LS MCCLAIN | Strength Coach

Today’s shoutout goes to: @lsmcclain 💪 • Meet LS!!! LS is from New Braunfels (Trains in both Austin and SA). LS is a Multi-time world champion lifter. In addition to being a strength coach, he is really big on charity, voter education, and fundraising. LS is a college cheerleading coach at TXST and has 2 frenchies!!! 🙌 • Give LS a follow for more updates on his fitness journey🥇 • Make sure to tag @austinfitnesscommunity in all your fitness related post and follow us for more #AFC shoutouts💪 • #austinfitnesscommunity #atxfitness #austinfitness #fitness #gym #workout #fitnessmotivation #fit #motivation #bodybuilding #training #health #lifestyle #fitfam #instagood #healthylifestyle #sport #gymlife #healthy #gymmotivation #personaltrainer #muscle #crossfit #fitnessmodel #instagram #exercise #weightloss #fitnessjourney

MEET ALERT ‼️ Houston… we’re back. The 2nd Annual Bayou City Barbell Bash II is officially coming to Houston, Texas on Saturday, February 20th, 2027 at TSS Houston. @tss_houston After an incredible first year, we’re excited to bring the Barbell Bash back to H-Town for another huge day of Powerlifting America competition. Year one helped set the tone. Year two raises the standard. From first-time competitors stepping onto the platform for the very first time to nationally ranked athletes chasing bigger totals, this meet is built for lifters who want a professionally run, high-energy atmosphere with big performances and an even bigger crowd. Houston has always been one of the strongest powerlifting cities in the country, and we’re proud to continue building something special here alongside one of the best gym environments in Texas at TSS Houston. Whether you’re chasing PRs, qualifying totals, national-level competition, or simply looking to be a part of one of the most exciting meets of the year, Bayou City Barbell Bash II is where you want to be this February. It’s going down in H-Town. Registration is NOW OPEN through both the Powerlifting America website and LSMcClain.com. Spots are limited and we fully expect this one to move quickly. Come be a part of year two. Small Circle. Larger Purpose. #TheCRCL #BayouCityBarbellBash #PowerliftingAmerica #TexasPowerlifting #HoustonTexas Powerlifting Htown USAPL PowerliftingMeet

MEET ALERT ‼️ The tradition continues!!! The 6th Annual CRCL Classic is officially coming to San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, December 13th, 2026. Year after year, this meet has become home to some of the best athletes in the sport …from first-time competitors to nationally ranked lifters, future national champions, and future world champions. This year, we look to continue that tradition. We are proud to host the 2026 CRCL Classic at Primal Strength & Performance and cannot wait to welcome athletes, coaches, handlers, and spectators from all over the country for another incredible day of lifting. Whether you are chasing PRs, qualifying totals, or simply looking to compete on a big stage, the CRCL Classic is where you want to be this December. Registration is NOW OPEN through both the Powerlifting America website and LSMcClain.com. Spots are limited. Come be a part of the tradition. Small Circle. Larger Purpose. #TheCRCL #PowerliftingAmerica #TexasPowerlifting #SanAntonioPowerlifting

Dearest Gertrude, It has been a fortnight since my last correspondence, and I write to you now from beneath a barbell most unforgiving. This week’s campaign consisted of doubles and singles alike, each one serving as another skirmish in the long war toward greater strength. By God’s grace, I worked up to a modest single of 650 upon the squat, 445 upon the bench, and 650 upon the deadlift. To my surprise, the iron moved with far greater speed and ease than expected considering the substantial amount of bodyweight I have cast aside these past weeks. Though the scale grows lighter, the spirit .. and perhaps the strength…remains steadfast. The shoulder continues to protest like an old battlefield wound, sore and temperamental with every pressing movement, yet morale remains high and resolve unshaken. After the top single upon squat, we marched onward into several hard fought doubles with 260 kilograms, determined to continue building week by week, brick by brick, until stronger days reveal themselves. Though weary in body, I remain encouraged in spirit, eager to see what additional poundage may be earned in the coming weeks should discipline and fortune remain on our side. Yours in iron and suffering, LS Also, I am happy to announce that I am now officially a Stance affiliate. You can now use code LS10 to purchase your own @stance.fitness Tracker. #TheCRCL #TheCircle #Powerlifting #Stance #VelocityTracker Squat Bench Deadlift StrengthTraining PowerliftingAmerica LS10 IAmFirstPhorm LetsEat

