Sports bra, booty shorts and hair flips. That alone should tell you how Amanda Kohatsu owns who she is. From domestic violence, to exercise addiction, to a life changing back injury, Amanda has evolved into a woman who doesn’t sit back and watch life crumble before her. She is a successful personal trainer who pushes the envelope and challenges stereotypes by deadlifting over 420lbs in hoop earrings, red lipstick and traps like meat hooks.

Amanda shares heart wrenching stories of struggling with her self-image and how that behavior brought her to a crossroads. Listen how she found confidence in powerlifting while training for performance, rather than to be skinny. Learn her secrets on being a social media influencer and why her posts speak to the everyday person. 

In this episode, Amanda and I relate the benefits of working in the cosmetic industry and being a personal trainer. We also give tips on how to sell yourself as a female personal trainer. You’ll learn our thoughts on social media and the business of fitness as well as what it takes to actually market yourself as a trainer. Listen as we discuss:

• Her evolution from youth to adulthood
• Tipping point where she escaped domestic violence
• How fitness became her new obsession
• Hurting her back and how that was the toughest lesson she learned
• Crossfit’s influence on barbell to the masses
• Reebok ad feature
• My husband dropping by to say hi
• Relating makeup experience to being a trainer
• Content for your potential client rather than your peers
• Inspiration for “Strength Comes In All Sizes”

Featured Guest/People Mentioned:

• Amanda Kohatsu (@haparican)
• Tolulope Popoola (@teepopoola)
• Feed Me Fight Me (@feedmefightme)
• “Strength Comes In All Sizes” Shirt (https://feedmefightme.com/product/strength-comes-in-all-sizes-by-haparican-unisex/)
• Meg Squats (@megsquats)
• MAC Cosmetics (@maccosmetics)

If you enjoy the show, please take a few minutes to Rate & Review us on iTunes. Your reviews help the podcast grow!

This episode is brought to you by Core Strength & Performance. Core’s community is built on the journey. We understand that it takes more than a few days to reach your goals of building stronger relationships, stronger bodies, and stronger minds. Free Open Gym offered every Saturday from 9-11am for Powerlifting & Strength Sports. Visit www.Core256.com for more information or find us on Instagram at @CoreSandP n Facebook @CoreSandP

If you have any questions, use the hashtag #TheFutureIsFemalePowerlifting and shoot them my way on Instagram or email [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in and subscribing. I appreciate every one of you that takes the time to listen.

Episode Transcript

— Speaker 0 00:00 Picture this

Speaker 1 00:02 <inaudible>

Speaker 2 00:07 everybody was on the edge of their seats. She’s about to open up with the

world record in the one 48 class. It was Epic. Phones were everywhere. It was crazy.

Speaker 1 00:16 <inaudible>

Speaker 3 00:38 welcome to the future is female power lifting the show where women of all

strings can explore the world of female power lifting. I am your host, Heidi Denelle, a 60 kilo

power lifting gym owner. And each episode we bring you an inspiring interview for message to

help you unlock your true inner strength potential. Thanks for tuning in.

Speaker 0 01:04 Aloha, my beautiful friends and welcome back. We are on episode number

33 and this one in particular was the most special because I got to do something a little different.

And so if you listen to this show you’ve heard most of the time I just interview amazing

powerlifting women and I get to tell a little bit of their story and be a part of their story. And this

time I got to talk to so many women from the a mentally and it was a mazing. I had such a great

time. This was probably one of the most fun meets I’ve ever been a part of. And uh, you know,

the energy there was amazing. The people there were kind, welcoming. Um, there was just a lot

of like amazing hardcore lifters. And what I mean is like, you have people who could lift a ton

and then you had some that were just starting out.

Speaker 0 02:00 It was amazing. I was really sort of moved by everybody that was there and

I felt super privileged to tell their story. And if you listen to me now, I’m still missing my voice.

That last night I was there. Um, you know, the, I was yelling so much for almost everybody. I

was like, man, good thing I don’t have to do any more interviews cause I was, so my voice was

gone. But just to recap a little bit about the eight man Alito was a different kind of meat than

we’ve normally seen. So instead of having a Wilke score, I’m determining the winner by wilt

score. And that’s normally your body weight put into an equation. And, um, with the amount that

you’ve lifted in, that gives you a number. So that number usually is what, you know, whoever

wins in this case, what they did is they split people up into division.

Speaker 0 02:46 So there was a lightweight, a middle way. I think there was a, um, a light

heavy for men. You could have me wrong, there was two divisions for men too. So we had a one

48 and under for the women and one 48 and one 48.5 and above. So it was totally different and

it was about the amount that you could lift the total within that a weight class. So it was really

cool because you had a lot of women who weren’t doing weight cuts. I didn’t get to interview

everybody. Um, I was really happy though for the women that I did get to interview because you

be, as you’ll hear, it was awesome. We really got to sit down and I swear I cried at least three

times and it’s just tells you the kind of, the kind of person that I am. I, I, I get so involved and so

I’m emotionally invested in the people so quickly.

Speaker 0 03:42 And when you’re sitting down across somebody and they’d tell you, um,

sometimes their most darkest secrets that, um, had them in the, the lowest spot in their life and

how powerlifting helped them through that, it’s really hard not to cry and feel so moved. And I left

there just having this weight, um, and almost feeling like a person who was holding onto this and

being able to share this with everybody else. So I’m hoping that you all get the same feelings

that I got listening to all these women’s story since I wasn’t able to interview everybody. I did

want to drop all the women’s names who participated in the a man elite in San Diego this past

weekend. Let’s start it off with the numeral UNO. Marianna Gasparyan, Mallory Smith, Bria

Robinson, Cora Meekum, Gracie Davis, Brianna Bowers, Hunter Henderson Corp, Bavon CJ

biom, Janessa lobate, Jody <inaudible>, Chelsea cannon, Katie still learning Betty’s Schmidt,

Megan Miller, Tristan Williams, Susan Tate, Julissa King, Nicole Pompei, Christina Rollins, and

Kiarra.

Speaker 0 04:57 Larry, all you women were amazing this weekend. And I want to give you a

big, big huge shout out for just showing up and bringing your best game possible and of course

this podcast is brought to you by my gym core strength and performance in Huntsville, Alabama

where we live through streng —

— th and if you are looking for a power lifting coach and don’t know who to turn to. Well let’s

consider me. I’m taking some new clients right now and if you are interested and you want to just

have a one-on-one and talk about what your goals are, let me know. Shoot me a DM. You can

visit our [email protected] or Instagram and Facebook at the future is female

powerlifting and I did want to read our latest review on Google by a strong a female please and

she said this is brilliant, which I’m assuming you are from the UK spectacular podcast.

Speaker 0 05:50 I’m quite finicky with podcasts. Interesting content delivered in an intelligent

and articulate manner is hard to find. The episode with Swede was especially intriguing to me. I

stayed up after a 12 hour night shift to finish it and I’m immensely greedy with my sleep. I love it.

Yeah. The sweet one. Um, I, I’ve even really listen to, and if you haven’t, that’s our, our podcast

right before that. I’m sorry, our episode right before this episode 32, it was awesome. Swede has

a way with his words and I know that people responded well to that. And if you have a few

minutes out of your day, I would love if you could rate and review us. That helps us show grow,

helps us get out there a little bit more. And um, I always just love hearing your feedback. So if

you’re listening to the show, take a screenshot, send it to me and I will repost it cause I love to

hear what you think and I wanna thank all the ladies that took the time to talk to me that day. It

was all after waiting. So I’m telling you, everybody was feeling a little, a little spicy to begin with.

And I really appreciate you guys taking this time and it was a wonderful experience and I hope

you all are excited as I am. So let’s get it going. Uh, with a Tris and Williams and Megan Miller.

So why powerlifting for me,

Speaker 4 07:05 both. You guys, I have always wanted to, my mom was a power lifter in the

80s. No fricking way. Um, and she, she actually has her belt set records. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So

my dad trained her and I always just thought that would be fun, you know, I want, and I’ve

always kind of been naturally strong. It’s just a genetic thing, you know, my dad was short and

stocky and um, so I’d wanted to do it and I just kind of lifted and then my dad passed away. It’ll

be three years in December and I always wanted him to see me compete and I’m like, I’m not

letting this life go by without chasing my dreams anymore. Cause like his dad’s just made me go.

He’s already 60, you know, so, yeah. And it’s helped me. It’s been my therapy. It’s helped me get

through a lot of stuff. Yeah, that’s awesome. Yeah, it gives me, it makes me feel empowered. I

have way more confidence in myself, you know, than I used to. I mean, I used to wear makeup

everywhere. Now I hardly ever wear it. I don’t care, you know, like I do care. I would like to be a

little bit leaner, but I just know that I’m also strong so I don’t walk around like, what are they

thinking about me anymore? It’s just empowered me for sure. What about you?

