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Coach Natalie | Strength + Powerlifting w/ psychology & activism

@rageagainstthesmithmachine

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🖤Strength Coach @ironsidetraining
🫶🏻Nonprofit Cofounder + Community @gymspaceequity
💫Psych Student
✨Trauma-Informed Lifting Certified
My LINKS ⬇️

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I figured it was time for a re-introduction ✨

Swipe to learn more about my coaching story, background, values, and my nonprofit @gymspaceequity

Grateful to do the work that I do & for all of the people it’s connected me to 🖤
@ironsidetraining

#traumainformedweightlifting #inclusivefitness #powerliftingcoach #portlandpowerlifting #powerliftingwomen by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

•MEET RECAP•

This was like, the most incredible weekend and most fun that I’ve had at a meet. My expectations felt different going into this one but I’m so happy with the outcome.

This meet prep has been very multifaceted. Coming off of a BJJ-focused off season, 2 tournaments there, unintentionally dropping 10 lbs, coaching 3 meets in the last 2 months, taking my incredible team to Nationals, getting sick, and other life transitions ahead- training didn’t always feel great, or optimal, structured, or predictable. As always, taking some form of action and maintaining what you can- pays off in the end. I’m grateful it brought me to this experience.

Before that all happened, I had really strong goals for this meet, that ended up not being fully possible in this timeframe. The goal is to do better in some way, whatever that looks like, and I feel accomplished in knowing I’ve done that.

Lifts:
Squat- 3/3
112.5/248
120/264
127.5kg/281 lbs (2.5kg platform & personal PR)

Bench- 2/3
67.5/148
70kg/154 lbs (platform PR match)
72/160 (hit this in the gym a few times but it wasn’t there)

Deadlift 3/3 (had to lower my opener and pivot here. It was the one I cared most about so I was really anxious about that 2nd & 3rd)
135kg/297 lbs
142.5kg/314 lbs
150kg/330 lbs (10kg platform PR-redemption from my last meet in April)
Total: 347.5kg/765 lbs (27 lb PR)
DOTS: 371
1st in 67.5 Juniors & Open
3rd Best Female Lifter

Thank you to all of my clients & friends who supported me and cheered me on. Shoutout to @raleighbouffard for filming and watching everything the whole day!

And the biggest thanks goes to my goblin mama @bouffardstrength . I love you so damn much. You’ve watched me grow, fall, learn, embrace, experience, and supported me through all of it in the best way possible, every time. Getting to go through this day with you was the most special part and I’m just so proud of us. We’ve come so far. Thank you for being the fucking best.

Really happy with this day. Next meet, maybe in a year from now.
🖤 by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

10 athletes.
3 days straight of coaching, choosing attempts, loading & unloading countless plates off barbells,
Evoking emotional support when they need it the most,
Seeing them through some of their toughest moments in their careers, Celebrating the hell out of their strength when they win, squeezing em (and sometimes even jump-hugging em) harder than ever before.

Nationals 2023 was an unforgettable experience and I cannot fully reduce into words, how grateful and honored I am to call this my career.

My athletes are some of the most inspiring, encouraging, passionate, impactful human beings I’ve ever known.
I didn’t know I could be this proud of a team of people. And I will never stop.

Meet day is such an emotional experience. It’s chock-filled with anticipation, expectation, investment leading up, and then you go through the whirlwind of the day, maybe it exceeds your predictions, or it falls short, you feel it for a minute,
and it’s all gone.
Onto the next, back to “normal” life, business as usual, almost forgetting it happened.

I remind my athletes that this day is a part of them. It is an example of who they are, in their most vulnerable & powerful states.

It is an expression of what they’re capable of, in the spheres that are most important to them, and how they can makeshift that entire experience.
How strong they can be, how much success and joy they can create, how appreciated & supported they should be, in all aspects.

When life inevitably brings uncertainty, despair, pain, you can remember that you’re a badass bitch who in full agency,
decided to take a gamble on yourself, work harder for something than you may have, ever, and test your performance on a Nationals level stage-
and it was a success.

You not only “did the damn thing,” but you left it with lessons, victories, and a newfound version of who you are & what’s possible for you.
You can reminisce, revel, reflect, and seek comfort in that.

Seeing these humans evolve into their accomplished selves on this higher-level platform overflows my existence with delight and appreciation.
I am a gush monster but I can’t help it. I love this shit & my incredible team.

🖤Coach Nat by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

November will make my last month @ironsidetraining and in Portland. Cue all of the sentimental photos, memories, and nostalgia. The feeling is bittersweet to say the least!

My clients and many close people in my life know this news, but I figured it was time to announce it more publicly.

Many wise people have echoed this sentiment to me: “sometimes you can have an entire community of people you love, and still leave it behind because you have to take that next step forward in your life.”

I’ve always been one to jump in, headfirst, fueled by the fear of *not* fully immersing myself in something that could be really rewarding.

