We Catch Up with Wade Johnson; 2021 Strength & Power HOF Inductee

[00:03:50]   Coach Wade Johnson:

• got into power lifting when he was a kid in the late 70’s.
• only started to compete in the 90’s.
• in 1999, he qualified for the WD of PF worlds.
• he chose to stay natural and drug-free throughout his career.

[00:08:22]   An interesting discussion on other people’s opinions about drug use in the sport of lifting, ensues.

[00:12:16]   Wade explains the possibility that his drugfree way of training could have contributed to his longevity in the sport. Slow and steady wins the race.

[00:17:58]   Best career total during a competition (age 46) was 2400 pounds; comprised of 1040-pound squat, 700-pound bench press and a deadlift of 660 pounds.

[00:20:01]   Won nationals in several world championships, across different federations in power lifting. Won 2 nationals in World Cup and Olympic weightlifting.

[00:20:25]   How hard was it to go from a hard carved Powerlifter into Olympic lifting?

• Trained powerlifting 4 days a week.
• Had 2 days a week of training Olympic lifts.
• Therefore, did not have to go through a reprogramming process.

[00:23:27]   Have you done any powerlifting competitions since you officially stepped out of the game?

• Competed in a Strongman qualifier in 2017 and did really well.
• He was the front runner to win nationals that year.
• Due to circumstances, could not compete.
• Started training power lifting again, and qualified for Classic RAW nationals.
• Was top 3 and an alternate on the world team.
• Won nationals the following year.
• Last time competing was in 2019 in Potchefstroom, South Africa – won IPF Masters Worlds.

[00:36:48]   Wade was inducted in the Strength and Power Hall of Fame in 2021

[00:37:59]   Athletes that Wade admire:

• Don Reinhoudt – president of Strength and Power.
• Rick Bucinell - he is the best of the best when it comes to master’s Olympic weightlifting in the world.
• Osman Manzanares - weightlifting coach.
• Ken Patera - he was the first to clean and press 500 pounds and competed in the early world strongman competitions.

[00:39:45]   A discussion ensues on the absence of the printed Powerlifting Magazine and how it negatively impacted the sport.

[00:42:59]   Study after study has proven that strength is the number one predictor of longevity. Resistance training should be prescribed by doctors to patients as blood pressure medicine are.

[00:44:34]   Wade explains how not all his clients are powerlifters and how important strength training is for the average Joe on the street. He tells an amazing story about a 60-year-old lady he is currently training.

[00:46:08]   Carl confirms that 2 recent studies proved that resistance training is what affects VO2 Max more so than endless cardio.

[00:53:30]   What does the future hold for Coach Wade Johnson?

• Started a podcast late last 2021 with Chris Elmore
  • We are trying to be the voice for the masters strength athlete, especially related to powerlifting.
  • Do an episode once a week.
  • Called Powerlifting Mastered.
• Have become a co-meet director with Jennifer Millican. She is now the state chair for USA powerlifting.
• The gym continues to grow as well as programming.
• Was recently asked to submit a CV to USA powerlifting.
  • I am now part of their international committee and in charge of international outreach.
  • Wade elaborates on this specific committee and US Powerlifting, what they stand for and their plans going forward.
• Will see what the future holds in terms of competing again personally.
• There might be a book written in the future……

[01:00:17]   is there someplace people can look for powerlifting oriented gyms?

• There are some places online, but Wade would suggest posting the question on social media.

[01:02:00]   It is sad that Powerlifting as a sport category have become marginalized.

[01:02:26]   A descriptive discussion on bigger than “normal” athletes ensue.