Becci-Holcomb-August2014

August 2014 - Becci Holcomb

August 2014 - Becci Holcomb

Please introduce yourself. Who are you? How old are you? Where were you born? Etc. Give the readers some background about yourself.

My name is Becci Holcomb. I am 26 years old. I am from Blanchester Ohio.

I graduated from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY with a degree in biology and public health. While at UC I was on the track and field team where I threw shot put, discus, weight throw and hammer.

I came to Georgia last summer to further my education at Life University's College of Chiropractic.

Do you compete equipped (squat suit, bench press shirt & deadlift suit) or unequipped (no suits) or both and what weight class(s) and divisions(s) do you compete in?

I compete unequipped (raw) in the women's open super heavy weight class (84+ kilos)

What was your last competition and how did you do?

My last competition was USAPL Raw Nationals in Aurora CO. I did well. I placed 2nd in the open with a total of 505.0 kilos. My squat and bench press were meet PR's of 185.0 kgs and 92.5 kgs. My deadlift was an all time and meet PR of 227.5 kilos.

I broke the American record in the deadlift, broke and set new Georgia set records in the squat, deadlift, and total. My total qualified me for Michael Soongs “All time historical men and women’s powerlifting top 20 raw world records” Where I am ranked 12th amongst the “Women’s SHW All Time RAW Total Standings,”

Last but certainly not least., I also qualified for the 2015 Arnold Sports Festival.

When was your first competition?

I started training in October, 2013. My first full-power competition was April 5th at the USAPL Georgia Spring Open in Savannah.

Before that, I competed in a USPA deadlift only meet in December, 2013, pulling 402 lbs.

How did you improve from your first competition to your most recent?

I improved by going 9/9 on my lifts and adding 25 kilos to my total.

What is your next competition?My next competition will be in October; the USAPL Georgia and Southern States Powerlifting Championships.

What do you plan on doing differently for that meet if anything?

I don't really plan on doing anything differently.

Where are you located in Georgia and where do you train at?

I train with team PrettyStrong with Vanessa Gale at Crossfit on the Square in Marietta.

What are your hobbies (other than powerlifting)?

Other than going to classes and studying, I enjoy concerts, hanging out with my friends, reading, eating and making food. Normal stuff. Hahaha!

Who is your role model and why?

My role model would have to be my father. All my life he has been an example of what a person should be. He is kind, caring, hard working, patient, a great father and a great former athlete. He was on the 1984 Olympic Wrestling team. He has done nothing but encourage me to pursue all of my dreams.

What is something that most people don’t know about you?

I am the oldest child of ten. I have five brothers and four sisters. I grew up on a small farm. Carrying fifty pound bags of feed around helped prepare me for a powerlifting career, or maybe it was all the push-ups, sit-ups, and squats I had to do when I got in trouble.

Is there anything about powerlifting you would like to change or wish was different?

I am still really new to the sport, so I don't really have any complaints yet.

What is your occupation? Does it interfere with competing or visa versa?

I am a full time doctor of chiropractic student, so sometimes it's hard to juggle classes, studying, training and a personal life. I've had many late nights and early mornings.

How did you get into powerlifting and how many years have you been competing?

I got into powerlifting last October via fellow classmate and future teammate Stephanie Mahan. Steph and I went to a “Fun.” concert, and while we were there we talked all about powerlifting. The next day, I set up my intro with Vanessa. The rest is history.

Are you involved in powerlifting in any way besides as a competitor?

Right now I'm just a team player. in the future I would love to become a certified coach and start a powerlifting team wherever I end up practicing chiropractic.

What are your biggest squat, bench press, deadlift and total numbers? And how do your best training numbers compare to your best competition numbers?

My best numbers are 420 lbs. squat, 210 lbs. bench press, and 501 lbs. deadlift. My squat training numbers are slightly higher because two weeks before nationals I injured my ankle really bad. My doctor thought I had broken the distal end of my fibula. Luckily, it was just a bad sprain. I wasn't able to squat for the remaining weeks leading up to Nationals, so my squat attempts were conservative, finishing with a 407 lbs. squat. As for my bench press, I knew I could have done more on the platform, but I went into Nationals wanting to go 9/9 so my successful third attempt was 204 lbs. My deadlift on the other hand was a 21 lbs PR! 501!!!!!

What advice would you give a new lifter just starting out?

Enjoy the newbie gains because they won't increase this fast forever. Work hard and trust the process. Despite what you may think, your coach knows best.

What are your short term goals now as a lifter?

My short term goal is to continue training hard and just do the best that I can do.

What are some long term goals you would like to achieve?

One day, I would love to compete at IPF Worlds. I would also love to break the world record deadlift in my weight class. I am less than 30 pounds away from it right now, so I think it's a feasible goal.

Who is your favorite powerlifter of all time?

I haven't been around powerlifting very long but out of everyone I have watched, I would have to say my favorite is Sioux-z Hartwig Gary. "Though she may be little, she is fierce!"

Can you describe your training philosophy and/or a typical training session?

My training philosophy is really just to go out and work as hard as I can.

What is your favorite lift, squat or bench press or deadlift or all three and why?

My favorite lift would have to be deadlift. It has always come naturally for me.

Do you have any rivals in powerlifting?

The only rival is myself. My goal is just to get out there and do the best that I can do. Hopefully, while I'm doing that I'll hit some PR's and see lots of white lights.

If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you, what would be the reason?

Hmmm... probably that I made it another year with some of my favorite people. Team PrettyStrong is my family. Joining the team was one of the best things I've done. The team and family atmosphere is just what I needed after moving to Georgia.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would like to say thank you to my coach Vanessa Bell, my training partner Dave Bell, my PrettyStrong family, Dr's Matthew and Elizabeth Christopher, Dr. Eric Partin and everyone at Crossfit on the Square. Without these guys, I wouldn't be here.