Local powerlifter Melissa Stevens is barely into her third year training in the sport, but the 29-year-old Mansfield native has already separated herself as an elite competitor in the 123 lb weight class. “The Human Ant”, as Melissa is nicknamed, is undefeated during her short career, collecting first prize within her weight class each time she’s entered a competition.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of Melissa’s career up to this point was a pro-am weightlifting event put on by bodybuilding icon Laura Phelps-Sweatt in Cincinnati over the weekend. To prepare for the competition, Stevens trains 7-days a week, typically working on her strength and fitness twice per day. She also sticks to a strict diet and takes the proper supplements to enhance her workouts.
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Over the last several months, Melissa has split her training time between The Fitness Factory in downtown Mansfield, where she works as a personal trainer, and renowned powerlifting gym Westside Barbell in Columbus. Stevens receives hands-on training from Westside founder Louie Simmons, who now sponsors Melissa with entry fees, training gear and attire. Perhaps the most significant support she receives from Simmons, however, is an abundance of knowledge working with a top professional.
Stevens says she has learned what to eat, when to eat it and which workouts to perform after each meal to get the most from her body. She also notes that each variance of exercise she implements is very calculated based on her weaknesses, which she now has very few.
For Saturday’s competition at The Sweatt Shop, Stevens needed a total of 1,025 lbs lifted between one-rep each from a bench press, squat, and deadlift to be considered a professional in the Southern Powerlifting Federation, the only organization she had yet to achieve pro status. Her goal was to get 250 lbs in bench press, 425 lbs in the squat and a 350 lbs deadlift to hit that number, and Stevens would do just that. She would complete all three attempts in each lift except for the deadlift, breaking personal meet records in bench press and squat.
Melissa is now getting ready for the nation’s biggest powerlifting event for women on April 16 at The Sweatt Shop, where she will compete in the Cincinnati Pro-Am. Registration for the event closed in just 46 minutes because of the incredible interest from female powerlifters across the globe.
Courtesy of: WFMD