Jessica Bryant has one goal in mind when it comes to her burgeoning career as a competitive powerlifter.
“I want to be one of the strongest women in Missouri,” she says in a matter of fact tone. “I want to try to break state records.”
These are indeed lofty goals for someone who is new to competitive powerlifting. But when you listen to her talk about the love and passion she has for the sport and the matter in which she trains, it will be hard to bet against her. She is a picture of strength, confidence, energy and passion all wrapped up in a petite, yet powerful 5-foot-4 package.
Bryant has always been involved in sports, having played some junior varsity basketball at Missouri Baptist University years ago. She tried several forms of fitness to keep herself in shape, but she fell in love with powerlifting seven years ago at the age of 20.
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight in three lifts: the squat, bench press and the dead lift. Once Bryant picked up the weights (and she can lift a lot of it), she was hooked. She is already one of the best in the country in the dead lift, which is her favorite lift.
“It has been a passion of mine for the past seven years,” Bryant said. “Running just didn’t do it for me. I just love being strong. That’s why I fell in love with powerlifting, especially the squat and dead lift.”
Bryant has also been able to turn her love for powerlifting into her vocation. She is currently a personal trainer at The Lab Gym, a performance and preventative health facility in South St. Louis (5035 Manchester). When she first sought out a position at The Lab, she made an immediate impression with owners Justin and Chris Thacker with her passion and enthusiasm.
“Jessica impressed me from the start with her very studious and polished resume,” Justin Thacker said. “When I heard she could dead lift 300 pounds at the time, I hired her. Holding people accountable and educating them takes daily work, motivation and a personal code of excellence that Jessica has that rubs onto others.”
“I love training people,” Bryant added. “I am one of the lucky people that is able to do what they love every day. I get to help impact lives by helping people get stronger and live healthy lives. There is nothing better.”
For the past three years, Bryant has been able to help her clients achieve success in achieving healthier lives because she takes the same no-nonsense approach to training them as if she is training in the gym by herself.
“She can be very nice and sweet, but also put the fear of God into any of her clients if needed, which is a great trait in holding people accountable,” Justin Thacker said. “It’s no easy task to be a Lab trainer, from the physical and mental rigors, and Jessica is one of our best!”
After watching how she trains herself and her clients, it was the Thacker brothers who talked her into entering competition. Bryant made her competitive debut at the Rivers Edge Powerlifting Competition in Granite City last November.
It was a smashing success. Bryant took first place in her weight class (72 kilos) and set new personal best marks in each three lifts. She lifted 320 pounds in the squat, 186 pounds in the bench press and 402 pounds in the dead lift.
“I was so excited that night,” Bryant said. “It was one of the biggest rushes of my life. I hit numbers that I never thought I could hit. I love the sport even more now that I am competing.”
Bryant’s performance in Granite City also earned her a spot in the USA Powerlifting Federation Nationals, which were held last weekend in Denver, CO. Although she did not place in the overall competition, Bryant did set a new American record in her class in the dead lift at 418 pounds.
“To compete at the level, I never thought I would be doing it,” she said. “I want to go as far as I can in powerlifting. I would like to qualify for the world team someday. I want to keep going until they tell me I cannot lift anymore.”
