08 Mar GET TO KNOW TEAM PRS: WILL KUENZEL
What’s your name, where do you live, what gym do you lift out of, and why do you train and compete?
William Wolfgang Kuenzel. Yes, my middle name is Wolfgang. Be jealous. I live in beautiful Charleston, SC, where I train out of Low Country Strength. I’ve always competed in something. Training is as much of my life as eating and sleeping. Even if I couldn’t physically compete, I’d take up chess, or something. I’m way too competitive not to compete.
Tell us your story-what brought you to this point where you are today:
I was 115lbs in high school and wanted to play football. My dad got me started when I was 15. Lots of trial and error over the years through a variety of different sports. My favorite was pole vaulting, which I managed to compete in during college. When the time constraints of my major forced me to quit, I kept lifting. I’ve dabbled in bodybuilding, strongman, and powerlifting since then.
Since then, I’ve managed to acquire quite a substantial amount of equipment. I am fortunate to house Low County Strength in Charleston Krav Maga, where we share space for athletes of every discipline.
What are your personal best lifts?
I’m a completely multiply geared lifter. Never competed raw.
Squat: 715lbs
Bench: 610lbs
Deadlift: 615lbs
All at at a bodyweight of 220lbs.
Switching gears, but we will come back to the lifting aspect in a moment. What are your interests outside of strength sports?
I own a guitar and an Xbox. However, neither get much playing time. 3 years ago my wife and I were blessed with a wonderful baby girl. My daughter then became my biggest interest. 9 months ago, our little family got a little larger with a 2nd baby girl. My family draws the most of my attention and I love every minute of it.
What are 2 things you have learned over the last 2 years that have made you a better athlete and person?
As an athlete, move like an athlete 24/7. This didn’t really sink in until about 2 years ago. Brian has been a coach, mentor, and friend for longer than that, but at a seminar where I had the fortune of attending, something he said clicked. I move in constant thought that I’m protecting the non-renewable resource that is my body.
As a person, I learned when to say no. Too often, it’s easy to get over stretched in obligations. One simple word can keep life simple. It’s not rude. It’s not selfish. It’s a simple way to establish boundaries.
What is the biggest mistake, or regret you have pertaining to training/competition?
I didn’t spend enough time early on getting my technique down and getting stronger. I wish I would have found a good powerlifting gym/coach and worked technique more than just hammering away at muscle groups in the traditional bodybuilding sense of training.
Knowing what you do now, what would you go back and tell a younger version of you 10 years ago?
Don’t force it. I didn’t fully understand movement mechanics, and very often tried too hard to force strength through a bad motor pattern. I was learning technique, but not quick enough. I got into gear too early without fully having an understanding of how one is supposed to move without it. Stay out of the gear longer and focus on the proper mechanics.
What do you bring to TeamPRS that you feel is unique?
TeamPRS is an amazingly diverse group. We’ve got some of the strongest athletes on the planet. We also have some of the smartest guys/gals in the industry right now. Adding to this is difficult. I’m happy to think that what I bring is diversity. While I’m a powerlifter, I’m also a personal trainer and have been for almost 15 years. I have trained (and still do) a very diverse group of clients. I’ve worked with clients from as young as 7 years old to as old as 91. At one time I had 3 clients all 84 years old. I’ve been there as 2 clients have lost over 100lbs. I’ve worked with powerlifters to achieve elite and pro totals. I’ve worked with MMA and jiu jitsu athletes prepare for competitions, both on the amateur level as well as the professional. I’ve been there with clients to help them recover from all kinds of injuries. (After proper physical therapy, of course. I know my lane.) What I bring to TeamPRS is a finger on the pulse of fitness. I’m in the gym, talking to, not just the athletes, but those that are constantly striving to get better.
Who are your mentors/biggest influences-who do you look to for advice and help?
My biggest influences are obviously Brian Carroll and Dr. McGill. Nobody else has shaped my training philosophy, or style like these guys. I had started implementing Dr. McGill’s work years ago. Working with geriatrics shaped a lot of how I needed to adjust my training style as a trainer. It started me down the rabbit hole of how do we minimize the detrimental effects of our athletic endeavors. When Brian and Dr. McGill got to working together, the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together much clearer.
In closing, name 2 things that few people know about you, unrelated to strength sports:
I’m a nerd at heart. I graduated college with a degree in computer engineering. To be a big, bald, ugly, meathead, I love video games. I’ll forgo watching sports to play a few minutes of Xbox. Granted, most of my video game playing times come late at night after the kids have gone to bed, but I do enjoy it.
I also have been playing guitar for over 25 years. I’m not very good, but I do appreciate a wide variety of music. When the gym gets slow, I’ll switch over to some of my slower tunes and it surprises people when I forget to change it back to the metal that my little corner of the gym is known for.
Thank you for your time! Anything else you’d like to add?
One last thing is a brief mention of my wife. I work a lot of long hours. I spend a tremendous amount of time at the gym, both working and training. She’s made it a possibility. She tolerates and supports my wild hobby. Every great powerlifter has a strong crew behind them. That includes gym family and home family. I wouldn’t have the business, nor lifting career without her.
Make sure to watch for articles and weekly log posts from Will Kuenzel at Lowcounty Strength each and every week on PowerRackStrength.com/Will Kuenzel
Low Country Strength
Latest posts by Low Country Strength (see all)
- LCS Off Season Week 7, Session 1-3 - February 20, 2019
- LCS Off Season Week 6, Session 1-3 - February 20, 2019
- LCS Off Season Week 5, Session 1-2 - February 20, 2019
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.