The fear of remaining stagnant, depriving myself of experiencing more is something that drives many of my life decision.

Hell, that’s exactly why I even got started in this career.
Where I am right now is the result of exactly that: the many times I took a leap forward, did it scared, all in search of where it might land me.

I feel so grateful to have had the experience I’ve had for the last 5+ years at @ironsidetraining & in Portland as a whole.

From working with hundreds of clients in person, handling them at so many powerlifting meets, being a part of community organizing & merging that with fitness, co-founding a nonprofit and co-facilitating trainings, eventually deciding to go back to school, doing so many meets of my own (and even a half marathon!)
I have nothing but love for the strength/fitness community here and all of the impact it continually creates in the lives it reaches.

I’m excited to be coaching clients in-person @strengthlabyvr starting in December/January, as well as coaching clients remotely from all over the world!
I will continue running @gymspaceequity from afar!
I’m also excited to keep pursuing my career as a therapist, eventually obtaining my masters up in BC!

🖤Coach Nat
#vancouverbc #workpermit #powerliftingcoach #traumainformedweightlifting #inclusivefitness by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

CLIENT LIFTS OF THE WEEK:
This is the biggest group of clients I’ve ever had at a meet and I really love witnessing their individual experiences as they navigate all the fluctuations of meet prep.

For some, it’s their first time ever taking the platform and claiming their title as an athlete.

For others, they’re navigating injury (or even surgery) recovery for the first time, and still doing the thing they love is a huge milestone.

For others, this is the most consistent training they’ve had for any meet, and their lifts are absolutely blowing up.

Many are moving through grief, burnout, and life transitions, and have really struggled to keep committing to showing up; and are still here, reflecting how strong and resilient their bodies are.

I fully believe that meet day is one of the most intimate experiences I could share with someone: their raw, vulnerable selves as they fully invest in something they really care about and navigate that with all the tools we’ve carefully crafted in the weeks leading up.

This will be my final, official Ironside meet with all my folks, and I’m so grateful to share that experience with them all as we commemorate our journeys together.

🖤Coach Nat
#powerliftingcoach #traumainformedweightlifting #inclusivefitness #powerliftingwomen #ironsidetraining

Most of my folks hit their heaviest deadlift singles this week, so here are some highlights:
- @disastermaster1122 decided to sign up for a Powerlifting meet in her mid-40s, with an extensive injury history, and her body has gotten stronger than she could’ve known: 245 PR!

- @shears4queers navigated an adductor tear that has been lingering for quite a while - but their deadlift is still stronger than ever. 286 for an all time PR!

- @bergamotbeetle is doing their second meet ever, and we pulled 286 for a technique PR yesterday, moving it with confidence and focus.

- @lindseykathleenpdx pulled 358 for an all time PR, as she navigates her relationship with Powerlifting shifting to a place of balance, stability, and excitement (over anxiety) and hits a ton of cool life milestones!

- @rswedenborg is prepping for her very first meet, and yesterday pulled 245 for a CLEAN and S by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

To my very first Powerlifting coach.. THANK YOU.
James and I had this joke sometime ago. He’d say to me “You’re like Thor when he gets fat.”
(Endgame reference)
Swear it was meant to make me feel better at the time. I just didn’t understand. I just found that laughing always felt better than crying about it.
“Oh sometimes it takes a second” actually more like years! Before you find yourself in your “I’m still worthy” moment and mean it.
All that to say that the last 3.5 years have felt like one huge moment of re-ignition.
For it was never an if, but a when.
And I know that I will never be able to repay you. Just need you to know that this time together has been everything. Thank you for walking along side with me through this. A monumental shift took place amidst all your love and care. I hope that as you move through your own adventure, you never question or undervalue the impact of your positive chain reaction.
Thank you for holding me in the moments I didn’t realize I needed to be held. Most of all, for pushing me to not only redefine, but reestablish myself in my own presence through strength again. Thank you for it all.
Miss you already, Coach Natalie! 💗 by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

A look into my coaching brain 🖤
“Trauma-Informed Lifting” -
What does it mean?

As a Strength Coach, the brain-body connection is something I’m really passionate about.

I feel it’s the most valuable aspect- of the work that I do (especially when we cultivate community around that!)

I truly believe in the power of lifting as a tool for:
-healing + growth
-learning what you’re capable of
-gaining empowerment
-building self-trust, resiliency, and reflection
-being a metaphor for life.

It’s not about always pulling back / “avoiding discomfort”
-but acknowledging your experiences,
how those impact you, and
how you can use lifting to challenge yourself + demonstrate your inherent power.

This approach looks different with every client I work with -
But these are the missions + values that I strive to uphold + continually practice.

🖤Coach Nat
#inclusivefitness #traumainformedweightlifting #portlandpowerlifting #pdxpowerlifting #strengthcoach by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

Some thoughts on PLATEAUS!

Here’s the thing. If your progress slows down, that means you’ve probably gotten pretty damn strong as is. This is an intermediate lifter problem, not a beginner one.

