FiredUp Network
Thursday, July 18: Everything Athletic
Hello, what is up? This is Taylor Woods with another episode of everything athletic, bringing on some two very strong, very genuine powerlifters with actually a very different athletic background because I didn't know Justin used to cycle, like when you pop that up, that's like, what? So that's pretty cool. And then, Helene, you were wrestling, right? But I think there's a little bit more to that athletic background. Is that true? So I actually started that later in life. Growing up, I did nothing good. I played sports, but I was really overweight, so we can talk about that. Yeah, so give a little bit of introduction, say where you're at, maybe some of the numbers that you're hitting in terms of squad bench and deadlift. Yeah, and let's talk about that sporting background. I'll go first. My name is Ellen Tremblay. We live in Ontario. Now I am originally from Alberta, so I moved here a couple of years ago. So growing up, I played sports. It was a small town with like no cuts. So I played hockey. I played softball basketball soccer. I played everything, but I was not very good. In high school, I reached a high of probably about like 270, 280. So it, yeah, that was my experience growing up. Like I said, I played sports, but not very good. Not very well. There weren't. It was definitely like be league hockey. We won provincial's once for softball, so that was pretty fun. But I started losing weight in my adult life. I was like 23 probably. So that was 2014 2013 2014. So I lost about 100 pounds in the first year, 120. And then I had skin removal surgery, did a bodybuilding show, volunteered at a powerlifting meet discovered I really liked powerlifting. So I stuck with that did another show in the meantime. And then started doing jiu-jitsu in 2019. Dropped dropped bodybuilding in 2018 haven't done that again. Don't don't have any desire to. And then, yeah, that's been pretty much it. My best meet was last March. I totaled 500 kilos in eight attempts. And that was the goal. So we left it there. That's about it. That was in sleeves. That was actually my first sleeved meat, because I started in wraps. Everyone that was helping me when I started was in wraps. And that was just the normal thing. So I did my first sleeved meet last March, and it was my best meet. So we will see. I don't compete again until next April. I'll do the women's pro M and we'll see. I have no idea wrap sleeves, but wait, I don't know. It doesn't matter. It'll be fun. Wow. Well, okay. So first, if you're watching this on video, yes, Helena's in the basement of their new house. So congratulations with that. Doesn't matter the scene. You know what? It probably makes your voice just in the audio on this. So I appreciate that. And then, too. Yeah, no, just like, again, like, as, you know, a reporter, I should do all of this research and background and I do a little bit tiny bit, but not that extensive. That's amazing. So congratulations going through. Thank you. You've been just like that fitness journey. I know it's like, it takes you on wild adventures. It sounds like you've been near and far in it. And we'll dive into your coaching and stuff, but first as an athlete. Is there two things that just encompass you in terms of a like pushing towards even like even training now and anything like you've taken over your journey is like two staples or like a couple staples that you motivate you or drive you as an athlete. I think that it's been about discovering like because growing up in a body that wasn't really capable of doing much. It's been about that's why I'm trying different things bodybuilding powerlifting jiu jitsu it's like, what am I capable of doing now I have a body that can move and is strong and like, it's super cool to find out like even even though like I'm 30, 33, like, I'm still discovering things and I feel like I'm never too old to try new things. And I think that's been super cool to like not be limited by the mental because of course like there's the fear of looking stupid or, you know, not being capable of doing something but I think it's been really cool to push myself to just try new things because I have a body that's capable and like trusting myself to be able to do those things, no matter what it is. And then I think the other thing is just consistency like of course we've all we all take breaks like right now, I competed in February as you know kind of just just walking on not prepped for. And I don't compete again until April and I've never since I started competing since I started even dieting losing weight and having the the idea of being an athlete. I've never taken this much time off and I'm I'm actually excited to do it but I'm still very consistent. So that's been that's been a change, but remembering that I'm still an athlete even if I'm not competing. Absolutely. Absolutely. Great. I'll also take that into my accounts too because those are some of that's wisdom that's wisdom right there. Oh, 33 is young Justin you're sitting there just sipping sipping some