4
min read
Powerlifting My Way to Success
By John Thorpe, Personal Trainer
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Heather's Testimony
"I began training with John at the Edge 15 months ago, shortly after the birth of my second child. John impressed me from the beginning, finding my strengths and weaknesses very quickly. Due to the pregnancy and birth of my son, I had developed an issue with my abdominal wall separating, which over time has dramatically improved. John made working out fun and exciting, which made going to the gym a passion instead of a chore. After finding out what workouts I enjoyed, John began to tailor my workouts to specific exercise routines that would help me reach my goals and motivate me, and I soon discovered my passion for powerlifting. Finding that motivation took my fitness journey to a whole new level, focusing on gaining strength and eating healthy, training with a plan and not just looking at the number on the scale. With the skills and tools John has passed on to me I am now able to look at food in a whole new light and I feel better than ever and I am able to make healthier choices for me and my family. I am down 40lbs and 15% body fat since I started this journey which is the healthiest I’ve ever been. I have made many friends along the way through the Edge Strong classes. The classes are one of my favorite parts of The Edge because it provides a mix of cardio and strength. The combination of the two serve as amazing full body workouts. Each training session, powerlifting competition, and Edge challenge completed has taught me I’m capable of so much more than I thought I was, I have found strength I didn’t know I had. I can’t wait to see what the next 15 months will bring.”
"I began training with John at the Edge 15 months ago, shortly after the birth of my second child. John impressed me from the beginning, finding my strengths and weaknesses very quickly. Due to the pregnancy and birth of my son, I had developed an issue with my abdominal wall separating, which over time has dramatically improved. John made working out fun and exciting, which made going to the gym a passion instead of a chore. After finding out what workouts I enjoyed, John began to tailor my workouts to specific exercise routines that would help me reach my goals and motivate me, and I soon discovered my passion for powerlifting. Finding that motivation took my fitness journey to a whole new level, focusing on gaining strength and eating healthy, training with a plan and not just looking at the number on the scale. With the skills and tools John has passed on to me I am now able to look at food in a whole new light and I feel better than ever and I am able to make healthier choices for me and my family. I am down 40lbs and 15% body fat since I started this journey which is the healthiest I’ve ever been. I have made many friends along the way through the Edge Strong classes. The classes are one of my favorite parts of The Edge because it provides a mix of cardio and strength. The combination of the two serve as amazing full body workouts. Each training session, powerlifting competition, and Edge challenge completed has taught me I’m capable of so much more than I thought I was, I have found strength I didn’t know I had. I can’t wait to see what the next 15 months will bring.”
Personal Trainer John Thorpe's Outlook
"Starting out, Edge Strong classes were the main priority to help rebuild proper foundational movement patterns. We met once a week for an hour and focused much of the time on being able to properly engage her core. I have done much of my continuing education specifically geared towards women’s fitness, and post-partum core and pelvic floor issues are extremely common. Most of our exercises selection started with body weight or light weighted exercises. Once she had sufficient strength, we soon progressed to barbell exercises, my personal favorite for building strength. I prefer to focus on strength training while clients are losing weight so that they can build or at least maintain as much muscle mass as possible while losing body fat. Cardio always comes as a second priority to strength training. We have gone through periods of higher volume training with training density (more work in shorter period of time) as well as periods of high intensity working with near maximal loads and longer rest periods. This variety has been part of Heather’s key to success. Training is all about adaptation. We would train with one goal long enough for her body to adapt, then switch focus. This has including periods of losing weight, but also periods of purposefully maintaining weight. I think many clients underestimate the importance of maintenance! We always matched her nutrition protocol to her training to optimize results. One of my goals as a personal trainer is to help break the negative stigma going against women strength training, and Heather is one screaming example of success in that! I don’t know how many times I’ve heard women mention not wanting to be “bulky” or not wanting to put on muscle without really understanding what that means. Heather has lost 40lbs, and built a ton of strength that allows her to keep up and play with her children. I’m glad that she has also found her passion in powerlifting, a sport that I’ve been involved with for a few years, and I’m looking forward to help coaching her in breaking some records!"
