​And now comes our ladies best lifter from USPC Bar Fight in Fairmont, WV...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting? My name is Frankie Kuhn and I am 23 years old. I have been powerlifting for almost a year now. 

Instagram name?
frankthetank_xo

Best lifts in competition?
Deadlift: 229
Squat: 196
bench 122

Athletic background? 
Before powerlifting I did gymnastics for years. 

Why Powerlifting?
Powerlifting is something I never thought I would see myself doing. I was working out at anytime fitness one day and got the opportunity to deadlift and after that I never stopped and switched to a powerlifting gym and set goals to compete. 

Tell me something about your gym/team.
My gym is amazing and my team is even better. They are the best uplifting people I've ever been around and I love every one of them. 

Training alone or training partner/coach, team? Daniel Young is my trainer and he is the best. 

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you? I'm a medical assistant and phlebotomist at the cancer center. 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
My trainer! 

What's your favorite lift?
Deadlift

Least favorite lift?
Bench, I haven't been benching that long. I am still learning about it. 

Biggest challenge in your training?
Staying tight on bench lol. 

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
Definitely noisy and high energy

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I have a coach that does programs for me. 

Social media.  Positives and negatives 
So far, social media has been nothing but positive for me. 

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I basically just eat a lot of protein

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
My biggest accomplishment I would say would be the outcome of my first competition. 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
To live my best life and keep doing what I am doing and hopefully inspire others and let them know you can do anything you put you mind too. 

And now comes our ladies best lifter from USPC Nor-Cal Lift-Toberfest 2021 in Manteca, CA...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting? 
Hello, my name is Andrea Villanueva-White, but I also go by Phoenix Babe. I've been powerlifting for about 2 years now and can't wait to see how far this journey will go!

Best lifts in competition?
My lifts in this competition were:
Squat: 143k✅/153kg✅/159kg✅
Bench: 61kg✅/67kg✅/75kg❌
Deadlift: 150kg✅/168kg✅/175kg✅

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
I grew up playing many sports, but softball was a favorite and I went on to play college ball before my athletic career came to an end and I became a wife and a mother of two. I dipped into the makeup and special effects industry and then ventured out into the fitness life where I found and took interest in powerlifting!

Why Powerlifting?
Honestly, I had no intentions of ever liking powerlifting. It wasn't until one day my trainer had took me under his wing during the pandemic and asked me to pick up 230lbs one day. It wasn't perfect form, but the weight was no issue! From then on we studied the world of powerlifting and now it is my love and my journey!

Tell me something about your gym/team.
My gym is more that just a gym, it is home. Wright Way Fitness Academy accepted me with open arms and has been more than I could ever ask for. And my team??? We are not just any team... we are a family.. everywhere we go you know we are there! The love is so STRONG and the encouragement is absolutely AMAZING! We have each other's backs 100%!  

Training alone or training partner/coach, team?
I prefer to train with my family (aka team). We lift each other up, and push each other to levels unimaginable! It's an incredible feeling that I wouldn't trade for the world!

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
Hmmm, My team knows pretty much everything about me. But I guess something I don't often mention is that I have dyslexia. So when it comes to counting weight on the bar, I tend to panic when I'm put on the spot so I try to do it ahead of time lol 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
Honestly, it's a combination. I take small tips from those around me. Everyone inspires me to do better and seeing those who are stronger than me push to their limits makes me want to do the same!

What's your favorite lift?
For the longest time the Deadlift was my at most favorite lift! I still have a soft spot for the lift, but ever since my top two ribs popped out of place it's been in my head. I'm determined to make it a favorite again though! Currently right now I would have to say the back squat is my favorite! I've made some adjustments and I look forward to train it in the gym!

Least favorite lift?
By far, my least favorite lift is the bench press. My upper body is not as strong as my lower body, but I have been working hard to improve my numbers! We shall see what this next competition brings!

Biggest challenge in your training?
My biggest challenge in training is getting out of my head. I'm constantly battling with my thoughts instead of just having fun! On the days we have fun, the lifting becomes easy. Unfortunately my competitive background keeps me over analyzing my lifts and critiquing my every move. It's a struggle, but those who know me see it and get me to have fun again!

