{"id":616,"date":"2019-04-25T23:50:52","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T23:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/?p=616"},"modified":"2021-12-22T23:08:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T23:08:05","slug":"pulling-her-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/pulling-her-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"Pulling her weight"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ashlee<\/a>\u201cSo we\u2019re just standing there looking at each other, holding more than double our body weights in our hands. We got 30 seconds in and she\u2019s looking strong, then all of a sudden at about 40 seconds she dropped it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashlee Munsey, \u201910, \u201911, held onto her 375-pound metal frame for about a minute before she \u00a0claimed victory as lightweight women\u2019s champion of the national Strongman competition<\/a> last fall.<\/p>\n

Her husband Andy, \u201912, who also competes in Strongman events, and her sister ran out onto the floor to congratulate Munsey. She said the face-off tiebreaker made her win extra sweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2016, I finished second and missed a pro card, in 2017 I went to a different competition and missed out on my pro card by half a point,\u201d Munsey said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I didn\u2019t want to let go. It was a really awesome moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pro card Munsey finally earned is a ticket to the next level of competition in Strongman events. She started competing as a novice before entering open events four years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can win money as a pro,\u201d Munsey said, \u201cBut I\u2019ll probably never break even with what it costs to go to the competitions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Munsey played basketball at EOU and was a thrower on the track team. After college, she was on the lookout for a competitive outlet. She accompanied her husband to the Strongman nationals in 2014 and after finishing a marathon that same year, decided to give the sport a try.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dreaded getting up to run, but I had always enjoyed lifting,\u201d Munsey said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people picture really giant human beings when they think of Strongman, but if you saw me on the street you wouldn\u2019t guess that I can deadlift 400 pounds.\u201d<\/div>\n

She placed second in her debut competition, sandwiched between two national champions in first and third. She had found her sport.<\/p>\n

Munsey\u2019s weekdays begin at 4 a.m., when she and Andy get up for their morning workout. Three days a week they head to their backyard gym to do squats, deadlifts, and other strength training for a couple of hours before they both go to work at Munsey\u2019s other alma mater, North Central High School in Spokane.<\/p>\n

Now in her eighth year at NCHS, Munsey teaches math to teens who she said would probably never suspect her hobby.
\n\"IMG_20181029_211848_736\"<\/a>
\n\u201cMost people picture really giant human beings when they think of Strongman, but if you saw me on the street you wouldn\u2019t guess that I can deadlift 400 pounds,\u201d she said<\/p>\n

On Saturdays the Munseys spend several hours working with more unusual equipment, including farmer\u2019s handles, a yoke, giant concrete spheres called atlas stones, and even an actual log from a tree in their yard. Cardio, nutrition and a lot of recovery fill the rest of their days.<\/p>\n

Their commitment is paying off. Andy finished seventh at nationals in 2018, a personal best. Munsey\u2019s win this year was her fourth appearance at amateur nationals.<\/p>\n

Along the way, Munsey continues to advocate Strongman as an entry point for inexperienced weightlifters.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do more than you think,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are a little intimidated at first, but it\u2019s a sport that\u2019s easy to enter and it\u2019s a really friendly environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Munsey recently got an endorsement to teach P.E., and hopes to introduce a women\u2019s weightlifting class at her high school in the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to show girls that there\u2019s a lot to gain in the weight room, and you do belong there,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery day is an opportunity to get stronger, every day you can make progress \u2014 even if it\u2019s just one more rep or 2 more pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Amateur Nationals 2018 (Oct. 27-28 in St. Louis)<\/h2>\n

Points are awarded for how many people you surpass in each event. Since there were 23 women competing in the lightweight category, Ashlee earned 23 points for each first-place finish. Second place earns 22 points, third gets 21, etc.<\/p>\n

Day 1<\/h3>\n

Axle Clean & Press<\/b>
\nLift the 140-pound bar to shoulder height, and then raise it overhead as many times as possible in a minute.
\nAshlee finished in the middle of the pack with 10 reps. <\/i><\/p>\n

Frame Carry<\/b>
\nStand in the middle of a 440-pound metal frame, pick it up and carry it 60 feet as fast as possible.
\nAshlee won with 9.78 seconds.<\/i><\/p>\n

Frame Deadlift <\/b>
\nPick up a 375-pound frame as many times as possible in a minute. The handles are slightly bigger so it\u2019s harder to grip.
\nAshlee won with 16 reps and finished Day 1 in second place, behind the leader by just half a point.<\/i><\/p>\n

Day 2<\/h3>\n

Circus Dumbbell Press <\/b>
\nLift a giant 85-pound dumbbell to shoulder height, and then raise it overhead with one arm and return it to the floor as many times as possible in a minute.
\nAshlee tied for sixth with 9 reps, and was down 4 points going into the final event.<\/i><\/p>\n

Moving Medley <\/b>
\nBlock Carry: <\/b>Pick up a weighted metal box, carry it 30 feet, set it on a mat and sprint back.
\nDuck Walk: <\/b>Stand over a 150-pound stack of weights with bar through the middle, grab it and waddle 30 feet as fast as possible.
\nSled Pull: <\/b>Use a rope to pull a 200-pound sled arm-over-arm 30 feet.
\nAshlee placed second in the medley, tying for first overall with 98.5 points. <\/i><\/p>\n

Tiebreaker<\/h3>\n

Frame Hold<\/b>
\nLift a 375-pound frame off the ground and hold for as long as possible.
\nAshlee won, holding the frame for about a minute total.<\/i><\/p>\n

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