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Rich Sponholz

@the_spoonerman

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Lift heavy, be kind.

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“I’d like to dedicate this award to the losers, because I tell you from my own experience, winning is one thing but out of losing I always learned more for the future. So I got stronger in losing.” - Niki Lauda

Okay, let’s talk about it.

I bombed out. In the wrong weight class, even. Biggest stage of my powerlifting career, and I flopped.

I have to be honest with everyone: I was extremely burnt out on powerlifting this year, to the point that I’d intended to take a break after Regionals. I’d also been phoning in training for months; sure I was dealing with injury, but I was also just not putting in the work.

Being there re-lit a fire that had all but been extinguished. I walked off that platform after my final deadlift excited for the future and the next adventure. It made me WANT to fight for progress again, to push to be better.

So now, we set our sights on 2027. Get healthy, lean out, bulk back up, requalify for regionals, and take the stage once more, bigger and badder than ever. I will be back, and I will be undeniable. That’s a promise. taken in J.S. Dorton Arena by @the_spoonerman

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10

a day ago

2026 USAPL Southeast Regionals

S: 72.5 kg (+ 2.5 kg)
B: 45 kg (+2.5 kg)
D: 110 kg (+ 2.5 kg)
T: 227.5 kg (+ 12.5 kg)
9/9 | 284.49 DOTS (+ 16.24)

Baby’s first 500+ lb total. 🥹

I’m really proud of this one. Slowly but surely checking off goals I once thought were out of reach, surrounded by a community of strong ass friends who make the hard days suck a little less and the good days even more fun. It doesn’t get much better than that. 🤍

#bratwurst #thisiscarolinapowerlifting #morecowbell taken in Raleigh, North Carolina by @the_spoonerman

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3 days ago

Whelp. Sometimes you blow it.🤷‍♂️ More fuel for the fire.

I’ll let Nick do the meet recap thing later. For now, I just want to say thank you.

To my wonderful @barbelldream teammates @whasianbarbiee and @82.5k_tra for coming out, and the rest for cheering us in from afar!

A special thank you to my teammate @meg_bolick03 for stepping up and handling my meet day logistics. You were a fucking rockstar.

To my wonderful wife @steenary for her endless support (and using the family’s alotment of 9/9 meets on the weekend). I love you and I’m incredibly proud of us. 🤟🏻

To @stocky.lifts, @strengthcoachsav, @jbcjacked, @jaminicanlifts, @malkhazik_, @lee_d_wells and everyone I shared warmup space with for their camaraderie. The powerlifting community is fucking awesome.

To @strengthrob.phd for making the attempt calls on the day.

To @gainondorf for the last 3 years as my coach and friend, and many more to come. We will be back, and we will be undeniable.

To @marley90kg, @sugaryheartbybrenda, @wholelottadeads, @imnotacountry and @lorenzojwright - its an honor to train with yall and I can’t thank you all enough for the support today.

To @mama_stevens11024 and @bignicksnr, basically my bonus mom and dad - yall are some of the fiercest supporters anyone could ever ask for. I’m lucky to have yall in my life.

To @erin_weisel at @ascensionrehab and @dr.ryanlesik at @movementspineandsport for putting humpty dumpty back together again when my hip exited the chat.

To the spotters and loaders who made the whole thing run and kept us all safe. Meets would not be possible without your tireless work.

And lastly, to all the rad people I met and exchanged kind words with over the course of the weekend; there’s too many of yall to tag and I think that’s a good problem to have. taken in J.S. Dorton Arena by @the_spoonerman

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8 days ago

Good luck to all our members competing this weekend!

Go show off all the hard work you've been putting in at the purple rhino gym 🫡 by @the_spoonerman

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10 days ago

The hay is in the barn. All that’s left now is to taper and recover. See you all in Raleigh.

Coach: @gainondorf
Gym: @thelifeofstrengthllc taken in The Life of Strength by @the_spoonerman

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23 days ago

Over the hill and gaining speed. Sciatic pain is pretty bad rn but hopefully we can thread the needle to put together a solid Regionals performance. 2 weeks and change to go.

Coach: @gainondorf
Gym: @thelifeofstrengthllc taken in The Life of Strength by @the_spoonerman

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a month ago

Still not dead, but felt like I should’ve been last week. The prep train rolls on.

Coach: @gainondorf
Gym: @thelifeofstrengthllc taken in The Life of Strength by @the_spoonerman

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a month ago

The sim rig had gone through some major upgrades in the last couple weeks so its time for an updated rig tour! Really loving the new setup especially in online ranked on @lemansultimate. Finally got my account in the correct standing to be able to do the special endurance racing events with @borealracing, my first being this weekend with the 4hrs of Spa; life comes at you fast, eh? Lol

Monitor: @samsung Odyssey G9 49” 5120x1440 curved Ultrawide
Chassis: @nextlevelracing GTRacer 2.0
Wheel base: @moza_racing_official r21 Ultra
Wheel(s): @moza_racing_official GS V2P and CS V2P
Pedals: @simsonn_official Pro X (removed clutch pedal since I don’t need it for GT cars)
Accessories:
@logitech K400 plus media keyboard
@apexsimracing cup holder and button box (housing an @elgato StreamDeck)
@steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Omni headset
@moza_racing_official CM2 digital Dash

PC:
@asus TUF Gaming B850-E Wifi
@amd Ryzen 7 9850X3D
@amd Radeon RX 9070XT
@gskillgaming DDR5-6000 RAM (2x16GB)
@lianliofficial case, fans, and CPU watercooler by @the_spoonerman

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2 months ago

Helmet’s got some flair now. Picked up some graphics from @33_sticker, looking good! by @the_spoonerman

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2 months ago

Barbeque sauce.

6 weeks out, feeling strong again.

Coach: @gainondorf
Gym: @thelifeofstrengthllc taken in The Life of Strength by @the_spoonerman

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2 months ago

Lifting lately. Feeling good.

Coach: @gainondorf
Gym: @thelifeofstrengthllc and my garage by @the_spoonerman

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2 months ago

It’s Wesley and Mabel’s world, we’re just living in it. taken in Charlotte, North Carolina by @the_spoonerman

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2 months ago