| Name |
| Linda Johnson |
| Age |
| 61 |
| Weight Class |
| 136 |
| Where do you live? |
| Cincinnati |
| Squat PR: |
| 175# |
| Bench PR: |
| 95# |
| Deadlift PR: |
| 155# |
| Years lifting? |
| 1.5 |
| How did you come to powerlifting or Olympic lifting? |
| Well I actually don’t do what I see here as powerlifting or Olympic lifting. I work with a coach who trains me for strength and physique. Muscle hypertrophy is how she explained it to me. I am obviously very new to the lingo here but am having fun learning. |
| Do you have any previous athletic or lifting experience? |
| I have been in and out of the gym scene for a long time. A lot of boot camp style classes and (hehe) aerobics, back in the 80’s |
| Do you compete? Why or why not? If you compete, what do you like most about the competitions? |
| I do not compete. I do understand the benefit of having a goal to work towards though. Because I didn’t want to be on stage my trainer suggested training and prepping as though I were and then doing a private photo shoot. I did warm up to that idea and did that for my 60th birthday. |
| Equipped or Raw? |
| Raw |
| Do you have a coach or trainer? In person or online? How did you find your trainer/program? Do you have any advice for women looking for a trainer? |
| I work with my strength coach 2 times a week and also do Orange Theory classes 3-4 days a week. I highly recommend having a coach, for me it is about accountability as well as her knowledge. |
| Where do you train? Gym, garage? |
| Fit4You with my trainer and Orange Theory |
| What is the hardest part about beginning lifting as an older woman? |
| I can’t think of anything that feels hard about it. But if I didn’t have my trainer I would have never made it to where I am. |
| How has lifting affected your health? |
| Lifting heavy, building muscle in combination with a clean diet is what enabled me to get my weight and body composition where I feel the best. I love feeling healthier and stronger at 61 than I did at 41. |
| What would you tell women just beginning this journey? |
| One step at a time and seek out a professional that will work with you in whatever style you’re interested in. |
