Meg Squats is such an amazing ambassador for the lifting life, it may be straightforward to neglect that she’s not simply any person who does it for enjoyable (though, to be clear, she does appear to take pleasure in it greater than virtually anybody else on the market). In addition to being the 2018 Bodybuilding.com Spokesmodel Search ladies’s winner, Meg can also be a aggressive powerlifter, and as such, her coaching 12 months is anchored round some non-debatable occasions. Foremost amongst them is the USAPL Raw Nationals, which Meg will compete in for the fourth time this weekend.
Just over per week out from the competitors, this bourgeoning star on the earth of energy talked with Bodybuilding.com about her prep—which closely concerned her in style Bodybuilding.com All Access program Uplifted: Build Muscle and Strength with Meg Squats—and the way this prep has dovetailed with modifications in her life, coaching, and general energy.
This interview has been edited for size and readability. You can hear the total model in an upcoming episode of the Bodybuilding.com Podcast.
Bodybuilding.com: This is a meet you’ve got performed a number of instances. Is it principally what your coaching 12 months hinges round at this level?
Meg: Yeah, undoubtedly. The previous 2 years, this has been the one meet that I’ve performed, and it is virtually the 1 factor that I do within the 12 months that I am actually centered on.
I am all the time centered on getting stronger, however I suppose this particular date is the chance that I get to really categorical the energy that I’ve constructed, over a full 12 months. It’s good to do it on a much bigger stage, and that is the frequency of competitors that does not drive me loopy and retains me coming again yearly.
You talked about in a latest video that you simply’re tremendous centered and “going HAM sandwich” proper now. Some folks might imagine that sounds annoying, however you virtually sounded relieved to have a way of function, and prefer it felt nice to have the ability to say no to issues.
It undoubtedly does, as a result of I do know that it is not what my life goes to appear like without end. Buckling down is type of this stress-free factor the place I simply made a selection, and I simply honor the selection that I made to compete. It’s type of straightforward to say no to issues once you’re centered. Or possibly it is not saying a whole no, nevertheless it’s like, “Hold on. Hold that thought, and I’ll be back after October 12th, and then we could do it.”
At this level in your profession, how necessary is that quantity on the platform to you? Is it simply one other knowledge level, or does it imply extra now that you’ve all this expertise behind you?
It’s extra necessary to me, however my method is extra relaxed, if that is sensible. I present as much as the identical meet yearly. I do know what to anticipate, and I am extra comfy with the alternatives that I make main as much as it, and since I do know what decisions are the suitable ones to make.
But the competitors general is extra aggressive, versus the primary time that I competed in it. Powerlifting, over the previous 4 years, has simply actually exploded, and I am happy with that, and that is precisely what I needed to occur. So it is nice, however for the athlete in me, it is made it in order that it is actually exhausting for me to interrupt into like the highest 10.
Now, it is like, “OK, I’m spending all this time. I hope that I am strong enough to get back in the top 10.” That can be nice. I might be actually, actually happy with that.
In considered one of your latest movies you mentioned, “I’ve never felt so good in a prep.” But you’ve got additionally been nailing PRs and hitting all of your reps. Does feeling good freak you out in any respect? Like, “This should feel worse. My body should hate this.”
It does freak me out a bit of bit. But truthfully, I most likely would not preserve powerlifting if I all the time felt the best way I’ve felt within the different meets. I suppose it is like I am in unknown territory. But, I believe I might be silly to assume that have been a foul factor.
Consistent heavy lifting is commonly its personal particular sort of fatigue, although. What do you suggest to lifters who’re fighting that fatigue, maybe in a program like Uplifted?
Yeah, I believe a few of the largest issues to recollect are to comply with this system that’s written out for you. People begin getting sturdy, and so they get so excited, after which they need to preserve pushing that energy, forgetting that there is a program written so you possibly can comply with it.
If you are beginning to discover that the plan set for you is an excessive amount of and you may’t get better, first attempt to eat extra or sleep extra. And then if that does not work, as a substitute of introducing all these loopy restoration strategies or doing something too costly, like getting massages or cryotherapy, drop the quantity a bit of bit.
