Steven Ridges, recognized professionally as Coach Steven, has spent over 16 years reworking lives by way of power coaching and powerlifting. A licensed Barbell Rehab Specialist with a biology diploma from Clark Atlanta College, Ridges discovered his calling after a private harm led him to rehabilitation and ultimately to aggressive powerlifting. As one of many few Black coaches within the sport, he’s captivated with making powerlifting accessible to various communities whereas dismantling misconceptions about power coaching.
On this unique interview, Coach Steven shares insights on his journey, the psychological advantages of powerlifting, and why power coaching is essential for longevity—particularly within the Black group.
Inform us about your background in health and well being
I’ve been a coach now for over 16 years. I initially began in simply private coaching. I received my NASM private coaching certification as my first coaching certification whereas I used to be learning at Clark Atlanta College. I graduated from Clark Atlanta College with a biology diploma, and I simply didn’t actually know what I needed to do with the diploma. I fell in love with coaching on the time.
I performed basketball and soccer as effectively, and I wound up getting damage, not even by way of lifting, simply enjoying sports activities, and I tore my meniscus in my left knee. I initially went to see a specialist, and the specialist was like, “Properly, we might go a surgical route, however on the similar time it’s not an entire tear.” So I’m like, “All proper, so y’all don’t want to chop me open.” The specialist was simply mainly like, “No, we don’t essentially have to do surgical procedure. However what it’s essential do is undergo like a rehab course of.”
I began my journey with Google. “What can I do to not damage my knees” and “How do I do a rehab of meniscus.” I really discovered an advert by way of NASM about private coaching. So I went by way of that coursework whereas I used to be ending my undergrad, and ever since then I by no means seemed again.
I’m glad that I went that route. There’s lots of totally different private coaching certifications on the market for individuals, and it could get daunting. I’ll positively all the time communicate extremely of NASM, particularly in the event you’re a coach or a coach that actually simply needs to get lots of data however may not have the time to essentially go for a level route. They’re very thorough so far as going by way of the science-based rules of coaching.
After that I received my private coaching certification and I simply began coaching individuals. I simply began actually specializing in simply educating individuals on power coaching. That’s how I actually type of had my area of interest. I’ve additionally completed group health. I used to be an Orange Concept Health coach. I learn about coronary heart fee coaching, cardiovascular coaching. I’ve been a bunch health coach at Orange Concept Health, F45 as effectively.
I helped open the Barry’s Boot Camp in Atlanta. I used to be really one of many founding instructors for Barry’s Boot Camp Atlanta, and thru that course of, I simply type of discovered the issues that I actually preferred, after which from there I took it extra into extra of a power coaching and a prehab rehab strategy as effectively.
What impressed you to get into powerlifting, and when you’re in it, what stored you motivated to be in it?
Powerlifting is certainly one thing I maintain close to and pricey. I all the time let individuals know that in the event you simply go to the gymnasium 9 instances out of 10, you have got powerlifted too. In case you’ve completed a squat, a bench, or a deadlift, you’ve picked up one thing, then you definitely technically have powerlifted.
What received me into it was after I recovered from my meniscus, I began simply getting away from sports activities. Stopped enjoying basketball as a lot. However I used to be like, “Hey, man, I actually love the gymnasium.” I actually began simply placing on like, “Hey, I simply need to see how can I actually improve my numbers.” I’ll say for me that was how I began. I simply needed to get stronger, and it simply lied inside, “Hey, I’m all the time going to do a squat, I’m all the time going to do a bench press, and I’m all the time going to do a deadlift.”
So for me, as I began to coach, I simply type of made my coaching focus on these 3 lifts. I used to play basketball 6 days per week, so I finally began to chop that down to love 2 instances out of the week, and majority of my different days was centered round lifting.
From there I noticed my squat begin to go up tremendously. It’s a really humbling factor. On the time, like from anybody simply going right into a gymnasium, simply seeing any individual squat 405 kilos for reps could be like, “Okay, who’s that? What do they received occurring?” So I might catch myself type of having days like that. And I had an older gentleman stroll as much as me.
He was like, “Man, you’re fairly robust dude.” I used to be like, “Thanks.” He’s like, “Properly, have you ever ever heard of this sport known as powerlifting?” On the time, I’ve by no means heard of powerlifting. This was again in like 2014, and it’s loopy how the game has grown.
From there it was like, “Bro, what is that this?” So he was like, “Man, I used to do all these lifts, and mainly a decide will decide you in your squat, your bench and your deadlift.” And I used to be like, “Okay, effectively, what do I have to do?” He was like, “Properly, it’s like 3 makes an attempt for every carry. So mainly, you have got your try the place it’s like your opener. That’s one thing you can like do on any given day, after which from there you simply preserve going up till possibly you doubtlessly PR.”
