Health in Motion: Phipps’ Own Dr. Sarah States

By Kelly Regan

Brought to you by Let’s Move Pittsburgh, the Health in Motion blog series is intended to showcase the efforts of schools and community organizations in the Pittsburgh region who are leading children to a healthier future. A new project with a guest author or interviewee will be featured each month. Let’s Move Pittsburgh hopes that Health in Motion will encourage leaders to adopt healthy programs in their communities and inspire readers to make healthy changes in their own lives.

Let’s Move Pittsburgh sat down with Phipps’ Director of Research and Science Education, Dr. Sarah States, and asked her to share her experiences with strength training, and her recent (and first-ever) powerlifting competition!

So what got you into powerlifting?

I think I should first explain what powerlifting is. Powerlifting is a strength sport, and in a competition, you get three attempts to lift increasingly heavier weights in the “big three”: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Competing was nowhere in my mind when I originally started lifting; a few years ago I had started boxing, and I wondered how I could become more powerful. Putting on muscle is part of that, so that’s how I fell into (and in love with) lifting heavy weights.

What is your favorite thing about weight lifting?

I really love the feeling of being strong; strength training has given me more confidence, energy, and it’s empowering. It’s allowed me to appreciate what my body is capable of doing, particularly when society still tells women and girls that they should be small and take up as little space as possible. There is still the persistent myth that if women lift heavy weights they’ll bulk up and look “manly.” First of all, it’s very hard for women to put on a lot of muscle, and second, it’s incredibly important that women increase their muscle mass, because it helps reduce the likelihood of age-related conditions later in life.

What are some benefits of weight lifting?

Lifting heavy weights helps build bone density, decreasing the likelihood of osteoporosis, and improves balance and awareness of your body in space. Muscle mass decreases by 3-5% per year after age 30, and since women usually start at a lower percentage of muscle mass than men, basic activities later in life like getting out of a chair or climbing stairs can become that much harder. Right now, though, it’s really satisfying to know that I have the ability to pick up a linebacker off the ground (~250 lbs) or be able to haul 5 bags of groceries and a kid between the car and the house.

Tell us about your first competition! What made you interested in competing? How did it go? Will you do it again?

It was intense and hectic, but so much fun! I was working with a coach based in Minnesota, who wrote my program and critiqued my form over video. Fortunately, she was there with me at my competition in Scranton.  There is a lot of waiting around; I lifted in the afternoon and had to stay fueled through the entire day, which required a surprising amount of Gatorade! There were 11 other women in my group, and we all rotate through three attempts at the squat, then bench press, and finally, deadlift. You always start with a weight you know you can lift on your first attempt, and if all goes well, you try to lift a bit more and set a PR (personal record) on the last attempt.  I was impressed by the age range of people participating – there were children through folks in their 70s and 80s competing, too. I would certainly like to compete again, and my goal is to still be lifting when I’m in my 90s.  I set a new deadlift PR and ended up winning a medal in my age and weight class! Not a bad way to end my first competition!

What other things do you like to do for exercise?

I’m a scientist, and I’ve always been into nature and spending time outdoors. I love hiking, cycling and rock climbing. I admit I’ve never been a huge fan of running, but I’ll run up and down some stairs for 20 minutes or so if I feel like I need some cardiovascular exercise.

Strength training is not something we usually talk about with kids. Is it safe for them, too?

Strength training is absolutely safe for kids, and an important part of physical fitness. The safety and effectiveness of strength training in youth is well documented within the medical community. Just like adults, the recommended approach is to pick something they find enjoyable, teach them proper form and joint mechanics, and scale the weight to their current abilities, increasing as they get stronger.  At Let’s Move Pittsburgh, we promote the 5-2-1-0 lifestyle every day: 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks. Lifting weights can be an important part of that 1 hour of physical activity!