coffee, probably some coffee maybe some pretty workout. How's it going. Good. How's your training been what's a little bit of your sporting background besides you probably done more than just cycling. Yeah, so my name is Justin's all I grew up in Owen sound. Yeah, I grew up doing a lot of different things stuff I'll ski in cycling very high level with the national championship when I was 16. At least for a long time. I had a lot of fun playing football rugby. Everything get my hands on really everything except for hockey actually wasn't allowed to play hockey. The aggression with a hockey stick. Probably good for some people, but coming into the boards I could probably see like people just be like, well, it depends. Okay, 16 16 year old cyclists would be probably different than what you are now, but still you would be skating down the ice. Like nothing ripping with all the quads that you got. Yeah, that was always that was always the funny thing when I went to play contact sports because I had a very small upper body, but I just throw my legs. It was hard as I could when I tackled or, you know, any sort of like a scrub and rugby was always funny because we had to wait to engage me so it didn't hurt by anybody's backs. Yeah, that was pretty funny, but no, I played everything right. And then when I was 19, my first kind of neo pro year in cycling found out very quickly. I didn't like the politics. I didn't like how long the season was. And I burnt out actually really, really hard actually got off the bike that October and I've never actually been on one since. And I won't go on. And basically from that September, October to December, I went from 160 pounds to, I believe, who's I'd have to look at my old body going on the count. I believe it was like 235 to 255 is what I went up to in a very short period of time. Because it was my whole identity, right? When you're a young kid and get it something, that becomes who you are, right? There's a real good, you know, split of that personality from the years of person and what you're doing and just kind of jumbled into one. And, for example, in high school, when I did about migrations, I didn't lose a race for five years. I won everything. And it was just one of those things where when I quit, I lost my identity and I just started eating like crazy. And funny enough, I was a New Year's resolutioner. I looked at myself around Christmas. It was actually my Polish grandmother. That's a very nice thing to be in Christmas to kind of kick my butt in the air and start as a New Year's resolutioner. And started from there when I played football for a little bit and kept getting hurt, gotten knocked out a couple times, broke my elbow and couldn't keep me out of the gym. So, I eventually kind of got conned into going to a parlor thing gym and then a meet and I did really well on my first meet and I kind of stuck with it since that was 2013. Wow. So, what's your first numbers that you started on parlor thing? Because I'm curious. Like, you probably had all this life power. And then where are they at now? So, my first competition I did, we have a database that we use in parlor thing called open parlor thing. And I'm unfortunately part of the generation where I'm so old, some of my meets aren't on there. Which is embarrassing. I've had a little age crisis recently, Taylor. It's okay. I'll get over it soon. Yeah. But my first meet that I did, I spotted 600 pounds. Do you remember those so we could get her to let him talk about knee sleeves and knee wraps are basically assistance for your knees when you're lifting. So, knee wraps help you look a little bit more than you sleeves do. Do you remember those like white and red chic, the wraps you get from Popeyes. Okay. No, I don't. But yes, basically, they're super thin. And I showed up to my first parlor thing meet with those and in a fabric belt, which is a no no you have to wear a leather belt when you compete. So many of them I squatted 600 pounds that day. I bench 45 pounds I did look to 600 pounds so it was a 1500 and 145 pounds total my first meet. Fast forward a few years. And a lot of training later, I squatted 953 pounds last October. It was 140 pounds. And I did look to 815 pounds. That's nuts. That's the same. And thank you for including pounds even though 500 kilograms. 