Lyndall Ville - Powerlifter
“What you believe, you will achieve”
Lyndall Vile is a 26 year old powerlifter, personal trainer and hair & make-up artist from Sydney. She's been training for about 7 years although began lifting seriously and competing just over a year ago. In that short period of time she's notched up significant achievements. Most recently, at the Capo State Titles in Queensland, she placed first in the 75kg division Raw Plus and 5th overall. She also earnt 3 national records and a qualification for the GPA World Championships in November.
Lyndall trains across Sydney at a few different locations. Newtown Fitness First, where she works. With her coach at City gym and occasionally at Anytime Fitness or PTC depending on who she's training with.
Weight (day to day): 75kg-79kg
Competition weight division: 75kg
Federation: Capo Powerlifting and GPC Powerlifting
Wilks Coefficient: 395.827
Best lifts: Squat: 160kg with wraps. 75kg bench. 180kg deadlift
Lyndall trains across Sydney at a few different locations. Newtown Fitness First, where she works. With her coach at City gym and occasionally at Anytime Fitness or PTC depending on who she's training with.
Weight (day to day): 75kg-79kg
Competition weight division: 75kg
Federation: Capo Powerlifting and GPC Powerlifting
Wilks Coefficient: 395.827
Best lifts: Squat: 160kg with wraps. 75kg bench. 180kg deadlift
What’s your sporting background? How did you get into powerlifting? I played Netball for about 10 years, for school, for club, rep and night comp. So A LOT of netball! I also danced for a while - ballet, jazz and hip hop. I did a bit of track, short distance was my strength. Last year I did a deadlift session with a friend who was a powerlifter, at that time my 1RM was 137.5kg and I told him I was hoping to get to 140 in that session. He corrected my technique and I managed to pull 150kg in that same session. We filmed the lift and put it online. A work colleague suggested I do the upcoming deadlift comp and I thought it would be a good challenge and a great goal to work towards. I managed to take first place and set the National record at the time.
Do you have a coach? Alex (Alex Lowe of Bondi Strength Co. ) writes my programs. I believe that following a program is essential for progression. Reps and sets can change every session, but the overall program generally changes every 4-6 weeks depending on how far out from a competition I am.
Do you have a training partner? Sometimes. Usually either my partner Kade or my powerlifting partner in crime, Alex Smith. Alex usually competes at the same comps as me and we have similar goals!
Do you have a coach? Alex (Alex Lowe of Bondi Strength Co. ) writes my programs. I believe that following a program is essential for progression. Reps and sets can change every session, but the overall program generally changes every 4-6 weeks depending on how far out from a competition I am.
Do you have a training partner? Sometimes. Usually either my partner Kade or my powerlifting partner in crime, Alex Smith. Alex usually competes at the same comps as me and we have similar goals!
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What does a normal training week look like to you?
Monday: Wide Grip bench. Inclined Dumbbell press and perhaps some other chest related accessory work. Tuesday: Shoulders or Back or both, depending on what Im feeling. Wednesday: Squats and accessories. Usually this session is with my coach. Thursday: Close grip bench and arm accessory work. Friday: Deadlifts and posterior accessories. Saturday: Rest Sunday: Rest or cardio. |
Lyndall squatting 3 x 4 @ 127.5 earlier this week. "My mental cues for squat are “depth” and “keep your chest up”."
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Do you do any type of conditioning? I do cardio 4-5 times per week for about 20-30 minutes. I alternate between intervals and steady state depending on my mood. It helps me keep my weight in check and also helps to clear my mind.
Have you always trained Raw plus? Why do you have a preference (that’s if you do)? I just kind of fell into Raw Plus and I much prefer it. My first 3 lift competition was the GPC state titles, in the GPC federation they do not separate there wrapped and unwrapped lifters, its all considered ‘raw’, hence why the totals are so big. 3 weeks before the competition my coach wrapped me and I haven't looked back. I still squat raw sometimes but much prefer Raw Plus because I feel that my knees are a lot more supported.
Do you use any mental cues when attempting your 1rms in competition? I'm a very big believer in using visualisation as a tool. I have to visualise myself getting the lift, I have to tell myself that I can do it. My mental cues for bench are “wait for the calls” and “push your heels down”. My mental cues for deadlift are “DONT STOP FUCKING PULLING!!!”
Powerlifting is very much a mental game. If you don't believe you will get the lift then chances are you will fail. You have to ask yourself how much you want it?’. I think about how hard I've trained for this moment. You only get one chance on that platform!
Do you enjoy competition? tell us about your experience so far. Its seriously the best day. Every competition I meet so many amazing people. Everyone is so inspiring and supportive and everyone has worked so hard to to get there! Its really great to see people smashing records or hitting PBs. I love meeting new people or hitting a new PB or breaking a record. The hardest challenge of the day is the waiting around. If its a big competition, like Nationals, there are a lot of athletes so it can be a pretty long day, my patience is minimal, I JUST WANT TO LIFT. NOW!!
