The McKinna’s

Today we drop our very first Family Spotlight… like Athlete Spotlight, but for families getting after it in the GGC. Moms and dads, kids and grandmas, dogs and fish, whatever. If they can lift a bar in the gym, it counts!

Kicking off this series is my man Tyler McKinna and his family. Tyler’s 11 year old daughter competed in the GGC in 2021, and she had a ton of fun. So much so, that they went out and got her a local powerlifting coach. In December she won the best youth lifter award and set all of the provincial records for her weight class in the IPF.

If I needed anything to prove that encouraging all ages to participate in the GGC was a good idea… that would be enough right there.

Let’s meet Tyler and the McKinnas

We are a family of four. Dad, Mom and two daughters 13 and 11. We live in Saskatchewan, Canada.
My wife and I met during University in the campus Library. Yes, the Library. Both of us have Master’s degrees. I am in investment management and my wife is a Teacher.

What hobbies do you have outside of lifting?

Shuttling our kids around to their activities 🙂

Does your family (or did you or your spouse) play any sports?

I played hockey through college and my wife played fastpitch softball and volleyball through the college level as well. My kids are in a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, flag football, all-star cheerleading, and softball.

How/when did each of you start lifting?

We started lifting in college as a requirement of our respective sports programs. The kids started lifting at their cheerleading gym and then the youngest started taking fitness classes at a local Gym with a Pro Strongwoman (@TauniaStevens1 Instagram) who also competed at the international level in powerlifting.

How do you encourage your kids to lift?

The encouragement started from their other sports and they see both of their parents doing it at home. They enjoy it (some days more than others, like anything else with kids).

Tell me about your gym.

I have collected items for a home gym for many years and mostly used it as a supplement to my YMCA membership. Once the pandemic hit, we went all-in on building out the home gym in the basement.
How long have you trained at home?
From time to time over the past decade, but more so over the past two years.
What kind of equipment did you start with? What do you have now?
We started with an old barbell and some weights bought at a yard sale. Slowly we added more plates, some bands, a pull-up bar and a pair of used Bowflex 10-90 dumbbells. Once the pandemic hit, we bought a folding rack from Bells of Steel and a proper Utility bar from Bells of Steel as well. We outfitted the basement spare bedroom with that and picked up some rubber flooring from Lowes. The kids have an aluminum technique bar that they use and a few smaller dumbbells. Over time we have added some rack attachments (Landmine, safeties, etc.) and a pulley system. We would really like to get a new bench with a proper leg curl/ext. attachment. Maybe We will win one in next year’s GGC? Haha.
Do you ONLY train at home?
We train mostly at home, but once per week my youngest daughter and I train out of a local strongman gym called Mettle Performance Training Centre. There are a lot of strong individuals training out of that gym.

Do you train by yourself or does the family lift together?
I mostly train by myself, but always help the kids out with their training.
Pros and cons of lifting at home?
It is definitely convenient, but there is something to be said for an environment where
everyone is pushing hard for their goals. I do like not having to wait for equipment and being able to split up my workouts around family commitments when I have to.
What got you interested in the GGC? Where did you find out about it first?
A friend of mine, @BrenMiller competed and posted it on Instagram a few years ago. I thought that sounded like a good idea – especially when COVID hit and I was looking for motivation to keep training at home.
Do you compete elsewhere?
I have competed in one Strongman Competition in the Classic Strongman Championship League. My youngest daughter has competed in one Powerlifting meet. Hopefully, there will be more in the future.
Has your entire family competed? What did they think of it?
I and the two kids competed in the GGC last year and we all had fun with it. Hopefully, all four of us will enter this coming spring.
How did you handle your kids attempting heavy lifts?
They had been training prior to this and, to be honest, they really didn’t attempt max lifts. Maybe this year they will go a bit heavier, now that they have had more exposure to heavier loads and specific coaching in the lifts.

What brings you back for 2022?
Fun and inclusive environment with a low barrier to entry that provides motivation to keep training and compete against my previous self. Each year I’m after new PRs!
How did you approach the GGC each year?

The first year was just to get some lifts up and the second year with the intention to involve my kids and to increase on the previous year’s results.

What has been the key pieces to your success, in the GGC and lifting in general?

Consistency and getting a coach to program training for progress after hitting a plateau with my personal programming.
What motivates you to lift, day after day, year after year?Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general – Mark
Rippetoe. Muscle mass declines with age and training will hopefully help to retain some muscle
mass and improve mobility as we get into our senior years.
What do you think of when you eye down a big lift?
Nothing in particular. Mostly just cues that I’ve been focusing on in training.
Favorite personal record song to listen to?
California Love – Tupac
What’s the most important thing people should know about you and your family?
We’re just a regular family that enjoys sports and exercise in general. Lifting weights just happens to be a hobby for us.

How is your family preparing for the 2022 Garage Gym Competition?
Two of us have powerlifting programming on a weekly basis from a coach (Taunia Stevens @tauniastevens1 on Instagram). The other two will likely do a short peaking cycle to get some exposure to heavier loads prior to the competition.

Thanks Tyler!