Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Old Line Hoist on November 13, 2021.
Top OVERALL Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Joe Mountcastle, 19 I’ve been competing in powerlifting for 3 years now.

Best lifts in competition 
Squat:701
Bench:405
Deadlift:604

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
Before powerlifting I played football for 8 years.

Why Powerlifting?
Powerlifting to me is an amazing sport filled with so many supportive people, I love being able to push myself and others beyond what we thought was possible for ourselves. 

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
I train with my fiancé Rachael Kline. And have been doing so for almost 5 years. 

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
Biggest inspiration in the sport for sure is Eric Lilliebridge.

What's your favorite lift?
My favorite lift is definitely squat! 

Biggest challenge in your training?
My biggest challenge in almost every meet prep yet has been my deadlift. It’s very hard for me to dial in and get in my groove with. 

Least favorite lift?
Least favorite lift has gotta be deadlift! 

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
I love packed high energy environments to train in, it’s always motivated me! 

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I like to do my own programming for the most part.

Social media.  Positives and negatives
Social media. Instagram: Castlepower02 
I love social media, I love seeing others progress as well as sharing my own. It would be a dream to one day gain a sponsorship! 

Diet you follow? Supplements?
No specific diet that I follow and the only supplement I take is pre workout!

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career? 
Biggest accomplishment would be breaking a 1700 total as a teenager! 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
I would love to open up a gym with my fiancé 

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
The one person deserving of a shout out would definitely be my soon to be wife Rachael Kline. I swear this women has pushed me to become so much more than I ever thought I would be, without her I most certainly wouldn’t be where I am today in powerlifting or in life itself. Thank you Rachael. 

​Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Old Line Hoist on November 13, 2021.
Top Men's Raw Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Walker Blazek, 6 years

Best lifts in competition?
578 squat, 408 bench, 632 deadlift

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
i played various sports my whole life and settled on football through high school

Why Powerlifting?
powerlifting is an amazing way to set goals and achieve them. there’s nothing better than the feeling of walking up on that platform with murder on your mind  

Tell me something about your gym/team.
i train at Athens Health Club in Eldersburg, Maryland. lots of good lifters from our small town train there.

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
I like to compete with my little team we like to call barnyard barbell.

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
I’m actually a big sissy
 
What's your favorite lift?
Squat

Least favorite lift?
Bench Press

Biggest challenge in your training?
Staying motivated in early peak blocks of training.

Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
I like loud 70s country music and no distractions 

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
Strength Studio TT is what i’ve been using for my 12 week peak. i self program otherwise.

Social media.  Positives and negatives
I like it but i think we rely on it too much

Diet you follow? Supplements?
i eat like a bodybuilder. lots of chicken breast, rice, broccoli, tuna, etc. big fan of PR BREAKER supplements.

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
breaking 1600 total and benching 4 wheels 

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
to start a family

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)
Shout out to Matt Schrodel, Mike Camus, Cam Mcdonald, Paul Jeng, and, of course, Waylon 

​Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC X-Factor Open on November 6, 2021.
Top Men's Raw Wilks 2.0...

​Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
I'm Jamaal Grimes, 40-years-old and I have been powerlifting now for over 6 years.  

Best lifts in competition?
Best lifts are squat (wraps) 235kg/518lbs, squat (sleeves) 227.5kg/501lbs, bench 140kg/308lbs and deadlift 312.5kg/688lbs.   

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
Track and field all through middle school and high school-100m, 200m, 400m, relays, long jump, triple jump, shot put and discus.  Dibbled and dabbled in different martial arts from Muay Thai to Kyokushin.

Why Powerlifting?
I never knew how strong I was until I did CrossFit while I was deployed in Iraq.  My very first max out deadlift was 4 plates and it was then that I became more curious about how far I could push myself.  Once I started competing, I started learning more about how to train and perform in the sport, and in turn, it taught me things about myself (discipline, intrinsic motivation and smart(er) goal setting and planning).  

Tell me something about your gym/team.
I'm typically a lone wolf when training.  I had a shed built in my backyard where I do most of my training.  It's called The Shinka Shack.

Something most people you train with (or those who follow you if you train alone) don't know about you?
Haha!  I proposed to my wife at a non-sanctioned powerlifting meet held at Yokota AFB in Japan.  Later that year, we flew from Japan to the states to get married and two days after our wedding we both competed in our first sanctioned powerlifting meet!  I know that our bond is very unconventional, but you can't spell romantic without 'iron'.

Biggest inspiration in the sport?
I have several inspirations-Ed Coan, Steve Goggins, Lamar Gant, Taylor Atwood, Ray Williams, Jamal Browner.

What's your favorite lift?
Hands down the deadlift 

Least favorite lift?
Bench press

Biggest challenge in your training?
I became a new father in 2020 and it has definitely changed my life and the way I train.  It's not just about me anymore.  

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

Training plan. Do your own programming or have a coach?
I usually do my own programming, but I started the Juggernaut AI app over the summer to prepare for my most recent meet.  

