPF/CPU Weight class: 63kg to 72kg Division: Open Year in sport: 3 years Best Lifts Squats - 175kgs (386lbs) Bench - 90kgs (198lbs), Deadlifts - 200kgs (441lbs)  How did you find powerlifting? I was first introduced to general strength training in...

Written by Gage Reid of Nova Strenght Training Systems I’ve worked with countless athletes, coaches, as well as various other members of the strength community and one of the most common misconceptions is that when an athlete has poor technique or movement patterns, you must ALWAYS “Deload to 135 and...

Written by Helena Humphries So today I thought I'd write about my experience of programming my training. First of all, I would say that planning down and tracking your training is vital. Even if you come off your program, or can only do lower weights due to injury - keep...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems Find a Coach or Experienced Lifter This one seems obvious to some, but many lifters start out their Powerlifting careers without any guidance or idea of where they should start. I’m a huge proponent of starting to build that solid foundation of...

Introduce yourself to the GWPL community My name is Ellen Stein-I am a 65-year-old retired (since 10/2010) Verizon employee and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady! born and still living in Brooklyn, NY When did you get into lifting and why? In 1994 after a successful 15 year running career (every distance...

(Team Iron Knight at the Europa Games) This past weekend, at the 2018 IPL Inzer Europa Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Florida was my first official time as a USPA State Referee. I had so many nerves leading up to it. By nature, I am more reserved and cautious but I’ve...

( Photo Credit: 9for9 Media) Well first introduce yourself to the GWPL Community ( Name, Federation, weight class, division, years in the sport, best lifts etc) My name is Ellen Liverpool. I am 24 years old competing in the USAPL 72kg Open Raw class. I have been powerlifting for a...

Written by Renee Garcia The other day, I began to think back to how I have gotten to this point in powerlifting and thought about what I did to get my start. I started going to the gym in 2013 at 24 years old but didn't really start powerlifting until...

  By Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems The Sumo Deadlift, much like the wide-grip, arched competition Bench Press, is often ridiculed online for being a “cheater lift”, when in reality the Sumo Deadlift is a highly technical lift dependant upon leverages, mobility, and strength in the starting position.Being...

Written by Chelsea Nkwodimmah Music is as important of an accessory to my workout as are my SBD knee sleeves and Inzer lever belt.  We all have that one song that hypes us up right before a top set or new PR attempt. Kendrick Lamar, Dave East, and Apple’s hip-hop...

  Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT In recent months I have had an increasing number of lifters approach me with heel pain during their squat and during other times of the day. I have noticed this heel pain is more common for those who walk out their...