Speaker 5 08:18 Well, initially, um, I started with her actually. She was started doing it and I

went into her first competition and I was like, Oh my God, this is exactly what I need to be doing.

I said, why in the hell am I not up there? Literally like, and it was like a meet that it was the first

time this guy put on this meat. So it was like all day. I’m not kidding. It was like six in the morning

till like 10. You were like,

Speaker 1 08:36 yeah. I was like, I would still like kids, mother fucker. I was like, I need to

be, I was like, what am I I doing

Speaker 5 08:44 standing like in here? Cause she had told me about it and I was like, she

had kind of started to, I started barely but I never had lifted in my life. So I actually started like

my journey like barely like big, like probably what? 70 pounds bigger than I am now. Oh wow.

Probably and then I saw, I started going to the gym where she trains at. That’s how we met. She

was like was one of my trainers and stuff and then I dropped a lot of weight. Like I got down to

like tiny, like I was little, little and I didn’t even have probably a muscle on me. And then that’s

when she was like, Hey, you should start lifting. I was like, I can’t lift. I saw her, I was like, how

can I, I’ve always kind of like she said been naturally strong, but I was like literally like one 45

one 50 and I was like, I have nothin —

— g.

Speaker 5 09:22 Like I was like, just like, just like nothing was like, didn’t look like I could be

anything. So then she’s like, you can just try it. I tried it. I’m not kidding. I was just like boom,

boom, boom. Like I just fell in love with it and then like I have a lot of sick stuff like in my family,

like my mom has been sick and so to deal with that it helps a lot with the stress of that. Like

when she’s like in the hospital and stuff, she’ll be like, let’s just go lift. We go to Lyft and I feel

way better then I’m a nurse at the hospital and man, I can’t tell you. It’s like mentally like

exhausting. I’m not kidding. Some days I’ll get off work at seven 45 eight o’clock we still have to

lift, but I want to lift like that’s all I want to do is all I’m thinking about all day.

Speaker 5 09:58 I can not even wait to get out of here and go lift because then after I lift, I

feel like a new like new person. Right. I’m like, wow, that whole shit show that I just dealt with

that word. Yes. Great. Yeah, I feel that million bucks and I can’t wait to go back to work

tomorrow. Literally like makes my whole like perceptive of everything changed. Like I just like,

okay, great. Now I think that’s a big thing that people lose sight of, is that how we’re doing it for

ourselves instead of to ourselves. I think that’s where part of the people shifts that, you know?

It’s like I have to go to the gym, I have to because I’ve got to get skinny or I have to, it’s like, no, I

feel like it’s about we want to because it makes us feel better. We feel empowered. Yes. Yes,

exactly. I think there’s a huge difference in the mindset going into that. That’s awesome.

Speaker 3 10:38 <inaudible>

Speaker 5 10:47 now let’s move on with Shalisa King. Okay, so how about you? So how are

you feeling caring for this? Okay. What was the last time you competed? Damn. I think it’s been

a little over a year or almost a year or something like that. But I tried to do one at least once a

year. Yes. Yeah, I do one at least one seeing. Okay. And so this one you look like you’re feeling

good, you look like your numbers are bars, movie really good. Your squad is looking

phenomenal, you know, it looked that way. But do it feel that way? No, you’re to find numbers

right now for me. Yeah. You know like the sugar you get at the height of your numbers go like the

harder it becomes to like really make it happen. I’ve had like little, like my trap, my head like it

starting to, my body’s starting to break so you know, and just like, it looks good, but does it feel

good? Yeah, I know <inaudible> right. Did you just drive down right now? I did. I just drove from

LA. Right? Yeah, it was traffic like the whole way. So it was like three hours, a little bit through

rounds and so you’d have to make weight or anything like that. Right now. I know, I never, that’s

never my like goal cause I’m not going for a record or you know, I’m always just like, I want to

just be my last.

Speaker 6 11:59 That’s okay. It’s just speak about that a little bit because I think that that’s

an important thing. Always trying to make weight for things because right, right.

Speaker 5 12:07 Maybe we’re trying to shrink ourselves a little bit to get into that smaller

weight class. Will people be more competitive people are they competitive? Which like I get it,

you know, like you compete against yourself but it’s healthy competition too is also good, you

know? So we kinda like look around and see like, Oh what’s everyone else doing? You know?

Yeah. Just so you don’t like lag behind, you know, but at the end of the day, that’s like, to me

that’s too much pressure. If I did that, you know, I would, I would probably be like nervous right

now. Like Ooh

Speaker 6 12:34 girl, you know, I don’t know. You know, but I feel good cause I’m like, I’m

not competing against anyone. So you’re not, you’re just, you’re, you’re illegal. You’re own out

there, which is fantastic. So what do you think has been a little different for you preparing for this

meet outside of your other one’s mentally and physically?

Speaker 5 12:50 Um, physically. I mean, like I said, this me always kind of the same, but this

one I’m noticing that it’s becoming harder to get a PR. It takes a little more effort a little longer,

you know, just cause for me, the way it’s getting heavier. Yeah. Um, so physically. Yeah. And

then like I said, little things about my body is starting to ki —

— nd of like show itself that I’d never really seen before. I’m like, okay, I gotta fix this, that, fix

that. Yeah. Um, mentally I think am lot,

Speaker 6 13:21 what’s going on, you know, the blood’s been going on. I’m like outside of

the gym

Speaker 5 13:26 and we all know it happens outside the gym kinda affects gym times. So I’m

preparing for this meeting. I did have a lot going on out in my regular life, so it was a very, very

big struggle to maintain a good gym, like setting and energy and just like staying on track. And

you know what I’m saying? It got better towards again, cause I started training more with people.

But um, yeah it was, and I don’t want to use it as an excuse cause we all have like our life, you

know? But still it for me. Yeah it was a struggle.

Speaker 6 13:59 I think that’s important though because even people who are, you know, do

we meet like this, they struggle with something. Right. And then when you do talk about it, it’s

like all right, the night you have the same kind of struggle, I have the same things going on.

Maybe not exactly the same story. Of course. Right. Yeah. Along the same lines. Exactly. Oh

yeah. I mean come on. Like to force yourself to go do like 400, 500 pounds. Like I’m just going to

squad like 400 pounds right now. Like no one just, they go and do some shit, you know, like they

like, you know what I need to release, you know, so we all got some kind of story yet

Speaker 5 14:33 I feel like, which is like gonna be exciting. Cause it’s like, even though I

don’t know, these people are probably won’t speak much, you know, cause we’re competing. But

you know it, it’ll be exciting to know like, Oh we all hear it. I’m like fuck.

Speaker 6 14:47 Like we have somebody upset up in here right now. I know somebody mad

so let’s just have a give me either. Yeah, I’m excited. Yeah.

Speaker 5 14:56 Because I think that there’s a variety of women, so there are like heavy

hitters and there are people who just started and people who are just like year or two in, right.

That’s crazy. Like Island when I, I don’t know everyone on the list, but when I seen some of the

people on this and I go to their Instagram, I’m like, she like, Oh, you know, lightweight, throw a

hundred pound squat. I’m like woo.

Speaker 6 15:17 That’s exciting.

Speaker 5 15:18 Cause I feel like you get to, like you say, you get to be sharing the platform

with women and men who are doing crazy numbers. And then there’s just us, you know, live with

like sheeps amongst the walls.

Speaker 6 15:28 It’s like, Hey, we all fight for our 300 pounds. Why? You know? Yeah.

Speaker 5 15:35 It’s a lot about everybody. Yeah. We know that we all have like courage and

heart to like get out there like despite who’s watching or expectations, you know, you get out

there because Hey, you know, like I got stuff going on just like you do. I’m going to release it on

his platform. I’m going to be my old numbers.

Speaker 7 15:51 Wow.

Speaker 3 15:53 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 16:00 try not to cry on this one here is Betty Schmidt. So tell me a little bit about

why this meet this me cause I don’t want to go against the biggest girls here. Oh, I like it. I love

that.

Speaker 7 16:15 I know I’m not as good as them, but it makes me drive to even be better.

Yeah. My go. My goal is to be one of the top girls. I love it so much time. I’m 45 I want to be

Speaker 6 16:27 so how old are you? 42 I’m you serious, ma’am. You look fantastic. Five

kids. Five kids. See I love hearing that because you are a masters lifter. Yes. You don’t often see

that. I think Jodie now’s Jodie. Same age. 42 okay. And she got a couple kids. I got three. I’m 38.

Yes, I’m getting up there. That’s good. That’s good when you look young too. So I would have

never expected that. So five kids. What made you get into powerless? Only living.

Speaker 7 16:55 I had to get rid of one bad addiction to have another um, recovering crystal

meth addict. Okay. Live 10 years. Wonderful. And it was killing me. Yeah. And I get rid of one

bad habit and I was in the gym. I go to gym late at night just to not hit those craze, to fight it in

one of the managers there and he goes, girl, you throw more weight. And then most of these

guys up in here and it was out of anger to fight that, that Craig was so bad. I lost my house. I lost

my car. Wow. When it got to that point where my addic —

— tion was so bad, I would go to a cemetery to do my crap so I could either. It was really

horrible. A bare spot. Kids, what I got pulled out with the crap. It was bad. It was in the

newspaper.