Hooray! You’ve advanced to the next stage of your lifting journey.

Plateaus can be physical, psychological, technical - often a combination of all three.

I think they’re a really cool part of the process.
This is often where a lifter fully grasps how many variables go into their strength development, and really defines for themselves, what’s so important about it to them.

There’s a lot of growth to be had here.
#liftingplateaus #newbiegains #beginnerpowerlifter #traumainformedweightlifting #powerliftingcoach by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

Your squat depth issue (probably) isn’t a mobility problem.
Because if you have no problem goblet squatting (or barbell squatting at lighter loads) to depth, your body has enough mobility to reach it.

It could be a technical issue. Or a technical one.

But this post is specifically about the PSYCHOLOGICAL side - which is often the root cause (at least in my experience).

Here are some tools I’ve used with athletes - especially as many of them are squatting heavier, gearing up for the November meet @ironsidetraining !

Lemme just say - I think this is one of the coolest processes to watch people undergo.
Squats do elicit fear, by nature of holding a ton of weight on your back and standing up with that.
Every rep you perform is metaphorical:
staying present while experiencing discomfort,
gradually widening your threshold for fear/challenge,
and getting stronger at it over time.

🖤Coach Nat
#squatdepth #powerliftingcoach #powerliftingwomen #traumainformedweightlifting #powerliftingsquat by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

We all know Powerlifters are notorious for skipping (or sandbagging) their accessories.

And you probably know they’re important.

It can also be hard to really challenge/train them to the same intensity, when you give so much energy to your main lifts.

Some strategies I’ve found useful with athletes are:
* connecting accessory work to the WHY (+ relating it to your main goal)
* “negotiating with” Or “rewarding” yourself by pairing a less-enjoyable movement with one you do enjoy,
* making sure you’re fueling adequately so you have energy for the WHOLE workout
* train with RPE! If, on a given day, your energy is lower - take your accessories lighter. Do 1-2 sets instead of 3. Consistency is most important.

Learn anything new? Additional thoughts?
Lemme know below! ⬇️
🖤Coach Nat

#accessorywork #powerliftingtraining #powerliftingmeet #powerliftingwomen #powerliftingcoach by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

✨SHE did that ✨
✅ First PRO meet
✅MASSIVE squat PR
✅bench + total PRs + state records
✅ 422 DOTS score

Everyone who knows @josselbuff knows what an endearing, fiery, passionate soul she is. When she’s on the platform, in the gym, or around her teammates, she’s in her element.

She called this meet her “graduation ceremony” as a rendition of everything it represents:
Her years in the sport, the goals she’s surpassed, the ones she’s still reaching for, and this next chapter she’s about it to embark on.

On a personal note, this meet was also a sentimental- being our final one together. I feel beyond blessed to have gotten to coach this athlete for the past 3.5 years.

I’ve watched as she’s shifted from seeing herself as a “beginner” to realizing she can take on more, and actively pursuing that in every sense of the word.

Learning how to move through the deeply instilled self doubt that tells her she’s not ready. Acknowledging failures, feeling the disappointment, but not letting them feed the cycle.

Dialing in all of the smaller details, so, in her words, she’d go into this meet “knowing she gave it everything she had.” Which she did.

And that process takes YEARS. Josseline has always been incredibly strong, but this more grounded, risk-taking, laser-focused version is a newer development: one she built from scratch, because she realized it was the only way forward.

As a coach, it’s not just about what I can give my athletes, but what they give me. I have learned SO much from this athlete, I can confidently say that she’s left an untouchable impact on me as a coach. I want nothing more than to see her succeed at what she pours herself into- and I feel so grateful to have played a part in helping her create that 🖤

She does this all while being an incredible support system to her teammates, first to volunteer to handle them, make a sign for them on meet day, and bring in a whole pack of @alaninu energy drinks to share with her 6 AM training partners. Some of my favorite coaching/meet day anecdotes include her being her goofy ass self (and encouraging everyone around her to do the same). by @rageagainstthesmithmachine

I’ve had a lot of clients recently ask about the WHY behind training phases, how the process works, and what it looks like for their long-term strength goals.

And I’ll take any opportunity to nerd out about programming! 🖤

SWIPE to read/learn about training phases, periodization (the process of organizing your training on a long-term schedule).

What I’ll add is this: regardless of whether you’re a world-class Powerlifter, you can probably benefit from periodization.
It simply allows you to get MORE from your training.
It gives your sessions a greater PURPOSE.
It helps you reach your goals more EFFECTIVELY.

There’s a reason we don’t:
a) do the exact same thing over & over for years on end,
b) randomly switch workouts, accessory work, etc on the fly -

When it’s planned out and strategic,
We can get you to where you want to be - faster, and more reliably so.
🖤Coach Nat

#programming #powerliftingprogram #liftingprogram #powerliftingcoach #traumainformedweightlifting by @rageagainstthesmithmachine