🚨 NEW PODCAST DROPS THURS 6 PM EASTERN! 🚨 This week we’re joined by one of the fastest rising names in powerlifting right now… Elliot Sykes. @malicious_lifts This one is pure energy from start to finish. We dive into Elliot’s rise through the ranks, the mindset behind his progression, how he stays motivated, and why he fully believes he can become the top guy in the sport. We also get into the reality that to get there, he knows he’s gotta go through Austin Perkins first. We also talk Joe Bornstein, the possibility of battling again in the 83s, and of course the fact that Taylor Atwood is still THAT dude in powerlifting. This episode is funny, competitive, motivating, chaotic at times, and honestly just a really good conversation all around. You won’t want to miss this one. ___ Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to stay locked in with every episode. You can catch Corner of the CRCL (Circle) on all major platforms & Spotify and Apple Podcasts for audio & YouTube for full video episodes • Also streaming on SoundCloud Just search LS McClain or Corner of the CRCL and you’re in. Appreciate the support. Let’s keep building. #letseat #powerlifting #podcast #crcl #letseat ** photo stolen from @ipfcental

Thank you God for these last few days! This was the weekend I got to dress up & be Johnny Cash, the man in black, watching life move forward in the most beautiful ways. Over the last three days I watched cheerleaders step into new chapters. Some said I do. Some walked across the stage and closed out their time in our program. Our first class that we truly brought in and built from the ground up is now stepping into the world, and I am sitting here trying to process all of it. This was the class that made it a priority to bring God into our program and encouraged each other’s spiritual journey. This was the class that grew me the most as a man and coach. I have always made it a priority to not let cheer take over my life, but to let it be a part of my life. What I did not realize is just how deeply this group became a part of me. There is one in particular that hit me in a way I was not prepared for. @kendall.wolf 😭 After all these years, this is the first time it truly felt like I was losing a daughter to growth, to graduation, to life moving exactly the way it is supposed to. I think I stayed in denial all year, hoping time would slow down, knowing deep down it never does. For those who have followed me or seen me over the years, you may have noticed the scars on my arm and shoulder, or maybe even wondered why I have been absent from competing the last couple of years. The truth is, it all ties back to her falling headfirst from a pyramid, and me dang near diving across the mat to catch her and tearing my bicep and damaged my shoulder. I would not trade that moment for anything in this world. Those scars were a choice. They are a reminder. The one on my arm has a name, we call it Kendall. Every time I see it, I am reminded of how much she has meant to me, and how much all of these young men and women have meant to me over the years. (Continued in comments) …

@iamliorush said it best…. You gotta dig deep! Dearest Gertrude, It has been a long while since I last wrote to you of progress beneath the iron, for my body had much to endure after two surgeries and many months away from the work. Yet today, I bring encouraging news. I bore 650 pounds (295 kilograms) upon my back for two, and soon after pulled 640 pounds from the earth for two as well. These are the heaviest efforts I have managed since September of 2024. What pleases me most, dear Gertrude, is this, the @stance.fitness tracking instrument I now employ to measure my speed revealed that 295 moved with the same swiftness as 280 did just one week prior. A sign, I believe, that strength is not only returning… but building. To feel this again is to be returned to the saddle after a long and uncertain road. I now look ahead with renewed purpose, eager to find the platform once more and test what may yet come. Yours in iron, LS #instagram #letseat #powerlifting #fitnessmotivation #1stphorm

