Join 60kg powerlifting gym owner Heidi Dehnel and her influential guests for an intimate, off-the-cuff conversations about training, family, business and owning who you are. The Future Is Female Powerlifting shares heartfelt and hilarious stories of successful women across the world. Asking how they made it, the challenges and opportunities they faced along the way, the lessons they’ve learned, the insights they’ve gained and what advice would they would give a woman looking to powerlift. New episode every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.
Heidi Dehnel | Core Strength & Performance
As one of the most anticipated meets of the year begins to take stage, I sit down with “The American Pro” founders Micah Marino & Episode 19 guest Ana Perez, for a behind-the-scenes breakdown of what this amazing meet has in store for us. And believe me, it is not going to disappoint. “Fight or... Read More
After retiring from International wheelchair basketball in 2016, Louise Sugden was looking for something else she could compete in. Finding she was suited for powerlifting, Louise was hooked. After only being in the sport for 9 months, Louise went to the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018 where she medaled in silver. She continued to kickass... Read More
Choosing the right shoe to compete in can take some thought and consideration. The right shoe can feel more stable, create a better position for your lift and help facilitate good technique. The wrong shoe can pitch you forward, create more instability and leave you in a less than optimal position. Today we talk about... Read More
Powerlifting is not just a sport for the young and it’s no surprise that we see more and more masters lifters competing. As we continue to train, there are some things to consider to help prolong the longevity of your competitive career as well as keep aches and pains at a minimum. Timestamps are available... Read More
Though visible tattoos have become more mainstream within the last decade or so, there are still prevailing social-cultural views of tattoos and the individual who wears them. Seen as deviant, criminalistic, or immoral, many of these perceptions are generational and biased towards little understanding of the tattoed community, especially amongst scholars. Dr. Ayngelia “Star” Ara,... Read More
In any sport, there are ways you behave that not only are respectful to others but show good sportsmanship. Today we go over some areas that you might want to keep in mind when competing in powerlifting. These are not all, just some major areas to understand. Record hunting Warm-up Etiquette Meet-day Etiquette Being respectful... Read More
How do you pick your attempts on meet day? Do you have a plan or go off of feel? In this episode, we go over how we select attempts for our athletes. Listen as we go over: What is a reasonable amount to attempt relative to your current 1 rep max Pitfalls of going off... Read More
As someone who started training “late” in her mid 40’s, Linda Franklin sure has made a dent in the strength world. Initially starting with CrossFit, she cleaned her way up to a top 40 ranking nationwide in her age group. After a few injuries and surgeries, her coach suggested trying powerlifting as a way to... Read More
Banging & clanging at Austin Texas Liberation Barbell is where Angel Flores felt most at home. That was not always the case stepping out of the gym- until five fabulous people came marching through the doors and lit her up like a whiff of ammonia. Season six of the hit reality television show Queer Eye featured... Read More
“I overheard them saying, ‘Women can’t even meet the physical standards to go to Ranger school’. That rubbed me the wrong way because I didn’t like being told I couldn’t do something because I’m a woman.” That would mark the beginning of history in the making for First Lieutenant Emily Lilly who became the first... Read More
Fat, Black, Hawaiian, Activist, and Licensed Master Social Worker advocating for social justice for children & marginalized communities. Kanoelani Patterson is not quite about who she is and what she stands for. In a time when the standard of health & fitness are still surrounded by ideals of becoming smaller, Kanoelani claps back. As a... Read More
There is one question I am consistently asked as a coach, “Is peeing during my lift normal?”. Today we’re going to clarify just that. I am joined by the fabulous Dr. Brianna Durand who is not only a Physical Therapist who specializes in treating orthopedic and pelvic floor conditions but is also a competitive powerlifter... Read More
Never really into the gym, Whitney Baxley’s husband bought her a membership hoping she would grow to enjoy it. After canceling her membership because of a lack of attendance, Whitney realized she wanted to stick with the training. Urged by her husband Nate, and now coach, Whitney fell in love with the process and soon... Read More
From a 140lbs collegiate track athlete worrying about getting too big, to loving and accepting her body as she gained the weight & strength, Brittainy Chown’s mindset has come a long way. And so has her purpose. Succession planning towards being a colligate track coach, Brittainy’s career took a turn when she decided that being... Read More
Taking the powerlifting community by storm, the ladies of the Main Event Project are here to make an impact for years to come. Comprised of Elite powerlifters Tara Duncan, Leah Reichman, Allison Hind, and Amber Hansen, MEP is a non-profit organization focusing on empowerment, education, and most importantly, equality for women in sports. Beginning first... Read More
A devoted athlete throughout her young life, Christies life slapped her in the face when she suddenly gained 30lbs over the summer at just 15 years old. This dramatic and unusual weight gain led her to discover she had Hashimotos disease, an autoimmune illness that plagues the body with numerous symptoms such as fatigue, aches... Read More
