Powerlifter Jen Thompson in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Speed Strength Program"

Jen Thompson is a powerlifter and fitness expert. She has her own program, and shares a lot of her tips and workouts on Instagram. Recently, Thompson shared a video of herself lifting a barbell with a wrist wrap. She captioned the post, “Oddly, I was the only one to show up for lifting today…. Thanks to @jeffsnyder671 for coming to cheer and laugh at my misery! Trying hook grip with straps. Last training I suffered from some bicep tendinitis. So I’m trying to stave that off before I hit the heavy sets and go back to mixed grip. Doesn’t this look like fun. You can do my Speed Strength Program with me!!”

1. She Lifts Weights

Naturally, lifting weights is the main way Thompson keeps herself in shape. ACE Fitness states that doing exercises with weights has a lot of benefits. “Lifting heavy weights elevates levels of anabolic hormones—specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)—which are used to repair muscle fibers damaged during exercise. This helps the muscle fibers to become thicker and capable of generating higher levels of force.”

2. She Does Declines

One exercise with weights that Thompson likes to do is using the decline bench. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. Thompson captioned the post, “I have always loved decline. They are one of the most underrated exercise?? Join my thompsonsgym.programs.app and get access to all my programs, Instructional videos, metrics and an invite into my private community! Link in bio.”

3. She Uses Wrist Wraps

Thompson likes to use wrist wraps when she lifts weights. She explained the benefits of using them in the caption of this Instagram video. “I see people roll the bar back in their wrists all the time. You lose power this way. Wrist wraps can help you lock in the bar position in your hand. I LOVE the @a7intl ZEBRA FLEXI 77cm. They are form fitting and never pop off. Join my thompsonsgym.programs.app and get access to all my programs, Instructional videos, metrics and an invite into my private community! Link in bio.”

4. She Has Rest Days

Thompson makes sure to work out on a regular basis. However, she makes sure to have rest days. Thompson talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “I find 3 days rest does it for me. Anything longer than that makes me feel too removed from it. You?? Join my thompsonsgym.programs.app and get access to all my programs, Instructional videos, metrics and an invite into my private community! Link in bio.”

5. She Loves Working Out

Thompson loves to work out, and this is what helps her stay consistent. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “What keeps you going to the gym??? After 25 years of training, I still love working out. It’s the opportunity to improve every time you enter the gym. But it’s also understanding some days you will have to celebrate the small wins. And that is all right, because eventually it will lead to big wins !!💪 Join my thompsonsgym.programs.app and get access to all my programs, Instructional videos, metrics and an invite into my private community! Link in bio.”

Maddison Pannell, an accomplished weightlifter with a substantial social media following, continues to inspire her fans with her dedication to strength training and recovery. Recently, Pannell shared a video of herself hitting a lifetime personal record in the snatch, captioning it, “LIFETIME SNATCH PR. 88/110.” Known for her focus on proper technique and form, Pannell breaks down her lifting progress in detail, showing her commitment to perfecting every lift. She also emphasizes the importance of muscle repair and recovery, keeping a high-protein diet and supplementing with creatine monohydrate to support her training. By balancing intense workouts with mindful recovery, Pannell showcases how dedication and smart nutrition fuel her success in weightlifting.

1. She Strength Trains

Naturally, strength training is the main way Pannell keeps herself in shape. ACE Fitness states that doing this has a lot of health benefits. “Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”

2. She Has Proper Technique

When Pannell is weightlifting, she makes sure to do it properly. She shared what the proper technique for lifting is in this Instagram video. Pannell captioned the post, “I have been working / focusing on keeping my sternum over the bar above my knee while my legs keep pushing up and back. You can see me here start pulling back with my shoulders after the knee, before I start pushing with my legs, which is the thing I was thinking about NOT doing LOL. Usually around 75 kg is when I start losing my technique, so this snatch wasn't the best I've ever done but its still progress.”

