May 22nd, 2005

Seanzilla - You've been powerlifting since the start of the millennium, but you got your start as an Olympic lifter?

Kara - Exactly. When I was a student at Georgia Tech I took a stroll up to the infamous Coffee's gym. I was benchpressing about 205 or so when Olympic weightlifting coach John Coffee approached me and asked, DURING my set, "Can you put that kind of weight over your head?" He introduced me to the Olympic lifts and I lifted at the nationals a few months later.

Seanzilla - Tell me about Coffee's and NGBB in Atlanta. There's some serious lifting going on there huh!

Kara - Sometimes I look around when I'm alone at either gym and wonder how so much extraordinary talent can come from a setting so basic. Just walls, bars, plates and racks but somehow we produce national and world champion powerlifters and Olympic lifters, world record holders, an IFBB pro bodybuilder and NPC national competitors, professional football players, strongmen, collegiate throwers, etc. There's a powerful, almost eerie energy about these two gyms that can only be attributed to the chemistry between all the lifters. Some things are awe inspiring...at NGBB for example; it's become fairly routine to see Steve Goggins tinkering around with 800-900 pounds in the squat...raw. But other things are unexplainable, like the domino effect when one guy hits a PR and everyone else follows. Not little PR's either...20, 40, 50 pounds! I like seeing that. It's intoxicating.

Seanzilla - Are you still competing in Olympic lifting?

Kara - Yes, but not really competitively.

Seanzilla - You've won a lot of competitions and set a lot of records. What would you pick as the Top 3 Accomplishments in your powerlifting career so far?

Kara – First, winning USAPL and APF nationals, both with 8 for 9 performances and tough competition. Second, squatting 551 at the 2003 APF nationals. It was deep, easy and much more than I hit in training. My best executed lift to date...I smiled on the way up. And third, benching 405 in training then 385 in the full powerlifting meet at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength

Seanzilla - Out of the 3 powerlifts, which is your favorite and why?

Kara - As the great Brian Siders would say; The Total. Each lift provides a different challenge and rush. The combination of all three is euphoric.

Seanzilla - You're currently ranked #4 in the USA (by formula) by BenchAmerica. According to the BenchAmerica rankings, your top competition is 4 benchers who all qualified via your former federation, the USAPL; Jennifer Robertson, Christy Newman, Priscilla Ribic and Jennifier Thompson. You're all just within 17 Wilkes Points of each other! But, who do you see as your toughest opponents at BA3 and why?

Kara - While the BA3 ranking formula is accurate for many lifters, it isn't remotely indicative of my capability. I just equaled my best double denim bench wearing only a single ply Inzer Rage shirt. My toughest opponent will be the loaded bar...it's gonna be one heavy son of a bitch!

Seanzilla - At BenchAmerica 1, only two women lifters competed and they had to go against the men in their open weight classes. At BenchAmerica 2, a Women's Division was added and for the first time in America, women benchers had an opportunity to win thousands of dollars in prize money. At BenchAmerica's World Bench War, women lifters made up 20% of the total number of lifters involved! What are your views on how to increase women's powerlifting/benchpressing in America?

Kara - The key to increasing female participation in the sport is targeting the correct demographic. There will always be girls who believe they will turn manly the minute they touch a barbell despite how many pictures of beauties like Mari Asp, Jenn Maile or Katie Ford you show them. Instead, go after the ones who are already active, competitive and eager. High school and college athletes looking to compliment their current strength training or pursue another sport once they have retired. Off-season bodybuilders and fitness competitors looking to gain some mass before they diet back down. Also, masters women are some of the strongest, most enthusiastic lifters you'll find. My very first training partner, Lynn Wehr was in her 40's before she ever touched a weight. She is still to this day, hands down the most intense person I've ever trained with and trust me I've been around some of the toughest guys in the game.

Seanzilla- How would you suggest promoting women’s powerlifting?

Kara - Events like BenchAmerica are the ticket! Women need to see the sport to know it exists. They also get to witness the vastly different physiques, personalities and lifestyles. You've got Becca Swanson, a gym owner with a mechanical engineering degree who's built like a superhero but disarms you with her pigtails and cute smile. She's my mom's favorite lifter Jennifer Thompson, a school teacher who happens to be a statuesque knockout. Cheryl Anderson, a 97 pound hottie who balances a modeling career with school and being a mom. Take away the heavy barbell and you have characters that women can automatically relate to.

