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Liz Willett
By: Priscilla Ribic
I have had the opportunity to meet Liz at my first
meet. She is so down to earth and full of fun
stories; I hadn't a clue I was talking to the
USAPL SHW Champion. Since our introduction
three years ago, I have gotten the opportunity to
compete, train and travel the world with Liz.
Watching her through the years, I would best
describe her as "A diamond in the rough" in her
untapped powerlifting potential.
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Meet Liz Willett, a multi USAPL SHW National Champion & I.P.F. medallist:
Give me a little background information:
Date of birth: March 25, 1972
Residence: Washington State, Ferndale /Gold's Gym Bellingham
Occupation: I work for the best Sports Nutrition Line on the Market today! Bioplex Nutrition ~ Check them out, www.bioplexnutrition.com ~ If you ever have any Protein questions give us a call!
Hobbies outside of powerlifting:
Beside my husband Rich and my beloved Steven ~ Are there any? : Working with kids and passing on the famous " If I knew then, what I know now." life message. Would also have to say that I love a good camping, fishing trip or a trip to the coast during storm season with good company.
Years lifting: 5 years~
What got you interested in powerlifting:
Powerlifting actually found me as a teen in Alaska back in the ADFPA days. Was working for an airline in the cargo dept. and a customer asked if I had ever powerlifted? Got an invite to come and lift with the group and was hooked ~ only lifted in three contest and won all the teen titles for super heavy, they still stand. After three contests I quit, to busy being a teenager I guess. About six years later after marriage and kid I was ready to go back to the gym. After a small search and destroy mission, I found a gym with "powerlifters", walked up to this huge group of big ugly guys (Darin, Will, Todd, Kenny) and boldly stated that I could squat 500 and I wanted to lift. After having a good laugh, they proceeded to try and kill me that day, made me lunge for hours~ and here we are. Thanks guys!
Weight Class: 198+
Best lifts: Squat 611.75# Bench 385.75# Dead 473#
Records/Titles held:
- I hold all the state teen/open, All the National, All the American minus the deadlift.
- 4X National USAPL SHW Champ
- 3X IPF Bronze Medallist
Federations you lift in: USAPL/IPF
Tell me what your week training schedule looks like. Show me what your workouts consist of both major and supplementary exercises for the week.
This is the basic workout that we start with:
- Monday: SQUAT
- Wednesday: BENCH
- Friday: DEAD LIFT
- Sunday: Lt. Bench or Speed or Assistance
I would start an 8 or 12 wk on 50% of your last gym or contest MAX. Add five or ten pounds a week depending on goals and intensity.
Major Lifts: Week 1-4 on an 8 wk, 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps add 5-10 lbs a week, adjust according to level..Wk 4-5 3-2 sets of 6-8 adding 5-10 lbs a week,Wk 6-7, 1 set of 2-3 reps, Wk 8, 1 set of 1 or 2 rep Max,REST 5-7 Days, CONTEST, PR's for everyone :)
Do your main exercise and pick maybe 3-4 assistance exercises do three to five sets of 8 to10. Don't pick three of the same body part! Mix and Match, if there is some exercise you don't like it is probably a weak area, WORK IT... If something HURTS don't do it, find another way to work the muscle till you recover. Form and Technique is also a very BIG factor in lifting. Again that is where your Training Partner comes in. Only you know your body so don't over train it, if you find that your tired all the time and not
recovering back off a little (not so many sets or reps)! Plan for a few down days.
Squat and Dead Assistance Ideas:
Good Mornings, Seated or Standing
Lunges
Calve Raises
Reverse Hypers
Heavy Partials
Front Squats
Strait Legs
Box Squats
Manta Ray Squats
Rack Pulls
Arch Backs
Hamm Curls
Wide Stance, Close Stance
Use Blocks or Plates
Bench Assistance:
TRICEPS (Any way you can do them..)
Wide Grip Bench
Incline or Decline Bench
Pushdowns
Fly's
Lat Pulls Close and Wide Grip
Shrugs
Shoulder Raises Side and Front, Free Weight or Machine
Dumbbells Chest Press
Pin Lockouts
Skull Crushers
Biceps
Abs~ anytime that you think about it, then do some more.
What does your diet consist of and what supplements do you take?
With the exception of this last few months~ I am your basic three squares kind of gal.. My biggest goal throughout the day is to process about 250+grams of (Insert Sponser here lol) Bioplex Pure WPI protein without to many carbs. A normal day looks like this:
Wake: Try to get about 40 grams of WPI
7-8 am Breakfast: usually egg whites or farina
10-11am: Protein Shake
Lunch: Chicken and a can of green beans
3-4pm: WPI Shake before I go to the gym
After Gym: Another Shake after add glutamine
Dinner: Usually a Steak, greens and potatoes.
Before Bed: I have a shake and my cal mags.