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
The most ideal training atmosphere for me is noisy and high energy! It gives me fuel and hypes me up for my lifts!

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I am a trainer myself, however having a coach to plan my workouts is what I prefer. It takes the load off and forces me to push through!

Social media.  Positives and negatives
So far social media has been a major positive for me. Everyone is so supportive and I have found that I relate with sooo many people! Anyone who lifts just gets it!

Diet you follow? Supplements?
Currently right now I keep my calories low and the protein high! I'm messing around with different supplements at the moment but my main ones are the MyoFX Sports Nutrition.

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Never in a million years would I have thought possible, but I have actually taken 1st in the nation each time I have competed in the USPC competitions here in Northern California! I am beyond grateful and truly appreciative of all the love and support!

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
It is my goal to inspire others to reach their dreams and goals! No matter what it is or who it is, just seeing people excited once they've reached them is truly a special and magical moment to whiteness!

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I honestly can't thank my family enough. Both gym family and home! I've created bonds I never thought were possible! I'd like to thank my coach, Jody, who welcomed me with open arms and has taken on this challenge to get me to where I want to be! I also couldn't have done this without my teammates, they mean so much to me and I am beyond excited to see them on the protium! 

I'd like to thank my kids for joining me in the gym and cheering on mommy in everything I do! Love them to pieces!

And I'd also like to shout out my husband Austin, who has to hear me complain if I have a bad day, and embraces the days I get excited, I can't thank him enough for his unconditional love and support! My circle is strong!

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Bourbon Barbell Bash on March 5, 2022.  Top OVERALL Wilks 2.0...
​
​Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Eric Hubbard, 27, this is my 2nd year competing  

Best lifts in competition?
Squat 590.8 Bench 381.4 deadlift 665.8 

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
I played football and baseball in high school and played college baseball for 2 years  

Why Powerlifting? 
I continued to get stronger and stronger in the gym and saw powerlifting as a great way to become competitive in something. 

Tell me something about your gym/team.
I train in the football weight room of the high school I teach and coach at. 

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
I have a group of guy to love to get in there and get after. They are the people who pushed me to try competing 

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
I have worked, coached, or went to school with all of them and have really known them for most of my life. 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
Dan Green 

What's your favorite lift?
Deadlift

Least favorite lift?
Bench 

Biggest challenge in your training?
Increasing my bench press

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
Noisy and high energy 

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I found a powerlifting peaking program online and tweaked it to focus on my weaknesses   

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I try to just avoid junk food and typically eat some kind of meat with rice or potato. Protein, EAAs, Creatine.

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
So far being able to be competitive in every meet and attacking a goal I have set for myself 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
To make sure my 2 little girls have the best life possible  

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
My wife and kids also the guys that I workout with that push me. 

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Sunshine State Skirmish on February 12, 2022.
Top Female Raw...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Roni Thomas, 33, this was my second meet. I normally do CrossFit for my workouts. I've always been pretty strong in the 3 powerlifting lifts naturally. So I figured why not try it out. 

Best lifts in competition?
Squat 280lbs Bench 180lbs Deadlift 385lbs those were during CrossFit competitions over 2 years ago. I'm getting back into it now after an acl/meniscus surgery. 

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
I am 1 of 6 kids. We were always active growing up. In high school I played basketball, golf, and ran track. 

Why Powerlifting?
I believe that I am a very strong woman mentally, so it's pretty cool to see it physically too. I like people to know that I could throw them if I had to. 😎

Tell me something about your gym/team.
I used to own a CrossFit gym in DeLand. I left that to start up my OWN gym. It's in the works. The name is DeLand AF ( yes what you're thinking) haha but really DeLand Affordable Fitness. DeLand AF for short. I'm hoping to have that up and running asap. It will offer a variety of training, including POWERLIFTING 💪🏾 . My team is my family, who stands behind me in whatever I do! 

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
A lot of times I lift alone or with my girl, Kasey.  If I'm going heavier on the bench and need a spot , I'll make sure one of my brothers are around. Thanks Kendrick and Chance 

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
I am really an open book. There's not much people don't know about me. One of my most favorite things in the world is seeing people smile. 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
The biggest Inspiration so far is seeing that I can naturally be really good at this sport without actually full force training for it. I signed up for these meets just to see if it's something I would want to get into..... I'm waiting for the next FL meet 😁 I'd say it's working out 

What's your favorite lift?
I like squats a lot but I LOVE deadlifts 

Least favorite lift?
I like all 3 lifts but I need to practice that pause on the bench! 