3. She Prioritizes Muscle Repair

Pannell makes sure that her body doesn’t fall apart when she’s lifting. She talked about her secrets in the caption of this Instagram post. “As you all know, I have dealt with and continue to deal with Injury often. I have not been in deficit for two-plus years solely because I know how important it is to get optimal macro and micronutrients for muscle repair. I was already prioritizing protein intake, so this wasn’t something I had to change in my diet, but if you are not, I would highly recommend it because a high-protein diet can help repair muscle damage.”

4. She Increased Her Carbs and Fat Intake

Pannell makes sure to eat healthy. She also revealed in the caption of the previous Instagram post that she increased her carbs and fats to help with muscle recovery. “I started eating my maintenance calories and raised my carbohydrate intake, which is also great while injured because your body can use the protein for muscle repair, not just for energy needed while in a deficit. I raised my fat intake to help decrease inflammation.”

5. She Takes Creatine Monohydrate

In the previous Instagram post, Pannell revealed that she takes creatine monohydrate to help with muscle recovery. “Creatine Monohydrate: If you are already not taking it, well, for starters, one key element of effective recovery is to abstain from the activity and give the body time to heal. Of course, when you’re inactive, you’re going to lose muscle mass. Supplementing with creatine when you return to training can help you rebuild that muscle faster and, in some cases, has even been shown to prevent some of the initial muscle loss.”

Amanda Lawrence, a powerhouse in the powerlifting world, keeps her followers motivated with intense training updates on Instagram. Recently, she posted videos of herself bench pressing and deadlifting, captioned, “Happy Saturday! We still out here training hard 💪🏼 12 weeks until @sbdsheffield 👀.” With her unwavering commitment, Lawrence demonstrates the grit and preparation required for competitive lifting.

1. She Lifts Weights

Weightlifting is the main way Lawrence stays in shape. ACE Fitness states that lifting weights has a lot of benefits. “Lifting heavy weights elevates levels of anabolic hormones—specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)—which are used to repair muscle fibers damaged during exercise. This helps the muscle fibers to become thicker and capable of generating higher levels of force.”

2. She Does Squats

Lawrence is seen doing squats in this Instagram video. Squats are a great exercise to do. Allina Health reports, “The squat is one of the all-around best exercises to do for your lower body. It strengthens and tones muscles in your thighs, butt and calves and improves posture, balance, flexibility and inner core strength. Squatting also improves bone mineral density to keep your bones strong.”

3. She Works With A Coach

Lawrence shared her training secrets with Muscle & Fitness. She says that she works with a coach to help her train correctly. “I was training with straps all the time and with non-calibrated plates, on incorrect bench heights. It made things hard when you actually had to train on standard equipment on game day. I had a lot of changes I wanted to make from the Grand Prix in March of this year to Worlds. I hired a new coach, Joey Flexx, and he changed everything for me. I purchased calibrated plates, got a rack and everything, and started training on the correct equipment. Now, I have a different perspective on what I can improve upon.”

4. She Eats A Lot Of Protein

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Lawrence shared her typical diet with Muscle & Fitness. She says that she eats a lot of protein. “I eat the same things a lot, over and over. That’s just what works for me. I like a high protein diet—at least one gram per pound of body weight—because you need that just to perform and fuel. I go a little bit lower carbs, but make sure I get enough to fuel my performance. I follow a Renaissance Periodization diet, and they have an app you can use to track macronutrients in a plan that’s customized to your goals. It has set food choices that you can pick from. For example, if you need to get 30 grams of protein in and you want to eat specific foods, the app will tell you exactly how much to eat of specific foods to hit the nutritional value of 30 grams, or whatever fits your needs.”

5. She Protects Her Muscles

Lawrence makes sure to protect her muscles from injury. She shared how she does so with Muscle & Fitness. “I know my body’s limits, and I’ll purposefully not go through with a rep if something feels funny. Of course, I always have spotters, but knowing my limits has allowed me to continually push weight faster than others without getting injured. Before a lift, I’ll stretch a lot, use rollers, and do hip circles to loosen up my hips for both squats and deadlifts. I don’t do a ton of post-lift stretching, but I use recovery creams and make sure to eat a healthy diet. When it comes down to it, if you’re going to get injured, you’re going to get injured. There’s no way to prevent it, but just don’t be stupid and know when to stop.”