St. Louis Woman Wins Powerlifting Age Category
Sally Haas, 72, secured her victory at the 2026 USPA Tested Missouri State Championships in March.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Body Building
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Sally Haas, a 72-year-old St. Louis resident, won her age category at the 2026 USPA Tested Missouri State Championships held in March. Her performance included a 203-pound deadlift, a 121-pound squat, and an 82-pound bench press.
Why it matters
Strength training serves as a critical foundation for independence in later life for aging adults. Haas maintains her fitness routine at a gym in Shrewsbury to counter the natural decline in muscle mass that accelerates after age 60.
Haas established her victory through a 203-pound deadlift, 121-pound squat, and 82-pound bench press during the March 2026 competition. These lifts are performed as part of a regimen of compound movements trained to failure.
The players
Sally Haas
A 72-year-old powerlifter who documents her training progress on social media platforms.
Zach Cayer
The fitness trainer who assists Sally Haas with her strength and conditioning routine.
The Edge Fitness Clubs
The gym facility in Shrewsbury where Sally Haas conducts her training sessions.
The details
After moving to St. Louis from Chicago in 2023, Haas began training under Zach Cayer at The Edge Fitness Clubs. She now documents her progress through her GymGrannySally social media presence on Instagram and TikTok.
Timeline
Sally Haas moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 2023.
Sally Haas competed in the USPA Missouri State Championships in March 2026.
Season Trajectory
The athletic accomplishments of Haas occur in the context of the natural physiological decline where muscle mass loss accelerates past age 60. Her training program marks a departure from typical aging trends by focusing on compound lifts to maintain strength and independence.
Haas maintains her competition-level performance by performing compound lifts to failure until no further repetitions are possible. Readers looking to improve their own strength can incorporate these fundamental movements into their routines to fight age-related muscle decline.
The takeaway
Maintaining a rigorous strength training program can help older adults defy natural muscle degradation patterns. Incorporating compound movements into a weekly fitness regimen provides a pathway to sustaining physical independence well into later life.
Further reading
Learn more about local weightlifting and fitness achievements in the St. Louis Body Building section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by St. Louis Magazine.
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