We Tried It

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Besides being home to some of the Valley's top restaurants, the Farm at South Mountain is a dynamic spot that hosts a variety of classes ranging from yoga to painting. One of its recurring classes is the Cheese Course 101. (A word to all the aspiring cheese mongers out there: alas, you won't learn how to make cheese. Basically, you learn how to eat it. As if there was a wrong way...)

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I step onto the platform and grab the bar with a grip so strong my palms start to ache. But pulling up the weight, I look in the gym’s mirror and see no pain on my face, only motivation and determination.

When you hear the term powerlifting, you might think of a CrossFit gym with bulky bros and an absurd pull-up requirement. But in powerlifting, the movements are more controlled using heavier weight, whereas cross training is about practicing many different exercises. The main goal is to lift as much weight as possible. And maybe a little more.

Lorien Krueger, 33, sets a large, blocky speaker on the dry grass of a soccer field at Kiwanis Park in Tempe. She syncs her phone via Bluetooth and sets it down. Ten players peruse a variety of "weapons" varying in lengths and shapes.

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