Hitting 1RM’s is pretty taxing on the central nervous system and generally post comp I have a little ‘dip’ in strength which is pretty common. I like to have a week off training and focus on massage and mobility. Food wise, I generally don't weigh my food or count my macros as closely post competition, but being a PT I still have to have a bit of a routine.
After a competition, the most important thing to do is SET A NEW GOAL, sometimes once you reach your goal you might feel a bit ‘lost’ or ‘get off track’, so its important to set a new one so you have a focus post comp. I set my next goal and then plan backwards. Ive had a few competitions pretty close together this year so Ive been lifting pretty heavy for a while now. My next competition isn't for 11 weeks now so its given me a chance to go back and do some more conditioning work, add in more volume, change up my accessory work and tweak my diet.
“What you believe, you will achieve”.
Do you have any particular lifting, training or life philosophies that play a big part in how you approach things? I believe you should approach training like anything in life. You need to face it head on and don't give up until you achieve what you set out to do. If its important to you then you will find a way to get what you want.
What is your best asset and your biggest weakness as a lifter (either mental or physical) I think my best asset is my lower body strength and speed, I think all those years of sport have contributed to that. My weaknesses are my upper body strength and my flexibility and mobility. Ever since I stopped dancing my flexibility has decreased but Im starting to work on it more to allow for more depth in my squat, Ive always started to incorporate 2 bench session per week into my program to bring my bench up.
What kind of music do you listen to when you train? Is the music different depending on the work youre doing (ie. Intensity, volume, conditioning)? When Im lifting heavy it has to be some sort of angry death metal. I need to be psyched up. I need to get angry. It needs to be loud!!! My usual playlist consists of things like: Suicide Silence, Thy Art is Murder, The Ghost inside, A Day to Remember, Confession,etc.
What is your best asset and your biggest weakness as a lifter (either mental or physical) I think my best asset is my lower body strength and speed, I think all those years of sport have contributed to that. My weaknesses are my upper body strength and my flexibility and mobility. Ever since I stopped dancing my flexibility has decreased but Im starting to work on it more to allow for more depth in my squat, Ive always started to incorporate 2 bench session per week into my program to bring my bench up.
What kind of music do you listen to when you train? Is the music different depending on the work youre doing (ie. Intensity, volume, conditioning)? When Im lifting heavy it has to be some sort of angry death metal. I need to be psyched up. I need to get angry. It needs to be loud!!! My usual playlist consists of things like: Suicide Silence, Thy Art is Murder, The Ghost inside, A Day to Remember, Confession,etc.
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Do you follow a particular diet or eating philosophy? Just this week I started on a new nutrition plan designed by Raymond Neto at My Evolution. I HATE designing my own training and nutrition plans, and to be honest I don't have time to do it either. I prefer to be told exactly what to do, what to eat, what to lift. Tell me what to do and I will do it. This plan is based around ‘carb cycling’, which is new to me. But I'm interested to see how things go with it over the coming months.
My eating stays pretty consistent throughout the year, being a PT i think I do have to walk the talk a little bit. However, after a competition I allow a little more flexibility with regard to cheat meals and eating out and such. Do you have a healthy relationship with food? Are there any real problem areas or things you battle with? Its a lot more healthy now than ever! Ive been 60kg and starving myself, living on meal replacements and Ive also been over 82kg and eating bad foods and I have always struggled to find a healthy balance because I didn't love my body. I resented the way I looked so I ended up punishing it, and its not a fun way to live. In the last few years Ive studied fitness and nutrition and now I understand that I need to nurture my body with good foods. Im not naturally waif skinny and Ive come to the realisation that I wont ever be, and thats OK! Now I focus on what my body CAN do and thats lead me to having a far more balanced approach to nutrition. Has the way you eat changed or evolved since you began lifting? Yes definitely! Before I started lifting I dropped 15kg by living on 800 calories and doing nothing but cardio, it was dangerous and unsustainable, but at the time I didn't know any better. As soon as I stepped inside a gym I hired a trainer and got educated, and slowly started to change my nutrition to support my training. You also do some coaching yourself? My business is called “Boss Babes and Barbells” and I coach people out of Fitness First in Newtown. I also do online coaching and nutrition programming too. I think a lot of women feel more comfortable training with a woman. I can relate to a lot of the issues that my clients go through and they feel comfortable talking to me about it, so I'm able to help them. I think that women see that Im not “bulky” or “masculine”, that in fact Im shapely and curvy but strong and feminine. I think I attract an audience that likes to lift heavy and are keen to learn and really train hard and push themselves in the gym. I have a ‘no bullshit’ approach to training, when you're with me for that hour, I expect you to give me 110% and I think a lot of people appreciate