Speaker 7 17:47 They were so ashamed and they got picked so bad at school, different

times together. And I gave that police officer a hug and told him thank you for, it’s like wow. That,

um, going on five years now, clean. Wow. And the GM and power lifting is what safely ever.

Tom, it gets so bad that a, you eat that Jim, it don’t matter what top, there’s a gym open 24

hours. You just go and you get that, hit it and let it, let that crave. That crave hurts so bad. It

makes your stomach turn it and you literally peak. Wow. Because you fight all them demons to

stay away from it. Yeah. And so doing this here, it’s been a total savior. And then all my kids are

proud. They’re so proud of me. Yeah. So that’s amazing that you turned around from that

because I, you know, Hawaii, we call it Botsu boy.

Speaker 7 18:40 Um, and crystal meth is it unfortunately, you know, it makes it the way it is

and it made its way into so many people I know, you know, and very few of them as it have been

able to come out of it, but they all seem to find something I’ve busted above my blood veins and

my nose. Wow. I had a heart attack at 28 and stroke because there that I was at the point that I

needed to go do the needle and I was terrified. Yeah. And so I’m just happy that I’m here. Yeah.

My kids, it’s awesome because they’re like, that’s my mama. Look at my mama picking up four

pounds.

Speaker 8 19:13 Yeah. Beaches almost 300 in their life. That is awesome and all hurt. All my

kids’ friends come over, mom, show me muscles and they’re like scared.

Speaker 7 19:28 Big accomplishment for me on that. Yeah. And so you picked this meat. I

was, I was preparing for this meat. I’ve been trying to for 11 months for this meat. Are you

serious? Wow. 11 months for this meat and my goes are, uh, I know it ain’t a lot of weight, but a

thousand pounds is what I want to pick up at this meeting.

Speaker 8 19:45 That’s fantastic. Yeah. I mean we, you know, I always say like, I can’t

measure up to like CC or something like that. You know what I mean? There’s goals that you can

make that are, that’s again fucking strong. That’s very, very strong for your, I mean, you’re not a

very big person. I’m not hitting five foot, I stretch by the guy. I say out of five, one and three, four,

there you go girl. And every once in a while I’m like, I think I’m only five feet. Like I’ve measured

myself like shit, I know odor. We go, yes, I agree. And then all the weight done the help. Right.

We’re all loaded back up. It definitely squishes some things down. That’s awesome. So

ligaments, how do you feel going into it? I’m feeling really strong cause I a are kicking my butt

Speaker 7 20:24 but, and then kidney stones wasn’t helping too good last week. Shit has six

of them this past week. Oh my God. Yeah. The sun is medicine that I had gave me a bad

reaction. Girl. It was bad. Um, my esophagus almost still all the way up and everything. My

dermatologist is like, girl, I don’t even know how you still walking. Wow. So, but it was my regular

Speaker 8 20:48 doctor just gave me old school antibiotic penicillin and I reacted bad on it.

So you didn’t know you were allergic to penicillin. Wow. No big got me bad. That’s crazy. I’m

surprised you didn’t die. This is my back is horrible. It’s horrible. I have to put this, they so

impressed with you right now. Like this is fucking crazy. A big here. It’s good though that I think

mentally you’re here. Oh wait, I’m here. You’re like, what’s up? I’m showing up. I’m going to kill it.

Yeah.

Speaker 6 21:23 And a big shout out to my new Canadian homeys CG by M and Cora

Bavon. And so how does it feel like coming here? Is it a little surreal? Yeah, it’s one of those

moments too where you like, you know, all these people, but only from social media, right? So

you’re like, Oh, that’s, and then you just say their handle is like, she’s just now, we were like

looking into someone for their records and I was like, I don’t know her last name. Yeah, know.

<inaudible> it’s so funny how that works out though that, um, but yeah. So why this meat? Why

did you guys come choose this one out of all the meats that are on? Do you wanna answer that

one? I can’t. I don’t know. Um, well I think both of us kind of had a —

— plan. Um, like we were looking at doing like worlds in like Germany and you were looking at a

different needs overseas, I think.

Speaker 6 22:09 Yeah, we were like Germany or the USPA one. Yeah. Or whatever. And

then, um, actually a friend of ours, um, cc’s, her coach told us about this meeting coming up and

we were like, sweets, probably cheaper than going to Germany and probably gonna be a lot

nicer to, and a huge widespread of athletes and people that you really look up to and yeah. In

the sport. Right. So it was like totally, I don’t think it was a question you really see all the heavy

hitters are hearing. Exactly. That’s the thing. It’s like, can you kind of, if you want to Excel at it,

you need to be surround yourself with those people. Right. So for sure. I was supposed to go to

Ireland. Okay. Drug tested. It was like one of my friends. Oh, is she at my sleeker? She’s

actually, we’re helping her cut weight for it, but she’s doing it.

Speaker 6 22:52 She’s from that. And she’s also from Alberta. Yeah, I probably don’t know

her. I have a couple of friends from Texas that are, that are competing. Um, but yeah, it was just

too much money, you know, and me and my husband go together and we got kids. I’m like, that

shit’s like so much. Yeah, you got dogs, you gotta. How’s, he ain’t no, it’s like there’s just so

many things to take. Some like then that, you know, 1000 equals 4,000 and here we are later

than you want to enjoy while you get there. You just don’t want to go for the meat. Yes, exactly.

So you got to stay down for a week. Oh, did you? Did you guys fly in Wednesday? So we’ll be

leaving next Wednesday and fantastic. Okay. So how was it preparing for this meeting? Like I

dunno and compared to different needs, I wouldn’t say like different anything different. Cause I

don’t know when I do anything it’s like a hundred percent in or don’t even worry about it. Right,

right. I know there’s like ups and downs with every prep you have. Like one minute you’re

heading up here on the next minute you’re shooting the bed kinda thing. Um, but I don’t know,

this is like my quote

Speaker 8 23:45 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 23:48 the national, like the traveling to try to make sure that you’re prepared. Like

if we need to cut weight or whatever, just trying to get prepared that you have everything, at

least in the States, as nice as a lot like Canada. Right, right, right, right. There’s not as much

exposure to the sport in Canada either. So typically when we go to and meets in Canada, it’s

typically a lot of the seen competitors. Right. And stuff like that. So I think that was the difference

for me coming here. It was like knowing there’s going to be some heavy hitters there and yeah.

Trying to drowned out that like you’re going to suck.

Speaker 8 24:18 Yeah. You never knew

Speaker 6 24:22 a lot to come up with so far away. Right. Cause a lot of the people can be

hearing now air in California had, this is our home. Right. They can drive, they don’t have to

worry about it and kind of flight flying. Like I always hold water. Yeah. Just fly, you know, like not

even cutting anything. It’s just like you have to deal with so much more coming from

internationally. Like that’s, I could see that being like a big thing. That’s good. You guys came on

with it. You didn’t have to cut weight. Did you guys have to come? Well I was like, I didn’t

necessarily have the cottage just going to see how far I could actually bring the weight down.

Okay. Without like completely killing myself. Yeah. So in like the last two weeks we ended up

pulling by, came in at one 56 and I started at one 72 Oh shit.

Speaker 6 24:56 But it was actually like pretty easy. Like that’s why we wanted to come on

Wednesday too. I’m like well this way I’m not holding water and to write so well I think when you

have a background in bodybuilding yeah that’s not, it’s like not a problem in my opinion. People

just, you know how to manipulate things in ways that you know that are beyond just water or all

the usual things. So I’m sure it wasn’t that much of a problem for, you know. Yeah it was actually

pretty easy cause that’s why I’m like well we’ll just play with it cause we actually are both got

invited to the current as well. So I’m like we’ll place it here, see how it works and then like maybe

try to like push it a little bit more for the current. So why powerlifting, if you guys are doing body,

like why did that transitio —

— n come from? Was it bodybuilding first? I sucked ass at bodybuilding

Speaker 8 25:37 cut all this.

Speaker 6 25:38 Wait and I’m like, yeah, I’m fucking,

Speaker 8 25:42 that’s cutting. It’s not my thing. So I actually,

Speaker 6 25:45 he got into power lifting after a bodybuilding show, just trying to put on more

lean muscle mass and um, um, just started training more in a power lifting style and just kind of

yeah, found a, had a niche for it. And it was like, let’s try this again.

Speaker 9 26:00 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 26:04 and here’s the second place. Winter in the under one 48 class. Mallory

Smith.

