John Rivas May Spotlight

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?

Right now I am competing raw but I compete in both. I compete in the 231 lb, 105 kilo division.

What was your last competition and how did you do?

The GA Spring open and I did pretty well, I only had about 2 and a half months to bring my squat up form a prolonged injury I had but I was glad with the result in that short of training cycle.

When was your first competition?

October 31, 2009 it was a push pull meet in VA. I weighed about 172

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

O geez, I think my numbers were like

Bench- 295

Deadlift- 450

And that was in gear

My recent raw numbers were

Bench- 457

Deadlift 716

What is your next competition?

USAPL Raw Nationals

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

My squat training has been planned to a T. nothing much is gonna change other than I can implement a lot more volume due to more time I have to prepare. I know that will make a big difference.

Where are you located in Georgia and where do you train at?Duluth GA, Steve Goggins gym (Goggins force training) and quest Gym

What are your hobbies (other than powerlifting)?

Cars, I am very big into cars. Whether it be working on them or hopefully seeing some large shows someday. Also dogs im a huge Pug guy I have 4 right now.

Who is your role model and why?

My parents first and foremost, they raised my brother and myself right and to the best of their ability without worrying about their needs and I hope I can do the same for my kids someday; then of course my coaches over the years.

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

Hmmm maybe that my sophomore year of high school I ran cross-country and weighed around 128 lbs. then by my senior year I was top three in the state for track ( High Hurdles).

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

That people who are successful keep giving back to the sport, I’m really starting to get into that with my College I attended and its what makes the sport continue to grow and help others become the best they can.

What is your occupation? Does it interfere with competing or visa versa? How did you get into powerlifting and how many years have you been competing?

In the glamorous process of job hunting at the moment so no it does not affect my training haha, I got into powerlifting at age 19 my second year in college, and so that makes it 5 years this fall.

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

Yes, State referee and and working with vmi Powerlifting to improve their program and also help at any meets that need someone.

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

Geared

Squat-793

Bench- 567

Deadlift-672

Raw

Squat -617

Bench-457

Deadlift-716

My geared numbers are from 2012 and 2013, so I have gotten much stronger I just haven’t been in gear in a while, when I get back in I know I’ll have some big pr’s. I know recently I’ve benched over 600 for reps in gear so well see when I get back in.

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

Consistency and dedication… with those two attributes you won’t give up and you will always make progress.

What are your short term goals now as a lifter?

Win Raw nationals and then by beginning of 2015 squat 700 raw, bench 500 raw, and pull 750 raw; then I would like to get back in gear.

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

Win IPF Open worlds Geared and Raw.

Who is your favorite powerlifter of all time?

It has to be the man who has become a great friend and mentor to me. Steve Goggins, we have very similar body types and leverages so its easy for him to coach me and therefore relate training techniques. He’s been super supportive and doesn’t ask for anything in return. The man is a legend and I’m glad he’s my buddy.

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

It’s a little bit of a mix however its probably most closesly related to a Simple linear periodization with deload weeks thrown in. Ive become pretty fluent with listening to my body and knowing how it responds. So I don’t have to squat 6 times a week to see results. I know what works for me and I don’t stray too far from the old school way of training.

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

Hmmm, its got to be all three, they all give me a rush, even with my long arms I find bench press fun; I find them all fun otherwise I wouldn’t put myself through this training to be the best.

Who is the most impressive lifter you have competed against?

Id have to give Chris Vickery that title, I haven’t competed against him in a while however in 2013 he trained hard and had a great collegiate nationals meet and won Gold giving me second place.

Do you have any rivals in powerlifting?Myself… plain and simple… I was weight training religiously before power lifting and I will after power lifting. I don’t need anyone to motivate me. I don’t usually watch videos of my fellow competitors training because I Know if I need to do so to “motivate” Myself I’ve already lost. If you don’t have the fire within you can’t obtain it by anything external.

If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you, what would be the reason? Anything else you’d like to add?

Won raw nationals, hitting the big raw numbers I said earlier and I would be starting my men’s nationals training in gear. Nothing to add really but I would like to thank all my coaches and family for always supporting me: Monte Sparkman, David Henson, Sherman Ledford and of course Steve Goggins.

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