This page is: 
"My success in powerlifting has been the foundation in my corporate work, my coaching, and my successful academic life enabling me to instill confidence in all of my daily relationships".
Three time World’s Strongest Man, Bill Kazmaier, calls Matt “The Pushpress King”.
The Greatest Powerlifter of All Time, Ed Coan, says, “Matt Poe pushpresses like most men benchpress”.
Matt Poe started lifting weights in 2nd grade and competing by the time he was 5 years old. He has won several powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman events throughout his career. Matt Poe had become known as one of the strongest men in the United States at age 33. As a college football letterman at the University of Tennessee, Matt held weightlifting records for three consecutive years in 1992,1993, and 1994.
In these same years, he was a member of the “Hall of Fame Bowl Team”, the “Citrus Bowl Team”, and the “Gator Bowl Team”. He was also an All Academic Southeastern Conference Athlete.
"Being a part of the University of Tennnessee football program under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer was an honor, but God always had plans for me to powerlift to inspire others. I always new that I would be a professional lifter one day and that football was just a short stage of my life"---Coach Poe
Matt was mentored in weightlifting and powerlifting by his father, Martin Poe, who was an AAU Weightlifting Champion, Mr.Tennessee, Mr.Nashville, and a college and a professional strength and football coach. Matt's father was well known for walking off the street unannounced and winning countless weightlifting contests. He is still known for benching 565 RAW at 218 pounds as well as completing 2,500 full situps in a row. The late World Renowned and World Record Holder Chuck, “The Truck” Braxton was Matt’s primary coach and helped Matt to become one of America’s top lifters.
His past powerlifting coaches and mentors include E.J. Doc Kreis, Ed Coan, and John Stucky.
After a 14 year break from powerlifting, at age 33, Matt entered the five event 2005 Atlantis Strongest Man in America Contest at the New England Powerlifting Championships in Boston, Massachusetts. He placed 4th in the professional open division. This day brought awareness to the entire powerlifting world of his innate ability to press overhead. His training partner Josh Bryant finished in first place at this same meet. Josh and Matt became well known at this time for training outside at Matt’s platform on his own back patio in Nashville, Tennessee.
Watch Video of Matt Poe at The 2005 Atlantis Strongest Man in America Contest, Boston, Massachusetts
His abilities in the “Pushpress” caught the attention of all spectators, competitors, and sponsors. The greatest powerlifter of all time and judge on this day, Ed Coan, said. “Matt showed a lot of courage and heart and his form on the pushpress was outstanding”.
ARTICLE OF INTEREST > CLICK HERE FOR "Modern Day Rocky, Poe Uses Hard Work To Succeed"
INTERVIEW OF INTEREST > WORLD RECORD HOLDER JOSH BRYAN'T THOUGHTS ON MATT POE
Matt later competed in the five event 2006 Texas Strongest Man Competition at the Mr. Universe Ronnie Coleman Classic in Dallas, Texas where he placed 3rd in the professional open division and became the undisputed first place “Pushpress” Champion leaving his closest competitor 40 pounds behind his winning lift.
Watch Video of Matt Poe at The 2006 Texas Strongest Man Competition, Dallas, Texas
His “Pushpress” abilities have become the focus of many demonstrations and lifting shows across America and in his “Strength For The Game” show.
Watch Video of Matt Poe's "Strength For The Game", Watertown, Tennessee
Watch Video of Matt Poe's "Strength For The Game", Lebanon, Tennessee
On August 8, 2008, Matt pushpressed for 4 repetitions one of the world’s largest Burmese Pythons (Big Bertha) over his head in an effort to inspire young athletes to become strong through hard work and executing the “last 1%”. This pushpress was the first of its type in history to ever be done by any lifter in the world with the weight totaling 367 pounds.
Watch Video of Matt Poe Pressing Burmese Python, Nashville Shores, Tennessee
PRESS RELEASE OF INTEREST > CLICK HERE FOR "MAN VS. SNAKE CHALLENGE"
On August 8, 2009, Matt repeated this type of pushpress with one of the world's largest Albino Pythons executing a clean and pushpress totaling 329 pounds.
Watch Video of Matt Poe's Clean and Press of Albino Python, Nashville Shores, Tennessee
Matt sustained a debilitating back injury training for a deadlift demonstration on September 21, 2009. Matt could not walk for several weeks. The doctors said he would never overhead lift again in his career. Matt vowed to not only recover, but also to come back stronger than before his injury.
Matt spent 6 hours a day rehabilitating his injury. Starting at 45 pounds in the pushpress, Matt worked his way back up to 300 pounds in the pushpress by the 1st of March of 2010. Three weeks later Matt hit 375 pounds and found himself in December of 2010 with an invitation to lift in March's 2011 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic with The Omega Force Strength Team and Randy Richey in Columbus, Ohio.