500 kilograms. It's like when you say 500, 500 pounds. Yeah. Well, I don't know, just like their pounds people. So like I have to remind especially with my weight weight lifter friends is just like, guys, that's a lot of, that's a lot of weight. I have to emphasize that twice. But yes, pounds, kilograms, whatever that is a lot of weight. And so many things that we could talk about but it's like, even just hearing how you guys are explaining your stories because you guys are a coaching duo. So you set out in terms of your programming, how you guys coach other athletes, because you guys are probably one of I know like one of the pinnacles, even in Canada and you probably stretch for the North America, or even overseas we don't know that I don't know that. But yeah, explain that dynamic. Well, I think the nice thing for us is this first and foremost, you know, when we're when we're coaching athletes, our biggest attribute and this kind of seems silly but I think you understand it Taylor is we really care on the individual level of our athletes, you know, their success, their failures, they hit us hard, right. And, you know, last year, you know, it was even outside of, sorry, Gordon, my dogs. Outside of, you know, lifting, you know, by help, you know, one of our, one of our athletes right is wedding vows, you know, we found out from three or four couples that they were expecting before their parents did. You know, I received a phone call to one of my athletes is going to look for an engagement ring. You know, those were all those are all things that you know, I all, I'll remember a lot more than what they did on the platform. And, and with that being said, that goes for both of us, right. And when you have that out of the base knowledge that we have, and the competitive knowledge that we have, it really kind of blends into this really cool mix of, you know, yes, we're going to push you and we're going to do everything we can to make sure you're, you're, you're ready, but because we care, you know, that allows our athletes to a lot, a lot further, because I know they have their coaches full back. And then having, you know, myself who's a natural athlete who's good at everything he tries. I'll approach things one way, you know, sometimes that doesn't work. Sometimes we need a little bit more of a little bit more, you can say it's okay, you can say it. Sometimes a little more of that mix, you know, and that's what sometimes you know, I'll be saying something that sounds super simple to me, you know. And, and put it over a client said so one can step in and take over vice versa. No, and I know, like the individualized approach that you guys have, even just from like side conversation the gym, like, especially with me going through my hockey stuff, me maybe approaching my first meet. And just like the genuine is like how you approached and talked, even just individually, it's just like, wow, like, for me, like, number one value is like listening, right, so listening. I'm making sure it's like, hey, like how I'm saying something, or how that athlete saying something is important, and how they articulated and how they, they're motivated to get what they want. And that's exactly even two. Opening up about a few of my goals, even in the gym is like, oh, like, you guys understand with that diversity background that you guys got. So, let's even shift it a little bit because, Helen, you did come from Alberta. Now, you guys bought a house in Ontario. So again, congrats. You guys have your family. How do you guys first meet. How do we want. How do you guys first meet. Oh, that'll come together. So, at a wraps competition. Yes, it was 2022. It was shell shock seven. I think it was a so it's a big meet in Alberta and Edmonton. I was not planning on doing that meet, and I was coaching at a CPL meet or something. And the promoter that puts on shell shock was there and I joked it because I was at a meeting. Of course, we all get fear of missing out. And I was like, shit, you know, maybe I am in a position and maybe I should prep. Anyway, so I asked the promoter, I was like, Hey, you got, you got room at your meet for me. She goes, because I would, I've sponsored that meet at the time. I think it was like the second year I sponsored it. And she goes, well, yeah, of course, I got room. No problem at first. I was like, I'll just do bench only. And then I was like, nah, things are feeling okay. I'm going to do full power. So I ended up doing the meet. So I competed on Saturday. And Justin competed on Sunday, but we did not say word to each other at the meet. I had followed him on socials because they were like posting the athletes coming up to the meet, like who was competing, who's going to be there. And I knew no one from Ontario. Sorry, there weren't many big names. I had known a couple people from Ontario, but I had never heard of Justin's. I was literally like, what's a zodel. This is what, who is this guy. So followed him up to the meet. I saw like he had his heaviest meat. Sorry, squat of that prep was 865. And I was like, Oh, this is crazy. The heaviest squat I had ever seen in person was 1000 pounds in gear. The heaviest raw squat I'd ever seen in person was like, eight, maybe. So it was super cool to see. I was like, Oh, this guy's really, really strong. So we, yeah, we both competed. Like I said, just kind of like, didn't, didn't say anything on the day because he was competing. And if you've ever watched him compete, it's frightening. I was literally like, I looked at my girlfriend and I was like, I'm afraid of this man. Like, I feel like I need to keep distance. This is unsafe for people to be around this person while he's competing. So I did, I did decently well on on Saturday. I think I got second on dots. I believe heavy as bench of the meat, which is cool. So