By Greg Shepard

STEPHANIE ARMITAGE:

Olympic Lifting only three months, Stephanie Armitage can Snatch 170 pounds! will compete in the 75-kilogram (165-pound) class in Stephanie Armitage is the assistant strength coach at what I can do yet. Olympic lifting is really fun. You can future meets. Stephanie grinned, “I don’t even know Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. become addicted to it.”

She and head strength coach Kevin GrafÏs work together training the Cougar athletes. I met Stephanie Washington. As a three-sport athlete, she threw the shot this summer at the National Strength Coaches Assoc- 40 feet 11 inches, and the discus 115 feet 9 inches, and iation convention in Orlando and was quite impressed competed in volleyball and soccer. “I certainly should have lifted in high school but we just didn’t have the After doing the Olympic lifts for only one month, opportunity,” stated Coach Armitage. Her best marks at she competed in the Daytona, Florida, competition for Washington State, where she attended college, were 47 women and came in first.

It was here that Stephanie feet in the shot and 162 feet in the discus. Stephanie caught the Olympic lifting bug. Some of our American began sports in her sophomore year and achieved those lifters were going to Hungary to learn their training marks through a sound weight-training program. She secrets so Stephanie expressed her desire to attend the achieved a 190-pound Bench, a 385-pound parallel two-month training session in Budapest. Stephanie got Squat, a 375-pound Dead Lift, and a 165-pound Clean. her wish and was invited over.

To help financially, Stephanie can now also do a 230-pound Front Squat, Stephanie received a grant from the Women’s Sports 170-pound Snatch and a 200-pound Clean and Jerk.

Foundation. However, she said, “I paid for most of it myself.” “It was a very intense period of time,” Stephanie elaborated. “They told me that I learned quickly.” She has competed in the 82-kilogram (181-pound) class but 72 Coach Armitage states, “I should have done more Olympic lifting for my shot and discus. | just equalled my best throwing only once after a long, long time.” Her parents have never seen her lift but Stephanie says, “Whatever | want to do is fine with them.” Stephanie Stephanie doing Front Squats in the new BFS Pro-Elite Power Rack.

Power Pulls to the shrug position assist Stephanie in the clean technique. Notice level head, high shoulders, straight elbows, toe position, and bar close to body — all important in correct cleaning technique. Stephanie's great smile is contagious. Greg Shepard with son majored in Exercise Science and received her B.S. Degree Matt at the NSCA Convention in Orlando. at Washington State University and is just about finished with her Masters.

I asked Coach Armitage mischievously, “Shouldn't women work out in separate facilities? Maybe let them work on machines while the men work on the free weights?” Stephanie flashed a huge, cute smile and responded, “DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?” We both laughed, and she continued, “I’m very optimistic about strength training for women. I'd like to see women believe New! they are capable of much more. Women are now becoming less afraid and less intimidated in the weight room. We are becoming more comfortable with strength training in sport. We don’t even know of our potential yet.”

Stephanie Armitage is working hard on a personal goal and that is to compete in the Women’s World Championships in Weightlifting next year in Jakarta, Repairing, not Replacing!

Wall Pads, Tackling DumP mies!

Indonesia, and be an ambassador to a great and growing sport. Coach Armitage is an Upper-Limit person and is already winning support for her sport.

So Tough You Can't Tear the Repair!

From BFS Magazine — September/October 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).