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LS MCCLAIN | Strength Coach

@lsmcclain

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💪 Strength Coach for Powerlifters | The CRCL
🏆 Multi-IPF Champion
📈 Helping lifters add 50–100+ lbs to totals
👇 Apply to Join The CRCL (Circle)

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Today’s shoutout goes to: @lsmcclain 💪
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Meet LS!!! LS is from New Braunfels (Trains in both Austin and SA). LS is a Multi-time world champion lifter. In addition to being a strength coach, he is really big on charity, voter education, and fundraising. LS is a college cheerleading coach at TXST and has 2 frenchies!!! 🙌
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Give LS a follow for more updates on his fitness journey🥇
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Make sure to tag @austinfitnesscommunity in all your fitness related post and follow us for more #AFC shoutouts💪
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#austinfitnesscommunity #atxfitness #austinfitness #fitness #gym #workout #fitnessmotivation #fit #motivation #bodybuilding #training #health #lifestyle #fitfam #instagood #healthylifestyle #sport #gymlife #healthy #gymmotivation #personaltrainer #muscle #crossfit #fitnessmodel #instagram #exercise #weightloss #fitnessjourney taken in Austin, Texas by @lsmcclain

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3 years ago

CCC #14
CRCL COACH’S CORNER: SBD SERIES — SQUAT DEPTH

Are you consistently hitting depth, or are you leaving it up to chance every time you squat?

Finding consistent squat depth doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are 3 simple cues that can help you better recognize, control, and consistently hit competition depth.

CUES:

1. Learn what competition depth actually feels like, not just what it looks like.
The more familiar you become with that position, the easier it becomes to reproduce it consistently.
2. Own the last few inches of your descent.
Stay braced and controlled as you move into the hole instead of simply dropping into the bottom.
3. Don’t sacrifice position just to get lower.
Depth doesn’t help if you collapse getting there. Maintain your brace, balance, and position throughout the entire rep.

DRILL:
Try a 3-second tempo squat with a 2-second pause at depth.

Slow the descent down, feel where proper depth is, hold that position under control, and teach your body to recognize it rep after rep.

COACHING TAKEAWAY:
Consistent depth comes from awareness and control, not from forcing yourself lower. Learn the position, stay organized on the way down, and make every rep look intentional.

Consistent depth is a skill. Practice it like one.
#letseat #powerlifting #squats #crcl by @lsmcclain

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19 hours ago

My dearest Gertrude,

I know I have been absent from the dispatches of late, but I have been hard at work upon the field of battle.

Today’s deadlift session was meant to build toward 275 kilograms. But my back had already made its displeasure known, and the @stance.fitness Velocity Tracker confirmed what my body was telling me: my bar speed was well below its usual mark. So I dropped the weight substantially and worked with 220, 240, and 250 kilograms instead.

There is no honor in forcing the issue when the body has plainly sent word that it is not prepared for war.

Yours in iron,
LS
#letseat#crcl #1stphorm #deadlift by @lsmcclain

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5 days ago

@kaizen_83kg . Let me get in my feels for a sec. 😂😂😂

A year ago, AJ came to me after Nationals knowing he was capable of more. He wasn’t looking for excuses. He was looking for a way to become the best version of himself.

Since then, we’ve shared one goal: put him in the best position possible to perform at the level he expects of himself.

Tomorrow, AJ will represent Team USA at the NAPF Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Watching him go from a Nationals that left him wanting more to earning a spot on the international stage in just one year is a testament to his work ethic, discipline, and belief in the process.

What makes this even more special is that AJ has already represented our country with honor as a veteran. Now he gets to wear USA across his chest once again, this time on the platform. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

It’s been an honor to coach one of my friends and one of the best lifters in the world. The work is done. Now it’s time to do what we do best..execute!

Go do what you do, AJ. We’re all behind you. 🇺🇸💪

Let’s show them what Team USA is all about. LETSEAT!