it's funny because they have these 3D printed trophies in the misfit and logo. That's who puts on the meat. It's misfit strength and power. And so I have the pink one for best bench and then he got best squat. And best bench, then they were green. So we kind of have these matching trophies, which is really cute. And then, of course, the medals from the meats. And so that was it. We started talking like a couple of weeks later. And this is where we seem like extremely psychotic people, but I came to visit for a weekend. His friend, John, who owns Just Be Strong Jim was doing a strong man show in. I can't remember where. Near Trent. Near Trent. And I went up for the weekend in September. It was like at the end of the end of the month in September, I want to say the third week in September. And came for the weekend. We, like, we were full on, like, we had the conversation of like, Hey, we're adults. And Justin has a daughter. And it was like, we can't, like, we have to figure this out if it's going to be a thing. And so we had all of the, like, real adult conversations went over past history, religion, money, everything. And I moved a week later. And I have been in Ontario since. So October 1st, I officially moved and so 2022. So yeah, then that's it. That's, it's been that since I know it's crazy. It is absolutely wild. But that is our story. That, no, that's, no, that's wild. And I was like, writing off into your brand new hopes. That's amazing. And then, yeah, a little dabble into strong man. I didn't know that's the reasons why you came down. Justin, was that all accurate? Do you want to add any comments into that? Did she approach you or did you approach her? Or were you thinking about, or you're thinking about approaching her? I mean, after me, we all know I was focusing on the competition. She took a video of me lifting my last deadlift. Yeah. That was kind of the icebreaker I would say. It's true. That's fair. Yeah. Okay, so I'll get into a little bit because I know it's like, okay, so we can go through, like, the squad pension deadlift, obviously. Okay, but if there were three different lifts that you have to replace for squat or a variation, a variation for bench and a variation for deadlift, what would you put into a, they just a conjugate powerlifting me. You'll replace. I was going to say, I don't know. I kind of like, I like, I just a regular squat. That's fine. That's fine. Reverse band squat. There you go. Yeah, for me, for me, like, I don't remember playing rugby. You know, my football coaches used to come out. We used to watch the guys play rugby and we could find out who was violent and who was timid. We were really game playing that into the rest of our football season, right? Like we figured who was playing football as well, fair what positions with the we were just run the ball down the throat. So for me, it's the same thing in parallel, and it's like, if you don't have a good squat, I'm sorry, but like, you're not going to be there for the podium at the end. That is true. That's actually pretty true. Lots of one of those things like it really takes every part of your body, like, if it's on your body, it's required in the squad. So what would be three exercises that you would do to help prime or help to get a better spot, besides squatting? Well, besides doing just a basic back squat. You got to do something different to build up your squat. I mean, you can do the obvious, you have your leg accessories, right? You have the leg presses, the hack squats, the leg extensions. Those are important, right? You have the work that you can do. But what we found personally, my biggest accessories for squatting are upper body accessories to be with you because a lot of times, especially with the weight that I'm handling now, it's not okay just to be strong enough. I need to be in control because when you have 950 pounds on a small, you know, tuning sized, you know, bar, that bar is moving, that bar is live, so I do to have complete command of it. So my whole aim and all my thought now when I'm squatting is keeping my upper body, my back as tight as humanly possible. So when I'm doing my sets, my back absolutely destroyed the neck, not because I'm in pain or I'm doing anything wrong, but because how tight, how much I'm flexing my back while I'm squatting. Yeah. So for me, it's like you have to do, you know, like I said, you have to do those kinds of, you know, the leg presses, the hack squats, the leg extensions, but also getting some like lot work in there like a lot pull down would be some I'd recommend as well, some rows. Nice. No, and like even, yeah, like coming up from the squat is just yeah anything like upper back okay like you got traps and everything but like core engagement, how are you coming up, how are you going down, how are you exactly controlling all of that movement. Because it is big weight and like the deviance even though a lot of people are like the bench is probably the most technical, like the squad is just because of the range of motion I find it's one of the more technical