Next Level Generation Vol 5: Steven Lopez (@centaursteve_)

Centaur. A mythological creature with the head, arms, and torso of a human and the body and legs of a horse. Today we have one-third of The Pack Barbell club, Steve Lopez, 165 Raw Elite Jr Powerlifter, USPA National Record Holder, IPL World Record Holder. So what has helped shape such a mythical creature such as Steve? For ease of reading, my questions will be in bold.

Hello Steve, let us start by telling everyone where you are from and how old are you now as well as your current bodyweight along with the gym you train out of.

I was born and raised in southern California. I am 22 years old and my bodyweight currently fluctuates between 175-176. I train out of Clientrainers gym in San Dimas, CA.


Can you tell me what are your numbers for the most recent meet/best meet as well as your best gym lifts (all time as well as coming into the meet)?

I recently completed IPL World's with a 507 squat (went 1 for 3), 297.5 bench (went 1 for 3), 640.5 deadlift (went 3 for 3) and a 1445 total. Before that I completed USPA National's with a 518 squat (went 2 for 3), 314 bench (went 3 for 3), 567 deadlift (went 1 for 3) and a 1399 total. My best lifts are a 536 squat, 315 bench, and a 640.5 deadlift. I will be looking to hit my new estimated 1rm squat of 545 in training soon, as I was not able to complete it at my most recent meet.


At what age did you started powerlifting and how long have you been powerlifting for? What got you into powerlifting? 

I have been powerlifting competitively for 8 months and have since done 4 meets. However I have been strength training and training like a powerlifter for several years. High school football led me to strength training during the off-season to put on muscle mass, and a passion for lifting heavy weights led me to powerlifting.


What is your favorite lift and how do you train for it?

My favorite lift is the squat. I train it 3 times a week in a Heavy/Light (recovery)/Medium scheme.
(very apt for a man with horse legs)


What is your current training program/training philosophy? What were you doing before to get you to your current level and moving forward from here, what are your plans (this can be goals/numbers you want to hit on the platform etc.)

I am currently coming out of a peaking phase from my last meet, but before that I was solely a 5x5 full body workout guy. I utilized the popular internet program stronglifts 5x5 followed by madcow intermediate 5x5 and further modified it over the course of a few years, leading me to my lifts today. From here I may venture out and experiment with newer training philosophies such as D.U.P. or Auto-Regulation training; although I may give 5x5 one last go with the Texas Method popularized by Mark Rippetoe. My plans from here are to achieve a 1500 raw total on the platform, and possibly play around with some knee wraps in the near future.


What are some of the toughest obstacles you faced as a lifter or in life (if you don't mind sharing) and how you overcome them? (These can be injury related or a lift that is stalling)

I strangely hurt my lower back during a warm up set on deadlifts a few weeks prior to USPA Nationals (July) and still deal with the nagging injury to this day. I never feel like it's 100% when I lift but I still train through it. Thorough warm-ups, stretching, foam rolling, heat pads, and massage keep it manageable.



What are some advice you would give to your younger self should you be able to go back in time/ to other lifters out there?

1. Stay consistent in the gym. 2. Start tracking macros; it's not all about how much you eat, it's making sure you're eating near your optimal amounts. I've lost a lot of time due to inconsistency in my younger lifting years and time spend dieting to lean out that could have been avoided if i didn't dirty bulk for years.

Hobbies/life outside of gym? (other commitments because we all know that we are not in the gym 24/7 or are we? LOL)

I enjoy training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which I was doing frequently before this past year. However, I had to choose between BJJ or powerlifting to pursue in order to give my all at one or the other. I also love playing football and if I had the size for it I would have definitely pursued a professional career; I was an all-league fullback and linebacker in high school, yet too undersized at 5'8" to advance my skills to the next level. 

\

Unquestionable Depth

Be sure to follow Steve and the rest of The Pack Barbell Club on Instagram @centaursteve_ (a _ behind the 'e')