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Ex-boxing champ now trains for life and not the ring

Kelly Pavlik bonds with powerlifter and trainer at the Community Center

Lonnie TK Atkins of Salem, and former WBC boxing champion Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, took a break from Pavlik’s weight training session at the Salem Community Center last week to pose with their championship belts. Atkins displays his world powerlifting champion master’s belt he won last October. Pavlik holds his WBC championship belt. Pavlik sponsors the “Unbreakables” powerlifting team of Atkins that competes in the 100% Raw Powerlifting Federation. (Salem News photo by Larry Shields)

SALEM–Members of the Salem Community Center have seen them training together for months now.

One a boxer and one a powerlifter .

Last December, former middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik began training at the center with his personal trainer, Lonnie TK Atkins of Salem.

Three hours a day, three and four times a week, the two whip through weightlifting stations, as Atkins, a former chairman for the 100 Percent Raw Powerlifting Federation, steps the former boxing champion through a tough routine that’s as much mental as physical.

Pavlik fought professionally from 2000 to 2012 and won the unified WBC, WBO, Ring magazine and lineal middleweight titles in 2007 and made three successful defenses before losing in 2010.

For two months, former world boxing champion (WBC) Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown and Lonnie TK Atkins of Salem have been working through weight lifting routines at the Salem Community Center. Atkins is Pavlik’s personal trainer, a world weightlifting champion and founder of the “Unbreakables,” a local powerlifting team that Pavlik sponsors. Atkins is also the former state chairman for the 100 Percent Raw Powerlifting Federation. Pavlik, who said he wanted “to get stronger on the bench,” is also transforming his health. In this photo, Atkins guides Pavlik through arm training sets. (Salem News photo Larry Shields)

Known as “The Ghost,” Pavlik grew up on the south side of Youngstown in a Slovak neighborhood. He graduated from Lowellville High School and the Mahoning County Joint Vocational School in 2000.

As a professional boxer, Pavlik compiled a 40-2 record. His 34 wins by knockout included epic ring battles. He retired in January 2013.

Today, at 34, Pavlik is not training for the ring again, but for life.

He and Atkins met last June at Rocky’s Personalized Training Center in Columbiana during a powerlifting competition.

Atkins, the grandson of former Salem Councilwoman Connie Alexander, has been a boxing fan forever and championship powerlifter himself, who won the 100 Percent Raw Powerlifting Federation world championship master’s title last October.

He said when the two met they bonded quickly.

Pavlik, after viewing Atkins’ YouTube powerlifting videos, realized he wanted him for a trainer.

“I wanted to get stronger on the bench,” Pavlik said. “I watched videos on Facebook, saw Lonnie and I said I’m going to go with the best. Lonnie is it, if you ask around.”

He reached out to Atkins in December and started with three-hour, three-day a week sessions.

“The training was good,” Pavlik said. “Unbelievable, the training was unbelievable. I wanted another day.”

Atkins is the founder of the “Unbreakables” powerlifting and strength team that also trains at the SCC and the Iron Chamber Gym in Canton.

“What he is trying to do is transform his health. His flexibility is the biggest thing,” Atkins said.

“Kelly’s been training since 9, attained a very high level and then goes and retires at 30. When I started training him, in terms of flexibility, he was very stiff from fighting.”

The Unbreakables powerlifting team aims at big number power lifting while the strength team concerns itself with overall muscle training and conditioning.

Pavlik said after all the years of boxing training and pounding, “you need to keep moving.”

“The most important part of our training is getting to know each other as friends here, both inside and out, you can’t separate it, everything is symbiotic,” Atkins said.

He stressed that Pavlik has the self drive: the mental part. “I think I helped him get his body going.”

While Pavlik runs through a set of arm curls Atkins is right there. “Last one Champ, and hold it.” Pavlik stops the curling bar at top-dead-center, feeling it burn his muscles to the core. A second later, Atkins says, “Slow negative” and Pavlik eases the bar down. Done.

Pavlik recalled the fight grind. He had to take time off after big fights. “Get away from it. After six hours in the gym every day; staying in shape for 12 rounds.”

He said there were two fights he always had to contend with– “the scale and boxing.”

With Atkins training him, Pavlik saw gains and improvements.

“Ninety percent of the people who see gains, it motivates them,” said Pavlik, who is a member of the “Unbreakables” and sponsored the team uniforms.

Atkins is proud of his “Unbreakables” team.

“Mentally Unlocked Athletes,” he called them, “Unbreakables.”

As a personal trainer, Atkins is adept at motivational words.

“There are things you can’t do,” he said. “But you don’t know unless you try. And each time a person tries and does it, it’s no longer impossible.

“As a trainer, personally, it’s getting to know each particular client. What their weaknesses are. You gotta know individually their weaknesses in order to bring them to their heights. I’ll say this, I’m a better motivator than strong man.”

The training for Pavlik is not the over-the-top, six-hour ring sessions that were so much a part of his life when he was aimed at boxing immortality. But his current workouts, though different than his boxing regimen, are tough and physically demanding.

But the body craves it, Atkins coaches it and Pavlik builds on it.

“Winning the game of the physical body opens the pathways at winning at life,” Atkins said.

While Pavlik is undecided about competing in the powerlifting competition as a member of the “Unbreakables,” under Atkins watchful eye he could compete.

“His curls are not far from state records right now. I can see where he’s competition in the future,” Atkins said.

In the world of 100 percent raw powerlifting “it never ends,” said Atkins of the world championship masters title he won last October. “The range to compete in here is not limited. There’s no limit here.”

Atkins will return to competition with the other 12 members of the “Unbreakables” powerlifting team and the support of Pavlik at Tallmadge on April 8 in the Battle of the Great Lakes, the biggest powerlifting meet in Ohio with 230 lifters competing under the United States Powerlifting Association banner.

Both Atkins and Pavlik are on Facebook.

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