things. I also like the danger. The danger of the squad. Squad and bench are the most scary for sure, because that look you can just drop, you know what I mean and I feel like especially with newer lifters because there's so much mental involved, and it's hard to get over those hurdles when it's like if you bail a squat as a newer lifter like you're scared for a while. And like with bench to like it's easier to save a bench and generally like of course, for most people you're talking about less weight on a bench total so it's a little bit less scary, but then you're right I would say is the most technical but squat is the most scary because it's more weight, and also extremely technical. Yeah, so it's like that it's it's frightening. So I think it's really important for like to build that stability up like you just talking about. So I would cosign that. Yeah. So then, get rid of that just no big deal. Get rid of bench. I would swap it for a press like I love log I'm like it's a it's a neutral press. I'm in. I'm in. I love log I did a static. No man thing once. Yeah, you would destroy static monsters you guys should just go in and it's like you're driving to the grab and hers is like, we're going to do static monsters today. We're going to pull these two stuff too Justin Justin's so good at like yoke and farmers and everything and I'm okay at static I love log like I'm I'm so down I could log press all day it's so fun. So I would replace bench with logs for sure like easy but can I do that now can I walk into me and just log like even though I'm good at bench I just I love log it's so fun. You have to roll the press, the triceps of it, the back extension. The position you have to get and even like when I think when I first started like you're so taught to be so rigid and everything is so braced. And then it's like psych when you get under a log you can't you it's full extension of the teaspoon like it's also scary. Okay, even crossover though into powerlifting let's talk about it because even like, can you get the role you have extension right you have to have extension for a bench. And leg drive right so how are you producing that like driving is actually I think besides being like a vertical plane and a horizontal plane. Very similar like, totally. So, it's just way less with us stable because your butt isn't locked into a bench and your feet are. It is hard for us to sit there and say we're athletes when one of the things we do lay down. True. Yeah, I thought ability is just being fit and ready for anything right. And that's including yeah laying down and pushing something off your chest. I've been pushing off me real well. Any deadlift variation though like even go like any pulse or any hinge like any like RDL trap bar. Well I like I like trap bar. Like a chronic back injury regular deadlifts are a little spicy. So I'm like the way he says can we get rid of bench and like can we get rid of deadlift if I could never deadlift I always joke at a meet I'm always like can I squat bench squat. Maybe a perfect day for me I'll squat twice it's fine. But deadlifts I would take a trap bar or like obviously again making it easier I'll do blocks I'm real good on blocks it's the bottom range that obviously is the most difficult. Yeah, with cycling and all that stuff was my reason I was good at it is because I like I like suffering. So I'll sit there and I'll say you have to do belt list deficit ed lift for the third one. Oh, that's awful. Well, and even like for me being well okay I'm five five three five two and three quarters measured it is official. I'm pulling this from like mid shin and there's people that pull this from their ankles, I'm like seriously. Oh, just the range I'm very blessed to be a small athlete. Yeah. Yeah. Well now I see short people I'm like I hate you. Just go to work the force the force generated for less. But what's next with you guys what's okay you just moved in okay. Any competitions coming up any athletes that are competing anything that you want to highlight. Mike's actually competing today Mike Brown is doing because he's kind of in his highland season right now. So he's honestly got like back to back to back to back with that stuff. And I, we love Mike. So I would love to highlight him who is competing today tomorrow I think it's a whole weekend thing. So he's Mike has a ton of potential with highland especially strongman as well of course, hoping you know pro soon he's putting the work in so we would love to see Mike get that. Mike Mike Mike's one of those guys who loves what he does and it shows when the snow flies he's up in strapper. And I got a training video from him and it's him in a makeshift tarp built tent doing overhead on frozen ground. Like log press that we're talking about the shoulder press or I'll see a snowstorm video of him doing a carry outside on the road and snow up to his knees. And he sit there and you're like as a coach you're like okay we need to get your pro card like you're you're you're doing more than anyone else right now. And, you know, nobody else