Speaker 9 26:11 Hi. I left

Speaker 6 26:12 high school, kind overweight, you know, but then I went to undergrad and

Holy shit. So I’m guessing or just a matter of, I try to juggle too many things. Didn’t take care of

myself. I’m crazy enough though. I was fine body image-wise I only started to do running cause I

thought it was cool. Like, Hey, I want to do 5k with friends, you know? Right, right. And then that

turned into 10 case, which turned into half marathons. Right. A ton of those later. All of a sudden

I’m doing full marathons, do those later. And then I trained 40 hours a week for a year for an off

road iron man. So whole iron man was

Speaker 10 26:44 done in Hills in a river, you know, I mean just crazy shit. At the end of that

iron man, um, I tore my calf not a complete, um, it was about 60% tear, so it, um, I didn’t get to

finish. I was like, I’d like 10 miles left of the run slash it wasn’t even really a Ron, it was more of a

hike cause it was just crazy ass situation. I just stepped in fresh bear shit and I heard it like

Velcro. Really? Yeah. I was like, Oh ELICOS got to bear shit like that. Yeah. Like the, and I was

just like, I’m in trouble. You know, it was, there was no cell reception. Everything is really, it’s up

on the Canadian border. North Dakota. Are you by yourself? Yeah. At this point it had been

about 20 hours since I started the race and I like your mind starts doing some real fucked up

things, you know, if you have been going that long by yourself.

Speaker 10 27:27 So I’m hearing fairies in the forest, then you’re looking at my oil. I didn’t

even feel it really. Cause it’s amazing what your body does after a while. But it was getting huge

and purple. And I had always gone by the motto death before DNF about death before did not

finish. I’m like, I’m getting my ass outta here. So of course I’m dragging it and I can hear it going

more and I’ll uh, no, I pressed my, uh, like a panic GPS button and then they P the people come

in and get you. So anyways, got done with that and I didn’t really know what to do with life. You

know. I mean you train for that long and you get so headstrong and lost friends, you know, I

mean you lose everybody cause here all you’re doing is training for something constantly and

now it’s done.

Speaker 10 28:05 And that’s, people talk about that for power lifting too. So like now I think

there’s so many extremes. There’s so many sports people take to the extreme like that. Yeah.

And that’s exactly what happens. Bodybuilding, I mean, in the fitness industry, I think you’ll find, I

think humans do that. Why do we do that? And you know, definitely I just, I started going to a

gym with just a friend and I’m barely wandering around doing random things. I didn’t know what

the hell I was doing, you know, just the most random shit. And then I was like, yeah, get a little

addicted that then you start lifting a little bit more. I was getting a little bit serious about I want, I

wanted to look at local meats. Um, this is right before I started grad school. So when I have an

EDS, I’m not a clinical psych, so I’m like, uh, yeah, it’s an education specialist degree.

Speaker 10 28:44 So a school psychologist, but right before starting that is when I tore the

calf. Now I’m getting into grad school, so I got a lot of shit going on now it’s Thanksgiving and

out of nowhere. So I worked at, um, a psychiatric hospitals, like a mental institution, if you will.

Okay. Down in South Dakota. And I was standing there one day and everybody started to sound

weird. I got this funny taste, boom, I’d done, um, developed epilepsy out of nowhere, uh, at 27

years old. So, so, um, yeah, I know where, so I had been perfectly healthy and started having a

ton of seizures. I spent a week in the ICU, both the cardio an —

— d the neuro, cause I couldn’t, something was wrong with my heart. Something was wrong with

my brain, crazy shit. Anyways, so they put one of those heart rate monitors on me and I went

back to the gym with a friend that I had been lifting with.

Speaker 10 29:33 I was like, I gotta at least be here. So I’m sitting there and um, my memory

was really poor. I had no balance. This was right after he let me out of the ICU and meds weren’t

regulated yet, so I’d just start crying for no reason. Like you get really screwed up. So I’m sitting

there in a random gym just crying with a heart rate monitor on just watching my friend. Like it

was just like, now I look back, I’m like, what the heck was I doing? But he’ll allow. Right. But

that’s what I, you know, I was used to that, uh, that training. I just wanted to be around it. And

I’ve trained, same thing, that addictive personality started with local meats, do a lot of local

meets now that isn’t as fun anymore. So now I’ve got to have the Annie and then March was the

Arnold.

Speaker 10 30:08 Well then I wanted the elite at the Arnold, not the pro. Holy shit. I can’t

hang with the pros, but you know, I won the elite class, so I was really cool. Yeah. And then you

see eight man come out and then I talked to CC and I’m like, Oh yeah, I’ll do Maryam. It’s crazy.

I mean, it’s crazy, right? It’s, are you still epileptic? Yes. Oh yeah. Yeah. So it makes training

really hard. Um, I have to stay natural of course, because a, any type of supplements can really

mess with those seizure meds. Right. And we’re not sure if it’s my heart yet or not. So I see a

cardiologist too. I’ve gotta be really careful, but things will be going great. And then it’s probably

stress, combination of work, whatever. And the whole crying thing will come back. So I’ve got

friends that are so used to me and were the whole gym is, it’s a small town, little gym. They’re

like at South Valerie? Yes. Okay.

Speaker 8 30:54 But I’ll lay in here. She’ll have no <inaudible> I will be, you know, squatting

and I’ll be just fine. Yeah.

Speaker 10 30:59 And then I’ll be going over and do leg accessories. I’ll be on leg press

crying like it’s so weird as shit. So you kind of just work through it? Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean you

have to know sometimes. I mean, of course you got to understand if things are getting a little too

weird. Yeah. If I start, sometimes I’ll talk funny, you know, I can’t think of words to get out. That’s

when I know it’s time to go home. As crazy as it sounds, it’s never happened. Competing, knock

on wood now. That was really good. Yeah. No, nothing’s ever happened while competing. It’s

just when I trained hard for a long time. So it makes training top five myths were more rewarding

too though too. Yeah. Well, that’s, I mean that, that’s a huge, I think, obstacle that people would

not go to the gym because they’re like, no, I can, I mean that’s what scary.

Speaker 10 31:40 Oh absolutely. That’s definitely a legitimate excuse where people could

easily not do what you do, but you’ve taken it and like, that’s amazing. That’s amazing. It’s been

fun. It’s definitely a, it’s a ride. Cause some days you’re doing so great, you know, and

everybody can explain and talk about that even if they’re not in sports. Yeah. Your job, anything.

Everything’s going so great. Yeah. And then the air, you are on the floor, you know, and then I

was totally in denial and I thought, I’m fine. This is fine. I don’t need to take these medications.

It’s always the clinician.

Speaker 8 32:10 Oh yeah, the health field. They’re like, no, I don’t need this. And so then I

was off,

Speaker 10 32:15 well with meds causing more, you know, that kind of thing. Now it’s been

four years, so I’ve learned, you know, how to deal with it and how to pay attention to warning

signs and that type of thing. And everybody in the gym is used to me. So sometimes people

come up and be like,

Speaker 8 32:28 yeah, how you doing? Depends on my level of crying. I mean it is what it is.

I was preparing

Speaker 10 32:36 for this meeting. It was hard because the was back in March and I had

told myself I was gonna be done for a while after that because I had an MRI on my back and the

two low disks are awful. They’re really bad. They’re really bulged and herniated and one will get

to the bottom one that L five S one will sit on that side attic and I can’t even wait given gets out

that far. I puked. It h —

— urt so bad. I mean, broken bones, torn calves, you name it. But like when that you get that sad

pain, I now have a new appreciation for anyone who lives with nerve pain because Holy shit, it’s

awful. Yeah. So I told myself I was gonna take that break. I did not. <inaudible> not, it just

sounds so fun. And I always loved amen. I always loved what they stood for. It was kind of a

bucket list thing. I love that this meat is not 100% a absolute top pros. Yes. Otherwise I can’t

hang. I mean I love it. I love that I can meet these people. It’s amazing. Um, but I can only do

what I can do. Yeah. You know, so it’s going to be, it’s going to be a ton of Fanta watching out

there. Yeah. I’m excited.

Speaker 9 33:40 <inaudible> it onto our new friend from Seattle, Christina Rawlins. I met CC

all last year, a year

Speaker 6 33:52 at a women’s strength summit and we like hit it off and she invited me to

this and I was like, I’m not a hundred percent sure that this, I belong here. I’ve definitely dealt

with some imposter syndrome cause I’m very new to the sport. Um, I said, you know, all I’m

going to do is my best. Yeah. She’s like, that’s all you need to do. My coach was like, we’re going

to get you there or I’ll set a goal and work towards it. And, um, this is my first like <inaudible> to

meet Federation, kind of a, I did the fear her fight me in June and that was my, I only started

powerlifting at the end of January. Okay, nice. It’s like a whole new world to me. And that June

meet was a perfect introduction to how this all works. Yeah. I’m a really accepting, welcoming

environment because I am a naturally very anxious person and I would have not noticed that.