#TeamUSA #NAPF #PowerliftingAmerica #TheCRCL #83kg Veteran StJohns Newfoundland Powerlifting TrustTheProcess by @lsmcclain

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2 months ago

320 Scenic Meadow… it’s been real. 🏡❤️

After 6½ years, it’s time to close one chapter and start another.

This house wasn’t just where I lived… it was where a whole lot of life happened.

We survived COVID here.

The garage became The Pit, and during a time when gyms were closing left and right, athletes kept showing up. The “membership fee?” Bring some hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and help clean up after yourself. 😂 Somehow that little garage created a whole lot of PRs, a whole lot of friendships, and a whole lot of people who found out they were COVID strong.

This is where I learned I could build a business from home. Where I coached athletes all over the country, built my dream office, and realized that being a homeowner is basically an expensive hobby with a Home Depot rewards program.

This house taught me how to patch drywall, paint walls, fix things I definitely wasn’t qualified to fix… and occasionally create two new problems while solving one. 😂

It also became home to hundreds (maybe thousands 😅) of hours of Call of Duty on the video wall. Countless late nights, “one more game” that turned into ten more games, and enough Warzone victories (and rage quits 😂) to make the neighbors wonder what was going on. The good news? The new video wall is going to be even better.
But what I’ll remember most are the people.

The endless Uno and Uno Flip games…
The UFC fight nights…
The random “I’m five minutes away” texts…
The conversations that somehow lasted until 2 a.m…
The birthdays, holidays, celebrations, and all the little moments that turned into big memories.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I genuinely love hosting people. Seeing this house full of family, friends, athletes, teammates, and laughter became one of my favorite things.

If these walls could talk… I’d probably ask them to sign an NDA. 😂

Now it’s time for the next adventure.

🏡 Bigger home.
💻 Bigger office.
🏋🏾 Bigger gym.
🎮 A bigger and better video wall.
🔥 The Pit 2.0.

More reflection in comments 😂😂 by @lsmcclain

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2 months ago

My dearest Gertrude,

The campaign upon the field of deadlifts proved favorable this day. Though the burdens of two-a-days, practices, and the great relocation of our homestead have left precious little time for proper training, today’s efforts reminded me that progress still favors the steadfast.

I worked my way to sets of four with a touch over 230 kilograms, and I am pleased to report that my hook grip grows stronger with each passing week. There is still much work to be done, yet the foundation continues to harden.

Young Elliot displayed a mighty pull of his own today, and after witnessing it, I concluded that I could not allow these young bucks to have all the glory. To make matters worse, the rascal had the audacity to smile at me after making his deadlifts look effortless. Naturally, I smiled right back.

For now, the mission remains unchanged. We stay in the pocket. We stay the course. The iron will grow heavier in the months ahead, and by God’s grace, so too shall our resolve.

Until the next dispatch,
LS

#TheCRCL #LetsEat #Deadlift #Instagram #IAm1stPhorm by @lsmcclain

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3 months ago

My dearest Gertrude ,
Yet another entry on the Training Log

The campaign continues.

Today’s compilation consists of two deadly sessions where we toured and worked our way up to 485 pounds for sets of 4, every repetition paused. No shortcuts. No bouncing. Just discipline under the bar.

I’ve also begun bringing my hook grip back into the fight. Every session is another step toward rebuilding strength, sharpening technique, and preparing for heavier battles ahead.
Our objective is clear, better bar path , better lockout, better start position, a more commanding wedge. All small additions that we hope shall prove the ending result of a bigger dead lift

Victories aren’t won on the day of battle. They’re earned in the quiet work no one remembers.

#TheCRCL #Deadlift #HookGrip #LetsEat by @lsmcclain

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3 months ago

NEW PODCAST ALERT
Coach’s Ramble #15 is live!

This week, I sit down with @lsmcclain to talk about coaching standards, athlete buy-in, balancing parenting with training, and where the future of powerlifting is headed.

From building trust with athletes to treating every lifter with the same level of care, this episode is packed with lessons for coaches, competitors, and anyone passionate about strength sports.

Available now on Spotify and Youtube

Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway after listening!

