What do you mean too strong?
That's for me to say!
What Lisanne says about it
Read her story here.
1. What does being fit mean for you?
For me being fit means being able to do everything you want to do without suffering any ill-effects physically! I firmly believe keeping fit and in shape means you will stay strong for longer. (:
2. Have you ever had any unpleasant comments about your level of fitness or your muscular body?
Yes, of course! Although I have to say I got more negative reactions in the past than I do now. Back then I used to get comments like 'don't lose your femininity' or 'don't take it too far'. When I'd just started powerlifting, people would often say that powerlifting would make me 'masculine'. I didn't really take any notice of what people said; especially not when most of the reactions were from hidden profiles. Whatever's your thing?!
3. Our campaign is all about body positivity. How do you see this?
To be honest, my view is there's more to life than having a good body and appearance overall. I see how you feel as a person (on the inside) as being much more meaningful and important than how you look on the outside. In that respect, I agree that today the emphasis is sometimes too much on how someone looks, while this is only a small part of who a person is.
4. Which of your goals have you already achieved?
In June 2019 I got first place in the in NK Powerlifting for Juniors competition (only open to participants up to 23 years old) in the -72 kg class! In the competition I deadlifted 172.5 kg, which was a big goal for me! This December I am hoping to qualify for the NK Powerlifting Classic again. All ages can take part in this competition, providing you have met the qualification requirements in a qualifying competition.
5. What goals do you still want to achieve?
My short term goals are currently a 145 kg squat, 80 bench and a 180 kg deadlift. In the long term I think it would be awesome to compete at European level!
6. Who or what motivates you to keep fit?
Powerlifting itself. You can always go one stage further, so there's always another challenge. After a 140 kg squat you want to achieve a 150 kg squat, then 160 kg and so on. It's also great to have something to work towards! When it comes to competitions, you can see the progress you've made in the last couple of months of training. The atmosphere around the competition and the buzz you get from it is fantastic. I get an awful lot out of that!
7. Have you got any tips to inspire others on their fitness journey?
I realise it may be too expensive for some people, but I would say: get a coach. Find out what you can about different coaches and see which coach would suit you and your goals. For me getting a coach was the best investment I've ever made. Before that I just muddled through; I only saw real progression once I was being coached.