And you’re bringing, you have a very calm demeanor inside a Duck’s feet under the going

Doug’s feet. Yeah. So it’s, I never thought of that analogy, but underneath it’s like, Oh my God.

Speaker 6 34:56 Oh, that’s awesome. Okay, so you just started and so you decided, I’m

going to try this out, I’m going to go for it. I think it’s awesome because there was definitely a mix

of all different levels here. You know, you got very elite and then you have people that are like,

I’m one of the other girls. I think I’d only been two years, you know? And so it’s, it’s fantastic that

you’re doing this. So how was preparing for this meeting? It was a challenge, but I took it things

by face and so, okay we’re going to work on hypertrophy and then it was good. What am I doing

this week? Right. And I’m definitely the type of athlete that I don’t look ahead at my

programming. I looked at my programming like what am I doing today? The day of while I’m in

the gym and I’m sitting down for my warm up and I go, okay, well next is this. Cause if I look

ahead, I mix things up, I get overwhelmed

Speaker 5 35:38 and it’s just you chunk it down and you do it piece by piece and over time

the blocks will build into what you need. Yeah. If I look at the whale, yeah. Become

overwhelmed. Yeah. So in order to manage my anxiety and like the mental part of the

performance, I have to trick myself out. So do you do that technique and like real like normally

life. Yeah. Okay. So you chunk things down in the same way. Interesting. So that’s great that you

took that technique. And I, so I, and I know a lot of people that can’t do that, like they have to

know what their progression is. It’s funny at me as a coach, I show the progression on a piece of

paper. Like, because I’ll be like, no, this is what it’s going to look like. This is where your prep is

going to look like.

Speaker 5 36:19 You know? And, but maybe for somebody like you that wouldn’t be a good

idea. Like okay, that’s just, that’s a lot of days are right. It’s a lot of paper or that’s interesting. Uh,

what I do in my like career in life, I’m technical product managers, so I do a lot of planning,

benchmarking and measuring against that. Um, so I kind of tweak that and tear litter to myself

for performance and stuff. Okay, well what are my opportunities? And I know my, a big

opportunity for me is just my anxiety and getting overwhelmed at the scope of what I’m trying to

attempt and then being afraid to go into it. So how can I change it? So that is not an obstacle for

me. Yeah. And make it work for me. Yeah. And that’s how working with my coach, cause she

knows that I will get into my head. Um, just like pick it up and put it down. Yeah. Just move the

bar. Yeah. That’s all I want to do. And he loves a perfect beca —

— use I’m not going to be like, I’ve never touched that cause I’m not going to do the plate math.

Speaker 8 37:11 Right. That’s roughly, it’s do it. Just pick up and put it down. The worst thing

that happened. So when did you get into power lifting?

Speaker 5 37:21 Oh wow. Okay. So I have been an athlete for most of my life. Okay. Mostly

around volleyball and tennis. Okay. Ask me. Oh, you’re so tall. Why didn’t you play basketball?

I’m terrible,

Speaker 8 37:33 so bad.

Speaker 5 37:34 Um, and it took a break. Uh, got fairly out of shape, wanting to get back into

shape, started with hot yoga, kind of trying to get centered. Did that for about two years. Then

wanted to kind of gain a little bit more athleticism. Yeah. Started doing some hit training at

orange theory was there for about three years. Okay. Really like that. And that was a nice

introduction to strength. Yeah. And it was like, all right, I wanna do barbell work, but that was not

an option there. So decided to, okay, this has been wonderful, but the next step is something

different. And I got into CrossFit and I love CrossFit because it is a really low bar of entry on that

point of entry for anyone interested in understanding weight lifting. Yeah, that’s true. So I got into

that was exposed to like weight lifting for like really the first time. Yeah. And really loved that. Got

injured and realized, okay, well maybe this isn’t sustainable for me right now, but what do I love?

And I had been following some girls

Speaker 7 38:36 on Instagram that were power lifters and I had struggled with performance

versus your look and for so long fitness. Once I stopped being like an athlete and my sport was

really around forcing my body to look a certain way, even though that may be not what my body

was meant to do. And really, if I’m honest with you, it was about how am I going to make myself

smaller so I fit right. And what I loved about the power lifters that I saw on Instagram is they

didn’t care about fitting and they looked beautiful. Yeah. They were about, okay, how can I be the

best at this thing and how can I make my body be the best that it can be to do this thing? Yes.

And so the switch from physique a goals to performance-based goals was so healthy for me.

Yes. And that’s what made me kind of transition into power lifting.

Speaker 7 39:30 And it took a while to find someone as a coach that was a good fit. I tried

working with my CrossFit coach at the time who knew power lifting in the context of CrossFit.

Right. But didn’t totally understand, totally different, didn’t understand the rules of the Federation

and also just personality fit is super important and you’ve got to find someone that works well for

you and nothing against this coach. It just wasn’t a good fit and it wasn’t meeting what I needed

at the time. So it fell apart. I met Haleigh at the same summit that I met, um, CCC at. Yeah. And

then she started taking on clients and I was like, I want to be a first client. Yeah. She’s like, yeah,

I am. Yeah. And it’s such a great fit because she understands my personality and she knows that

I am always hardest on myself and you’ll never have to push me because no one’s going to push

me harder than I’ll push myself.

Speaker 7 40:21 And so the progression that I’ve seen since the end of January, I’m doing

things I never thought that I would do and instill such confidence in me that if I can do this in 10

months, like a year from now, imagine where I’m going to be. If I just keep doing it every day,

day by day, no, you’re going to get better. And that has translated into my life as well. I lost my

mom in November of last year and it wasn’t dark period of time for me. And I really use fitness

as my outlet to not feel that things. Yeah. And I took on power lifting really seriously, three hours

a day, four days a week. In January one it was like I was drowning and my mother was my

family. There was nothing else. And so powerlifting was like church for me. And it really still is.

And it really helped me work through grief and for me what was a very healthy way. Yeah. Am I

100% over it? No. Will. I probably ever will be. And I think that’s okay. Yeah, there are days

where it’s still tough, but it really, people say, Oh, it saved me. And before this I didn’t understand

Speaker 6 41:34 what that meant. I do. Now this whole community is so supportive and so

for the most part inclusive, right. There are pocke —

— ts that still have some areas of opportunity for learning. Yeah. I think that’s a human nature. I

think that’s, you know, we see that socially that’s happening everywhere. So if that’s crazy, but

yeah. So that’s, wow, that’s such a powerful story right now, just hearing that. So how do you

feel going into this main, um, probably equal parts excited and nervous because I’m, I mean I’m

lifting at a meet with Mariana. What is life right now? <inaudible>

Speaker 6 42:16 but also like I get to do this. Yes. How amazing is that? Like what a blessing

and life. Yes. That of all of the things that are not great and that you can be grumpy about. Like

this is a thing that I get to wake up and say I want to do this and I have the opportunity to show

up and do this at this gym with this, with these people, some of the best in the world. I think it’s

an amazing thing that to one, be new and do it. Yeah. It says a lot about you cause a lot of

people will be like too intimidated, do something like that and there’s no reason to be right. We

make up those things in our brain. I mean those are, those are feelings that we bring up on

ourselves. But I think it’s amazing that you’re doing this. I’m excited to watch you on the platform

Speaker 9 43:02 and here’s our champ. Who finished off with a six a 12 waltz. Everyone, my

Anna gets fine. <inaudible>

Speaker 11 43:17 this nation that was competing with <inaudible> um, not a nation’s diverse,

doesn’t <inaudible>

Speaker 12 43:27 we’ll start with the four and a gear and really prepare for this competition.

Speaker 11 43:31 Okay. At the Buddha, the <inaudible> Loki some way we solely my city in

the Rania

Speaker 12 43:37 it’s good. That’d be the easiest and financed competition.

Speaker 6 43:41 Well why is that?

Speaker 11 43:43 Um, but the most, the a is that the most of Beloved’s marginalist uh, open

center ganja its with the pit bull showing basin yet the show is deal. Let’s see, by the quick

speedy mint. Uh, he <inaudible>

Speaker 12 43:57 uh, because it was an option, I didn’t have to lose any weight for this and

basically starved myself. So she decided to do the experiment for herself and uh, tried to do with

it.

Speaker 6 44:10 No cut to eight, no cutting weight. Right. And see how strong you are.

Speaker 11 44:15 No, the Gagne deal. Adore <inaudible> yeah. <inaudible> yes, but

<inaudible> law II <inaudible> I choose to, uh, is a very sure where we are stopped.

Speaker 12 44:29 So two weeks before the competition today I S I did cut it like I started

eating like very good and clean because I recognize, um, I’m not feeling as good with the oldest

weighed on me. Interesting. So you feel better, a little lighter in weight? Yes.

Speaker 6 44:46 Okay. And what are you at right now? What’s your weight right now? No,

she said legit.

Speaker 12 44:51 It’s 62.9.