Social media.  Positives and negatives
Social media is a great tool for connecting with like-minded people in the sport and some of our favorite lifters.  It can be a negative when either mindless scrolling becomes way too time consuming or opinions are enforced without people having an open mind to one another's opinion.

Diet you follow? Supplements?
I do not follow a specific diet.  I eat to live and perform, which consists of home prepped meals, tracking portions, and occasional eating out.  The only supplements that I use are tea (caffeine), pre-workout sparingly, magnesium and fish oil.  

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Biggest accomplishment would have to be winning a national title and earning a silver medal at an international competition all in the same year.  

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?
Business-to open a gym.  

Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I would like to thank my wife for always being my biggest cheerleader and support system.  Also, there are way too many names but I'd like to thank and continue to uplift all of the lifters, coaches and gym owners that I've met through the sport who continue to support me as well.  Last, but not least, thank you to the USPC!

​Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC NorCal Lift-Toberfest on October 23, 2021.
Top Women's Master Raw Wilks 2.0...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?

Sally Goldman, 59 years old.  I've been powerlifting for about 5.5 years.

Best lifts in competition?

137.5kg squat, 80kg bench, 167.5kg deadlift

Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?

As a child I played tennis and swam, and in addition to these I played basketball and softball in high school.  After about 30 years without doing any athletics, I was introduced to Crossfit at the age of 47, which was the first time I touched a barbell or did anything with weights.  When I was growing up, women didn't go to the weight room and it wasn't something I really ever imagined myself doing.

Why Powerlifting?

The part about Crossfit I enjoyed the most was the lifting. After a while of focusing on Crossfit, I decided to switch my focus to powerlifting by following the Power Performance Training program run by Sam Starlin that was offered at my Crossfit gym.  I did this for several years combining Crossfit and Powerlifting before joining Boss Barbell Club about 3 years ago.

Tell me something about your gym/team.

Currently I train at Boss Barbell Club (Dan Green's gym).  It's a wonderful gym where there are lifters of all levels including some of the top lifters in the country. Everyone is there to support everyone else.  When I did my first meet at the gym, Kristy Hawkins asked if I had a handler and offered to be my handler when she heard I didn't yet have someone to do that for me.  It's an amazing environment to train for so many reasons.

Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?

Other than my training sessions with Dan, I train on my own but find that I can do much better when at the gym with others there even though we are all following our own programs.  If there was a team training session then I think that would fit me well.

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

I spent 18 years as a Professor of Computer Science at Washington University in St. Louis including having an endowed chair before moving to the Bay Area to join Google Research.

Biggest inspiration in the sport?

I am inspired by strong women like Kristy Hawkins and Terri Ashley and also one of my favorite Master Athletes, Linda Franklin, who keeps getting stronger even at 65.  It reminds me that I can still push for PRs at an age where many think that women can't get stronger.  

What's your favorite lift?

I really enjoy all the lifts.  Deadlifts come the most natural to me.

Least favorite lift?

I feel like bench is my weakest lifts, and the one that is hardest to improve.

Biggest challenge in your training?

In October 2019 my husband was diagnosed with appendix cancer, and he passed away in August 2020.  During much of this time, I had to completely step away from powerlifting and work so that I could care for him.  With all that had happened combined with not being able to get to the gym because of the COVID pandemic, I found it really hard to find the motivation to return to powerlifting and had lots of doubt if I could get back to anywhere near the numbers I hit in November 2019. I decided that maintaining strength was important for my general well being so returned to the gym in July 2021 committed to putting in the work and to see what I can do.  I've been happily surprised with how much strength I've gained back since then.

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

Training in the gym where I'm not distracted by work and my adorable grandson (who always wants to be my helper) has worked best.  I've switched to morning workouts where there are less people in the gym which is good for me right now and also gets me home to have dinner with my grandson.

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

I train once a week with Dan Green which has been very helpful.  Along with being an amazing lifter, he's a really good coach.  My programming is formed  from what Dan does with me in these sessions.

Social media.  Positives and negatives

For me it has been positive and is a way for me to connect with other lifters including a lot of other "older" women who lift.

Diet you follow? Supplements?

I don't follow any specific diet or take any supplements beyond protein powder but do try to eat relatively clean.

Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?

Squat has been the hardest lift as far as improving my technique and being sure to consistently hit depth. At Boss of Norcall 11 (in Nov 2019) after having to cancel a trip to a USPA drug tested meet where I hoped to add to my World Records, I officially hit a >300# deadlift with a 137.5kg squat with all white lights.  Still chasing that 400# DL and 200# bench.

What's one of your non-powerlifting goals?

To enjoy being a day-to-day part of my grandson's life and watch him grow. Nothing in life is guaranteed and I'm grateful to have this opportunity.

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

I want to thank my family for their support, especially my late husband who always encouraged me despite all the time it took me away from him to be at the gym training.  I would not have gone down this path without his support. I want to thank everyone at Boss Barbell Club, especially Dan Green for his coaching and guidance to help me see that I still have the ability to gain strength and set some PR goals for the future.  Also thanks to Sam Starlin for everything he taught me and for all his support as I began competing in powerlifting.