Biggest challenge in your training?
The biggest challenge in my training has been timing. I work 2 jobs and I do personal training on the side. I'm also a very social person in DeLand. Sometimes it's tough to fit it all in. 

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
Riding to school when I was younger, my mom would play Solid Gold Oldies. I blast those Oldies when I lift and it takes me back. I love it and I miss my mom everyday. 

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I don't have a coach. I do my own workouts and lifting. For both meets so far, I had my little brother Chance by side to keep my mind right and he does the lift off on the bench for me. 

Social media.  Positives and negatives 
Social media is great. I like to see what other people are doing. It doesn't get in my head though. I'm competitive but at the same time , you can only go out there and do what you can do. 

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I count macros... sometimes. I could be better. I drink Ascent Protein every now and then but that's about it. 

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Honestly winning the sword for the best female lifter caught me by surprise. It definitely made me want to focus on powerlifting and get more into it. 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
My biggest goal is to open up my gym and start a family. 

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to. 
A special thank you to my family for always believing in me and supporting me. I love y'all!  They are my biggest fans. Thank you Kasey for always putting up with my madness and helping me stock up our home gym. I love you. Thank you USPC for allowing us BEASTS to show our power 💪🏾 

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Piedmont Power Showcase on January 29, 2022.  Top OVERALL Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Henry Craig, 33 years old and I have been powerlifting competitively for 6 years, training for roughly 18 years

Best lifts in competition?
903 squat, 551 bench, 777 deadlift

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
I started lifting weights when I was 15. I played football in school

Why Powerlifting?
Powerlifting gave me an outlet for all the negative energy I had in my life. I was able to channel all the bad stuff into the weight room. Once I started competing I was hooked with the sport. It's me vs me to be a better stronger version of myself each day. It takes dedication and a goal oriented mindset to achieve a huge total or big lift. The community in powerlifting is like no other

Tell me something about your gym/team.
I train at legendary strength in Lynchburg Virginia for the time being. It's a solid gym oriented around strength specific sports like powerlifting and strongman so it makes training for powerlifting a great place to train

Training alone or training partner/coach, team?
For the most part I train alone or my wife is with me pushing me. 

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
I train and compete completely beltless

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
I would have to say my biggest inspiration in the sport would be Dan Bell and Andy Huang

What's your favorite lift?
Favorite lift is definitely the squat

Least favorite lift?
Deadlift

Biggest challenge in your training?
The biggest challenge in my training is learning to continue to push myself even on days when I have no motivation or feel burnt out. I personally think powerlifting is more of a mental challenge

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
Focused and dialed in

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I have a coach I am currently coached by Cam Scott from smart strength official

Social media.  Positives and negatives.   
Social media definitely both. The positives is you can share your story and journey and inspire others and help others along the way. At the same time social media can create a false sense of what's real. No one wants to show the failures and missed lifts or bad days of training even though we all have those 

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I just eat enough protein and calories a day to fuel my body and maintain where I feel good. Supplement wise I use protein powder, vitamin D, and bcaa's all from my sponsor 50 cal labz

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
My biggest accomplishment to date is hitting a beltless 903 squat in competition. I have wanted that number for so long now. My lifetime goal is to squat 1000+ Beltless in a meet

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
One non powerlifting goal of mine is to continue to be a successful man with my job as well as be the best husband I can be to my wife who supports the life and goals I have

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
First and foremost I have to acknowledge my lord and savior Jesus Christ for blessing me with the ability to do what I do. Also my wife Mackenzie who gives me the most support and believes in me and wants me to succeed in my goals with powerlifting she's the real MVP. Also shoutout to my sponsor 50 cal labz who support me along the way and then my coach and smart strength for setting me up for success

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Piedmont Power Showcase on January 29, 2022.  Top Men's Raw Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Rondell Kelley 31  6 year 

Best lifts in competition?
Deadlift 804

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
Play basketball when I was a teenager

Why Powerlifting?
Love setting new goals for myself

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
Coached by Josh Bryant

What's your favorite lift?
Deadlift 

Least favorite lift?
Squat 

Biggest challenge in your training?
Squat 

Social media.  Positives and negatives
Instagram rondell.e.kelley 

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Totaling over 2K

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
Own a gym 

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Tennessee Open on January 15, 2022.
Top Female Raw...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Brandi Shanks and I am 33 years old.  I've been powerlifting around 2 years. 
 
Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
As a teenager I played softball. I played in high-school and a short time in college.
 
Why Powerlifting?
I enjoy powerlifting bc I believe it can be transferred over into life lessons. For example sometimes in the gym you get beat down, but you keep pushing, sometimes you fail, but you get back up and just bc something is heavy or hard it doesn't mean you can't do it. 
 
Tell me something about your gym/team.
My gym is etowah barbell owned by Dustin and Brittany reed. 
 
Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
My team is the walls of Jericho and my coach is josh rodda.
 
What's your favorite lift? Least favorite lift?
My favorite lift is the deadlift and my least is bench.
 
Biggest challenge in your training?
The biggest challenge I have in training is trusting the process.
 
Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
 I prefer to train with loud music and motivated people, but I can also do my thing alone.
 
Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Finally hitting a 400 lb deadlift.
 
Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I would like to acknowledge and shoutout my grandfather Eddie pulley  who is no longer here, but taught me a lot of things that I apply to powerlifting and life in general. I also appreciate my coach josh rodda and my previous coach Dustin reed who have helped get me to this point. Shoutout to my wife Olivia who grinds with me, my gym family who helps and pushes me  and last but not least my family who are always in my corner. 
​

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Tennessee Open on January 15, 2022.
Top OVERALL Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Tyler Cummings. 30yo. 9 years competing.

Best lifts in competition?
Best lifts in comp- 805/530/760

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
Before powerlifting I played high school football and rec basketball. 

Why Powerlifting?
After high school I continued to excel in the weight room. I've worked out since I was 10 and lifting was a part of my life. When I was training in college I decided to try my first competition and instantly fell in love with the sport.  

Tell me something about your gym/team.
My gym and team do not coincide due to location. But both are comprised of an amazing group of diverse, motivated, and positive athletes that I'm blessed to call my family and friends. 

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
I typically train alone. This gives me less reliance on a partner, a more productive routine, and better focus on my training. 
 
Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
I've competed in 3 countries outside of the US.- Finland, Australia, and Colombia. 
 
Biggest inspiration in the sport?
Inspiration- Breaking records.
 
What's your favorite lift?
Favorite lift- Bench press. 
 
Least favorite lift?
Least favorite- Deadlifts. 
 
Biggest challenge in your training?
Biggest challenge in training is balancing it with my work schedule. Working as a contractor often requires long, and sometimes exhausting days. 
 
Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
I prefer noisy with high energy. I focus better with a lot of background noise and being surrounded by serious lifters. 
 
Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I have a great coach, Josh Rodda, who I plan to continue training under his advisement. 
 
Social media.  Positives and negatives
Social media is great in moderation for the right purpose. Too much of it distracts us from focusing on ourselves. 
 
Diet you follow? Supplements?
My diet has always been high protein, moderate-high Complex carbs, and moderate amount of good fats. I avoid sugars, fried foods, and processed foods as much as possible. Exceptions are made around meet (aka weight gaining) time but still regulated. Fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, MSM/glucosamine are taken daily. 
 
Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Biggest powerlifting accomplishment was winning the junior division at the 2014 GPA worlds in Sydney Australia. 
 
What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
Non powerlifting goal is to travel as much of the world as possible. 
 
Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I would like to acknowledge my team (Walls of Jericho) for their hard work and support and support for one another.  

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Tennessee Open on January 15, 2022.
Top Junior Female Push/Pull...

​Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
My name is Ashley Parrish and I am 17 years old. I have been powerlifting for 6 months. 

Best lifts in competition?
This was my first competition and my best deadlift in competition was 313 pounds and my bench press is 130 pounds. I have not done squats in competition yet. 

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
I have been doing sports all my life. I am currently a thrower in track and field. I originally started powerlifting to become stronger for track and field. I now powerlift because I like to prove to myself that I have grown from who I was when I started training. 

