Powerlifting to get to South Africa

RECORD BREAKER: Amanda Foulkes, powerlifter. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

In a purpose-built gym at their Castlecliff residence, Amanda Foulkes and partner Kyle Murray train for their respective sports and, as personal trainers, help others reach their fitness and strength goals.

Amanda and Kyle are the driving force behind Wanganui Bootcamp and Wanganui Barbell, the former situated at the Softball Club and the latter at their home gym.

Amanda (29) is a powerlifter, a woman who makes weights seem lighter than they really are. Right now she's training for the Commonwealth Classic Powerlifting Championships being held in Potchefstroom, South Africa from September 11-17.
"I did Oceania's [Oceania Raw Powerlifting Championship] last year so this is one step up from that," she says, "And one step down from Worlds, which as high as you can get."
Seven New Zealand powerlifting athletes will be proudly wearing the silver fern in South Africa next month.
At Oceania Amanda took home the gold medal when it came down to the final lift, the deadlift, where she broke a New Zealand record.

Amanda has been doing a lot of fundraising to get to competitions as there is no funding for the sport in New Zealand, unlike most other New Zealand level sports. Wanganui Bootcamp and Wanganui Barbell members have all been very supportive.

Until six years ago, Amanda had never been to a gym, but she joined to lose a bit of weight. It was when they moved to Auckland for a short while that she "got the bug" and she and Kyle decided to do their Personal Trainer qualifications.
"I was quite competitive with myself. I liked beating what I did the week before and gradually added more weights - I like the way my body was changing from lifting weights and I like how I felt. Most women think that if you lift weights you're going to get bulky, but that's not the case at all."
Then she decided to do a powerlifting competition and there was a novice competition in Palmerston North coming up.
"That was two years ago. I entered that competition and I've been hooked."

Amanda has come either first or second in every competition she has entered.
"Since Central Districts [competition] in April I've had quite a few training blocks [of four to five weeks each] and I've been focusing on hypertrophy, which is high reps [repetition] and slightly lower weights, and I've done two strength cycles, so this is the end of my strength cycle which is why I'm doing a 'deload', which is where you take the weights back a little to let the body recover."

As with any sport there is an extensive glossary and lots of detail in descriptions of training and competing.

Competition consists of a squat, bench press then deadlift - three of each. Amanda is looking at beating a few records at the Commonwealth competition.
"Current New Zealand records in my weight class (52kg) that I am aiming to break are: Squat: 125kg; Deadlift: 155.5kg Total: 317.5kg all of which I surpassed at Central Districts in April (Squat: 130, Deadlift:160, Total: 355). You can't set records at provincial competitions so I am aiming to make these official records at Commonwealths."

After South Africa Amanda is thinking of competing at Auckland Record Breakers and a fun competition at Central Districts called Powerhouse Gym Bledisbro.

Anyone wanting to join Wanganui Bootcamp or Wanganui Barbell are advised to search on Facebook and contact Amanda and Kyle.