Local fitness master lifter duo grows one rep at a time
Aug. 11—Tucked in well off the beaten path of Colusa Highway in Yuba City lies a facility where individuals go to get right physically, emotionally and mentally.
Yes, it is a gym, but it's different.
For starters, there's no visible front desk area complete with merchandise for sale and individuals haggling over membership deals. There is solely a metal door and keyless entry well off the street parking on Second Street in Yuba City.
Individuals go into Ironborn Strength Gym, and as Dave Murphy said, "be ourselves."
Murphy, of Live Oak, is a certified athletic trainer with a degree in kinesiology from William Jessup University. He has been training athletes, specifically powerlifters for a decade.
Murphy said the industry has changed into a more health-conscious world dedicated to reshaping bodies in a safe manner.
Murphy's latest product is a mother of five from Yuba City, Bibiana Jackson, who he met randomly after buying a piece of workout equipment from Jackson's husband.
As the relationship grew between Murphy and Chris Jackson, Murphy was introduced to Bibiana.
Bibiana Jackson was in search of a trainer to help with her fitness goals.
"My goal was to have a better quality of life — it started there," Bibiana Jackson said.
It turns out Bibiana Jackson was a quality competitor and entered United States Powerlifting Association sanctioned meets, including one this summer in Marysville called the "Marysville Classic."
It was in Marysville where Bibiana Jackson put herself on the map as a powerlifter, finishing first in five separate categories and earning a second place medal in another.
"'Bibi' had her best meet to date in three years of competing," Murphy said.
Some of Jackson's top personal records included a 237-pound squat, 154.3-pound bench press and 292.1 deadlift as a 148-pound powerlifter.
Murphy said both he and Jackson are characterized as master lifers by USPA standards.
The two have been working together for a year with plans to grow in the fitness game.
Jackson loves Murphy's style of continuing to push her to extreme levels.
"He's good at encouraging me and putting me in positions that I don't want to be in — that push me out of my comfort zone," Jackson said. "Since working with Dave my self esteem (and) ability to push myself has grown."
Jackson started powerlifting simply to be fit enough to play with her grandchildren one day.
Now it has turned into a game of "pushing to go further."
"I am 48-years old and I feel better than I did in my 20s and 30s," Jackson said.
For more information visit https://ironbornstrength.com.