Speaker 6 44:53 Yeah. So that’s one 31 33 133 pounds around there. 62.9. Yeah. So what

130 times <inaudible> pounds. Nine nine one 39 Oh one 39. Okay. That’s, and so you feel better

lighter than that or is that normal? Oh, did you already cut down one 38 one 38. Okay. And so

you feel, so how do you feel right now with the weight that you are, you feel good with that right

now? Eight years. Okay, good. Yeah. So, um, how, how long have you been powerlifting now?

Uh, S eight eight years. And where you bodybuilding before? No. Okay. So I feel like you’ve got

a great bodybuilding body. Are you going to be bodybuilding in the future? Well, maybe, maybe

in the future. Backable by, I mean that’s a great backdrop of why I think that you should be doing

bodybuilding. Uh, but yeah, I, whenever I see your pictures of you in your body building stuff, it’s,

it’s phenomenal. But um, so what made you get into power lifting? What made you start power

lifting? <inaudible> started looking for such a <inaudible> power lifting. Yeah. Really? So you

started her power lifting, which she was still <inaudible>

Speaker 12 46:12 he is started from simple question if you want to be a world champion.

Speaker 6 46:17 Simple question. <inaudible> and she asked what kind of sport, so you

were the first to start her off, then you got the hooked into powerlifting, and then when did

everything change for you? Because you’re number one in the world right now and you’re

shooting for an 800 Wilkes, right? I mean that’s unheard of. 700 was —

— unheard of for women. And now you guys were talking about possible 800. Right? Which is

amazing. So did you ever think you would be, be this number one? Did you ever think you’d be

number one in the world?

Speaker 12 46:56 The uh, <inaudible> so that you say <inaudible> can I take a <inaudible>

but the <inaudible>

Speaker 6 47:13 um, yes, of <inaudible> yeah. Natural as any multiple dates. <inaudible>

save. <inaudible> <inaudible> so I, I was try,

Speaker 12 47:30 uh, Sergey from the day one and uh, it was the dream and uh, it was the,

um, my goal, the goal <inaudible> so, and I was solely going to that and

Speaker 6 47:45 here and here you are today. Wow. It’s wonderful.

Speaker 9 47:49 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 47:52 moving on to the beautiful miss Tiara Lowry.

Speaker 9 47:56 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 48:01 Don was like, Hey, are you interested Graham? And I was like, yeah, yeah,

I’m interested. I don’t, I didn’t have anything else planned. So how long have you been power

lifting? So I’ve only been competing for about a year. Oh, that’s awesome. But I’ve been weight

training since I was 11 and I’m 22, so. Okay. Oh, long life. Yeah, that’s just like CC, like, like, you

know, everybody says, Oh, she’s so young. But she’s really been trained in it for awhile, so long.

I mean since middle school and I’m like, that kind of thing adds up as you continue on in training.

So power lifting for competing for a year, what made you turn to power lifting? So I had always

wanted to do it like, um, I was a track and field athlete, I threw shot put and disc has also played

a little bit of volleyball.

Speaker 6 48:39 But the conditioning for track and field was weight training. And my

stepdad, he actually was a pile of dirt in high school. Oh, no way am I. My dad, he also loved like

weight training. So that’s how I initially got into it. But it was my boyfriend who actually

encouraged me to person. Wow. Really does. He could be, he’s a strong man. Okay. Yeah. Oh

that’s awesome. So he’s like, it’s perfect. Let me get my girl and like, yeah, you seem so

intimidating, but I never realized you just find a Federation you like and you to sign up for me.

That’s it. That’s it. There’s a really low barrier of entry. I feel like that’s kind of the plus side. Like

you can be really, you can, you can, you can just show up to anything really. And very few that

are like elite needs like that.

Speaker 6 49:21 Is that your, was that your boyfriend out there? Okay. Yeah, he’s here. Like

support system. That’s where you both flew out and everything. Well we drove, we drove from

Phoenix. It’s only like a five and a half hour drive. Yeah, we drove in last night. Oh that’s

awesome. Yeah, that’s way better. I had to fly. So it’s a lot more expensive when you’re flying.

That’s true. Five hours, that’s nothing. So how did you feel training for this mean? Honestly, I feel

like since I wasn’t really planning to cut, that just made it a lot easier. Just focusing on strengths.

Yes. So I feel really strong, strong, so I’ve ever been, so that’s fantastic. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So

how long, um, how long did you take to prepare for this meet? So I use a Kaizen template and

it’s like, okay. 1212 week, uh, Peking program.

Speaker 6 50:03 So I’ve, I’ve ran it through times now, so, Oh yeah. That’s great. So your

that’s a great strength cycle. Too complicated. Just cut and dry. Real simple. So how many days

a week do you train for? That is, it is for, okay. I was looking at that program. I didn’t really like

look into how it’s structured or anything like that. And so they’re running 12 week, 12 week

cycles is a lot of work though. It starts out with a lot of volumes. So you’ll have like your lift days,

squat, bench deadlift. Yeah. And then it’ll start out with like 10 sets of two and then the

percentage of the weight increases. Yeah. Um, each week and then towards the end if any you

doing like doubles and singles and stuff like that? Yeah. So it’s a lot of volume. <inaudible> yeah,

whenever I do like tents, it’s a doubles. I lose track. Like, especially after like eight sites, I have

to have chalk. I’m like, what number am I at? Like 12. It’s so crazy.

Speaker 9 51:00 <inaudible>

Speaker 6 51:04 lifter had me in stitches. I was dying. She’s a youngest lifter in the eight

men elite. <inaudible>

Speaker 9 51:11 <inaudible> so

Speaker 6 51:13 power lifting. You s —

— tarted at 15, you’re here. What made you want to do this one? Because it’s local. Um, well CC

invited me, so, um, and Sergio wanted me to do this or DS Manco. And are you the youngest

competitor here? I mean, I think so because just because you didn’t have a category for my age

that you were young enough for my age. I guess I am the youngest person unless someone

else’s younger too because Y Y, Y, powerlifting, um, was just like easier for me I guess. Like

everyone has their own talent. Yeah. Just comes naturally for me, I guess. Like, I don’t know. I

mean, I’m not like Russian, I’m like Ukrainian, but I feel like all those people are strong. Yeah.

So, yeah, they’re like using it. Yeah. That kind of stereotype I think is reigns true for a lot of

things.

Speaker 6 52:00 Yeah. So awesome. So how was preparing for this meeting? Was it hard?

Honestly, I think because of the will, I thought about Wilton and there was no mirror ops. Yep. So

it’s not like that serious, like no pressures, more of like a fun me in like a husband so far, like

preparing and everything. Yeah, so I haven’t really even like been like dying to meet prep and

stuff and Oh that’s cool. Like I felt like no one even really knew or like talking about this meat as

much as like the other winter open and I think most people like weren’t, a lot of people are

invited that were like good but they didn’t want to do it just because of the knee wraps thing.

They didn’t really like, Oh no, they’re not any ramps. I might doing it like good people like

<inaudible> or whatever. I mean it’s going to be fun.

Speaker 6 52:43 Like I’ve never tried any meat and easily is like, however, like I try to on the

first time for my one squat, one workout before coming here, like before this meeting, so like it’s

like totally different for me. I try to like physical and I guess they were even too big and it took

me forever to get them all in. I don’t even get to use bag. It’s like so depressing. Sometimes I’m

like, fuck dude, I don’t want to buy a new one. Like it’s just not worth it. I know I’m like more of a

<inaudible> person <inaudible> here and all that. Right knee. Rob’s like, yeah, knee sleeves

aren’t like that important to me. I guess. What do you mean I’ll do it anyway. So as, as somebody

who’s 19 who powerlifts like what do you think, what would be a way that some people you could

bring other women maybe your age into the sport?

Speaker 6 53:27 Like I said benefits them crazy cause like everyone my age like by postcard

at wherever they are like, Oh my God, like you’re so crazy strong, like blah blah blah. And then

be like, Oh I just need to workout with, you know, they’re like too scared to work out or whatever.

But it’s like, I feel like it’s just only like you like want to have to do something that you want to do.

Yeah. Yeah, I do agree. It’s not one of those like recreational things that you can just jump into.

Right. Gotta have to drive total lifestyle. Yeah. For real. Yeah, for sure. I teach at, I teach a power

lifting class where it’s just new new people and um, when people are asking about the class, Oh,

it seems interesting when they like no background in training. Yeah. Or they’re like, Oh, you

know, I wanna, I wanna I want to lift weights, but I’m not sure. And I’m like, there is a level of

grinding that you have to be okay with. Right. And they’re like totally different workouts too. It’s

like you’re just like worn a hard workout. Or if like you want to lift heavy, love the feeling of like

lifting heavy. It’s like there’s a totally different ways. Yeah, no, totally. Of like you’re trying to lift

heavy, like that’s fine. Yeah. Right.

