Local Power Lifter Shatters Personal Bests and Stereotypes

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Achieving Weight Loss Goals

After losing seventy pounds, Idessa Butler, fell in love with Power Lifting at Achieve Personal Fitness and Lifestyle Design.

Ryne: So for Idessa she just had a propensity to be lifting very heavy, like a lot heavier than you’re average person in a lot of lifts that she did so to me it was just like a natural progression for her to involve something that maybe involves strength.

Idessa: He got it in my program and I started to like it and I really started to like it and then he was like let’s do a competition and I was like I have never competed in my life so my first competition I was like I want to continue to do this.

At her second competition, Summer Bash, in Lombard, Butler competed in the squat, dead lift, and bench press and exceeded all expectations.

Idessa: My goal was to exceed what I did in my previous meet, I was able to lift 303.1 so in this meet I was able to lift 308 and I think that’s what pushed me over and what made me win first. ,

Ryne: It’s not very common for someone to win his or her second or third power-lifting meet and so she obviously did really really well.

Gaining More Than Medals

Along with the new medals, Butler also now takes home something else from the gym.

Idessa: it gives you confidence to keep going even outside of the gym, so like work, your personal life, it gives you the confidence that you need when you’re questioning yourself, it gives you that boost of energy.

Ryne Gioviano, owner of Achieve and one of Idessa’s coaches, speaks to how rare Idessa’s story is, coming in and loving the sport. He also acknowledges how uncommon it is for her to do this as a female.

Ryne: I think power lifting specific to women is I think a really great goal for women to shoot for because it gets them in the gym lifting weights, which is typical, a male domain. She has all the confidence from lifting here so I think that’s a huge thing for women.

Idessa: It motivates me to keep going. In my last meet, I was competing with the men’s master class that was my first time seeing them lift. They are 40 and up and seeing their prep and going and lifting. Seeing them lift 800 pounds I was like whoa that’s a lot. It gives you something to look forward to and I was like I can do that as well.

Recruiting More Lifters

Butler is continuing to push to get better and recruit more females to join her on the Power Lifting community.

Ryne: I thought it would be a good goal for her to kind of shoot for, just give her that next step in her training but she has totally and completely bought in. She’s the one recruiting other people now to do it and I think that’s awesome to have a predominately women power lifting team.

Butler: I have been here almost three years and I’m happy with my progress, the people I’ve met and knowing Ill always have a home. That’s something I’ve never had the opportunity to get up until recently.

Breaking down stereotypes and lifting up the world of female weightlifters.

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