would be doing what you're doing so he's definitely one selfishly. I mean, well, actually first performance you have a meet up and calling wood on July 15. Just be strong and now your falls we have a mock me tomorrow actually mock meets are fun because they aren't official. Nothing counts right. And, and you know you go in there and learn and have experience and meet the community right so that's a lot of fun. And that's June 15 July 13 or whatever it is up and calling wood. There's a big meet up there teams all those showing up with I think we've got well it's hosted by one of our clients which is also so cool I love, I love to see that. And then we have about I think four or five clients competing as well. And those means are fine. That's 40 minutes. And that's, that's a powerful thing me. Yeah. Nice. Yeah. And then what's next for you guys. I have the American pro November 11. That is the biggest world. That's where I told 2298 last year and became the strongest in parallel through all time. We're looking to add a lot to what I did last year. I'm not a little bit of a bumpy start to the season this year. But we're putting the work on gaining a lot of weight. That to show up in November. And, and yeah, we're. It's going to be big one. It's, it's, it's going to be big. We're going to bring my daughter down to West Virginia. So I'll be, I'll be really motivated for that one. Awesome. And I, I've got, I've got nothing until April. Yeah. I've got nothing until April. I've got nothing until April. I've got nothing until April. My plan is to do the women's pro and again, I was going to do it this year. But honestly, like there's no one cares when and where I compete except for me. And I just wasn't, especially mentally, I just wasn't, I wasn't prepared. It would not have been a good meet. And so we made the decision to pull out. Plus we had two clients competing as well. So we went and handled and I got to experience it because I had never been at all. It is open for lifters of all ages or sort of levels, I should say. Well, at ages. Because day one is amateur. Day two is pro. So I would have been on the pro day. But next year, that's the meet I'm going to do. It's an April. It's in Cincinnati, Ohio. And man, it is cool. Like what a, what an awesome meet. What an atmosphere. It is wild. So it's equipped and we're all lots of equipped lifters, which we see. Don't see as much here. So it's still, it's still fun to watch. It's just, it's so fun. So I'm really, really, really excited to actually be on the platform. We will bring some girls as well to compete on those days. So I'm very, very looking forward to that. Nice long off season. And I will make sure that I'm ready. So I'm excited for that. That's awesome. And yeah, just building, building, getting all the fine tune stuff. And you just, you don't have to rush it. And when you stop on the floor, like even it's like, hey, like, you're coming back. Like I'm just going to like open up with all my thirds. And that's like, I improved. Like I have nothing else. Anything else you want to add? Where can people find you guys? So Instagram is kind of our base. It's the easiest. So we have the team pages team Zodl. Z O T T L. I am queen of mean with an underscore at the end on Instagram. And DMS are always open questions, comments, coaching, whatever people want to talk about. Yeah. Yeah, we spread ourselves accessible, right? Like, you know, when I, when I was coming up in the sport, I had, you know, some of the, some of the best parlopers in the world. You know that I could talk to whenever I needed help or I needed advice, you know, I think a Dan Bell, you know, telling me multiple times to calm down and, you know, settle in and, you know, stop taking myself so seriously and whatnot. And these are all things that, you know, I should have listened to, you know, five, six, seven years ago, I didn't. But, you know, I still pride myself. I still think of that. I'm so grateful for that. So, you know, I try to do the same, you know, when people reach out, I always try to get back to them as best I can and all that stuff. That's awesome. No, and I know even two, it's just like, I know it's like, you do guys, you have a big presence in the gym, but you guys also just have a big presence and how you impact other people in terms of, like, showing it whether it's on your Instagram of like what you guys are generally doing, or even just like how you guys are helping out other athletes. So I know I appreciate you. I hope that other people do reach out and have that little bit of knowledge as well. And good luck at your needs and your training and all your athletes. Good luck with them. I think I will see my good stones tonight. Because I'm lifting stones. Amazing. Oh, that's so cool. Yeah. That's awesome. Okay, cool. But yeah, so I'll let you know how that goes. Shop putting stones, lifting stones. But yeah, thank you for coming on. Come on, you're free to come back whenever you want. And yes, thank you for tuning in for another episode of everything athletic. [BLANK_AUDIO]