4/29/05
General-how old you are, what you do, where you live, where you grew up and anything else general tou'd like to add about your lif outside of powerlifting:
I am 20 years old and have been working out since I was 17. Started powerlifting about 2 years ago. After about a year with not much progress I decided to give up staying up all night and partying and get serious about weighlifting. I started out by myself training with no partners (and sometimes no spotters!) for awhile until I discovered Frantz gym a few months ago. I just happened to be walking down the street and saw the place. Since I had been wanting to get into powerlifting seriously for awhile I was overjoyed when Ernie welcomed me to join the team.
Your best lifts in competition and training and at what weight:
I have only been in one meet and competed as a 181. I didn't do a peaking cycle before the meet and lost a few more pounds than I needed to so my strength was down. Before the meet I had gained almost 100 pounds on my squat and deadlift and 50 pounds on my bench in just a few months of training at Frantz so I was having a hard time just maintaining my lifts. I got a 385 squat ( with just a loose soft canvas suit, which does not add anything to my squat), 215 raw bench, and a 350 deadlift. In the gym I have made a 435 squat, 235 bench, and a 410 deadlift. Pretty good considering that 6 months ago before I came to Frantz I could only make 285, 180 and 305!
Your Proudest Accomplishment In Powerlifting:
Just the fact that I am doing something positive with my life and something I love is my proudest accomplishment.
Your best moment in powerlifting:
Any time I am lifting a heavy weight or working out with the team.
Your Ultimate Goal in Powerlifting:
To get as strong as I can without turning into a fatass who can't wipe his own ass.
And help encourage other people with the same goals (at least the first one).
Type of training you adhere to:
I have tried all sorts of methods from the old periodization to westside techniques. The one I currently stick to is 2 squat/dead workouts a week and 2 bench workouts. I use singles cycling and I am currently just trying to find what type of cycle works best. Most of my assistance is focused on the hamstrings and hips for the squat, triceps for the bench, and lots of upper back and core work for all 3 lifts. I also make sure to do some very heavy overloads. I follow Ernie's advice and do heavy weight and low reps on most of my excercises.
How you got involved in powerlifting:
Ever since I started lifting weights I always loved heavy weights. When I started to get serious about working out I wanted to be a bodybuilder but I shortly decided against it. I always had wanted to try powerlifting but I didn't know how to train for it. I started doing some research on the internet and found some training programs which I followed. I managed to make some pretty good gains, but I could not get my form down or go very heavy since I had no training partners.
Type of gear you use and how you use it in your training:
I use whatever type of gear I can afford since I am competing against other people that are using it. I only use it when I do heavy workouts to get used to using it for a meet. I make sure to do most of my other training raw so that I do not become reliant on equipment.
Your training partners and how they affect your training:
Well you cannot lift heavy without spotters and you cannot get your form down without people watching you. These are the things that held me back before. Having team members also helps to motivate me and give me a chance to motivate others working towards a common goal.
How long you see yourself continuing powerlifting:
Till I am an old man and have a heart attack during a 1000 pound deadlift attempt.
Your opinion of the supportive equipment used in powerlifting:
I think it gets out of hand when people miss 700 and 800 pound bench attempts because of not being able to touch the bar to their chest, but on the other hand it also adds excitement to the sport by allowing lifters to use more weight. I guess there is always raw meets if you want to see how strong people really are.
Your opinion of drug testing in the sport:
I think it is good that there are seperate divisions for drug-free lifters, since steroids give an unfair advantage. Plus if I ever decide to juice up, it gives me the option to go in the non-drug tested division. The only thing that bothers me is people that do steroids and then try to hide it and act like they just naturally got that strong. If I ever decide to use steroids I will come out and stick a needle in my ass in front of everyone right before my first squat attempt.
Your opinion of the professional movement in powerlifting like the WPO and Mountaineer Cup:
If i knew something about it I would comment.
What you think about the Olympic movement in powerlifting:
I think it would add a lot of excitement to the sport if lifters had a chance to compete in the Olympics. If sychronized swimming and pole vaulting can be olmypic sports, what the hell is wrong with powerlifting?
Anything else you would like to add:
Throw another plate on that Barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!