The temperature was hot in Bakersfield this past weekend but not as hot as the Bates Powerlifting athletes. Leaving San Diego on Thursday, June 7th, they all weighed in for the USPA Ikaika Warrior Powerlifting Championship on Friday morning and then set focus on Saturday's meet. The team of five brought home 11 medals, including Cara Wochaski's Best Lifter, five State records between the husband and wife duo of Brian and Holly Stanley, and Manny Gordillo's IPL World record Squat! Congrats to all of the participants.

Bakersfield, CA will be home to the IPF/USPA Powerlifting Championship this Saturday, June 9th and the Bates Powerlifting Team will be there in force. With the team of State and National record setters as well as World Chamionship podium sitters, they are sure to put on a show.

Bates Powerlifting online client, Kelsey Butler, competed in her first USA Powerlifting meet this weekend at the Aggie Showdown at Texas A&M's campus in College Station, Texas. Competing in the 84kg weight class, she hit all her lifts for 90kg/55kg/132.5kg. She says he first meet was "cool as hell. Had a lot of fun. Learned a lot. Lifted a lot." Kelsey started a powerlifting program with coach Nick Bates just five months ago. Awesome job, Kelsey!

One of the biggest lifting events in San Diego every year, the two day USPA Camp Pendleton Open, January 20 and 21, saw lifters from all over. One guy flew in from Italy! This year, the Bates Powerlifting team brought five competitors and over the course of the two days brought in nine medals (four golds), two best lifter awards, five state records and three national records. Manny Gordillo, the youngest lifter of the group, took two golds and set three national records. Brian Stanley set three Kansas state records. Being active duty military, he lifts towards his home state. His wife, Holly, took two golds, a best lifter award and two state records. Great effort from all the lifters.

Another Bates Powerlifting client, Holly Stanley takes 1st in Open and Submaster, Best Submaster Lifter and sets new state records for bench and deadlift at the 2018 USPA Camp Pendleton Open on January 20. Her months of hard work have paid off. With a big smile she says, "Thank you Bates Powerlifting for coaching this big baby." Good work, Holly.

We're not in Kansas anymore, but that didn't stop Team Bates Powerlifting's Brian Stanley from setting new Kansas State Records for squat (502lbs), deadlift (550lbs) and total (1,348lbs) in the 100kg/220lb Submaster class at the 2018 USPA Camp Pendleton Open on January 21. An active duty Navy Chief, Brian's home of record is in Kansas and USPA rules allow active duty military to lift towards the records in their home states as they transfer to duty stations across the globe. In thanking family and friends for supporting his efforts, Brian included "To my coach Nick Bates and Bates Powerlifting for the programming and not letting me quit on myself." Congrats to Brian and a big thank you for your service!

Manny Gordillo, with some pointers and motivation from Bates Powerlifting, cleaned up in his first powerlifting meet at the 2018 USPA Camp Pendleton Open on January 20. The youngest member of the Bates Powerlifting team, Manny not only took Gold for his age/weight, he took Silver for weight alone and set new National records for all three lifts in the Junior Men 16-17 67.6kg/148.7lb class. Manny said, "Yesterday’s first official powerlifting meet was a blast of a lifetime. I had the opportunity to meet others with similar goals and people who I look up to within this sport. I greatly thank Nick Bates for helping me get into this sport and helping me out tremendously at the meet."