Matt performed on day one executing a lift never done before, a drum lift weighing 300 pounds. He pushpressed this 300 pounds (11) times. On day two, he repped 300 pounds (12) times breaking the previous day's mark.
Watch Video of Matt Poe's Drumpress at the 2011 Arnold Classic Day 1 and Day 2, Columbus, Ohio
Watch Video of Matt Poe's Comback By Interview of Sportscaster Rudy Kalis, Nashville, Tennessee
ARTICLE OF INTEREST > CLICK HERE FOR "COMBACK DUTY"
Less than three months later in June, Matt set a new record in the drumpress at the 2011 Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois repping 310 pounds for (12) reps.
Watch Video of Matt Poe's Drumpress at the 2011 Superman Celebration, Metropolis, Illinois
He has donated his time on many occasions to fight against alcohol and drug abuse through commercials for “New Life Lodge” in Nashville and free weightlifting demonstrations for “Cumberland Heights” in Nashville as well as many other weightlifting demonstrations throughout the United States by way of his Strength For The Game Program.
INTERVIEW OF INTEREST > CLICK HERE FOR "POWERLIFTER WARNS OF STEROID DANGERS"
As time passed in 2011 and into 2012, Matt traveled across the United States with the Omega Force Power Team and did several corporate sponsored demonstrations and fundraisers. Matt competed twice in 2012 and was a top finisher in the pushpress and other overhead events. 2012 approached as a recovery year for his back, knees, bicep tendons, and elbows.
He set a barrel press record on October 26, 2012 of 320 pounds for 14 reps (see below) in front of his hometown in Nashville, Tennessee in an effort to raise money for childhood cancer through the Rally Foundation and Montgomery Bell Academy.
He recovered again with good friend Ernie "The Snakehunter" Lanier to set a new "Snake Press" record in 2013 at a Petco Sponsored event with one of the world's largest Albino Pythons at 16 feet long and 255 pounds plus a 45 pound bar.
Below are memorable events in 2011, 2012, and 2013 as well as press releases, and articles.
On April 29, 2011, Matt executed the barrel lift with 275 pounds for 17 reps in Bowling Green, Kentucky in front of the Hot Rods Minor League Baseball Team and a full house Kentucky crowd.
Watch the Video Here at Hot Rods Baseball Game
On September 26, 2011, Matt Poe executed a lift for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter in Mount Juliet, Tennessee completing 310 pound barrels for 12 reps. In the spirit of "creating separation", the weather was cold, windy, and raining.
Watch the Video Here at Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter Meeting
As December 3, 2011 approached, Matt was invited by old lifing buddy and competitor former Head Strength Coach Brad Lokey of Cumberland Uinversity to "fire up and motivate" the college's athletes from all teams.
Watch Video Here Of Motivational Speech To Cumberland University's Athletic Teams
2012 brought in many memories especially the honor of returning to his high school, Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee to set an all time record on the barrel press for 14 reps with 320 pounds, but not before returning to work again with professional wrestling. His last work was with the WWF and XFL as a crowd warmer and presenter of "Strength and Speed for the Game" for the fans.
On March 23, 2012 Matt took his barrel press to Top Rope in Tennessee to press in front of an uruly "National Wresting Alliance (NWA)" crowd. He pressed 275 pounds for 17 reps as friend Ernie Lanier brought the snakes out again to mezmorize the crowd.
Watch Video Here Of NWA Barrel Press
As charity again called, Matt traveled with the Omega Force Ministry to PROSPECT, INC. who provides support services and employment to people who have disabilities or other barriers to personal independence. Coach Poe executed 300 pounds for 10 reps for the demonstartion on September 10, 2012.
Watch Video Of Coach Poe's Demonstation of 300 Pound Barrel Press For 10 Reps
Matt's next recording setting barrell press came in front of a home crowd at his former high school in Nashville, Tennessee on October 26, 2012, three days after Matt's 40th birthday. The evening was promoted as a halftime show to raise money for the Rally Childhood Cancer Research Foundation. For every rep Matt executed on this lift, fans sponsored reps through dontations. October 26 2012 - Montgomery Bell Academy Barrel Lift.
Do you want to become a powerlifter?
Do you want to gain the absolute strength by powerlifting needed as the foundation to develop optimal sports performance positions in your particular sports performance movements?
Do you want to strategically partner with Matt Poe in the healthcare industry to control your healthcare costs?
Click on "Media" in the main navigation to watch the "Coach Poe" videos.
{mosforme 1}