#CoachsRamble #Powerlifting #StrengthCoach Coaching PowerliftingCoach by @lsmcclain

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3 months ago

My dearest Gertrude,

I write to thee following another evening upon the Deadlift Front. The campaign was a most productive one, as I commenced with pause deadlifts of 220 kilograms for four sets of four, followed by 200 kilograms for additional sets of four.

Though the burden was great, the purpose of tonight’s engagement was not the pursuit of glory, but rather the refinement of one’s craft. I have devoted myself to improving my position whilst breaking the weight from the floor, placing much emphasis upon establishing proper tension at the outset and maintaining said tension throughout the entirety of the lift.

Particular attention has also been afforded to the positioning of my feet, for even the slightest misstep may bring ruin upon a man’s endeavors.

Victory, I have learned, is won not merely by strength, but by patience and countless repetitions performed with purpose.

Pray for my adductors, dear Gertrude, for they have borne a heavy burden.

Yours faithfully,

LS

S/O @stance.fitness
Support link in bio
#powerlifting #letseat #instagram #crcl #deadlift by @lsmcclain

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3 months ago

CCC#13

In this CRCL coaches corner we talk about “What Most Coaches Get Wrong About Bigger Lifters”

A 300-pound lifter isn’t just a bigger version of a 180-pound lifter.

Yet that’s how a lot of athletes get coached.

Bigger lifters have different leverages. Fatigue hits differently. Recovery demands are higher. Mobility limitations aren’t always a problem to be fixed, and more volume isn’t always better.

The best program isn’t the one that looks the hardest.

It’s the one that allows the athlete to recover, stay healthy, and continue progressing.

A few things coaches often overlook with bigger lifters:

• Conditioning still matters.
• Fatigue accumulates faster.
• Recovery demands are different.
• Leverages change movement patterns.
• Mobility needs are individual.
• Volume tolerance varies from athlete to athlete.

Stop trying to coach every athlete the same.

Coach the athlete in front of you.

#Powerlifting #LETSEAT
# PowerliftingCoach by @lsmcclain

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3 months ago

ITS UP!! Let’s go @austinnikolai25 !

The kid who dreamed about Worlds is now competing at Worlds. 🇺🇸

Years ago, Austin Nikolai was just a high school kid watching World Championships on YouTube, dreaming about one day wearing Team USA across his chest.

Today, that dream has become reality.

In this episode of Corner of the CRCL, Austin joins me just days before stepping onto the platform at the IPF Open World Championships in Lithuania. We talk about his journey from baseball to powerlifting, the importance of trusting the process, his appreciation for the sport, and what it’s like when the dream you’ve chased for years finally becomes your reality.

Most importantly, you get a rare opportunity to hear what’s going through the mind of a champion just hours before competition. From the excitement and gratitude to the pressure and purpose, Austin shares his mindset heading into the biggest meet of his life.

The full episode drops TODAY (Saturday)!

And with Austin taking the platform on Sunday, this is your chance to hear the thoughts, emotions, and mindset of one of the brightest young stars in powerlifting before he steps onto the world’s biggest stage.

🎙️ Available on:

▶️ YouTube
🎧 Spotify
🍎 Apple Podcasts
☁️ SoundCloud

…and wherever you listen to podcasts. by @lsmcclain

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4 months ago

CCC #12
TRAINING HARD VS TRAINING CORRECTLY
Most lifters think they’re training hard.

The question is: are they training correctly?

Training hard is easy. Add weight. Add sets. Leave the gym exhausted.

Training correctly requires a little more discipline.

• Monitoring bar speed instead of forcing every rep
S/O @stance.fitness
• Maintaining technique when the weight gets heavy
• Managing fatigue before it impacts performance
• Selecting exercises that actually solve a problem
• Prioritizing recovery so adaptation can occur

Anybody can make themselves tired.

The best athletes make themselves better.

Hard work matters.

But hard work applied correctly is where progress happens.

What area of your training do you think needs the most improvement right now?

#TheCRCL #CoachingCorner #Powerlifting # by @lsmcclain

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4 months ago