It’s like I get to only go placed on some weight and we simply go. I used to be like, “Bro, the place do I have to go?” He was like, “Properly, I do know a few individuals if you wish to get into it.” And I used to be like, “Okay, I’d like to discover a coach.”
There weren’t lots of coaches that seemed like me.
If you say not lots of coaches that appear to be you, what precisely do you imply?
I’m gonna simply be actual. There should not lots of black coaches, man. I’m not the kind of particular person to shut off to information, however it’s all the time one thing that’s very useful if I see any individual who additionally appears like me doing this, and on the time, it was very, very, only a few. It’s nonetheless few. There’s extra illustration, however it’s nonetheless few.
So my first coach, her identify was Becky Holcomb, and she or he received me robust. She received me robust for the place I wanted to be, and I wound up competing in my first powerlift meet on the finish of 2015. My prime numbers of that meet at the moment was a 530 pound squat, a 364 pound bench, and a 640 pound deadlift.
On the time, I received 1st place inside my weight class. There’s weight courses, too, so powerlifting can also be one thing the place it’s actually a sport. It’s not such as you’re simply going towards like, “Hey, I’ve by no means lifted, what ought to I count on?” It’s very welcoming. I’ll positively say it’s very welcoming for anyone of any kind of stage, as a result of they’ve state stage meets, they’ve regional stage meets. And for me I used to be doing a state stage meet.
So it’s like a really “Hey, welcome.” In case you’ve by no means recognized the foundations, they let you know all the foundations beforehand. In case you don’t know the method of how issues are, they’re very, very, very, very lenient on that.
How has powerlifting affected your life past bodily power?
From a positivity perspective, it’s made life be higher as a result of powerlifting isn’t an prompt gratification sport.
Powerlifting is a type of leisure sports activities. It’s turning into extra of a sport—we simply had a really large meet on ESPN. It’s like proper on the cusp of turning into like, “Hey, this can be a actual sport, and there are lots of athletes that may see profit from this.”
However for somebody on the surface wanting in, mentally, it’s a very rewarding sport, as a result of powerlifting is a sport the place you need to be okay with figuring out that you simply may not be capable of do one thing, and that’s very onerous for individuals, particularly in the case of simply life. However even simply tying in health, individuals desire a level A to some extent B.
Powerlifting could be that for sure individuals, however 9 instances out of 10 you need to discover a strategy to the place yow will discover the small wins. I like to evangelise that to any shopper that I work with, particularly in the case of a health journey when any individual is attempting to lose, let’s simply say 50 kilos.
I’ll say, “Hey, hear! I’m additionally a realist. I’m going to cater to the place this model of you is, however I’m going to have to talk to you in a fashion the place the model of you attempting to get to wants to listen to.” So I’ll all the time begin with that. Powerlifting made me be that method. It made me have a greater understanding of a means of like, “You may need a nasty day” and lots of people have dangerous days, and folks can simply be like, “Hey, I simply don’t need to go try this.”
In case you proceed to have days like that powerlifting will likely be a sport the place you’re upset as a result of your purpose is, “Hey, I need to get stronger. Hey, I need to hit this PR.” For some individuals in powerlifting, they don’t even essentially need to do like a 1-rep max. I even have a shopper. She is 73 years previous, and once I say she works out with me 3 instances per week, we have now our squat, we have now her bench, and we have now her deadlift. Thoughts you, does she have to do what I’m doing? No, however it’s a precept and a format of what powerlifting is.
And once I say she’s losing a few pounds, she’s misplaced 12 kilos. I’ve solely been working together with her for six months. For somebody of that age, as we grow old, we have to care about bone density. We have to care about power general.
Man, we have now, even with simply us, as a individuals—we have to simply be shifting. And what powerlifting can do is it could additionally elicit a progress of simply, not bodily, but additionally psychological. And I prefer to type of showcase that with individuals. You have been on the powerlifting meet for the primary time—athletes within the again, there’s extra of emotional attachment from all of that coaching that occurred.
“Hey, you recognize what you simply did. You realize you simply did 300 kilos, and also you by no means thought that you can do that. However guess what, we knew you can, as a result of the coaching constructed you for this. The coaching received you ready for this.”
In order that’s what I’ll say powerlifting actually did for me, and I like it. It could actually make you stronger as an individual. And I’m not simply speaking about simply bodily power. It could deliver the very best out of you.
What misconceptions about powerlifting exist within the Black group?
Among the frequent misconceptions, and this may go for women and men, is “Powerlifting goes to make me enormous. It’s gonna make me too large. It’s gonna make me be sluggish. It’s gonna make me all the time damage on a regular basis, as a result of I’m lifting heavy on a regular basis.”
