Latest / The Platform: a Michigan High School Powerlifting Association Podcast / Women In Powerlifting PT2 w/ Morgan Gilliam & Erin Ribic (Dickey) | The Platform Episode 18

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Women In Powerlifting PT2 w/ Morgan Gilliam & Erin Ribic (Dickey) | The Platform Episode 18 · The Platform: a Michigan High School Powerlifting Association Podcast

• Chris Whittaker: Welcome to the platform where the stories weigh a ton. This is where some of the MHS PLA's best tell real stories about what it takes to build themselves and their teams under the bar. I'm your co-host Chris Whitaker, and we're glad you're here. Hey, if you're enjoying the show, please make sure you subscribe and follow and leave a review on all major podcast hosts, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon Music, and many more. That support helps us continue to grow the show and bring the conversations that you want to hear right here to the platform. If you'd like to give us feedback or suggest a topic or a guest for the show, please email info at mhspla.com and we'll get back with you. This episode, today's episode, is episode number 18, which is part two of our conversation with Miss Morgan Gillam and Miss Erin Rivick. We get into in this one where part one, we kind of trace the pioneering of the days of the girls' powerlifting. here in Michigan from Morgan and Aaron's earliest days in the weight room to traveling across the country for USAPL nationals. In part two, we pick right up where we left off there post-high school and follow Morgan and Aaron as they navigate the shift from a tight-nipped team environment to training as individuals. We talk about the financial realities of the sport once mom and dad in the school aren't footing the bill, meeting influential figures like Dave Tate and competing internationally In Canada and many other places around the world. We close things out with a look at how far both women have come as coaches and mentors themselves, and a heartfelt thank you to the people that helped them get there. Until then, it's now time for you to step up, lock in. The bar is loaded for episode 18, part two with Morgan Gillam and Aaron Ribbick. Hit the intro music. to the platform where the stories where you're told Then we arise as one Michigan's lifters. This is us This is the platform. Chris Gilliam: right. so post high school, how did you change or approach your training? I mean, you gave a little bit with the Alaskan team there, Aaron, like that so they're providing your programming for you. But once you're past that point, like how did you go about with your training program? Did you kind of stick with stuff that you learned from Coach Miller? Did you combine stuff? I mean, what what was the mindset moving forward? Erin Ribic: No, I pretty much did what Larry told me to do. I think I'm coachable. So I just if you're picking a program and you're picking a coach, you just need to follow that. definitely the volume came down a lot. I think in high school you can lift a lot more frequently and heavier more frequently and just learning as you get And I don't to say twenties or older, but as your you know, your body is maturing, you just can't go at that same pace anymore. So just learning that like I didn't need to be in the gym for three hours a day. I did call Larry, I think one of the first days that he was programming me and I was like, Okay, I got everything done. I've only been here an hour, what else can I do? And he said, Go home. And I was like, No, but I've only been here an hour, what else can I do? So Chris Gilliam: Sure. Yeah, that's good. And how about you, Morgan? training your programming from high school to college, what what was different? what did you like? What did you not like? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I mean, from what I remember, we always tried a lot of different stuff in high school. So, I mean, we did like 531, like BFS, know, Bigger Faster Stronger. We did a little bit of like conjugate method, I think, once we started to get into USAPL and then we met the Flint Barbell crew. You know, we learned a little bit about programming. So Marvin Coleman, who also got me into. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, and you remember who we met in Ohio? Morgan Gilliam: Wait, who did we meet in Ohio? Chris Gilliam: The owner of Elite FTS. Morgan Gilliam: Yes, Dave and yes, and then we got a chance to talk to Dave Tate too So a little bit of you know elite FTS stuff and then when I got to college I I basically went like full-blown linear periodization because that's you know Tim's like hardcore. He loves linear periodization So we did that and so that changed some things then I think my senior year we changed kind of a little bit more towards like conjugate method again, but It was weird because it was still a little bit of linear periodization too. And so at that point, my senior year of college, we kind of had more coaches as well. It wasn't like just him, like my first couple years. And so we had like other coaches that would program for us. So sometimes they'd get their styles. And so I remember being on a different style of programming at that point too. So yeah, a little bit of everything. Chris Gilliam: Gotcha. Gouch. Chris Whittaker: Got to meet the man Dave Tate. Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Chris Whittaker: We met once too. He wouldn't remember it. Chris Gilliam: Well, the fur the guy that introduced us to Dave Tate was Matt Rhodes. Chris Whittaker: yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep. Morgan Gilliam: Yes, cool guy. Chris Gilliam: Matt Rhodes is the strength and conditioning coach at Moorhead State, where my buddy was the head football coach. So we were talking to him one night and then he's like, yeah, Louie, because he trained under him, and then with Dave. And so he called Dave that night. And on our way home, we got to stop by Dave's business and meet with him and talk to him. And so we went into the the shop where they test all their new equipment designs and ideas. So that was pretty Morgan Gilliam: It was so cool. Chris Gilliam: unique. I don't know how familiar you are with those names, Aaron, but they're they're big in the the sport of powerlifting nowadays with elite FTS, Louie Simmons. Yeah, West Side. So Dave Tate's the yeah, all that. Conjugate method, all that stuff. So Erin Ribic: I know a lead up T S, yeah. No website, yeah. Chris Whittaker: This is the way. Erin Ribic: We did a lot of like Russian programs, like different, I feel like where we do a million sets of things. Does that all sound familiar? And that's what yeah, he was big on all the Russian programs. so we did a lot of that. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: yeah. Well well Coach Miller? Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, he he was telling us some stories. He was telling us some stories on picking their brains at some of these IPF world meets. So Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. We were buying shoes from them at one point. Somebody would go to an international meet and we'd send them all with money so they come back with the ru because we thought if we had the same shoes the Russians are squatting in, we'll be better. So we had Russian squatting for a while. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, yeah. I thought. For sure. Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Chris Whittaker: He he told us some great stories about the Russians too that won't make the final cut of the episode if you catch my drip. Erin Ribic: Yeah. When you're when Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: you put on the list for this like good stories about your coach, I was like Morgan Gilliam: Hahaha! Chris Gilliam: hey, that's okay. You if if when it's over you're like, Hey, we don't want it in there, we'll take it out. But it's okay to share. Chris Whittaker: Tell it. Tell it 'cause then it goes in the archive. Even if only only we get to hear it. so ladies, how did powerlifting prepare you for life after high school? Right? Like college academics, your career or any of that? Erin Ribic: Ha ha ha. Morgan Gilliam: Yes! Chris Whittaker: Whoever wants to go first can take it. Morgan Gilliam: Go ahead, Aaron. Erin Ribic: I would say just in life, just teaches structure, teaches stick toativeness, right? If you wanna get to a goal, it's gonna take day in and day out to get there. resilience and just the feeling of being capable and Just I think it it's a confidence that you get in yourself that you can take everywhere else that you go with in your life. Chris Whittaker: I mean confidence does it does it for everybody. Like an anybody that steps steps into it. How about you, Morgan? How did it prepare you? How did powerlifting prepare you for life after high school? I mean, you can just continue to do it. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. I love it. There's something, therapeutic about putting a heavy weight on your back and being able to stand up with it or, rip it up off the ground. But, yeah, I would say it's just, really that discipline and, because I mean, it's a lot of doing the mundane stuff, which, can easily translate to life because life isn't always, you know, sunshines and rainbows. Like, you don't always have a good training day, but like, how can you overcome that? So. being able to overcome adversity and stick with the plan. And you get to meet a lot of really cool people along the way. yeah, just having that resilience and yeah, it's just everything Aaron was saying as well. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and as you get older like myself, I use it as a stress reliever. Like sometimes yeah, you just go in. I it doesn't even matter what it is. I'm just gonna li get some lifts in, get my mind off of stuff, and like get the knots out of my neck and back because, you know, you're getting your mind onto something different than what's going on. So I think that's a good stress reliever for me personally. So maybe Morgan Gilliam: yeah! Absolutely. Chris Gilliam: It'll be that way for you guys too down the road. But you're a long ways from being my age, so Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, but I mean, like I said earlier in the podcast, it was something that like I always felt comfortable in our weight room just because like you dad and so I mean, that's the place that things make sense to me, you know. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Sure. I understand that. All right. So you guys know high school sports, especially, you know, when you were at playing well, you had a hundred kids, highly structured around a team environment, right? What's the biggest culture shock when you transition from that to not as big of a team, or for in your case, for both of you now, you're training as an individual. Like there's no there's no team camaraderie, you don't have your best friends. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Gilliam: They're supporting you and stuff. I mean, what's that transition like? Aaron, let's start with you. Erin Ribic: I think I still had a good enough support system. you know, we still be on the phone with each other. How did your training go today? You know, did you hit your whatever you know, so I think but it is different because you you don't have a set time that you're required to be there. you don't have I went along a lot of years without a a consistent training partner, you know, so you have to get yourself there every day and make sure it gets done and when college and I worked at a golf course, which meant sometimes I was closing a golf course and then training it ten o'clock at night by myself in the gym where the owner gave me a key so I could get in after hours, and train late at night. So it's just it's a little bit different when real life sets in and and it's not just built into your into your day. So you do have to prioritize it. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. yeah, the prioritizing. That's way different. Yeah, for sure. How about you, Morgan? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I mean, I would say the same with like, you know, we had practice times even in college still. And then when I got out of college, it's like, you that real life, like you're working and then like you're going to train at before or after work whenever you can have time. And so, yeah, so it takes a lot of discipline and like, no one's watching you. like, you have to be able to push yourself so you can get to your goals. And so like, do you have that within you? Like, Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Can you pull that out of you so that you can get to be the best version of yourself and really set those goals that you've, or achieve those goals that you've set for yourself. But yeah, I mean, there's times I miss, you know, like, you know, the collegiate atmosphere or like that high school atmosphere of like being able to be with people all time. You know, I've had some training partners occasionally at times, but yeah, it's myself. then, I also get to experience that camaraderie, think through my business too. So I get to coach people and like kind of be that little bit of team. And then we have that, you know, that club. So, with the Great Lakes power for, so it's a club for us APL. And so I get to experience a little bit of that team atmosphere through that. Chris Gilliam: Awesome. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. The team atmosphere of high school and again we get old and we get on our own islands there for the most part, don't we? But no how know how that is. I I trained with Morgan one one morning and never invited her back. Chris Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Chris Whittaker: Couldn't keep up. I couldn't keep up. Not not that she couldn't keep I I couldn't keep yeah, it was there's definitely Morgan Gilliam: You did great, Whitaker. Chris Whittaker: Thanks, thanks, thanks. Morgan Gilliam: I mean, I was pretty sore. We did a lot of reps that day. So I was a little sore. I don't know. You told me to do like 50 of everything and I was like, okay. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Yeah, what were we doing? I don't even r I don't even remember. I don't even remember. yeah, you did the you did the wedding warm ups for the first time that day. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So when you guys walk into a commercial gym or a powerlifting gym, you know, you know Aaron's working in the hospital setting, but Morgan's in a commercial gym quite frequently. what goes through your mind when you see how many women are now, you know, actively involved in squatting, benching, deadlifting. Morgan Gilliam: Yes! Chris Whittaker: using free weights like what what goes through your mind when you see that sort of thing? Morgan Gilliam: Yep. Yep. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, they're invading your face there, and come on, man. Erin Ribic: You're always evil. Chris Gilliam: I love it. Erin Ribic: I used to never have to wait for Squat Rack. Morgan Gilliam: That's so valid. Chris Gilliam: Now you gotta wait your turn. them that's funny. That's good. I like it, that brutal honesty, Coach Whitaker. Like, yeah, what, I gotta wait for this? man. That's funny. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: Ha ha. Mm-hmm. Chris Whittaker: Or worse you get that Morgan Gilliam: You Chris Whittaker: Jabroni that's doing curls in the squat rack. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Throw that guy out. Erin Ribic: No, it's awesome. It's and it's women of all ages. It's not just the younger generation. I mean I I see people in there of women of all ages, so it's just it's awesome. It's it really. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I I I think so too. Like the first USAPL Raw Nationals that we went to, we seen three generations of women in the same family lifting and it was phenomenal. Like the great grandma or whatever in her eighties, and then the grandma in her sixties, and then the the mom and the youngest daughter was gonna be lifting the following year. So I'd imagine they're at four generations lifting. Morgan Gilliam: Yes! Chris Gilliam: I th I thought that was just awesome to see. Morgan Gilliam: It's awesome. Chris Whittaker: That's pretty cool. That is pretty cool. Mor Morgan, what do you think? I mean, you see it, right? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it's awesome to see more women involved in the gym and just like pushing themselves. yeah, I mean, like, can even think, like, there's a few weeks ago, this mom and daughter, you know, we're in the gym together, working out, this mom showing her like, how to lift. And I'm like, you know, get a little nostalgia of them. Like, yeah, my dad used to like do that with me. And so, it's nice to see other women like building up younger women and younger generations, and just. knowing that it's cool to be strong. Chris Whittaker: Very cool to be strong. The coolest are the strong ones. Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Chris Gilliam: So, Aaron, we know you you you haven't competed since two thousand seventeen, you know, for a variety of reasons. Life probably being the number one thing. Yeah, y other interest and stuff going, but you know, in your time when you were lifting or even in the future, do you so see yourself maybe not competing again? You said you would keep lifting, that's part of what you are, but w would there be the possibility of you like coaching or giving advice to people? If approached. Erin Ribic: gosh. I will give advice to anyone who hasn't even asked for it. But yeah, I don't yeah, no, and I still hang out. My my core group of friends here are still all powerlift. So we still it's still in my in my life. and I still help out at meets and judge occasionally and you know, I'm still definitely involved and and happy to help. more recently I've been doing more aerial circus for a different way to be strong. So I've been involved with Morgan Gilliam: love that. That stuff is hard, I've heard. Erin Ribic: with some of that. So it is. It's Chris Gilliam: So you you personally are doing it? Okay, nice. Erin Ribic: humbling. Mm-hmm. So climbing on the silks and wrapping up and dropping and doing so it's it's I will always want a way to be strong and be active and and athletics still. which is also a great community. So I think you know and again back to just any ways that women can be strong and be capable and push themselves and do things they didn't think they could do. I think will always be part part of my life. Chris Gilliam: That that's awesome. It sounds like you're a person that likes to have like challenges and do something unique. Erin Ribic: Just y see something that Morgan Gilliam: Yes! Erin Ribic: no one else is doing and be like, I'm gonna f I'm gonna try that. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I like that. That's cool, good. Morgan, how about yourself? You you've been coaching some people, right? Erin Ribic: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. I actually just took a lady to a masters nationals in Lombard, Illinois. The, think it was almost two weeks ago now. So, um, yeah. And she was 67. So, um, which was super awesome, but yeah, I mean, anybody that wants to get into the sport or is involved in the sport, they want advice. They're like, Hey, like, you know, just any questions you might have. Yeah, absolutely. You know, we're, I am a product of the people that have helped me. So the best thing that I can do is give that back into the world and help people. yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and a couple of years ago you coached a young man from Chelsea High School. You you coached him to through MHS PLA and then he went on and competed at high school nationals, right? Did he go to Worlds too? Morgan Gilliam: Yes, yes Aiden. Yup, he... Yup. Yep. So, no, he didn't go to worlds. He just went to raw nationals. But, but yeah, the weird thing about Chelsea is they have like all these really strong kids, but they don't do powerlifting. And, I was working at a commercial gym at the time. And, one of my friends introduced me to him and, cause he was thinking about doing a powerlifting meet and was just like basically adding five pounds on everything, every week and didn't really know anything about programming. And then he was like, do you think you could coach me? And I was like, yeah, let's try it. And, yeah. And then I ended up being, Hey, you're pretty good at this. think you could place like decent. Let's get involved like in the high school. And then I think you could go to nationals and, we did that. And then he ended up doing two national meets. did high school nationals and then he did raw nationals. And yeah, that was really awesome. Cause he, he didn't do any sports. He just did robotics. Yes. He's at Kettering. Yup. Yup. So, but yeah, I mean, Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that's awesome. He's a smart kid. He's at he's at cuttering, right? Yeah, the old GMI back in the day. Morgan Gilliam: Yes, yep, so he's doing that and on to bigger and better things, but still lifts and I still coach him a little bit, but yeah. Chris Gilliam: That's awesome. That's I th I mean that it's gotta feel a little empowering, ladies. N you know, a guy coming to a girl asking for advice on programming and training. Like th that probably didn't happen too often in your day, Aaron, did it? Erin Ribic: it did actually. I mean I think yeah, I think it especially being in Plainwell and in town and it's a small town. I don't know if you know much about Plainwell, Michigan, but it's not a big Chris Gilliam: Nice. Alright. Yeah. Well, I currently live in Three Rivers, so I'm just down the road. Yep, still are. Yep. Erin Ribic: yeah, we were in the same conference. At least when I was in high school, Three Rivers was in our conference. So yeah, there would be guys that would teachers that would show up and we'd help out, you know. Kendra Miller was like this big and would be bossing everybody around. So I think we had a strong culture. We really, we really did. Chris Gilliam: nice. All right. That's cool. That's good. yeah, without a doubt. It was it was a cult fall on it, to be honest, you guys. It was crazy. Yeah. And what w wasn't didn't Coach Miller s wasn't his lifting club called the Plainwell Knights or something? Erin Ribic: Mm. Morgan Gilliam: I love it. That's awesome. Erin Ribic: It so it was, I think the first couple years he did it. and then it switched to Playmol Powerlifting by the time I got in. but there were some old Playmol night singlets that we found in his basement and he let us wear for a meet one time when some of us found the old singlets. But I think the the club was yeah, that was the the very beginning. Chris Gilliam: Okay. Morgan Gilliam: That's awesome! Chris Gilliam: Nice. Okay, gotcha. Chris Whittaker: All right. So we talked about how you guys both Morgan plans to compete again, and maybe we might see her come out of retirement. that air a but I got that Ariel Circus thing. They put it that I think we'll put Ariel Circus on the map. What was it? Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys. I forget who they were playing. Erin Ribic: Ha ha Chris Whittaker: But Creed was playing a little, you know, my sacrifice and that guy was flying all around the stadium on those things. Most iconic Thanksgiving Day halftime performance. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I remember that. That was like the halftime show, right? yeah. Well, you know what? Every year on Morgan Gilliam: Amazing. Erin Ribic: Who's watching Dallas? Chris Whittaker: Read the Erin Ribic: Who's actually watching Dallas? Chris Whittaker: no, I was there for Creed. I was there for Creed. Swear. Swear. And then I happened to see this guy on this silk thing, so I'm like, how the hell does he even do that? Chris Gilliam: Yeah, for sure, for sure. Well that's what Erin Ribic: Mm. Chris Gilliam: Well in this time of year like A G T V America's Erin Ribic: I think it was pink. I think it was pink doing Morgan Gilliam: You Erin Ribic: all her circus stuff and her tours. Chris Gilliam: okay. Like this time of year America's got talent air airs and they always have like somebody doing that trying to get on the show. I always find it like pretty amazing because I'm just like, I don't know how the heck you do that stuff. Like you you've no part of the suspense is you just think they're gonna fall and get hurt, you know? But yeah, that's pretty awesome. okay, so Morgan Gilliam: that's true. Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It is. Chris Gilliam: You both competed at IPF sub junior worlds, all right? Which in present form it can't happen anymore because they broke away from the IPF, right? But tell us about your experience. I mean, what sticks out the most about your experience? And if I'm not mistaken, Aaron, your first one was taken away, correct? Morgan Gilliam: Right. Erin Ribic: Well, the first one I qualified for was in two thousand one and we were supposed to go to Sochi, Russia, and that got trip got canceled because it was September of two thousand one and it was right after the nine eleven attacks. And so we I mean we had trained all we'd given up our whole summer to train and we were found out literally like two weeks before we were supposed to leave that I think the meet still happened, but most countries didn't send anyone. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: and the the US Embassy actually revoked our visas. or they were holding them, they wouldn't release them. So we weren't even gonna be able to there was a plan in place. My parents were actually volunteered to like drive through the night to get to the embassy in Washington DC to get our pat like get our visas and d like get to us in time to go and that didn't end up happening, but so the first time I got to go, was my open worlds in Germany. I actually missed my high school graduation to go to that meet and then Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Erin Ribic: My first sub then sub junior was that September in Taiwan. and that I think just the memory of that being somewhere so different, that was the co that was probably of my whole life one of the coolest trips we ever took. Chris Gilliam: I'd imagine. Coach Miller told us some interesting stories about about that one. We'll share those with you off air to see if you remember them. Because Erin Ribic: Those are offline. We Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Hahaha Erin Ribic: had we had fun. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. But you know, yeah, I mean, honestly, like just to go see a totally different country and different culture and Taiwan i is they were really big into powerlifting, especially back at that time, right? Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, it was it we w had a beautiful venue. yeah, it was just that was a trip of a lifetime for a lot of us. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, Coach Miller mentioned something like it was like a big like opening ceremony. Like it was almost like they were treating it like the Olympics kind of thing. and he just said that it was like so mesmerizing for the kids. And he even said that he got caught up in it a little bit. But so you won, right? Okay. So let let's go let's pretend we can go on a time machine. Do you win in two thousand one? Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Chris Gilliam: Are you feeling like you you were the person to be in two thousand one? Erin Ribic: I don't even rem I don't even remember. Probably not because the Russians always won everything. So we were going to Russia. So my guess is no. Chris Gilliam: Okay, well I looked up I looked up your your best total from that year compared to the person who actually won your weight class at at Worlds and it might have come down to a Kendra Miller or or n Mrs. Miller changing that third deadlift because you guys were only like five kilos apart. Chris Whittaker: What method were those Russians training with? Erin Ribic: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Candle. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Okay, so maybe we'll never know. Chris Gilliam: So I think it could have been Morgan Gilliam: Mwahaha! Chris Gilliam: a possibility, you know, it could have come down to one of those fancy changes of the third deadlift attempt. So but yeah, that it it's sad that that got taken away from you, but it's totally understandable how how our country's stance was at that time. Erin Ribic: Yeah, there were bigger problems going on than powerlifting meets at that at that point. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, for sure. How about you, Morgan? Yo yours wasn't so often to a weird distant land. We were in Calgary, Canada. But we were still in North America. Morgan Gilliam: No, mine was in Canada. Yeah, so we just, yeah, so it was just Canada. yeah, I mean, I just remember it was so different than USAPL. It was a lot quieter. Because I feel like, know, Gino and like the announcing, the lights, the music, like, I remember there kind of being music. But then I also remember just being like nervous as heck the whole time. So, um, but then I know everybody else was too. So, um, yeah, it wasn't, it didn't feel as big as like nationals and stuff. It was pretty small that I remember. And, I had actually like made a friend from USAPL that, um, had competed at Nash, my first like raw nationals in 2017. And, um, Yeah, so she was there. So I got to like know her from the US. She was in a different weight class and stuff, Izzy Figueroa. yeah, and she also was coached by her dad. So I remember like bonding a little bit like with her and like having some teammates there, but yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. I it was pretty cool experience. So Aaron, back when when you competed, were they giving medals out for the squat, the bench, the deadlift, and overall? Okay, so what yeah, so what medals did you get besides the overall gold? Did you get a a a medal in any of the other disciplines? Erin Ribic: Mm. Yeah, they would they would do top three of each. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Erin Ribic: Feel well, so that first sub juniors in Taiwan I broke a bench world record that did not s did not stand very long after that. But Chris Gilliam: All right. So you got a gold medal in the bench. Erin Ribic: And then I don't you probably know you've been you have internet. Chris Whittaker: Ha ha ha. Chris Gilliam: Humbleness, I love it. Erin Ribic: I know. I usually would meddle in the deadlift. I do remember junior worlds in Poland. but I did not often place like top three to meddle in the I was just always trying to get some team points. Like if I could just squeak in and get us like one or two team points. when we went to open worlds in Norway in 2006, we our team, the open women's team, won. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: that year. so we at that point it was a lot of we were jockeying for placings just to try to get one more point on the board for us. I know at that Chris Gilliam: Yeah. For sure. No, yeah. Erin Ribic: So and that's where the individual strategy versus the team strategy and you've got lifters who wanna get world records and lifters who wanna win, but then you you're also trying to win the team award and Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, you don't risk a PR if it costs you two places 'cause it hurts the team. Yeah, I under I understand that, yeah, for sure. Yeah, 'cause that that's the thing, like the mindset has to change when it comes to those those types of choices. so yeah, it sounds like you both had a good experience. But yeah, I I was there with Morgan. I remember like no music announcing it. It was it was just Erin Ribic: Right. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: More subtle. You know, 'cause it's run by the IPF. It's not run by the USAPL. Gino was there, but you know, th you're talking sessions going on all day long and you were lifting in a morning session. Gino was probably up all night. You know, the other sessions and so but they were on like a elevated stage in like a big arena and the seating was down below the Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, having to walk up the ramp for squats was fun. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, we had to walk up and then all the warm up was behind as it always is, but they were up on a big platform and looking down at everybody that's sitting in there lifting, you know, watching the lifting, so Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Erin Ribic: I think location has a lot to do with that. 'cause when we did junior nationals in Poland and that would have been two thousand three, the whole town came out. We were in the small town in Poland and it was held at the school in a in it was in a gymnasium, but the b the whole place, the bleachers were packed for every session. For the whole week that we were there. And kids were coming up to us wanting our autograph. They had all these autograph books that they'd made in school and they would like chase us down in the street. And so we definitely had some moments where we felt like rock stars. And it just depended on the sports commission in a town and you know, how much they hyped up the meet. When we were in Norway for open nationals in or open worlds in 2006, I can't remember it was the super heavies. The gal from Norway won, but Morgan Gilliam: Wow. Chris Gilliam: No. Erin Ribic: they put so much press on her, they had to sequester her before the meet because like papar like Norway paparazzi were following her around and she couldn't even train. So it just depends what region you were in, how you know, they sometimes those venues were packed and loud and bonkers and sometimes they weren't, but it just always felt like, you know, and so in especially in European countries that a lot more fans came out to watch and and support. Chris Gilliam: yeah. Well, there's less distractions in those countries. Here, like, there's a million choices and powerlifting might be down towards the bottom. And in those countries, like that's their big big event, especially those towns. So that's cool. What a great experience for you and that. Coach? Chris Whittaker: All right, well we're going into another category. This one is the explosive growth of female powerlifting. Morgan Gilliam: That was crisp. Chris Whittaker: A couple of these Thanks. A couple of these things we we already kinda touched on, so we'll move move ahead a little bit. Michigan High School Powerlifting Association athletes, including women, frequently are dominating at the International Drug Free Powerlifting Association Student World Championships. How does it feel seeing high school women from your home state putting up such massive and record breaking numbers on the global stage? Chris Gilliam: Go ahead, Erin. Erin Ribic: I think it's great. I mean, they're lifting numbers. I would have my numbers then would not be anything now. So I think it's just great that how much because the the pool is bigger and so your top one or five percent are just so much stronger now. It to me it just more legitimizes you know, women's place in strength sport. Chris Gilliam: Awesome. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I agree to that. think it's just fantastic to see people, especially from Michigan. I I feel like I'm a proud Michigander, you know? So I think it's awesome to see them going and hitting these huge numbers and representing the great lakes over there. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I mean Coach Whitaker and I talk about it when we talk to some of our other guests on the podcast, but I think Michigan is so underrated for its power lifting. that, you know, it's only a matter of time and it's gonna, you know, Texas still has it, but Texas is more known for equipped. Like if they took off their equipment, we'd blast I think. And everything. Louisiana is known for their equipped, but once again, Morgan Gilliam: Yes. Chris Gilliam: We're we're all raw and I just you know Wisconsin has both and you know, Wisconsin has some good lifters. you know, I I think Wisconsin and Michigan are two of the best states for high school powerlifting right now, in my opinion, especially in the raw division. you know, and so I think it it it's amazing to see how it's going. But, you know, you dealt with it when you guys both it was IPF based. Now that it's not and you know it's it's basically the United States is hosting everything now. So some of these world experiences that you guys get especially Aaron, you guys got to experience the current crop isn't getting to experience because we broke away from the IPF and what what's going on is probably gonna catch on eventually, but there's just not enough interest from other countries in it right now. To warrant traveling to another country. and they're not even coming over here in the numbers that they you would like to see. So I mean, just you know, what do you guys think? Like i is something gonna change over time, Aaron. You've kind of seen some changes w being in there for a little bit. Erin Ribic: Yeah, I mean, I think what we saw when I was in it was a lot of lifters from other countries, especially European countries, and the and the Asian, is there were sports commissions that were funding all of it. And so it was we were the weird ones that we paid our own way. Nobody could believe that we paid our own way to go to to worlds. and and over time we saw that change. Money and when money started running out in those other countries, people stopped traveling for sport because they just the concept of paying for yourself was foreign to them. So You know, I don't know if some of of the shift is just financial for some people too. It's is the the mind shift of doing this for hobby and for fun versus, you know, the athletes from Yasha Russia and Ukraine were getting paid to lift. They were getting paid to go win, they were getting you know, and some of that has at least I know they're still f funding Olympics, but I think some of the other peripheral sports probably lost funding over time too. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. No, that makes sense. What do you what do you think, Morgan? Do you think like the current system will ever get close to what it was like when you competed at sub junior nationals? 'Cause I mean th the way the IDFPA is going, you know, th there's a lot of concern from people I've talked to that it may not s be stable enough to see growth. I don't know, have you talked to people that have done it? 'Cause You know, you you have a lot of former college teammates especially that are still in USAPO but some have went to the powerlifting America also, so Morgan Gilliam: Yeah! Right, yeah, I mean it's hard to say. I I kind of lean towards no, I don't think it'll stick just because Powerlifting America has gotten bigger and you know, there's more stakes, I guess, and they're affiliated with the IPF. I mean, I would hope that there's an option just because I do like USAPL, just because like that's what I... grew up lifting in and stuff. yeah, I mean, I'm definitely interested to see what happens, but I don't know if it's enough to stick. So we'll just have to see. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. All right. where do you guys hope to see the sport of female powerlifting both for high school and at the national, international level? Like where do you hope to see it in the next five to ten years? Erin Ribic: I hope girls can still I think I just hope there's still opportunity that there's people willing to coach at the grassroot level. that girls can still get involved in it and and do it safely and yeah, that's the even the travel opportunity. I mean, I still think the basis of everything is a good grassroots program. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, so the local high schools. Erin Ribic: as fun as it is to travel internationally, like that's a very small percentage of everyone who gets under a bar. So I would just hope that programs get more accessible in every high school, right? That any that just becomes one of the programs in a high school that someone can pick from. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and I think that's what we try to do with the MHS PLA and you know, not only provide it but make it affordable. Like our meats are way cheaper than a USAPL meat, you know. Like you can go to you can go to two years worth of Michigan high school meets to equal one USA PL meat, especially if it's like raw nationals. Because our meats are still only twenty dollars. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, less equipment. Chris Gilliam: A meat, you know. states cost twenty five, you know, just 'cause the medals are a little bit bigger, but you know, that that's not even a membership fee in the USAP L anymore. So you know, that's that's my only fear is like, you know, the cost of things. It's not terrible, but when it's a significant, that can adjust your numbers too. Cause the membership alone has went up like ten or fifteen bucks. I think since, you know, Morgan was competing in college, you know, and that's not that long ago. So all right, coach. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Yep. Chris Whittaker: If you could pick one modern female lifter, who embodies where the sport is today, who would it be? Chris Gilliam: Well you you name dropped a few back in the day, Aaron, so we'll let you two take this one. Morgan Gilliam: yeah! Erin Ribic: I mean Jen Thompson, obviously. because she was one of the originals for me, she's still doing it. She's still getting stronger at an age when you're not supposed to be able to keep getting stronger. And just showing the long longevity of the sport and what kind of impact and reach you can have across, you know, the world. I think she's definitely a name to throw into that hat. Morgan Gilliam: Yes! Chris Gilliam: That's probably your choice too, isn't it, Morgan? Morgan Gilliam: 100%. 100%, it's my choice. You know, she's from Michigan. She's from Michigan. I think that's awesome. She loves. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, Whitaker, she's from Rochester. So this is a good story. I'm gonna let Morgan share the story. You're gonna love this story, you guys. But once again, a big shout out, superhero female for powerlifting, Jen Thompson. She's a Michigander. That's another proofs of the pudding that we do it better here and people need to recognize. Morgan Gilliam: Let's go! Um... I... I love Jen Thompson. Erin Ribic: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: I know where that is. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yes. Yes. Erin Ribic: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. But. Chris Gilliam: tell tell that story that Jen told you two weeks ago, Morgan, Nationals. Morgan Gilliam: Like about like where her dad's from and everything. Yeah. So, she is originally from Rochester, Michigan. And I was like, my gosh, I didn't know that because background is Jen used to come and assistant coach and help us. Cause her and her husband are good friends with Tim Anderson. And, yeah, she was telling me how her dad actually owns a restaurant back where she's from and, all of that. And, yeah, I just, I mean, that's pretty much the moral of the story, but it's. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: But I was just like, wow, so like she's still... It's Dick Weeds. Dick Weeds, I think Bar and Grill. Yep. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, but what's what's the name of the place? Alright, his name's Richard Weed. His name's Richard Weed and his bar is named Dickweeds. Alright. We gotta hit that place, Whittaker. We gotta go and and have a burger or something. Morgan Gilliam: But yeah, so yeah. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Erin Ribic: That's great. Morgan Gilliam: We gotta do it. Yes, but yes. Chris Whittaker: Well, Rochester isn't far from Lake Orion, right? Chris Gilliam: No, not at all. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: No where we're going next state meet. Morgan Gilliam: He said, let's do it. Yes. Erin Ribic: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, next year for state meat, that'll be the the meal. I gotcha. I'm feeling that. Yeah. Erin Ribic: That's awesome. Morgan Gilliam: But I also do want to mention something about Jen. She posts so much content now. So if there's like anybody that listens to this and like you're on social media, like I know she definitely posts on her Instagram. I think she does a little bit of TikTok, but like go look her up. She gives great advice, great pointers. She is probably one of the most like down to earth people that I've ever met. Just super kind. You literally can't like, you can't ask for a better person than that. extremely humble, she's a family person, so yeah, look her up, look at her stuff, she's got great tips if you're ever wondering about anything powerlifting related. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and for the the newbie lifters in our association that aren't familiar with who she is, some people say arguably pound for pound the strongest bench presser in the world, male or female. So I'm not. I've seen it and it's it's crazy. Morgan Gilliam: Yes. Erin Ribic: arguing about that? I don't think we're arguing about that. That is true as fact. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, that's like not even a debate. She's literally in her 50s benching. I can't remember what her most recent, but she's benching in the 300s. And... Chris Gilliam: Yeah, competition's like I think her PR is like three thirty six, three forty one, something like that. Like unheard of. And she's only a hundred and forty pounds. I mean, it's like that's nuts. Yeah. Well that that you guys picked a great one, that's for sure. so still, you know, a lot of younger girls when you when they're first getting in it, they look at the weights, the heavy weights especially, probably get a little intimidated. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, she's phenomenal. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: maybe not so much as the the weight room itself anymore, but like seeing multiple plates on a bar and seeing people struggle. What advice would you give to a fourteen year old girl, somebody that's like an incoming freshman in our state, thinking about signing up for her school's powerlifting team? Aaron, what advice would you give her? Erin Ribic: Think you just gotta start somewhere and then it's you versus you from then on out. I think that's the addictive part of doing it is you want that five more pounds, that five more pounds. So I think it's don't worry about what everyone else is doing or the person in the rack next to you. It's it's just get started, see where you're at, see where your starting point is, and then just get better and find some good people to help you. Chris Gilliam: Awesome. Morgan? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I mean, I can just say it, go for it. You won't regret it. It's life changing. I go to meets now with all my like that, like my experience, like in high school and undergrad and world. And like, I see people I know and they're just like, my gosh, how are you doing? Like, you just can't beat the relationships that end up developing. And you do like run into these people later on in life. And, I just think it's a great community. And if you're somebody that's like, kind of looking for that, like you will get that from powerlifting. So. Chris Whittaker: Well brings us to our next segment. Our you're getting towards the end here, ladies. Chris Gilliam: All right, cool. Yeah, we're the almost there, Morgan Gilliam: Hahaha Chris Gilliam: ladies. Thank you for your time. It goes fast, I mean, as you start talking about stuff, but it does add up. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Whittaker: So next topic. These are some of our wrap-up questions. We ask a lot of these, or at least this one that we're about to ask you, pretty much to every guest. powerlifting has a lot of failures that inevitably happen just like life. what's a failure that you experienced that then led you to ex success later on? Chris Gilliam: We can give you a little bit of time to think about it where it doesn't even necessarily have to be in the sport of powerlifting, but if it is, that's even better. Erin Ribic: Ha ha ha. I mean I think generally speaking, every time you make a mistake you learn from it, right? It's every t you forget a command, you don't squat deep enough, you you know, it's it's and that's the life lesson, right? Is that you just take something you you error it at, you fix it, and you do better the next time. I will say I dropped a deadlift PR in Brazil at Pan Am's one time at the top. And I never missed a grip workout again after that. After that happened. Things that hurt your soul, you make sure never happen again. So but that's the resiliency piece, right? It's the doing something that hurts your feelings because it was, you know, you made an error and then you just make sure to not make Morgan Gilliam: Yes. Chris Gilliam: I I can understand that. Erin Ribic: Make a new mistake the next time, but not the same one. Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Gilliam: Sure. Morgan. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. mean, I think back to like, it's powerlifting really, cause it's honestly changed my life. But, it was my sophomore year state meet. I bombed out on bench and I was going to be, I think I could have been state champ potentially that year. at least in the running for it. And, you know, I remember my dad was like, you know, finished the meet. And so I did, I, you know, I finished the meet and, This gentleman came up to me that was coaching another girl and he said, do you want to learn how to bench press? That was Marvin Coleman. And he was coaching somebody else. was coaching my competition actually, like we would have been fighting for it. he said, and he said, do you want to learn how to bench press? Come train with us. And I'm lucky that my dad took me up there every Sunday to Flint barbell. And I learned how to bench press because that was always my weakest lift. And, uh, Chris Gilliam: Yeah, the girl that Morgan Gilliam: Literally, if not for him, I would have never done USAPL. I would have never even had like Midland University as a scholarship. And I'm lucky that my dad took me to that. So, and then I ended up winning a state championship the year after and the year after that, and I went on to college and competed. So yeah. So a huge shout out to Marvin. Thank you so much. Erin Ribic: He's from my day. That's Marvin. Morgan Gilliam: Yes! So, did you see him Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: at Mitalat? Erin Ribic: yeah, in Mich yeah, all the Michigan USAPL meets. And then I ran when even when I moved out to Washington, I'd run into him and Miguel at the Arnold usually if we were there, if I was there briefing. but he's been around a long time. But yeah, if you hadn't if you hadn't errored there, then you wouldn't have focused on it the same way to get better and really push push past that. Morgan Gilliam: Yes, yep. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that's who we would train with on Sunday mornings. Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: yeah, and then we train with his wife. Yeah. Yup. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, 'cause Morgan always could outsquat everybody. That was her thing. Yeah, and then she'd she would blow like a twenty-five pound lead and bench. We won't get into like why she bombed out at that meet because that that would be my biggest failure is what led to her bombing out at that meet. But it was at Mona Shores and there's three different gyms running with lifters. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, and then my bench press would put me behind. Chris Gilliam: And I had so many kids at different platforms, you know, I missed her attempts. And some Yeah, but somebody went up when they're not supposed to after they fail an opener. You know that, right, Aaron? Wasn't that the rule? Wasn't that the rule? You miss an opener, you repeat it. Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, but that wasn't even your fault because I... I knew better. That was my fault. Yeah, that was my fault because I was confident I had it. Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Sometimes we think we know what we need. And Morgan Gilliam: Yup. Yup. Erin Ribic: when left unsupervised. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, exactly. Morgan Gilliam: Yes. But I, yeah, that was not your fault there because I knew better. But yeah, I agree, Chris Gilliam: Well but that that's how I feel. Erin Ribic: Ha ha. Chris Gilliam: That's how your mom feels too. So so we'll let Aaron take this one first. Share a fond memory or funny story about Coach Miller. Funny or fond, or both. Maybe it's the same story, hits both. Morgan Gilliam: god. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Erin Ribic: my gosh. A lot a l yeah, no, a lot of fond memories is for sure. like I said, when he punished me by making me load s one of the guys' weights all summer. I forgot what I did. I was a s I was a pistol. but yeah, I was thinking of like specific stories. I think just probably like the most touching memory is when I did win that open nationals. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: my senior year because we just worked so hard for it together. Like we did like that was our goal and like everything I did and every you know, that he was so supportive through that whole training cycle. And so that was I remember that being just a really special moment that we kinda got there because, you know, we weren't sure going into it if I was gonna win or not. And I think he didn't want me to get my hopes up too high. But I by that point, like that ship had already sailed. And so I was like, we need to make this happen. So Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: Yeah, and just being able to travel and we had a lot of windshield time together in the truck, going to meets and traveling around. And I actually babysat his girls for a number of years and vacationed with their family. And so I mean our our friendship goes much deeper than than just the power lifting. So he was definitely like a mentor and a second family to meet in high school. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. That's good to hear. Yeah, he's very knowledgeable guy. we've really loved interviewing him. I I think he enjoyed it as well. We're gonna get him back on for an episode when we talk more specifically about deadlift because honestly, every plain well deadlifter back in those days, if they were within twenty pounds, they were gonna beat ya 'cause they could out deadlift ya. And so Morgan Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Gilliam: He definitely had something going right with his training and philosophy. You know, plus I'm sure it was the makeup of the kids he was coaching as well. But it definitely some training and programming involved in that. all right, Morgan. Morgan Gilliam: A fond memory? you know, I wasn't, I actually wasn't very close with my coach. Just kidding. No. I think, you know, it's just like a compilation of all of it. mean, I was lucky that my coach was my dad and, but like you were also super hard on me. And so, I feel like I kind of got the best of both worlds, but, Chris Whittaker: Tell us about your code. I prefer a funny one. Erin Ribic: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: A a a fond or funny story. There's probably more funny stories. Morgan Gilliam: I think like the most fond memory is probably like when you weren't my coach anymore. And I actually got my last deadlift at my last collegiate nationals. And all I could hear was my dad. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, it was pretty cool. For an instant she was first place and then the girl pulled and later. Yeah. She pulled a PR to take over first place. And so I was like, Yes, you got it, you're national champ. If this girl doesn't get this. And she did it. But you know, so Mor Morgan's had a lot of second place finishes. so that that's probably to her Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, half a second and then then the other girl she just- my gosh. Yes, one I had come- Yes. Yes. Chris Gilliam: She looked at it as disappointing, but it's still a quite of a accomplishment to be honest. So Aaron, I see that your husband and you own a company called Ribbic Productions. Sorry, Whitaker, that I took that from you. You can ask the next one. Tell us about it. Chris Whittaker: No, go ahead. Erin Ribic: we run bodybuilding events. and f and so we've run some other fitness events over the years, but he started that with one event in two thousand two, I think. and it's grown to seven events now. So just it's that's how we met. He was a bodybuilder and then I lifted with Priscilla and he would help her at international meets. So we met through traveling and it's our way we still get to be part of the fitness community is hosting events. We've done we did we did a strength expo for a number of years that Dana Snow's taken over now. where we had powerlifting and strong man and I threw some aerial in for a few years and my studio came and which was always fun to watch the strong men go try to hang from silk for a second. Yeah. So yeah, it's just like I said, fitness has really it's the powerlifting has steered, you know, my whole life as far as my career and Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: I can only imagine. Erin Ribic: what we do for a business and and everything that we do. Chris Gilliam: So you guys you guys produce like the shows, like you're doing all the the video and all the publicity and there's seven of a year. Erin Ribic: Yep, and renting the space and bring or organizing the staff and ticketing and the whole thing. Chris Gilliam: Wow, that's awesome. That's pretty impressive. and Erin Ribic: So but I mean I started helping Todd with events when I was sixteen. So, you know, being part of events and what it takes to run an event and yeah, it really I mean, it just kind of was a natural progression for me. It's the event life we call it, because it's a lot of late nights and it's a lot of weekends and it's a you know, long days and it's loading trucks and it's not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, you've been exposed for a while. Yeah. Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Chris Gilliam: Now these these events are in the northwest, is that correct? Erin Ribic: Yeah, so we've got we have events in Washington, Montana, and Idaho. And then we help with events throughout the Pacific Northwest and throughout in the NPC. Chris Gilliam: Okay. And the so the lot of fitness and bodybuilding, is that what what it is? Okay. Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah, mainly bodybuilding. and then Dana Snow, who's the state chair in Washington, and us hosted Raw Nationals in Spokane in twenty eighteen. So and Dana runs all the Yeah. So and then Dana runs all the powerlifting here. So we still do some things to help her out, but Chris Gilliam: you were part of that? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I was at that meet in 2018. That's awesome. Erin Ribic: It was bananas. We thought we were gonna get six hundred lifters and we had like twelve hundred. It was insane. So Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: So are is is it I F B? Erin Ribic: NPC is the amateur, and then we do some IFBB events too, as part of our events. Yeah, we've been a big part of bringing kind of the natural bodybuilding back for the NPC. we've had a lot of input on kind of drug testing protocols and trying to make sure that it's it's run well from that standpoint for the natural athletes too, which has been really rewarding the last few years. Morgan Gilliam: Awesome. Chris Gilliam: Okay. Chris Whittaker: Have you ever have you ever run into my guy, Big Ron Coleman? Chris Gilliam: Awesome. Thanks for sharing that. Erin Ribic: I have I mean we saw him in passing at the Arnold a few years ago. he was in a wheelchair which Ivan was like bummed about seeing because he's definitely physically not what he what the videos right that we grew up watching. But yeah, he's still he's been out and about. I know he had a health scare a year or two ago and I don't know if he's been out and about as much since then, but he's still around. Morgan Gilliam: you Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. I just recently noticed like Jake Cutler's been putting out a lot of stuff with his lifting and training videos and like you know, I forget like how huge he was and he's still big as heck, man. Like th those guys are just Morgan Gilliam: yeah. Erin Ribic: Yeah, he's come out to events locally. He is such he's a great ambassador for for the sport and he did a lot of favors for a lot of promoters when we were coming out of COVID and just trying to like rebuild and get going again. And he was just traveling all over trying to help pipe up events and and get people back out to events again. So he's a super solid guy. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. He Cutler's my brother's favorite bodybuilder. My my younger brother's like big. He did a lot of bodybuilding, you know, shows and stuff after high school. He did some power lifting and then just transitioned to bodybuilding for him, you know. And Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Erin Ribic: Yeah, we see a lot of people go back and forth because we hosted our event that had powerlifting bodybuilding strongman and like some years there's people that have done all the events. They did p bodybuilding one year strongman powerlifting. So we definitely gear a lot of the younger lifters that are w want to do bodybuilding, which NPC doesn't allow before 18 anyway. But you know, we're like, why don't you start with powerlifting? Let's start you just let's get comfortable in the weight room, let's get you strong. Morgan Gilliam: That's awesome. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, building blocks. That's awesome. All right, Chris. Chris Whittaker: Mm-hmm. Morgan, tell us you talked a little bit about your personal training business, but kind of tell us more about it. What's your day-to-day? How's it work? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, so like I said, I work full time as an exercise physiologist right now too. So doing that and the business full time, which I love doing. kind of started as I do a little bit of like, I travel to people's homes. So I have some like home clients that I go to. And then I have people that I like, I rent space out of a gym in Ann Arbor, Michigan, across the street from Costco, just so everyone knows. And I train like my power lifter. Yes. Chris Whittaker: Conveniently located. Morgan Gilliam: And I've also developed a fear of Costco because of it, but we'll have to talk about that another time. this is crazy in there. But yeah, so I trained some of my power lifters there and then I also have some like what I would call gen pop. just your average drills of like, hey, I want to learn how to lift weights. So, and I also train like some young bucks too. Some people that are like in middle school and all that, some people's kids. And so, yeah, just a little bit of a variety and... I love the in-person training. And then I've got also the online side of my business where, you know, Aidan that we mentioned earlier, he's at Kettering now, but, I train him online. So he sends me videos and stuff like that. So yeah, there's a little bit of variety to the business. and then it's called Great Lakes Power and Performance technically through the state of Michigan. But, my dad started it as a club so that people could find each other in USAPL from Michigan, and register under that club. And so legacy is super important to me and that's why I chose it for the name of my business. Because I would not be where I am without my dad and powerlifting. And so, yeah, that's how that came to be. Chris Whittaker: Awesome. Chris Gilliam: All right, our favorite part usually, 'cause this is gonna take you back a little bit. These are rapid fire, don't give it a ton of thought. Your first instincts, like, you know, this is about your your lifts, like so Aaron and then Morgan, you can answer right after. What's your favorite lift? Squat, bench, or deadlift? Morgan. Morgan Gilliam: Squat. Squat. Chris Whittaker: High bar or low bar squadron? Erin Ribic: Tight. Morgan Gilliam: Low bar. Chris Gilliam: Do you prefer a one rep max or a rep PR? Erin Ribic: One rep max. Morgan Gilliam: One rep max. Chris Whittaker: This the way. Conventional or sumo. Deadlift. Erin Ribic: Sumo. Morgan Gilliam: Conventional. Chris Gilliam: Okay, what's your favorite accessory exercise for the squat? Erin Ribic: Heavy bottom squats. Chris Gilliam: D describe it to us real quick. Aaron, describe yours first. Morgan Gilliam: Probably. Yes. Erin Ribic: we would do knee wraps, suit bottoms, no straps, and just as heavy as you could go just doing the bottom part right when you're you transition onto your quads. So you're in the hole and just that relief part where you're part done with the hardest part of the squat, you drop back down and come back up again right in that hole to get used to that you're what you're doing is practicing pushing through that transition point. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, so yeah, popping out of the holes what you were working on. Yeah, I got it. Sorry, Morgan, go ahead. Morgan Gilliam: yeah, no worries. I would say probably either like double pause squats or Bulgarian split squats. So usually when I do double pause squats, it's pausing at the bottom and then at your sticking point. And I usually like to use that on like a speed day. So when you're doing your lighter weights or squats. Chris Gilliam: Nice. Chris Whittaker: Best accessory exercise for the bench press. Erin Ribic: I would say dumbbell press or dumbbell incline press for s practice with stability and not having a straight bar. So you've gotta balance both. I think helps your flat bench. Chris Gilliam: Nice. Morgan Gilliam: I would say for me dips or decline bench press. That's been pretty helpful for me in the past. Chris Gilliam: Good. And Aaron, what's your favorite accessory exercise for the deadlift? Erin Ribic: at deficit deadlifts for sure. Chris Gilliam: Morgan. Morgan Gilliam: probably RDLs, but that's because I pull conventional. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I gotcha. Well you don't you don't remember our triple threats that we used to do? they're not your favorite. I'll have to explain those to Coach Whitaker at some point in time. The kids hated I loved But they worked really well, so but yeah, they weren't fun. And the weight wasn't heavy, but it sure as hell felt heavy the way we did it. So Morgan Gilliam: I remember. There's a reason they weren't named. Yeah. Yeah, they worked though. They worked. yeah. Chris Gilliam: all right. Aaron, shout outs. Do you have anyone that you wanna mention or think that we haven't talked about that impacted or influenced you? I mean, you don't have to talk about them in details, but name drop teammates and stuff like that, maybe. Erin Ribic: My gosh. Yeah, I mean Car Yeah, I would say my lifting partner through high school is Carly Noggle. and you know, all the Iron Maidens, Harriet Hall and Leanne Blyn and Priscilla Ribbick. I don't know if we talked about her much. yeah, all my Iron Maiden teammates over the years for sure. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: No, that's great. I mean what a great name for a a team too there, Coach. Iron Maiden. I mean, that's like a nice heavy metal band. Like I love it. You know, I know that I don't know if that was the the thought process and the the name choice, but I love it. That's great. how about you, Morgan? Erin Ribic: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah, I mean, I've already said like, thank you to like my dad, because he got me into it. Definitely Marvin Coleman, who like pushed me to do USAPL and encouraged my dad to take me to Flint Barbell. My uncle, who has like helped me with like dieting water cuts and all of that, and just been like a good support system and just my family that would show up to all my meets. And then definitely my time at Midland University, like thanks to Tim Anderson, because I got a lot of different exposure there to like people and just powerlifting and It definitely shaped who I am today. Chris Whittaker: Social media, ladies. Any public facing social social medias that you wanna share that our listeners can follow you or keep up with you? Erin Ribic: I don't. Chris Gilliam: How about the business? Is there anything for the business? Erin Ribic: There yeah, if you go to Ribbic Productions on Instagram, you can see the bodybuilding. Chris Gilliam: All right. Ribbic Productions on Instagram. Nice. I looked up a few things just to be honest with you, just to follow because I'm like, all right, this is cool. Yeah, pretty neat. Morgan? Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, it's Great Lakes Power One on Instagram. Give it a follow. Chris Whittaker: I think I already followed that one. Morgan Gilliam: Thanks, Woodacre. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Well, I personally want to thank both of you for being here because Aaron, your your teammates and you were pioneers for the MHS PLA. All the girls that followed, like Morgan and the ones we have now, you inspired So good job. Thank you. Congratulations on a successful career as a lifter, being in physical therapy now and running that business. Erin Ribic: Thank you. Chris Gilliam: You sound like a busy beaver to me, man. You got a lot of stuff going on. You know, and I I don't think you probably want it any other way, but thank you for joining us. I appreciate it. Morgan Gilliam: Yes. Erin Ribic: No, thank you. What a fun trip down memory lane for sure. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I bet. And Morgan, thank you so much. I mean I seen you earlier today anyway, 'cause I was visiting your grandparents, but you know, I wanna I just wanna thank both of you guys for being here. I think you're gonna make a big impact on even more girls as they listen and see this episode. Morgan Gilliam: Yeah. Thanks for having us. Erin Ribic: Thank you. Thank you. Chris Whittaker: Yes. Thank you, ladies, for being here. This has been another episode of the platform where the stories weigh a ton. There you have it, folks. That's the end of part two. Hopefully, you've enjoyed this one. If you did, please give us a like, a share, a follow, and directly take this right here. Hit the little button, send this link to somebody you know that would love to hear this episode or any episode of the platform. Until next time, I'm Chris Whitaker. Signing out.