As a powerlifting coach, International Elite powerlifter, WRPF ref, and small business owner, Riley Presnell is blazing the way to help grow the powerlifting community. With a background in psychology & decades of competitive sports, combining the physical and mental aspects of strength seemed to fit perfectly for her. Riley’s purpose, as she shares in... Read More
“I spent the first couple years in powerlifting trying to fit into the 165 weight class”. “…the moment I let myself do that (get bigger), my lifts got stronger. Significantly stronger, like 500lbs in 3 years.” Often overlooked, but largely important is letting go of a body ideal that sometimes, is not ideal for our... Read More
Looking back a few years, Tamara “Dove” Walcott’s biggest strength goal was hitting a 495lbs deadlift. Fast forward to The Showdown Meet on September 25th 2021, she pulled an All-Time World Record Deadlift of 636lbs (288.5kg), exceeding the 3-year record previously held by C.C Ingram by 14 lbs. Doves magnetic positive energy draws you to... Read More
With over 20 meets under her belt competing in both raw and multiply, Amber is a force to be reckoned with. With over 20 meets under her belt competing in both raw and multiply, Amber is a force to be reckoned with. Recently taking 1st in the 198 weight class at 2021 Bucked Up Showdown... Read More
Figuring out your nutrition can sometimes be daunting. Information changes, “new” diets pop-up, and we find ourselves thinking, what is the best way to take care of my nutrition? As nutrition coaches, we’ve had to filter through some bs and myths over the years. We do this in order to give our clients information that... Read More
Glancing into @StrongSarah Instagram, you see a happy, badass powerlifter who occasionally trains with her two beautiful children around. There is a wonderful aura around her. But Sarah has built that strength over the years, through some of the worse pain no person should ever have to endure. This is her story, and she shares... Read More
Are you aware of your expectations and the effort you put into warranting those expectations when it comes to your health and strength journey? The end goal of understanding your expectations is to minimize the potential for unnecessary letdowns. Whether it’s returning back after COVID or comparing yourself to other lifters, managing your expectations can... Read More
“I’ve never told anyone this, but right before I hit the platform I…”. This is just one of the many gems rising powerlifting and bodybuilding star Hunter Henderson shares with us in this fun, off-the-cuff interview about what she does to keep striving for the top. Hunter is ranked #2 in the world amongst men... Read More
From a very young age, Gaby can remember how her weight affected her life. As her family grew concerned for her health, Gaby started to work towards losing weight with a “professional”. Unfortunately common, some well-intended trainers lack knowledge & experience to guide people in a sustainable balanced manner. Gaby was coached to eat extremely... Read More
Filipino American Women’s Strength Advocate, Author, Speaker, and Powerlifter, Laarni Mulvey, is the Founder of Strong and Mighty Company. Finding her own inner strength allowed her to channel her voice focusing on encouraging women to harness their own unique power and strength. Using her voice here today, I have the pleasure of sharing her powerful... Read More
Not sure how to prepare for your weigh-ins? We’ve got you covered! Today we cover the Top 7 Mistakes made at weigh-ins and hopefully, you can be a bit more prepared for your next meet. Though this episode will cover mainly a USPA weigh-in, many of these areas cross over to other federations and will... Read More
Joining me again for another knowledge bomb episode is Dr. Vanessa Gale, The Strength Gals powerlifting coach and developer of the Holistic Alignment Strategy. Today we explore the mental and physical advantages of powerlifting as well as the warning signs that you may be too critical towards yourself. In this episode, Vanessa discusses why having... Read More
I do a lot. I’m a wife, mom of 3, strength gym owner, podcaster, powerlifting judge, coach & meet director. I probably juggle at least 5 of those hats daily. So when Dr. Vanessa Gale and I were discussing what she does to help women who like to do it all live more mentally, physically,... Read More
“Wow I just threw up in my mouth a little”, “It’s a shame what that physique does to the boobs” and the ever-popular, “You look like a man”. These are just a few of the many unsolicited comments made towards females in athletics. Strangers who feel compelled to attack and verbally abuse women based on... Read More
When you hear that Dave Tate, Elite FTS founder and powerlifter of almost 40 years sets a 90lbs squat PR, you listen. When you watch people immediately perform stronger right before your eyes, you realize you need to know the hell is going on. It’s not voodoo or black magic, though it appears that way.... Read More
I was honored to once again have Swede Burns & Sin Leung for this awesome, comprehensive breakdown of the “5th Set” principles as a system not only for powerlifting training but as management for just about anything. Swede’s powerlifting program, “5th Set”, is regarded as one of the best systems for powerlifting & competition. If... Read More
Like many of us, powerlifting came at a time when we were rebuilding who we were as a woman. Focusing on a skill that challenges & tests what your body can achieve is exciting. 3 years later, 15 meets deep (including a highly coveted Arnold) and a 463 WILKS, I’d say Kelley Spohrer has taken... Read More
