Local powerlifters Lauren Iverson and Erin Clark came away with first and second place finishes from the British Columbia Powerlifting Association (BCPA) Fall Classic in Abbotsford on Oct. 15-16.
Iverson finished first in her weight class in the sub-junior division and Clark took second place in the 84 kg weight class, Women’s Open division. This was the first meet for both.
Iverson was not available for comment, but Clark spoke very highly of her.
“She’s super impressive and is honestly one of my biggest motivators in the gym,” Clark said. “She’s 17 years old and she and her training partner are so dedicated and driven. They are incredible young women and I can’t wait to see them dominate the platform in future.”
Powerlifting, Clark explained, is basically to lift as much weight as possible in the squat, bench-press and deadlift, while keeping proper form and meeting certain guidelines like hitting depth, stable positioning, and even bar path.
Scoring is based on total weight lifted across those three lifts and is then rated against the lifter’s bodyweight, which results in an overall Wilks score.
The Wilks formula is used to compare the strength of powerlifters against each other despite the different weights of the lifters.
“The interesting thing about competing is that your training completely changes,” Clark said. “You’re forced to strengthen your weaknesses and really put the work in where you need it to get to your goals.
“Prior to this event I was running a linear kind of program, and although I was making gains and my numbers were going up all around, I wouldn’t – for example – always work on perfecting my form,” Clark said. “I would skim over my weak spots because the little details didn’t really matter to me. Coming away from it, I know what I need to work on to come in first, and to crush some records in the future. My coach [Curtis Munson] is working on a game plan for me and I’m super excited to get started.”
Clark, who trains out of Valhalla Strength and Conditioning Gym in Sechelt, said that her victory would not have been possible without the community she’s found there.
“The energy in that gym – the people, the classes, and especially the coaching – is so unique that you can’t help but feel inspired, invigorated, supported and strong,” Clark said.
“We are like a big family, and I really feel like any one person’s success is more of a team effort than it might appear from the outside. I would be nowhere without my coach, and without all the people who support me and cheer for me and help me out when I’m struggling or just not feeling super strong.”
