Maja from Gym Gals Lifting Club deadlifts 205kg. She wants more women to give it a go
A social media post had Kayla Lampe hitting the Fortitude Barbell for the first time on a sunny Wednesday afternoon.
He had never been to this gym and didn’t know anyone inside, but he believed in a tough workout and a good time. She was greeted by four more women who were ready for their regular weekday lessons; many had been participating for at least a year.
Leading the group was 20-year-old Maja Andrysiak, a competitive powerlifter who last year worked to empower like-minded Brisbane women and make powerlifting more accessible and less intimidating by establishing the Gym Gals Lifting Club.
And he succeeds.
“I just wanted to try it out and see the other gym girls,” said Lampe, a CrossFit regular and Toowoomba export. “I just want to be strong and fit.”
According to Andrysiak, this is the main purpose of Gym Gals.
“There’s this inflated idea on social media that there are a lot of women in gyms and women in powerlifting, but in reality there aren’t. It’s just an illusion on social media. So I really wanted to create this huge community of women who can access equipment, who can access the community without financial barriers.”
He also wants to challenge the stereotype that powerlifting is a sport for men.
“[It] “If you’ve never done powerlifting before or been around these people in these gyms, it’s very scary.”
The group meets at the Bowen Hills gym every Wednesday for a free session and on Sundays for a $15 session. While the group has been meeting since June of last year, it wasn’t until a recent feature was posted on the local social account. Brisbane Villains that things are “getting really good.”
Andrysiak has been powerlifting for four years and coaching for three years. In a typical class, he’ll take participants through a warm-up before explaining the basic lifts – squat, bench and deadlift. While he keeps his classes interesting and casual, he focuses on safety because he broke his back early in his career.
“I teach everyone how to recognize and perform movements safely and to the best of their ability, with the skills they have.
“We make variations [a standard powerlifting program] “So people can feel confident in their abilities and know how to do these exercises safely when they go to a different gym.”
Andrysiak knows firsthand the financial burden this sport brings, as it cost nearly $10,000 to keep him “afloat” during a recent competition campaign.
He initially expected to have no more than six people in classes, but now has had up to 20 participants in a session, largely due to promotion on social media.
He described Brisbane as one of “those” places for powerlifting, although he acknowledged his bias.
“It’s a city with a lot of fit and strong people and people who are willing to engage with that community.
“I know of over 20 gyms in Brisbane that have powerlifting gyms with coaches and athletes. For such a small sport compared to the other sports featured in the Olympics, it’s really great to see so many people interested in it.”
The Brisbane-based athlete was preparing for Nationals in mid-April, hoping to surpass gym PBs of 195kg squat, 95kg bench and 205kg deadlift.
Andrysiak’s advice for those looking to get started was simple: Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.
“I know you may think it’s scary from some of the gym videos you may see online, but I promise you everyone is so friendly and you’ll find this community great.
“If you don’t come for the gym, you come for the community, and that’s why you stay. It’s a lot less scary than you think and you only have to come once and then you’re sold.”
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