At only 24-years-old, Amanda Lawrence is already one of the bigger names in powerlifting. While competing in the 84-kilogram weight class, she showed off her prowess again by winning Best Overall Lifter in the Women’s division at the 2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals. SBD Apparel organized the competition, and it took place on April 1-3, 2022, in Austin, TX.
Check out a video of each of Lawrence’s lifts, courtesy of her Instagram profile:
[Related: Powerlifter Tiffany Chapon Exceeds Total & Squat World Records While Training]
Here are Lawrence’s full results from the meet:
2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals — Amanda Lawrence (84KG)
- Squat — 242.5-kilograms (534.6 pounds)
- Bench Press — 130-kilograms (286.6 pounds)
- Deadlift — 253-kilograms (557.7 pounds)
- Total — 625.5-kilograms (1378.9 pounds)
Lawrence was not short on gratitude in expressing joy in her Instagram post. After thanking various people — including her “MVP coach,” Joseph Giovanni Ferratti, and fellow professional powerlifters, Calvin Tanner, Grant Ivarson, and Camden Wilson — she saved her arguable best words of appreciation for last.
“Last but not least, thank you to the fans and everyone at home watching. Your support means everything and is what keeps me going,” Lawrence wrote in the post.
Meanwhile, powerlifter Jessica Buettner chimed in with a simple but effective, “Easy lifts, goddamn.”
Indeed, it sometimes does seem like Lawrence makes the sport of powerlifting look easy.
Consistent Excellence
Lawrence’s win at the 2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals is the latest in an impressive string of victories. The powerlifter now has six straight wins dating back to the 2019 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships.
Here are some of the more notable recent results from Lawrence’s young career:
- 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships — 1st overall
- 2019 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw Nationals — 1st overall
- 2020 USAPL Gainsgiving Open — 1st overall
- 2021 USAPL Raw Nationals — 1st overall
- 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships — 1st overall
The year 2019 might have been when Lawrence first truly broke into the elite powerlifting sphere. Back-to-back victories in that year’s IPF World Championships and the USAPL Raw Nationals were what began her recent streak of excellence.
Roughly two years later, in the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships, Lawrence broke three IPF World Records. Here are her full stats from that meet:
- Squat — 243.5 kilograms (536.8 pounds) | IPF World Record
- Bench Press — 132.5 kilograms (292.1 pounds)
- Deadlift — 260.5 kilograms (574.3 pounds) | IPF World Record
- Total — 636.5 kilograms (1,403.2 pounds) | IPF World Record
Preparing to Be Great
For someone still rising as a powerlifter, Lawrence’s perseverance through adversity might be what sets her apart.
In a 2020 interview with BarBend, the powerlifter discussed why it’s imperative she trust herself. To Lawrence, perseverance is vital especially when unexpected roadblocks arise — like a hamstring injury right before the 2019 Raw Nationals.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to hit the numbers I was setting out for because of a setback like that,” Lawrence said of her mindset after the injury. “It makes you second-guess and doubt yourself.”
Whatever Lawrence did to adjust — such as a therapy program that occasionally made her feel “defeated” — clearly worked. That meet saw her go on to break three then-world records with a 243-kilogram squat (535.7 pounds), a 252.5-kilogram bench press (556.66 pounds), and a 613-kilogram total (1,351 pounds).
“I started this out for myself and to make myself happy,” Lawrence said.
Given the stellar results of Lawrence’s budding career thus far, it’s hard to argue with that kind of positive, self-fulfilling mindset.
The 2022 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships will take place on June 6-12, 2022, in Sun City, South Africa.
Featured image: @miss.amanda.ann
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