Dearest Gertrude, What a difference a week makes. Once more I returned to the iron and pulled 620 for a double again, though this time with far greater intention and care. My focus was not merely to complete the lift, but to refine it. I worked to establish a stronger position, to drive with more force through the feet, and to call upon the quads to break the bar from the ground rather than allowing the hips to rise too soon. There were small adjustments made to my grip, and a renewed emphasis placed upon setting my shoulders with purpose. I took my time in pulling the slack from the bar, exercising patience rather than haste, reminding myself of the very principles I so often instill in those I coach. I even took to comparing my efforts, placing one lift atop the other, observing the difference in speed from ground to lockout. The improvement was clear and most pleasing. There is still work to be done, still details to refine, but the progress is undeniable and promising. It is a humbling realization that while we guide others, we must also heed our own instruction. To return to the foundation, to sharpen the craft, and to practice what we preach. And so I press on, ever a student of the iron. And in doing so, I am reminded: mastery is not a destination, but a practice. Yours in iron and resolve,LS #letseat #crcl #reactivetrainingsystems #duespaid #deadlift

Today’s the day. @g.xbbyy_ Gabrielle Edouard takes the platform at the 2026 Collegiate Nationals in New Orleans. Over the past few months, the work has been undeniable. Early mornings. Long sessions. Staying locked in when it wasn’t easy. Every rep had a purpose and it shows. We’re incredibly proud of you. This isn’t just about showing up…it’s about building on an already strong performance from last year and continuing to raise the standard. And the way you’ve prepared for this moment… we know you’re ready. Representing The CRCL and Texas State University on a national stage is no small task & you’ve carried that with focus, discipline, and pride every step of the way. Now it’s time to go put it all together. Go trust the work. Go be you. We can’t wait to watch you leave it all on the platform in New Orleans. Let’sEAT #CRCL #TexasState #CollegiateNationals #Powerlifting #letseat

My Dearest Gertrude, It has been a fortnight since last I wrote, and the iron has weighed heavily upon both body and spirit. Yet today, I found myself called once more to the bar… and answered. I endured a squat of 280 for two, followed by labors of 230 in humble repetition. Thereafter, I pressed 445 from my chest, by God’s grace, with follow-up efforts at 365 to steady the hand and fortify resolve. What once felt uncertain… now speaks plainly. For I have taken to employing the STANCE bar speed tracker, a most remarkable instrument, which reveals the truth of each effort. No longer must I rely upon feeling alone, for it measures the output of the bar with precision and clarity. @stance.fitness #letseat #powerlifting #crcl #squats It has made the work… lighter in mind, if not in weight. Thus I press onward with renewed confidence, guided not by guesswork, but by data. Until I write again, Yours in strength and discipline. #findyourstrength

Dearest Gertrude, I write to you from the iron field, where the clang of steel and the groan of effort echo like distant cannon fire. The days have been long and weary, yet today brought with it a triumph I could not help but share with you, my love. Your soldier has pressed onward with renewed vigor. I squatted 620 pounds for two stout reps, as though rising against the weight of the world itself. I then laid upon the bench and drove 445 pounds skyward, twice, with a fire in my chest that I had feared long extinguished. And finally, I took to the deadlift—near 600 pounds in my grasp—and pulled it from the earth for two, as if reclaiming strength long buried. It has been nigh two years since I have handled such burdens, not since my openers at the World Championships in South Africa back in the year of our Lord 2024. For a time, I feared those days were but a memory…faded like old ink upon parchment. Yet now, I feel the old strength returning to me, piece by piece, like a soldier finding his way home. I am filled with a cautious hope, dearest Gertrude, that what was once lost may soon be surpassed. Not only do I seek to reclaim my former might, but to push beyond those old limits and carve out new victories in this long campaign. Know that through every lift, every strain, and every small triumph, it is thoughts of you that steady my hand and fortify my spirit. Until I return to you stronger still, Yours always, —LS #instagram #letseat #powerlifting #crcl #1stphorm

🚨 NEW PODCAST DROPS WED 5 PM! 🚨 This week after a few years we get to run it back…, We’re joined by Marcellus Williams. @theswolefessor We dive into coaching philosophy, faith, fatherhood, big moments he’s had so far as a coach and lifter, and the people who’ve shaped him into the coach and man he is today. You won’t want to miss this one. —— Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to stay locked in with every episode. You can catch Corner of the CRCL (Circle ) on all major platforms& Spotify and Apple Podcasts for audio & YouTube for full video episodes •Also streaming on SoundCloud Just search LS McClain or Corner of the CRCL and you’re in. Appreciate the support. Let’s keep building. #letseat #powerlifting #podcast #crc| #letseat