Start with the least particular actions that you’ve—the “bro stuff”—and take a few of these out, after which go as much as your important actions. See how your physique responds to that drop in quantity. If you are not recovering then, examine on the quantity, examine in your sleep, and examine in your vitamin.
You just lately posted a video of a prep PR within the deadlift. One factor that I actually admire about you, and I believe different lifters do as effectively, is the endurance that you’ve with these reps.
I normally joke and inform folks, “Just close your eyes and count to 10 and then it’ll eventually leave the floor.” That actually is it!
(Warning: The deadlift video incorporates nasty lyrics.)
It simply takes time, as a result of I am pulling one thing very heavy, however I do know in my head that it is like, “OK, stay with this, because the more disciplined you are off the floor, the more consistent you’ll be with the pull, and then you’ll be in the right position to make the rest of the pull easier.” The 2nd you let your physique get out of place, and the 2nd you assume “Whatever! I’m just going to rip it off,” that is when the pull turns into even tougher, not solely by means of the preliminary begin, but additionally by means of the remainder of the rep.
But anytime I am dealing with a lifter, I additionally all the time remind them like, “OK, whatever that weight is, we chose to put it on that bar for a reason. So, you’d better pull it off the ground. Don’t stop pulling if it feels heavy. It’s heavy because it is. But just know that you’re stronger, and you can lift that.”
You talked about in a latest video that you simply’re approach into the brand new Bodybuilding.com Signature protein bar. I have been sampling these as effectively. And I needed to ask, does that imply the Rice Krispies Treat and protein shake combo is not a part of your exercise routine?
Oh, man. You cannot make me select! I am going to nonetheless have each the Krispies and the bars. Those issues are so good.
But I wish to have the bars as a snack all through the day, in case I do not need to prepare dinner or I want one thing fast. My vitamin plan has me spacing out my protein evenly all through the day, so having a snack that is like 20 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, it is only a easy small meal for me.
What function did your Bodybuilding.com All Access program Uplifted: Build Muscle and Strength with Meg Squats play in your prep?
Uplifted is what I ran in my low season, after I took a while off after my final meet, and it was time to get again on a constant, centered program. It was a strategy to do a variety of bodybuilding stuff whereas nonetheless getting again into the squat, bench, and deadlift. That program was what I accredit a few of the muscle achieve that I made within the low season.
I believe I ran 16 weeks of Uplifted. In the 2nd eight weeks, we made some minor changes. Overall, it is a program that may be run by somebody like me who’s preparing for a meet. But a few of the transformations that I have been studying on-line are from newbie lifters and normal lifters, not simply low season powerlifters. So, it has been actually thrilling to be assured in my very own progress, however to additionally see different individuals who run it. I’ve seen in-depth evaluations of this system on Reddit, to see how somebody’s fats share has modified, to see how a lot stronger they’ve gotten.
People ask me on a regular basis, “Oh, what do I do next?” And I am like, “Uh, if it works, then you should just run it again.”
That’s an excellent level. Lots of people simply method the top of a program like, “OK, I did it, I’m done.” But it’s very an underappreciated tact to say, “Alright, I’m going to do it again, and be better and more confident the next time around.”
Yep, and now that your numbers have modified, and also you’re stronger after the primary eight weeks, it’s a completely different program! Because 1, you are higher, and 2, the weights are going to be heavier, as a result of we calculate them off of percentages and RPE. So, you are going be extra in tune with what your “rate of perceived exertion” is, and you may simply know run it much more effectively.
And there are a variety of actions in that program, too. So I do not assume there’s any concern of boredom in it. If something, it is even higher so that you can get extra within the behavior of squatting, benching, and deadlifting, since you’re simply going to get higher with extra follow.
One factor I like about your Uplifted program is that it treats constructing muscle and energy as the identical venture, not completely different initiatives.
For certain. I imply, I believe if you wish to be an excellent powerlifter, growing the quantity of muscle mass is the place you need to be, after which it is simply practising the principle powerlifts and getting a variety of quantity of these lifts in this system.
That’s why Uplifted is such an amazing choice, as a result of it combines each of these worlds to make it so that somebody is within the behavior of coaching exhausting so that you simply’re actually constructing a much bigger powerlifting whole, and likewise a wholesome and well-rounded physique to assist that energy. Huge muscular tissues is all the time the plan.
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