COACH SMITH

Tell us about your history with powerlifting.

Just like lots of other kids in the 70’s and 80’s, the inspiration to get stronger and build my body came from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Pumping Iron was the first documentary to explore the sport of bodybuilding, and as soon as I saw what these guys were doing, I wanted to be a part of it. 

I asked my dad, and he said I could use an old concrete slab behind the shed. He bought me a bench and some of those weights made out of plastic and concrete that break when you drop them. It wasn’t much — but it was enough. 

When I got old enough to drive, I started visiting a gym in McAllen, which was the closest big town; it had a population of about 50,000 back then. The gym was totally different from most big fitness gyms today — no chrome or disco. I remember seeing the same football players at the gym that I had seen in the newspaper. I was so inspired by their strength — by how much they could lift. I knew that’s what I wanted. 

The first time I trained at a big, professional gym was when I went off to college — Southwestern, the oldest university in Texas. I made some good friends there, and got a lot of advice. I had a fraternity brother who lifted, and we sort of got into it together. We’re still good friends. 

When I went to graduate school I began training religiously. Tulane had great facilities and some amazing athletes. Between getting my degree, serving as class president and training, I was always busy. But I loved that experience, and lots of the guys that I met back then are still in my life, and they still lift. Powerlifting isn’t one of those sports you have to quit after college. 

After I got my MBA I moved to Houston. That’s where I met my first powerlifter — Adam — and I began to see this whole other side of strength training that’s focused on power and not worried about aesthetics. I had never been interested in posing — I just wanted to be as strong as all these big men I looked up to. So I took to powerlifting almost instantly.

Is that when you began competing?

Actually, it took several years. I began to really focus on lifts and proper form. I practiced strength training cycles. I learned everything I could, and I actively sought the best athletes I could find to help me improve my technique and score the biggest lifts. But Adam really encouraged me to take it to the next level.

It wasn’t until ’99 that I entered a competition. By that time, I had been training hard for about a decade, but I didn’t really expect to win my first meet. I got first place in the USPF Texas state meet in the 275 weight class, and I was hooked. I loved getting big and pushing hard in the gym, but the competitions gave powerlifting a whole new dimension for me. I won first place in my division every year except 2001 (second place) and 2006, when I didn’t compete. I moved to Austin in 2010, and competed in three more meets before retiring from competition. 

And that’s when you opened your gym?

Actually, I did both at the same time! My last three competitions took place after I opened Big Tex. Opening a gym had been a lifelong dream of mine. I had only been in Austin about a month before I signed a lease and started putting equipment on the floor. Big Tex opened a few months after that. 

It was a lot. I was working full-time in finance, running the gym and training. Somehow I still managed to get first place in state meets in 2011 and 2013. I look back at that period of my life and wonder how I did it all. 

Eventually, I decided I wanted a little more life in my life, so I sold the gym in 2015. I’m still super proud of all that we accomplished at Big Tex. It’s an amazing community, and I’m so grateful that I got to play a role in bringing it together. The gym is still in operation, and it’s one of the places I train my clients today. But I didn’t get to work with athletes much while I was paying the rent and buying equipment and selling memberships and paying taxes and all the other chores that go along with owning a business. 

So why continue coaching at this point in your powerlifting career?

I don’t feel like I’m done with powerlifting. I still hit the gym several times a week, and I’m still having fun. I love mentoring, and I’ve been working with a few athletes — I’ve never really stopped. I love being part of the bigger community of powerlifters that’s developed online, especially on Instagram. But in the last year or so I decided to create a more formal business, one focused exclusively on powerlifting and strength training. 

 You know, there are a whole lot of guys who helped me out, going all the way back to college and high school — even my dad, who gave me my first set of weights when I was 14 or 15. This is my chance to give some of that back. Powerlifting is about much more than just finding out how much you can lift. As you develop your strength, you’re also developing confidence. 

There are so many people who will tell you what you can’t do or that you’re not good enough. When you get stronger in the gym, you get stronger in life, and you feel like you’re better able to handle whatever comes at you. It’s one of the reasons I worked with Special Olympics when I owned Big Tex — anyone can develop strength and anyone can develop confidence in themselves. 

I’m not interested in coaching everyone, and couldn’t if I wanted to. I’m not interested in selling training programs to a bunch of strangers online. I want to give other people opportunities and encouragement. I want to help them develop the confidence that powerlifting — that being as strong as you can be — can provide.

I’ve been focused on strength for more than 40 years and now I want to share what I’ve learned. PowerSmith isn’t just about forging strength — it’s about forging relationships. I’m really excited about this next chapter; about helping people challenge themselves.