There are so many different sides to strength. And when it comes to being the best version of yourself, it’s about finding ways to excel in all aspects of your life – not just one.

And that’s one of the many reasons that we have decided to sponsor powerlifter, Katie Cornish.

Personal trainer, wife and mother – there are few things Katie can’t do. But it’s not just about her accomplishments at the bar that we care about. It’s the journey she’s taken to get there and stay there, which defines her as a true inspiration.

IN THE BEGINNING...

Katie got into fitness after finding herself around 5 stone overweight at the age of 23. She’d just had her first child and wasn’t getting any time to look after herself properly.

“I was getting into bad eating habits and I wasn’t looking after myself,” says Katie.

Looking back, Katie’s training routine is now a world away from when she first started: “I was really scared of the gym. I didn’t know what to do, so I just started doing a Zumba class, as you do, just to get myself moving.

“From there I did my Zumba course to become an instructor, and then I also did an indoor cycling course. I started to see that I was good at teaching others.”

It was soon after this that Katie started teaching a barbell course in London. Different from the usual studio pump classes that she had experienced, the barbell class focused on teaching how to lift properly.

“The concept that I taught was to lift heavier but do fewer reps. I’d walk around and check people’s form and technique. And that’s where my love for lifting came from. It was also a chance to show women the benefits of strength training with a Barbell.

“Not long after I started learning the three main compound lifts – squat, deadlift and bench press – and I came to realise I was quite good at it. And my confidence grew from there.”

MORE THAN JUST A HOBBY

Having been an ETM (exercise to music) instructor, Katie became a level 3 personal trainer four years ago.

“I train mainly women,” says Katie. “And help them understand that there’s more to fitness than just cardio.

“There’s more to it than just getting fit though. I’ve had clients come to me because they just want to get their time back and start doing something for themselves.

“I’ve had couples come to me because they were struggling to have a baby and were told they had to drop their BMI before any sort of IVF treatment could start. They were stuck doing low-calorie diets and doing loads of cardio. I helped them go onto IVF.

“I have also had people come to me who have had depression as well as women who have low mobility and injuries.

FROM PT TO POWERLIFTER

“I’ve always loved to lift, and I’ve always loved to lift heavy,” says Katie.

After competing as a bodybuilder, Katie moved onto Powerlifting and is due to enter her first powerlifting competition this October.

“I wanted to compete so that I could show normal women that even with kids, a husband and a busy lifestyle, they can do anything.

“I really enjoy doing the three main compound movements, but the feedback when I was doing bodybuilding was that my hamstrings and glutes weren’t in great condition due to a back issue I had.

“So, I started training at Mammoth Power Gym - which is predominantly a powerlifting gym – with trainer Danny Willgross. Sadly, Danny passed away in June this year.

“I now train with Daniel Bedford who runs Strengthcoach Bedford.

Katie normally trains around four times a week and sticks to a fairly strict and structured diet, that’s split up between healthy carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

“My trainer programmes me week-by-week so that takes the stress out of it. I send him videos of my lifts each week and he gives me feedback. It helps to have that experienced eye because he can see what you can’t.

“It’s a much friendlier sport than bodybuilding in my opinion. You don’t have to worry so much about your eating but I’m still very structured. I guess I will always be that way just because I originally came from an overweight lifestyle.

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

Katie’s first powerlifting competition is on October 6, 2018.

Katie will be competing in the under 67.5kg weight category in the BPU and ABPU (British Powerlifting Union and Amateur British Powerlifting Union) competition being held in the south of Wales.

“This will be my first powerlifting competition. I’m hoping to get 105kg squat, 65kg bench and 130kg deadlift.

“You get 9 lifts, 3 attempts at each move. The total I need to make is 255kg which is all three lifts added together. If I meet the criteria, I’ll go onto BodyPower in May 2019 to compete in the British Championships.”

WORKING TOGETHER

We're proud to announce that Mirafit will be sponsoring Katie to assist with her powerlifting competitions.

“I’m just very grateful as it’s obviously another motivator to do well and inspire others.”

“Powerlifting is a really empowering sport for women – both mentally and physically. I get great pleasure from getting through the hard work and reaching my goals.

“I love to deadlift. Ripping the bar off the floor is a great feeling.

“And ultimately, I just want to live my life being the healthiest and fittest that I can be, and I want to keep inspiring people."

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle