Spruell places second in state championship
■ Spruell sets five state records.
Michael Spruell, owner of CrossFit Siloam Springs, placed second in the state at the second annual USA Powerlifting Arkansas State Open Powerlifting Championships on Dec. 19 in Russellville.
Spruell set four state records in his age and weight division for squat; bench press; deadlift; and total weight lifted, Spruell said. He also set the highest raw squat record in the open division, for all age groups, he said. Spruell placed second overall in the meet, he said.
L.S. McClain, a USA Powerlifting national champion from Texas, set several national records at the meet and placed first overall, Spruell said.
A total of 60 people competed in the powerlifting championship meet, Spruell said. Eight people competed in Spruell’s division, which is 120 kilogram male age 40-49, he said.
For squat, Spruell lifted 245 kilograms (540 pounds); in bench press Spruell lifted 172.5 kilograms (380 pounds); and for dead lift he lifted 255 kilograms (562 pounds), he said. Spruell lifted a total of 672.5 kilograms (1,482 pounds).
Spruell started in CrossFit while he was a fighter at Inferno Martial Arts around 2008, he said.
“I realized for power production I needed to learn the Olympic lifts,” he said. “A friend said there was a place that coached Olympic lifts.”
Spruell’s friend, Mary StrangeHudson recommended CrossFit, which was a few blocks over from Inferno, he said. In 2009, Spruell started doing CrossFit competitions, he said.
Three years later Spruell opened
the CrossFit gym in Siloam Springs, he said. Spruell the time and didn’t think the town was large enough to support a CrossFit gym, but thought Siloam Springs could support the gym, he said.
Around the same time, Spruell’s wife Kristy started working at Washington Regional Medical Center, which led the family to move to Springdale in 2015, Spruell said.
During Spruell’s time away from CrossFit and powerlifting, he competes in Olympic Weightlifting and Brazilian Jiujitsu, he said. Spruell also home schools his daughter and his best friend’s daughter and cares for his 17-yearold son who has autism, Spruell said.
Looking towards the future, Spruell said he plans to compete in CrossFit this year. Spruell also has his eye on the all-time open record in squatting, he said.
He plans to compete for that record at the USA Powerlifting meet this July in Russellville. According to usapowerlifting.com, the date for the meet has not been scheduled.
Spruell will also compete Federation’s 2020 Arkansas Open which will be held on June 26 of this year at the Conway Expo and Events Center in Conway.
He also plans to compete in an Olympic Weightlifting tournament but is not sure when and where the tournament will be.
Becoming a lifter is a long-term commitment, Spruell said.
“People get in a hurry and because of that they get in a hurry and take drugs,” Spruell said. “…For a clean lifter you have to think of years and decades not weeks and months.”