My own training at the gym started when I was 14, and I dabbled with so many different forms of exercising before stepping foot in a powerlifting gym. I joined Les Miles classes, trained long distance swimming, mountain running, cycling and went to the gym for aesthetic purposes. As a girl, I was encouraged to stay fit and small. In 2021, I’ve made the decision that being small was no longer my raison d’etre and joined CSA’s powerlifting initiative. Joining a 2:1 program meant that I get a powerlifting coach for $7200 for 12 weeks (2021 price). And it is the best decision I have ever made!
First 12 Weeks With My Powerlifting Coach
I got assigned a gym buddy and powerlifting coach. Dennis, as a coach, was professional and respectful. He never made me feel bad when I just could not grasp the right form. It was daunting when words like wedging, tension, eccentric, hinging were thrown around. But, I gradually learnt basic powerlifting techniques and was able to understand their lingos! Dennis updated my program weekly and responded to us sending in our training videos, making sure we did not hurt ourselves during training.
Dennis made sessions go by very quickly every time as we balance our classes with serious lifting and light-hearted chat. Soon, I looked forward to the sessions weekly even though it meant I had to wake up early on a Sunday morning!
My first Powerlifting Competition with Coach
My classmate and I did another buddy program with Dennis to learn low-bar and sumo deadlift! We had so much fun and we’ve decided that sooner or later, we should join competitions together. I went ahead first and Dennis agreed to help me prepare for my meet. He tried to tune my low-bar squats and deadlifts into perfection before I got on stage. Dennis also gave me advise to what equipment to sort, how to prepare my body to react better to caffeine and help me set realistic expectations.
Obviously, as a coach he was wonderful and taught me so much I had to learn. The commands for SBD, the techniques, etc. But, the best thing about his coaching was his reassurance and always prioritizing the right thing. He made sure I rested, ate right and was not overly-stressed mentally and physically. I felt very reassured constantly and enjoyed myself throughout the training! It made me excited to go on stage and not get too anxious about my first meet.
For more details about my meet: Click here!
Making my coach proud:
Overall Thoughts
Personally, I do not think I could ever progress in such a speed without Dennis. He helped me navigate through the community and with his own competition experience, I got through my first competition with a very positive experience! I learnt how to do different variations of squat and deadlift, accessories and other exercises. He even taught me how to eat well and help me quit alcohol! It felt like he constantly did the impossible as I no longer deadlift with my spine. I look back at my lifting videos and I can see a clear progression in terms of strength, form and confidence.
It goes without saying that yes, I strongly believe beginners can benefit a lot from a good powerlifting coach.
If you are interested in the coaching plan I had, you can click this link!