that. It's so amazing to see more and more women lifting. At the last few competitions Ive done, the women’s day is the biggest, and thats so great to see. Its really inspiring. My business is busy, but I still have a good balance between that and my hair and makeup career and still find time to do my paperwork and have a social life somewhere in there too! Are women less fearful of pushing the weights up with you as an example? I hope so! My clients aren’t afraid to lift heavy, and its my goal to inspire and educate as many women as I can to get in the gym and get on the weights floor. Its not a scary place! Do you get comments from random strangers about your physique? I do! A lot of people comment on my muscles saying that I look fit and strong. I definitely think its a compliment because I work really hard on it. I don't really train for aesthetics anymore but I appreciate that my training does give me shape and curves. Does lifting impact your self esteem? How? For sure. I feel strong and empowered when I lift. I feel confident and Im proud of what my body can achieve. Lifting has taught me to be mentally strong more than anything. I have a history of depression and ever since I started lifting I believe I can do things and its lifted my confidence greatly. Lifting has given my body shape and curves and Im much more comfortable in my own skin. What favourite physical feature you owe to your training? My shoulders and back! I love training them! What’s next for Lyndall Vile? There are so many things coming up! The GPA World Championships are in mid November. Its going to be the biggest powerlifting event in Australian history so I'm pretty excited to be apart of it! I'm also working on some content for some female ONLY seminars that I would like to launch later in the year. I really want to aim to educate and empower women to take control of their lives and also to correct some of the misinformation out there! The Capo Deadlft Only comp is in December, so after Worlds that will be my last competition of the year. |
" I HATE designing my own training and nutrition plans, and to be honest I don't have time to do it either. I prefer to be told exactly what to do, what to eat, what to lift".
"Ive been 60kg and starving myself, living on meal replacements and Ive also been over 82kg
Lyndall with her client, Tjana who she coached up to a recent PTC competition.
"I find that if I focus more on my fitness goals rather than my body image and aesthetics then I have a far healthier relationship with myself".
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Do you even not lift?
What is your favourite non training hobby? Is eating a hobby? haha in all seriousness. I love to write, and I also love to head to the park with my dog and just chill out. I work a lot, so any free time I get, I really love getting outside!
What's your favourite cheat meal? Anything chocolate. Or peanut butter. Or coconut. ;)
What is the most horrible physical activity you have undertaken in a gym? Burpees. Who even thought of that?!
Who inspires you? Marte Elverum who is an Norwegian powerlifter and is seriously strong! Nicole Wilkins, and IFBB pro and 3x Ms Olympia. I don't think I could ever do body building but I admire her dedication and elegance. My coach Alex Lowe, he is the junior 100kg Australian Champion and he is the reason I have progressed so far in this sport in such a short period of time.
And last but not least my partner Kade Mack. He is a tattooist and an amazing artist. He's probably the hardest worker I know, he always goes that extra bit for everyone. He always supports me in anything and always comes to my competitions. He's my training buddy and my best friend <3
What is your favourite training accessory, piece of clothing or pair of shoes? I CANNOT squat without my Reebok squat shoes! They were the best investment and if you don't own a pair I would highly recommend it!
When was the last time you dressed up and rocked a frock? Probably my partners birthday in mid August. I love dressing up, sometimes its nice to get out of the tights and sneakers.
Is there anything else that you are keen to say or mention?
GET IN THE GYM AND LIFT! You wont regret it! And if you're not sure what to do, I would definitely recommend hiring a coach. I HAVE 2 COACHES and yes, even coaches need coaches!
What's your favourite cheat meal? Anything chocolate. Or peanut butter. Or coconut. ;)
What is the most horrible physical activity you have undertaken in a gym? Burpees. Who even thought of that?!
Who inspires you? Marte Elverum who is an Norwegian powerlifter and is seriously strong! Nicole Wilkins, and IFBB pro and 3x Ms Olympia. I don't think I could ever do body building but I admire her dedication and elegance. My coach Alex Lowe, he is the junior 100kg Australian Champion and he is the reason I have progressed so far in this sport in such a short period of time.
And last but not least my partner Kade Mack. He is a tattooist and an amazing artist. He's probably the hardest worker I know, he always goes that extra bit for everyone. He always supports me in anything and always comes to my competitions. He's my training buddy and my best friend <3
What is your favourite training accessory, piece of clothing or pair of shoes? I CANNOT squat without my Reebok squat shoes! They were the best investment and if you don't own a pair I would highly recommend it!
When was the last time you dressed up and rocked a frock? Probably my partners birthday in mid August. I love dressing up, sometimes its nice to get out of the tights and sneakers.
Is there anything else that you are keen to say or mention?
GET IN THE GYM AND LIFT! You wont regret it! And if you're not sure what to do, I would definitely recommend hiring a coach. I HAVE 2 COACHES and yes, even coaches need coaches!
