Erik Willis
Erik Willis
IPF Open Classic World Championship
2024 - 120+kg - 4th
2022 - 120kg - 9th
2021 - 120+kg - Silver
2019 - 120kg - Silver
2018 - 120kg - Gold
2016 - 120kg - 4th
CPU Open Classic National Championship
2024 - 120+kg - Gold
2023 - 120kg - Bronze
2022 - 120+kg - Gold
2020 - 120+kg - Gold
2019 - 120kg - Gold
2018 - 120kg - Gold
2017 - 120kg - Gold
2016 - 120kg - Gold
2015 - 120kg - Gold
2014 - 105kg - Gold
CPU Open Equipped National Championship
2020 - 120+kg - Gold
Best Lifts
Classic Squat - 340kg
Classic Bench Press - 259kg
Classic Deadlift - 379kg
Classic Total - 965.5kg
Equipped Squat - 385kg
Equipped Bench Press - 296kg
Equipped Deadlift - 386.5kg
Equipped Total - 1067.5kg
Biography
I have been powerlifting since 2012, dabbling in strongman since 2020. I started training for strength originally to just move bigger weights to grow bigger but I fell in love with the objectivity of getting stronger. During this process someone asked if I competed and I had no idea what he was talking about, he explained powerlifting to me and that night went home looked it up and shortly after signed up for my first meet. Since then I have won 10 Nationals championships across 3 different weight classes, broken many Provincial, National, North American, and Commonwealth records. In 2018 I won the first IPF Classic World Championship for Canada. I have also won 2 silvers in the total at IPF Classic Worlds. I train in my basement/garage, slowly acquiring more and more equipment! I am coached by Austyn Ryan.
I am from Ottawa, Ontario. Outside of training and competing I enjoy spending time with my family, growing hot peppers, and brewing beer. I work full time as an Antenna Engineer designing cell base station antennas. Huge shoutout to my wife Ali and my kids: Electra and Axton. You are my inspiration and motivation to keep on pushing the limits of what I can do.
What is your favourite lifting memory?
My favourite lifting moment was pulling for the win at the 2018 IPF Classic World Championships. Bonus is winning both the Classic and Equipped CPU National Championships in 2020.
What is one piece of advice you have for up and coming athletes getting into strength training or strength sport?
Consistency is the most important thing, keep working year in and year out and you can see huge gains.
What is your favourite lift or event?
Deadlift
What is your favourite product and why?
10mm Belt
I absolutely love the lever mechanism on the SBD belts. Being able to quickly take off the belt after a hard set combined with the flexibility to change settings makes it great for training different lift and events.
What 3 other items are your go to and why?
Powerlifting Knee Sleeves
Flexible Medium Wrist Wraps
T-shirt
The powerlifting knee sleeves were almost my top pick but was narrowly edged out by the belt. The new sleeves provide even more warmth and support compared to the old design while still being flexible enough to use for high rep sets and moving events if desired.
I am also a huge fan of the Flexible medium wraps for almost every lift. The ability to quickly take them on and off without a lot of effort makes it great for volume work, and the new material allows for even tighter wrapping if extra support is required.
I absolutely love the fit and feel of the SBD T-Shirts. The arms fit nice and tight so I can look extra jacked without the shirt being too tight everywhere else. I wear one almost every day and will continue to into the future!
What colourway is your favourite and why?
Phoenix
Red is my favourite colour. Phoenix was also the colourway I modelled for SBD Canada.
Why do you believe SBD is the gear all athletes should use?
SBD carries extremely high quality product with the aim at producing the best results for the athletes. SBD's dedication to give back and support athletes in the sport also sets them apart from other companies.
Why do you believe in working with SBD Canada as a Sponsored Athlete?Since I started strength sports nearly a decade ago the Stinns/Fowlers have been a huge part of the sport for me. From selling me my first belt and singlet they have been there for me since the beginning. It has been a huge honour for me to be a sponsored athlete and working with SBD Canada, not only because of the amazing equipment but also the amazing people. If I wasn't a Sponsored Athlete I would still use the equipment because I believe it is the best out there, and it is what I was using before I was sponsored.