Speaker 3 54:27 <inaudible>

Speaker 7 54:35 from the owner of California elite, Gracie Davis,

Speaker 7 54:40 what made you kind of go down that path of, did you know right away that

this is how you wanted to, I knew that I would have a home birth. I knew that I would never get

rid of my hospital. Yeah. And the more I started learning about a free birth, the more I realized

that all these midwives that I paid five grand to attend my home birth, they were under such strict

regulations like from the state that the chances of me ending up in a hospital for my first birth

and were like over 50 and 20% if I hired them because they would have to transfer my care for if

I carried by us so many weeks if I, if my waters were open for over 24 hours. It was like so many

regulations. All of these —

— things are, were like not dangerous at all that I came to learn.

Speaker 7 55:19 Yeah. Um, yeah. Are you done on that side? So it was, so I’m like, you

know what? And I started learning about free birth and I’m like, you know what? I’d really like to

do that. So I thought, I thought that was so interesting. Even that your pregnancy, you didn’t go

to the doctor really. Right. So is that, is that first 20 weeks? I saw midwives and they do the

same thing that doctors do, all the ultrasounds, all the testing, they do all the same shifts. So for

the first 20 weeks I was like under a, a regular prenatal schedule, but after 20 weeks, no I didn’t

do so. How was that for you? I learned that you document nice man. I’m like, I just like, I had a

few to scope and I like listened to his heartbeat every now and then and I just like were fun and

um, you know, it was great not having like to answer to anybody and I knew all the testing that

they do is super dangerous and like it’s so fucked up.

Speaker 7 56:13 Like, yeah, I could go on and on. Oh, you want that, don’t you? So I just,

um, well I like, I kinda went down the deep, like the rabbit hole once you started posting a lot of

about free birth, just the whole information, how they guide everybody. I thought it was so

amazing because I had never seen anything like that. Like never, never today. I know, I knew

that. I didn’t even know it existed until I was 20 weeks pregnant. I knew like people have on

breasts with midwives, but I never heard of free birth. Yeah. I, which is weird cause it’s like duh.

Right. Did everybody give birth ever? I mean just out of this country, like countries is what

happens are places where they’re not, they don’t have that access to the hospital. Yeah. But I

thought it was wonderful and to have our ancestors and how they work.

Speaker 7 56:56 So how has it been balancing being a mom and running the gym? Um, I

mean awesome. Super easy. I have like the gym is fully staffed. Yeah. So I have so much help

and all this stuff like babysit Griffin, like so I can be here and work and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. They’ll

like hold him so I can train and, yeah. Um, and other ones like plays with him, like while I work in

the morning and you’re on it. Yeah. I think it’s, I think it’s one of those things like where I, my gym

is very small, so it’s just me and my husband. Yeah. And so like having our kids and they’re older

so they’re pretty self-sustaining. But you know, it is, it is harder to, if you have no help, you

know? Yeah. Like we lived an hour from here in Temecula. We had, while we still have the

house, but um, and so that’s where he was born and it’s an hour drive and it was horrible.

Speaker 7 57:45 I tried to make the commute down here with him. Wow, man. I’d be like

stopping and nurse like five times on the way. Yeah, it was horrible. So you guys live here now?

Yeah, we got an apartment right by the gym and nice houses rented out there now. Yeah. Yeah.

That’s cool. I, we have a house in Missouri that we’re just trying to sell, cause we had the

Missouri at one point. But your husband’s in the army, right? A Marines. Marines. That’s right.

That’s right. Yeah. So mine was in the army, so we moved everywhere and he’s, he’s, he’s been

in like a year. My, uh, no. Um, he’s been in four years. Four years already. He just reenlisted this

year. Oh, that’s crazy. All right. So I want to hear about how preparing for this meet was because

is this your first meet back? Yeah, it’s been like four years.

Speaker 7 58:30 Lee. Crap. Are you doing full power and everything? Yeah. Full power. Holy

shit. And as mommy, yeah, it’s been really easy. Honestly. I am so nice to have somebody help

like watch the baby and I’ve been able to train regularly with my husband. My husband is

stationed close to home for the first time in four years. So it’s just been really fun and I like super

low pressure and my numbers are like just a fraction of what they used to be. So it’s like really

low pressure and um, you’re still moving the bar. Great. I mean your movement still looks

wonderful. I know it’s not, you know, the, at the strength you wanted it to be, but it’s definitely

one of the main moves. Well, yeah. Well, one of the questions I’m going to ask everybody, and

this is a good one cause I don’t think you know this, but uh, on the show I’ll ask him, what the

hell was I thinking where it’s a time in your past and you might’ve did something and you thin —

— k to yourself, what the fuck was I doing doing that?

Speaker 7 59:20 Hopefully like men like 30 years older than me when I was a teenager. 30

years old days. I you serious? That’s so crazy. My problem was 48 years old. No way he came

to your prom is actually dead now. Holy shit. Are you serious? Yeah, that’s a good one. Yeah.

One of my favorites is, I don’t know if you knew his sweetness. Sweet burns. He’s like, well, the

first thing that comes to mind is polyamorous relationships. I was like, really? Yeah. They just, no

matter how many times I try, they just do not work out like guys. Yeah, he goes, you gotta have

some like clear boundaries and sometimes some things are skewed and that made me laugh,

but that’s kind of way.

Speaker 5 00:03 Oh man.

Speaker 4 00:04 I literally just had this conversation about this me out in this parking lot

before we walked in because you know, for us, we’re babies. I mean my first meet was in, um,

17, 2017. Okay. So two years. Yeah. Um, and so I still have a lot of strength to build on, you

know, and so we’re like, these people here, like so strong.

Speaker 5 00:25 I told her, I said, people are going to be literally like warming up with our

third attempt. So I’m there with literally <inaudible> around and I said, what? And that’s literally,

we were in the car. I said, what in the fuck are we doing here? Like I’m sitting there, I said, who

should shouldn’t go in? Let’s just not go. Okay, let’s just go, let’s <inaudible> we just come in and

we’re just like, Oh,

Speaker 4 00:44 for the experience. I mean I started out sir eats bacon, there’s going to be

here. Yeah. And I was watching her and she just pulled five 51 for three <inaudible> off too. Two

and stuff. Is that what you said?

Speaker 7 00:58 And like,

Speaker 5 01:01 right. It’s like one of those <inaudible> like crazy. I mean,

Speaker 4 01:08 it’s, that’s kind of for me, I’m like, huh. You know? Um, but Hey, we’re here.

We’re <inaudible>.

Speaker 5 01:14 I think that’s, but that’s a productive one because I think people shy away

from going to things like this because they’re always like, I’m not strong enough. I’m not good

enough yet. And these kind of things. But this is the reason why we have these all that we were

talking about, we were like, if, if people, like if we go up there and I opened with this little baby

number that people are like, Oh my God, they, they’re not going to be like that because we’re all

a power lifting community and everyone’s like so good and nice to each other. So I don’t think

anyone’s going to be like making fun of it, you know what I mean? Not at all. Oh my God, she’s

opening with this a little baby. You know what I mean? Yeah. So here’s what other people might,

because what we’re able to pick up.

Speaker 5 01:46 Yeah. Yeah. And, and to us in Wyoming, we’re like the strongest girls in

wild. But like, I’m not, like, I’m not in Wyoming, but at least in Cheyenne, like, I mean app people,

like, like we both hold the records in our weight class in like Wyoming and stuff. So for like

Wyoming, it’s just when we moved to come to a different state, we’re like, Holy shit, it’s like little

apps. And they’re like, you know, in California it’s, yeah, exactly. So look at where we’re from.

We’re like, yeah, they’re crazy. That’s what I’m saying. We’re like up there and yet like where

we’re from. But then you, you know, which is great. It’s eye opening.

Speaker 4 02:18 And I thought, you

Speaker 5 02:20 know, were we inherent even in Northern Colorado, we’re used to being,

you know, winning those competitions in our weight class and we got to nationals and what a

humbling experience because I’m no longer one of the strongest ones in there. Doesn’t that

push you though? Oh yeah. And that’s why think about this too is like, I think this will help us.

Like this will make us want to, I mean, obviously we’re going to keep going, but this is going to

make me want to like my next, I’m already like, I want to start my next prep for, I’m gonna know

I’m going to start my next cycle and everything’s going on because I’m like, I want to let’s go.

Yeah. Yeah. I think it’s really encouraging. And then to see like people in the flesh, cause we

follow half of these people on Instagram. You know? I’m like, yeah, I like the least important, but

they’re like, no, I’m just the one with the mouth. Like <inaudible> got big mouth too.

Spe —

— aker 8 03:04 Yeah. But yeah.

Speaker 5 03:08 Do I got it right? Do I even got to go there? I feel like we already had that,

that interview conversation. Some say some there. Right. Cause we already know. Right. Um,

excluding that, um, let’s think a situation where I’ve looked back, I’m like, wow, was I okay? Yes.

