Spotlight: Beverly Gentile of Precision Powerlifting Systems
Going off of my theme about highlighting the truly strong people in my life, my powerlifting teammates, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate International Women’s Day then talking and interviewing my friend Beverly Gentile.
I met Bev almost a year ago (wow!) and we hit it off right away. I instantly gravitated towards Bev as a newbie to the team because she was very approachable and willing to help out the new weird girl (me). I thought she was so cool and had a really easy vibe to get along with. I later found out she was a vegan and I love this about her because our society today is just not conducive that lifestyle so I know this takes effort on her end. A vegan powerlifter. I am very intrigued by this so I had to ask questions.
I wanted to highlight some of her strengths and struggles in this post with being a vegan powerlifter, running her OWN BUSINESS and how she overcame a very competitive childhood in dance (that made some of her adult years very challenging) AND how she is giving it her best during each training session.
Q: Here are my questions to Bev:
A: When did you start powerlifting and why are you attracted to it?
I started powerlifting just over a year ago. I was initially attracted to powerlifting when I saw one of my dog walking clients, Meg Scanlon, posting her training videos online. I had never really been exposed to any type of weight lifting or strength training before and I thought it looked badass. That, coupled with me being at a stage in my personal weightloss journey where I wanted to build muscle and become more content with my body, I figured I had nothing to lose giving this a try! What keeps me attracted to powerlifting and motivated to continue training is the fact that this is the only time I have ever seen immediate and continued progress and my focus has been solely on strength instead of a number on a scale or what size pants I’m wearing. It’s extremely empowering and fulfilling to be able to lift weights that you couldn’t lift a year, a month, or even a week ago. I also know for most women how difficult it is to not be obsessed with your weight and outward appearance, but powerlifting has truly taken me away from that detrimental mindset – the mindset that always made me give up trying because I wasn’t seeing any results.
Q: Though it is false, when people question how vegans build muscle due to their “lack of protein intake” how do you respond?
A: Honestly I am pretty fortunate that I haven’t received much backlash for being a vegan in a strength sport; however, it’s the same response I give for anyone who brings up an alleged lack of protein in a vegan diet: ever heard of plants? Not only is there a plethora of sources for protein that don’t harm animals, but there are quite a few plant-based options that pack more protein per ounce than meat. People are grossly misinformed when it comes to nutrition in general that I can’t help but laugh when they worry I’m not getting enough protein.
Q: How long have you been lifting prior to powerlifting or what type of activities were you doing before?
A: I never picked up a barbell before my first personal training session with my coach, Kevin Cann. I didn’t know powerlifting existed as a sport. From the ages of 2-14 I was a dancer and I started competing at age 6. It was very intense (exactly like you see on Dance Moms) and it quite honestly ruined my life. I loved to dance, but it’s very unfortunate that the culture and atmosphere of competitive dance took that away from me. After dance, I struggled for literally a decade trying to go to the gym and “workout.” I tried Tae-Bo, regular cardio, fumbled A LOT with weight machines and dumbbells, but the “gymtimidation” was way too much. I couldn’t stick with anything and I always felt so incredibly uncomfortable and unknowledgeable at the gym. In the winter of 2016 I found yoga. I actually really fell in love with it. I tried it out at a studio, but I couldn’t fathom paying the monthly fees. I started practicing at home, but without any accountability, I eventually fell off. I think it was at this time when my focus switched from being active and losing weight to getting strong instead. I wanted to see actual results and I wanted to change my body.
Q: What is the your favorite part of training with PPS?
A: The motivation, camaraderie, and wealth of knowledge from everyone combined are the best parts of training with a team. Starting out not knowing how to navigate a gym, Kerry, Kelly and former PPS member Danielle Garcia were my literal saving grace. They showed me absolutely everything, they were patient, kind, and informative. If I didn’t have that type of help my first few weeks, I know I would have quit.
Training with and around strong & like-minded individuals already motivates you to want to continue getting stronger and improving. Seeing first-hand how strong everyone is, their dedication, and the effort they put in day after day, week after week lights a fire inside me.
We also socialize A LOT about everything from training to what’s going on in our personal lives, so the team atmosphere provides built-in friendships that, if you’re smart, you will cherish and nurture. I’ve become quite close with a handful of PPS members to the point where we hangout outside of the gym. As an introvert, it has always been difficult for me to make friends and socialize, but with PPS it’s just inevitable. These are my people.
Q: How do you fit powerlifting into your life with your very own dog walking business?
A: I’m not going to lie, it can be really difficult sometimes. I am very devoted to my business and not only do I work for myself, but I also work by myself. I don’t have anyone to pick up the slack, so I never take any time off. I’m also bad at saying “no” so I tend to book myself beyond capacity. But I always make time to train, even if it’s between dog walks. One thing I do worry about, since a lot of clients have me on social media, is that they don’t realize how dedicated I am to this sport and they might think me being at the gym is something I do in my spare time, but training is just as important to me as my job. I definitely don’t view training as a hobby – I am committed to training 4x a week for 2-3 hours a day; sometimes I can’t take on every extra dog walk that comes my way. It does make me feel guilty, but at the end of the day, powerlifting is the only thing in my life that I do to make myself happy and I deserve that.
Q: What are some challenges with being a vegan powerlifter? (this includes diet and equipment within the sport of powerlifting)
A: I definitely haven’t experienced any challenges or difficulties regarding a vegan diet, but equipment is always a concern. Most lifting belts are leather or suede, and that is absolutely not an option for me. I’m fortunate enough that Kevin gave me his old belt when I first started. Although it is suede, I consider it to be a viable vegan option since it is second hand and I am neither directly nor indirectly contributing to violence towards animals. Luckily I haven’t had any issues with lifting shoes as most are not made from leather and all other lifting equipment is cruelty free! Veganism applies to all aspects of my life and is not something I’m willing to compromise, so I am thrilled that I don’t have to make any sacrifices and I can stay fully committed to my morals while enjoying and thriving in this sport.
Q: What is your greatest lesson you have learned from powerlifting?
A: Kevin has a lot of one-liners, but this one has always stuck with me: strength is not just about the weight you put on the bar. That really hit me hard for a few reasons. In the gym, I am usually the weakest physically but I am ok with that. Powerlifting has not only taught me a mental toughness that no other sport ever taught me, but lack of mental toughness has been the exact reason why I have given up on every single activity I have ever tried before. Mental toughness goes way beyond the gym, too. It applies to areas of my personal and professional life, has gotten me through some really difficult roadblocks this past year, and helped me recognize when relationships are beneficial and when they are not. I may not be Kevin’s standard of mental toughness, but the amount I’ve grown and become physically and mentally stronger has quite literally saved my life. My coach, my team, and this sport will forever be the reason I get through every single day.
This was such a great post for me to write. I think it is very relatable to a lot of people that really do need to understand powerlifting isn’t all about hitting personal records and that your strength in the gym means nothing if you don’t have strength outside the gym. Bev is a great example of why being apart of Team PPS has been so great for me.