OK NOW THE REAL DAY:
Wake: Try to get about 40 grams of WPI ~ Good thing about my job, usually never miss these!
7-8 am is Breakfast: Usually egg whites or farina ~ Not enough time will have Teri's baked goods and coffee at work..
10-11am: Protein Shake
Lunch: Chicken and a can of green beans ~back to the time issue, if I did not get up and make it, this is usually a take out chicken substitute or nothing
3-4pm: WPI Shake before I go to the gym
After Gym: Another Shake after add glutamine~ The kid usually eats around this time I will contribute to the corndog consumption
Dinner: Usually a Steak, greens and potatoes. ~My husband it the best cook in the world I owe my size and strength to him, never miss these. :)
Before Bed: I have a shake and my cal mags.
The weekend schedule usually has pizza and Doritos on the menu~
Your totals have been jumping up by leaps and bounds; anything special added to your training to help you advance?
It really seems like when I get better at the food & diet question then I get better at the rest.
I think the secret weapon to my training is my lifting partner Darin Richardson, by god some days I could kill him and I think the feeling is mutual… The best thing about Darin is that it is never boring, whenever I start to get tired or bored he will say "Hey lets get the chains, or band and do a little Louie" or "Hey, I read an article the other day……." , this keeps me going. Along with the guilt of him putting up with me for 5 years.
Larry Maile and the Iron Maidens (all of them) are my ROCKS, Larry will set the numbers and plan of attack, then critique~ the rest of the team follows up to make sure that I am staying on track and hitting the numbers. I just do the easy part.
Who and what do you attribute your great success to?
Don't know about great success (I am not done yet) :, but I do have a ton of people to Thank!
Pete @ Titan Support Systems` need I say more~It's the best gear for me!
Bioplex Nutrition `Thanks for the time off along with all the rest.
Atlas Chiropractic~ Mr.Hip you're the best!
Barlean's Worldwide
Superfeet ~ There amazing
Gold's Gym Bellingham
Gibb's Design & Graphic ~ Mr. Webmaster
I think the most important part of this answer are my friends~ From Larry, Darin, Leslie, Jim F, PJ, and Kirk teaching me the ropes. From Harriet and Priscilla who always check to make sure I am not slacking. From everyone that tosses me a 20$ when it is time to leave for a contest. To RDC giving me my first lifting T-Shirt ever. My Team Mates~ they are the best.
Last but not least everyone who supports me in my family. These folks are behind the scenes and never really get recognized and thanked for their support. Believe me they put up with a lot.
What have been your biggest obstacles to overcome?
Besides the obvious money answer, I think the hardest obstacles to overcome is balancing the "REAL BIG THREE" 1. Powerlifting, 2.Family, 3.Career ~, to not get lost and To be true to all the promises that have been made, and try to make them all balance without getting you're a** kicked.
You have been to numerous IPF World meets. Tell us the places you have been and how competing internationally differs from the US.
In the last five years I have been to Denmark 99, Argentina 00, Czech 01, Japan (World Games) 01', Germany 02'. Hopefully Chicago 03!! I think the biggest difference between National and International competition is as easy as competing against your friends vs. competing with them. (I'll take competing with them any day!) Rules and Officials are going to be in both places no matter where you go. Politics too!
If you could give one sound piece of advice for the average lifter, what would that be?
Push ups, Abs, a good training partner and at least 50 people you can call when you have an awful lift day or a good web forum!! Really~ Tackle what you hate to do first, most likely that is your weak area. Get it over with then have some fun. (That's the key word) Do what you love to do!
"The day you swear your going to quit ~ Just go in one more day!!"
You are the USAPL Women's Committee Chair, suggestions would you give the women out there who are interested in powerlifting, but have not started?
Call your local powerlifting club, state chairperson, or myself!! I promise that you will get nothing less from it than some great friends and stories to talk about! You can always go back to what you were doing if you don't like it.
What are your future goals (any Strongwomen Competitions in your future) and upcoming meets?
My first and foremost goals are to win an IPF World Championship and a few world records, after that I think the sky is the limit. Yes I have dreams of Strongwoman Contests (I think this is the ultimate test of strength and endurance), would love to try Olympic lifting, probably going to get a laugh from this one but, yes I would also like to do one BB contest. (Start taking bets on this) : Once this happens it's off to the WWE. Who knows, I just think that if you put your mind to something you can pretty much do anything you want. God Willing.
Anything else you would like to add?
Priscilla ~ Thank you for the interview. Geez..is there anything you don't do?? Thanks for calling and making sure I make it to the gym….
Wish I could answer this interview with a simple… "I just love it"
Closing words:
Liz is a very active role model in the sport of powerlifting. You may keep up-to-date with her lifting success at: www.wlizpower.com
Thank you Liz for the interview (and thank you for taking me under your wing, you are truly an amazing person)!
Priscilla Ribic
www.littlepowerhouse.com
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