Tell me something about your gym/team.
My team is composed of a group of four girls including me. We are a Christ driven team. All of our accomplishments are thanks to God. I train with my team and our amazing coach, Kent Johnson. My team is like my family, they know almost everything about me. 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
My biggest inspiration in the sport is my Coach. He pushes me, encourages me, and teaches me how to be the best version of myself. 

What's your favorite lift?
My favorite lift in the sport is deadlift and I do not have a least favorite lift. 

Biggest challenge in your training?
My biggest challenge in my training is the mental aspect. 

Ideal training atmosphere? 
My ideal training atmosphere is noisy and high energy. When other people are getting excited about their lifts, it just encourages me to work harder. 

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
My coach creates my training plan. 

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I do not have a diet I follow and I do not take any supplements. 

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career? 
My biggest accomplishment in my powerlifting career was probably the last USPC competition. It was my first competition and I did a lot better than I thought I was going to do. 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
One non-powerlifting goal I have is to become an engineer for NASA. I would love to go to space one day! 

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I would like to acknowledge my mom for believing in me, my amazing coach, Kent Johnson, and most of all God.  

You're not seeing double...we had the husband and wife team of Amira and Zach Smith win best lifter in the women's and men's division!

​Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?

Zachary (Zeus) Smith, 35, 16 years

Best lifts in competition?

Z- 651 squat, 480 bench, 751 deadlift (also this past meet)

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?

Z-football, wrestling, rugby, bodybuilding Amira actually coached me for my first strongman competition and I spent almost 10 years fighting boxing & Muay Thai 

Why Powerlifting?

Z- i had actually torn my acl and labrum training for WKA's and in my rehab I used powerlifting as a measure to regain my confidence, oddly enough I met Amira about this same time and the rest is history.

Tell me something about your gym/team.

Z-My gym is Flex Gym, I've been training there since I was 13, my team is actually the Legacy Team Flex, the original Team Flex was started by Al Walke my mentor.  Everybody that wears a Team Flex Shirt had to re-earn it nobody was grandfathered in including myself.

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?

Z-I prefer a training partner most specifically Amira Smith but I'm ok with a small training group as long as they understand watching the kids and the front desk come with the territory.

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?

Z-So my brother and I were drinking at a bar one time, and on our way out we got into a fight with a group of guys in the parking lot anyway the ambulance came and took a few of them away and the police took my name down.  Few weeks later my client who was a circuit court judge calls me and tells me that I was in trouble and my name came up and that I was going to have to go work for the sheriff for a few years....and that's how I became a deputy.

Biggest inspiration in the sport?

Z-my biggest inspiration is my wife, I literally wait for her to grind out a lift just to be fired up to do mine.

What's your favorite lift?

Z- Deadlift for sure

Least favorite lift?

Z- also bench 

Biggest challenge in your training?

Z-definitely distractions during training.  Kids/buisness/ solving drama or simply coaching. At one point in prep someone was showing me their bench video mid squat on a max effort triple.

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?

Z-ideal is focused and dialed in, I don't mind high energy for the max effort lift but when the work starts let's just train.

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?

Z-we both coach and program ourselves 

Social media.  Positives and negatives

Z-not entirely sure what's so positive about it except that but def takes up more time than it's worth.

Diet you follow? Supplements?

Z- I write diets for prep, post prep and maintenance and I typically order health supplements from Revive ie powdered greens, blood pressure, creatine, glutamine 

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career? 

Z-biggest accomplishment to date is totaling elite at this past meet

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?

Z-one of my non powerlifting goals that still need to be met is to purchase commercial real estate (specifically the building Flex is in)

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?

Z-honestly the person that has always held me the most accountable is Amira despite what we have going on she has always made our goals a priority and that's rare to find in a partner. Outside of that the team and the gym fam are so supportive and always come together for whatever we need.  That being said there are two people that I personally would have not made it this far without and that's Pat McMillan and Nichole King.  Literally Pat has been my powerlifting mentor and got me into the sport and has been there behind the scenes for every single prep I've ever had and Nichole (our family friend, business partner and physical therapist) has without hesitation dropped everything to address every single injury and issue we have, literally performed miracles and kept us healthy despite our best efforts!