03/21/2026
CanPl Nationals 2026 coaching recap!
I had the pleasure of coaching 3 lifters into nationals this year and was fortunate enough to be able to make the trip and handle them in person. All 3 of these guys pushed themselves through training and laid it all out on the platform and I could not be more proud of each of them!
Guillaume Leblanc secured a second place finish in the extremely competitive Open 83kg class with a 790kg total (+15kg) which was initiated with a 297.5kg squat (+5kg) and secured with a 315kg deadlift (+10kg) with more in the tank Guillaume is sure to not only push the envelope, but break it open the next time he steps onto the platform.
Nathan Roy landed a 4th place finish with a 627.5kg(+2.5kg) total in a stacked 83kg sub junior class and battled the side effects of a difficult weight cut leading into this comp. Although squats did not show up how we had planned, Nathan blew away his 2nd bench press attempt and locked in a national record with 167.5kg(+5kg), increasing the record by 6.5kg. After opening deadlift Nathan started experienced intense cramping especially in his calves which made locking out nearly impossible, and after being carried to the curtain he stepped onto the platform and setup with a conventional stance - something he hasn’t trained in months - and dominated his final attempt of 247.5(+5kg) which moved him into third place momentarily. Only 9 months into the sport and has much more ahead!
Nathan Arseneau landed himself a first place finish in 59kg sub junior and secured pr’s on squat, bench, and total! The goal was to hit easy openers and land a spot on team Canada as Nathan was the only registered 59kg lifter, and from there he hit some impressive personal bests. 137.5kg(+10kg) squat, 82.5kg(+12.5kg) bench, ending with a 370kg(+22.5kg) total. Nathan is also only 9 months into the sport and now has his choice of a few international competitions with team Canada!
I want to say a big thank you to these guys for trusting me to coach/program/handle them for this, I had a blast!