Individuals simply suppose they hear “energy” after which “lifting.” After which like, “Hey, I gotta go. I don’t need to go decide up a truck. What do I want to do this for?” And that’s the massive frequent false impression. Powerlifting is simply you lifting, and the important thing time period of what powerlifting is—if I broke down that time period, the ability lifts are simply squat, bench, and deadlift.
Powerlifting in complete is only a competitors of these 3 lifts. So even when I took away the time period powerlifting and let’s simply say we’re going to the gymnasium, we’re going to go do a squat, a bench, and a deadlift—if I informed that to individuals extra typically they might in all probability have a unique mindset and be like, “Okay, let’s go try this.”
However what I generally will hear is, “Oh, are you all the time hurting? I don’t need to damage my again.” It’s not that. There are phases in powerlifting, too, and a number of the strongest athletes—it’s loopy. We are able to have athletes who’re deadlifting 3 and 4 instances their physique weight. However hey, they’re doing actions that may require 15 pound dumbbells, so anybody can do it. Anybody can do it.
So I feel a giant frequent false impression that I like to actually make clear is powerlifting is welcoming, and it may be completed by anyone. You don’t essentially have to only really feel the heaviest of weight if you powerlift. Lots of people simply suppose, “I received to go heavy.” You don’t have to do this. There’s phases of coaching the place you may see that in the event you select to.
That’s what lots of my purchasers that I work with now—I’ve a crew of powerlifters, however I even have athletes. Everybody that I work with is an athlete since you’re shifting your physique. However, hey, I received somebody who has 3 youngsters, and she or he received to go get dinner prepared for her husband. No, I’m not going to offer her the identical coaching as an athlete who’s single they usually need to go compete at nationals. So there may be separation, however each of them can do the identical factor.
How can powerlifting profit African American well being and longevity?
I feel that powerlifting may very well be a profit, particularly for our individuals. Simply let’s communicate right here. Research have proven as we begin to grow old, and particularly inside African American individuals, black individuals—osteoporosis is the breakdown of bone density. Bone density is one thing that is essential for the physique. Energy coaching has proven a direct correlation to creating the bones denser.
However one factor that I are likely to see is when individuals undergo power coaching, the thought of power coaching typically could be clouded as a result of there are such a lot of elements of coaching. I feel the important thing factor that I actually need individuals to grasp is we received to watch out on what we name power coaching after which general health.
As a result of health could be, “Hey, I’m going to go do that group class.” And sure, I would contact 10, 25, and even 30 pound dumbbells. However I’m shifting in a circuit vogue. I is likely to be performing some HIIT fashion exercise. Sure, I’m shifting my physique up and down. Sure, that’s a method of coaching. Sure, you may nonetheless see some advantages to that. You may see some metabolic advantages to that as effectively.
With powerlifting, we will see that, plus extra direct adaptation to constructing the precise skeletal muscle. Due to what powerlifting is. If I used to be to have a newbie simply come to me, a exercise goes to appear to be we’re going to begin with mobility first.
Lots of people simply don’t stretch. There’s variations. Lots of people simply don’t stretch, lots of people don’t love to do actions that transfer them a sure method. And it’s okay. However we have now to do this as a result of that is part of your coaching. Flexibility coaching is power coaching as a result of it’s a power.
From there, hey, we’d do, let’s simply say 3 units, 5 reps. I’ll make it very, quite simple. 3 units, 5 reps. These 5 reps received to be onerous, not like the toughest. Do it’s essential like PR? No. However I like to show individuals, “Hey, in the event you can know the best way to handle your physique with exertion like, if I’ve a set of 5, I ought to be capable of use a weight the place I do my set of 5, and suppose that possibly I might do 2 or 3 extra.”
If we will suppose like this, that’s the way you progress your physique to undergo a stress that it could get well from. That’s the place powerlifting has a distinct segment.
Different types of health, you’ll get your coronary heart fee up, comes proper again down, elevate your coronary heart fee again up, come proper down. Powerlifting, you type of have like somewhat little bit of a gentle circulation occurring, and that additionally relying on the place you’re coaching at can simply be simply as extra of a profit than direct cardio itself, due to what the stress is going on throughout the physique. The demand goes to be a unique demand which I like for individuals to actually simply perceive.
Don’t let a standard false impression cease individuals from doing one thing. What I actually need to deliver to individuals is, “Hey, that frequent false impression is what it’s, it’s a false impression.” And if we will perceive, like, “Hey, what’s the purpose of individuals?” Lots of people’s purpose is, they need to shed pounds. They need to be more healthy. They need to get stronger. They need to construct lean muscle. Powerlifting does all 4 of these issues when completed the appropriate method.
Coach Steven could be discovered on Instagram at @thelastkiloking and on LinkedIn as Steven Ridges. He coaches at Match Wit Inman, DNA Energy, and Fueled Manufacturing facility within the Atlanta metro space.