Seanzilla - What do you think the sports world wants to see?

Kara - Carmen Electra benching unshirted with Jenna Jameson handing off in a school girl skirt.

Seanzilla – Not my top 2 picks for hot women, but good call on adding hand off girls in plaid mini skirts (with thigh highs!) Who are you currently sponsored by? Do you have any advice for how to obtain sponsors and on how to keep them and make their sponsorship of you pay off?

Kara - Inzer Advance Designs, House of Pain Ironwear, Vital Choice Seafood, MHP, The Anabolic Fitness Store, Earthquake Nutrition, Elite Fitness Systems and Farlow's Long Hair Aveda Salon. The key to obtaining and maintaining sponsors is offering them something unique and invaluable whether it is your time, personality or clientele. You want to develop mutually beneficial relationships with companies. Be fair in what you ask in return and always put yourself in their position when you're negotiating.

Seanzilla - You have a website that's being built right now?

Kara - Yes, I'm very fortunate to have HardcorePowerlifting.com building me a killer site. Their graphics and custom work are absolutely insane! Stay tuned for BenchPressBarbie.com.

Seanzilla - Who do you predict will hit the biggest bench at BenchAmerica 3 in the Men's Division? Who are your favorite benchers in the game today?

Kara - BenchAmerica 3 is such a great equalizer meet and, with all the big guys on a level playing field, it’s going to be fierce. Ryan Kennelly will own. He's a brilliant competitor, hauntingly precise under pressure and dominant as hell on the platform.

My favorite current benchers are:
Ryan Kennelly - as bad ass lifting in a t-shirt as he is in a bench shirt, physique like a pro bodybuilder, has sick bar speed and always puts on a great show.
Scot Mendelson - 715 raw in competition flat back, narrow grip, could
have done reps with it! Viciously powerful.
Travis Mash...talk about talent, this guy benches over 700 in a full meet at 220, is a former Olympic lifter, and isn't afraid to lift under any conditions.
Gene Rychlak - 'cause he doesn't fu** around. He's a contemporary technician
Shawn Lattimer - see above comment, also very generous with his time and knowledge to other lifters.
Scott Albano - he is my bench partner and I know what he has in store for the fall
Beau Moore - just plain old school strong and exhilarating to watch.
Brian Siders - redefines the word explosive.
Markus Schick and Joe Mazza - fantastic lifters and both display exemplary sportsmanship

Seanzilla - What are other girls' reactions when they comment on your high level of fitness and you tell them you're into powerlifting and Olympic lifting? Don't you agree that more girls should learn how to lift heavy?

Kara - Reactions have ranged from utterly repulsed in disgust to completely enamored and asking me to train them! When I mention Olympic lifting and Powerlifting, the repulsed group further cringes and the enamored group thinks it's cool but doesn't usually want to do it themselves. Yes, YES more girls should learn to lift heavy or for heaven's sake just lift at all! There's nothing sexier than a tight, shapely physique on a woman and weights are the ONLY way.

Seanzilla – Thanks for taking the time to sit down and chat with me again, always a pleasure. Is there anyone that you'd like to shout out to?

Kara - Big shout out to all my Inzer bench shirts, both denim and poly, for all their help and support over the years. I couldn't do it without you guys! All my teammates at NGBB...Jon Grove, Steve Goggins, Clay Castile (my new squat coach), Scott Albano, Jay Rhyne, Phil Harrington, Steve Richards, Mike Lanier, Shelby Robbins, Pat Watson, Ryan Lunsford, Jon Gordon, Roger Flynn, Tom Bowman, Ronnie Hodge and his sons, Ryan Hicks, and Bob Lovelace. My Olympic Weightlifting Coach John Coffee and my training partners at Coffee's Gym...Naomi Elliott, Amanda Hubbard, Rachel York, Kelly Polly, Karen Lasky and Gwendlyn Sisto. Mike Miller, Nazareth Barbell and the Metal Militia. Travis Mash & Julie Childress...my best friend and the coolest, most beautiful girlfriend in powerlifting. Ox & Kristi Mason and House of Payne Gym. My New York training partner Michael Moore and the crew at Powerhouse Gym in Yonkers. And of course the magnificent Peter Thorne and Inzer Advance Designs