I Trained with the Strongest Female Powerlifter in History and Here's What We Did

I Trained with the Strongest Female Powerlifter in History and Here's What We Did

They say if you want to be the best, you've got to train like (or with) the best. Veteran powerlifter and Team Bodybuilding.com athlete Laura Phelps shows us exactly what that means with a max-effort lower-body day.

One of the perks of my job is getting to meet some pretty phenomenal athletes from many different sports backgrounds. When one of them is the Queen Bee of power, you have to take her to your gym and let her show you what the word "train" really means.

Laura Phelps is an eight-time world record holder in women's multi-ply powerlifting, including a 775-pound squat and 540-pound bench press. Her 1,800-pound total is the highest ranked total by formula, which makes her the strongest female powerlifter to date. Even more intriguing is that she's one of a handful of women who have been coached under Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell.

The conjugate method of training that Westside is known for has sparked conflict in the powerlifting community. Some love it, some hate it, some don't know a damn thing about it. Without diving too deeply into either side of the argument, I knew I couldn't make a sweeping statement without having at least tried it.

When you're in a rut with your programming, switching things up can really help. So, I'm wading my way into the world of bands and chains and accessories galore, and I have to say, I'm loving it. Don't get me wrong, these are some of the longest and most tiring sessions I've ever done since starting powerlifting, but at the same time, it's an extremely refreshing break from the basic squat, bench, dead with a straight bar week after week.

The greater variation in exercises makes for a more engaging workout. Eventually you will cycle back to certain ones and ideally PR on them, even if it's just 2.5-5 pounds. The constant variety is a big part of what a lot of people criticize about the conjugate method, but, hey, it's getting me excited to train—even though I'm getting worked. Time will tell how much my strength improves, but my opinion as of now is a big thumbs-up.

Despite the intimidating fact that Phelps can outlift me by hundreds of pounds, it was cool to get the one-on-one instruction and also have the opportunity to observe her lifting with my own eyes.