Someone sent me a message asking how much weight I can lift???
I get that question alot so I thought it might be good to post my answer to my blog. 🙂
Well, when someone asks me that question it’s hard to know what kind of lift they are talking about. For some it means how much can you bench and to others it means how much can you curl and to a third, it may mean how much can you lift over your head. So I tell them that my weights will vary depending on what type of lift I’m doing and will then ask them to be more specific.
One year while training for a Power lifting meet, in 1991, with me at 114 lbs…
My max squat was 300 lbs. (I could squat 225 lbs. for about 4-6 reps)
My max bench was 190 lbs. (I could bench 135 lbs. for 20 reps)
My max deadlift was 245 lbs.
Getting ready for a bodybuilding contest & off season…
My dumbbell presses for chest were 60-70 lbs. for about 6-8 reps, I could curl about 95 lbs. for 6 reps with a barbell, and did one arm DB rows with 100 lbs. for about 6-8 reps. LOL… I couldn’t come close to those lifts now!
I don’t lift like I used to when I competed… I do more of a bootcamp style workout with lighter lifting and more reps now. It’s still a very challenging workout, but just not as heavy. There are alot of bodyweight exercises, along with free weights, yoga, pilates, agility moves, jump roping, etc.
I’m about 102 lbs. now and don’t try to lift heavy anymore. I don’t have the desire to train like that and got tired of being big. I just want to be toned and fit with a little bit of muscle.
It was hard for me to get away from my comfort zone, the bodybuilding workouts, and try something new, like bootcamp workouts, but I finally did in July and I love how they are changing my body. I have some clients that I’ve been training in bootcamp style workouts for a while now and I now they work because they have all lost weight and toned up and are fit and look Great!
So I thought since my goal wasn’t to be BIG anymore, my workouts had to change. I even tried not working out as often for about 4 years. I would workout maybe 2 – 4 times per month. I did enough to keep some tone, so I thought – haha, but on July 18th, 2009 when I took “MY OWN” before pictures… I was SHOCKED! at what I saw. So, I said that’s it! I can’t slack on working out anymore! I’ve got to try something NEW!
Those BEFORE Pics were my lightbulb moment and is when I changed my mindframe from Bodybuilder to Bootcamper!
Keep a look out on my progress as a bootcamper!
I might even post my before and after photos! haha.
Thank you,
Clifta Coulter Perez
Reno Personal Fitness Trainer
Bootcamp Instructor
Former IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
Honor God with Your Body 
Well you looked fantastic as a Bodybuilder & you still look fantastic as a Bootcamper…. so I can’t imagine any of your “before pictures” (or in between Bodybuilder & Bootcamper) looking all that bad; unlike my “before pics” (YUCK!) which I only took last week due to your great advice in your Youtube Tips Video… I can hardly wait though until I reach that “AFTER” phase, but I am far from being close to that yet.
I wish I would of found your Youtube channel back in Jan/09 when I had 40 extra pounds of FAT hanging off of me & taken some “before” pics back then, because the ones I took last week wouldn’t look so BAD to me (maybe? lol). With any luck though, & paying close attention to your helpful Videos, Tips, & Hints… maybe I will be able to look at these “before pics” I took last week, & laugh about them, rather than “cringe” at their sight like I do now.
THANK YOU Clifta for reaching out through the powers of the internet & helping those of us that are too geographically restricted to attend your Bootcamp Fitness classes… that is so VERY KIND of you to do…. and MUCH APPRECIATED !!!!!
🙂
Oh… you are welcome! Congratulations on your 40 lbs. that you’ve already lost! That’s great! Just keep moving forward and you’ll be where you want to be before you know it. It’s the consistency that will get you there… along with your desire to make a change.
In about a month you’ll be looking back at those pics you took and will be happy that you did. You’ll be happy to see your progress and will be motivated to keep going.
Good luck with your journey of self improvement! You sound like you are doing Great! Yay!!!! 🙂
Take Care,
Clifta
Also, thank you for your kind words! 🙂
This article is pretty funny, because I actually subscribe to T-Nation as well, because sometimes they have pretty useful articles.