Do you know what I would probably say domestic and one. What was I thinking? Okay. What

was I, I think back when I was in college. Okay. And I don’t really drink that much now. And I’m

not a big drinker, but in college I wasn’t. Yes. Drinker. Right. What was I thinking? Buying the

alcohol in the plastic bottle and taking shots of it. That was my drink. Like he was calling pop off.

Have you ever seen that? Oh you’re not from he O P O V yes. Yes. And it’s like you can get like

a gallon jugs that’s $5. Yeah. Cause I was broke. Yeah. I was broken college or I feel you. Right.

And I used to buy that like with all my friends every weekend and we used to take shots of that

daring. He, we went to college together. So he’s thinking <inaudible> by the class. If he’s the

purchase, the plastic vodka and take shots of it. What was I thinking? I cannot believe I used to

drink like this.

Speaker 8 04:37 All the blood and scrapes going down the legs. Oh, they have no bars.

Maybe I should wear socks all the way up. Oh,

Speaker 5 04:54 for me it’s like, I guess I went and died. That was like three years ago, my

grandpa passed away and left me an old panel wagon, so I’m willing to cars. Right, okay. And

that you should have seen this thing. It was God awful. It was like legit, like that color of that blue

Gatorade bottle. And it was like, it’s big. It looks like almost like a school. Boston, it’s huge

against like God awful. But I like cars so I’m like, I’ll keep it and we’ll redo it. So we like ended up

dropping

Speaker 6 05:18 it. We put airbags in it, put an LS motor in it, took all the paint off of it. So it

looks pretty gnarly. But after you get the freaking bill, you’re like, well what the fuck? Like how

much was it? Um, I’m clogging like, yeah, yeah. Well over like 70 G. yeah. So I was like, do you

know how many things I could have bought that? But totally like it’s fun when you get in and you

get like lots of looks and stuff, but it’s still blue. No, it’s, so we stripped all the paint off of it. It’s all

just like bare metal and like looks completely different. Like it’s not full car scene. It scalenes bad

ass. Yes. I’m having a hard time. So I think it was about two years ago I went to Vegas and I did

the whole super league thing and a lot of people in training for it were like, do your cardio.

Speaker 6 06:05 Like it’s really important. Do the cardio. Cause of course again like tried to

die, it not my jam like taking 10 pounds off for me is like fuck. Um, and so right now this is like

my funds, I call it my butts, LA Ponsa <inaudible> it doesn’t matter. But anyways, and so I didn’t

take that seriously and just kind of trained the movements with progression. Right. And then you

get there and by the end of it laying on the floor for like an hour and I was like, I’m going to puke,

I’m going to, I’m going to fuck you. I’m gonna die. Like, yeah, like everyone. I like live streamed it

from, for everyone at home. And it was just, it was the most horrible feeling ever. Like the day

after a meat is rough. Yeah. The day after bodybuilding shows like, but the food and everything

or even knowing the prep is rough.

Speaker 6 06:53 That was horrendous. Why the fuck did I listen to before they make you do

it? It’s like, of course not courses, but you have to go through like, yeah, yeah. And you have

eight minutes to do a set of 12 at maximum weight. And like the dude before me in every single

thing was like vomiting everywhere and so it smelled like puke. You’re exhausted. The

atmosphere was eight like barn on incredible lineup and hamstrings. I seen somebody that I was

Apollo ripped his bicep and pulled out like it was. Yeah, high greens walking around like looking

good and you’re like <inaudible>.

Speaker 10 07:32 So I got divorced three years ago when I was with my expert, 1112 years

and it was a, it was amazing time. He is an amazing man. We separate as best of friends, you

know, I mean he a go. Yeah, he’s wonderful. We just were, we were kids, you know, when we

got married but not well, you know, you’ve been together forever and then you go and you get

divorced youn —

— g move away. Cause I started fresh start and grad school was Bluffs. He all sorts, you’ve got

to add more stress to the mix of course. You know what I mean? Why not? I can’t even begin to

tell you that dumb shit I did after we just wanna I knew no one, you know, so I’m at the jam lifting

shit. I can’t lift like you know, and that’s how I met my fiance sitting right out there cause you

know, I’m just

Speaker 8 08:16 doing this. Look what the fuck are you doing? Oh yeah, no, no. He was a

creep but that came up behind me. I was like, can I spot you on a two 25 squat? I turned around

and looked at him. I was like, I’m good. Like what the hell? The reason I started talking to him

more is we had the dog park more so then it was okay. I was like, Hey, you’re not so creepy. You

got a cute dog in the gym, in the jam. I was like, what the heck? Who the heck are you? Um, but

anyways, yeah, I just got, I think that transition period, anybody can talk about, you know, a

million dumb things that they’ve done because it’s, it’s hard and freedom starting in like

anything’s possible when you try this. Try that. Exactly. Then you look back on that probably solid

six months where you’re like now the same way. Really. Really? Yeah. I don’t know. I have that

one thing in particular. I just, I think that’s a good one. Yeah, it’s just, it’s a summary I guess.

Speaker 6 09:12 I don’t, I packed my shit and moved across the country and to a place I’d

never visited before or seen and just assume that all would go well. Wow. And just cause a

friend who was like, Hey, you should move. And I was like, fuck it. Why not? I see no way that’s

going poorly. And I packed my little beetle at the time and drove from Atlanta to Albuquerque,

New Mexico. No way. I’ve been to Albuquerque too. I’ve never been to Albuquerque or across 40

to Albuquerque. Oh my God. My friend had found, we’d been going through email, she found a

place through Craigslist. She went and looked at everything. I wire transfer the money for the

deposit. Like every nightmare scenario you could think of like this is like probably a scam. Why

are you doing this? Um, but you know, it worked out. It did.

Speaker 6 10:00 Oh Dao. I didn’t like get that this was going to be really bad, but I mean I

learned after four months that it’s not the place for me and you should probably go visit

someplace where you just pack your shit and move. So she, Albuquerque, yeah, it’s hot there.

The people there, their friends, they’re different. Um, culturally it was really cool cause I had

never really been exposed to like native Americans and indigenous populations and I learned a

lot and it was really cool. Yeah. That said, I had never lived away from water. Oh. So I was like,

this is the thing, I don’t like him. Yeah. And it’s either hot as hell, but the sunsets and then it’s 35.

How do you look like the craziest one, but not really crazy thing I’ve ever done is like competing

in a strong man. Me, that was actually my first, my first meet ever was a strong man. One was a

shot. Wow. Yeah. So that’s, that’s not really, yeah, I did. Well actually, but this me, it had

circumstan bell, which is overhead is my weakness. Yeah. It was terrible. I didn’t even get a

Mark. Oh geez. What was the weight? Um, what was it? The opening away was on like 50

pounds. They still do, I mean, if they’re so big and this technique, yes. Hard. So yeah,

Speaker 8 11:14 the wee lands, like I never prepared for the way you gotta structure your

body because only how wide it is and how you have to move it. Yeah. But I did do mosaic, they

call it like a truck deadlift. <inaudible>

Speaker 13 11:35 uh, yesterday’s instead of nine, I have to the <inaudible> <inaudible>

<inaudible> <inaudible>

Speaker 8 11:47 she’s thriving. She’s dying. She was trying to not make any mistakes for

competitions, but now she thinking how stupid I was, the not get ready for this competition. Then

what the hell was I thinking about this one? I, that’s so funny.

Speaker 13 12:06 Yeah.

Speaker 8 12:07 Um, me and her, we got like matching off Macado tattoos and mine’s on my

butt. I’ll show you mine in my butt. What does it say? Let’s say, well that one’s has Heartbreakers

this one is day weld and then that’s like a stick and poke from when I was like 15. Oh, did you

stay, did you poke yourself on that one? Oh no, look, me and all my three friends really stick and

poke at each other. Oh my gosh. So wh —

— y the avocado? Yeah, so I work on the sandwich shop and like we have the avocados there

and I just like wanted them all. We call it a test. She was slicing on the covers all the ending.

Like I was sad, I was quitting and I was like, you know what I’m going to like remember the job

like as that. But I mean it’s not really for that, but I mean that’s just like what I was thinking about

that like the phase of my life and my Miley Cyrus was one and I just wanted like tattoos and like,

I like my butt.

Speaker 8 12:58 So you like, okay, so, but that sounds like something you still like though,

right? Oh no. I think I’d really awkward. My mom got the better tax you artist. My art Meyer’s was

an old user, like don’t reuse it. I want a new to have a fun tattoo for. It’s like, Oh, it’s funny you’re

getting a tattoo. But my artist was so lame. My mom got the good artists, but he was having a

bad day. He wouldn’t even fund that day either because we went there another time. He did this

one and then she got to get him even though I’m when you really wanted it. But she got it

anyway because it’s mom, even though it was my idea, she didn’t even want it. <inaudible>. I

look at this avocado tattoo and I kept saying, it’s the only way that after she got from using

<inaudible> on everything, every comment, like all Macado. That’s a great icebreaker.

—