Coach Christina Myers and I go over the divisions of competing in Powerlifting as it relates to Raw & Equipped. Listen as we go over: 4:00, What is Raw competing? What can you wear and not wear 25:30, What is Equipped powerlifting 34:00, Training Equipped vs raw (Monolifts, ER racks, walk-outs) 48:10, Why train &... Read More
It took Anne Sheehan 16 years to achieve her International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) Pro card, but just a moment to realize the potential sobriety could bring her. Like many families who are ambivalent towards drinking, Anne was introduced to alcohol at a young age. As such, much of her life weight training went hand-in-hand... Read More
When the reputable coaching staff at “The Strength Guys” decided to expand and open “The Strength Gals”, Alyssa Hartman & Vanessa Gale where the 2 selected, amongst dozens who applied. Here’s why. As the Athlete Representative for USA Powerlifting, Vanessa has been coaching, volunteering, and assisting in the world of powerlifting for over a decade.... Read More
Young, shy and a self-proclaimed chubby kid, Coach Trevor Jaffe found strength & confidence in the gym at an early age. Encouraged by his noticeable strength increases, Trevor decided to pick up a copy of Powerlifting USA and contrary to what you might think, felt defeated. Unaware of the differences of geared versus raw lifting,... Read More
Qwerking, chihuahuas and White Claws. These are probably some of the many things Christy Senay is known for. What is not so known is the tender and vulnerable side of Christy, the side shared with us in this episode. From powerlifting in the Midwest to transitioning to Strongman and moving to the West Coast, Christy... Read More
Join Elite FTS Coach Julia Anto and I as we discuss ways we can maximize training away from the gym. How can we take bodyweight or lightweight exercises and intensity them as well as staying motivated during these difficult times. In this episode, Julia and I dive deep into making bodyweight exercises harder. Listen as... Read More
Kim Wilson has never known a fitness obstacle that she did not tackle. 50k Train Run? Sure thing. Training with Rheumatoid Arthritis? I’ll work around it. Crossfit open? Yea, that sounds fun! Powerlifting? Sign me up for 3 meets in the next 3 months. Did I mention she is 50 years old? You can say... Read More
As a professor at Columbus State University, Melissa Avanesian is helping the next generation become better coaches one squat at a time. An Elite powerlifter and creator of the widely popular Facebook group “Powerlifting Women” (which reaches almost 20,000 users), Mel has been pivotal in helping women powerlifters connect with each other over the last... Read More
A former collegiate softball athlete, Brittany Kohnke found herself taking a larger interest in fitness during college. She admired the fit physiques that graced the magazines and soon embarked towards competing in bodybuilding, just as these women did. After 12 weeks she was leaner than she had ever been, however, competing in figure lead her... Read More
Elite FTS Coach Julia Anto is back and breaking down her FAVORITE exercises to develop great glutes! Listen as we discuss her Top 3 Glute exercises as well as variations of them, how to load them, when to apply them and what exercises might be a waste of your time. Check out Julias Instagram to... Read More
Our Q & A is back with Mindset Coach and Int’l Elite Powerlifter Randi Lee! Listen as we discuss questions that were asked on our Instagram & Facebook “Golden Mic” Post! In this episode, Randi and I talk about her new plant base eating and why she made the switch. Listen as we go over:... Read More
Like many strength coaches, weight training slowly starts to integrate by our high school years. Taking that one step further, Chris Tutela began his career at the young age of 18 at Iron Athletes gym ran by his cousin John Alvino. You could say he was meant for this career. But, like many of us... Read More
With a love of cooking and a little culinary finesse, Leah Lutz could be found preparing some amazing dishes for her family and friends. Teacher by trade and amateur chef at heart, squatting was the furthest thing from her mind. But as Leahs weight slowly progressed, she needed something very different to push her out... Read More
Our Q & A is back with Elite FTS Coach Julia Anto! Listen as we discuss questions that were asked on our Instagram & Facebook “Golden Mic” Post! In this episode, Julia and I talk about how some recovery methods that don’t suck. Listen as we go over: Tips/ advice for someone just getting into... Read More
From sleeping in an ice-cold pickup truck to catching rattlesnakes barehand at 6 years old, Chris Duffin’s upbringing was unconventional and surreal. Better known to the powerlifting community as “The Mad Scientist of Strength”, Chris discovered his strength by embracing his fear and facing the pain. As we discuss his autobiography, The Eagle and the... Read More
Our Q & A is back with coach Christine Myers! Listen as we discuss questions that were asked on our Instagram & Facebook “Golden Mic” Post! In this episode, Christina and I talk about how to balance nutrition in your offseason. Listen as we go over: How should one handle body composition insecurities in powerlifting?... Read More
Prior to her life in iron, Shawna Mendelson stemmed from an unlikely background, fashion design. While working in NY's “Garment District” designing and selling textiles for women's wear, she finished her degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. Soon after though, Shawna’s life would be forever changed by bench press meet her brother decided to enter…... Read More
Our Q & A is back with coach Christine Myers! Listen as we discuss questions that were asked on our Instagram & Facebook “Golden Mic” Post! In this episode, Christina and I talk about what to do when you burnout and some ways to mitigate those feelings. Listen as we go over: 4:41, Best tips... Read More
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