[quote=Harold Gaines]I was the Meet Director for this event and I would like to put to rest this issue (if possible). not screwing up in front of the WORLD. Bars don't grow on trees, what would you have done in this situation? He was right.After 10 yearsfrom 1970 to 1980I won my first nationals with my first top-ten bench. I would ask Larry how to push up my bench and Larry would say to train my triceps because they are 75 percent of your bench. The world is blessed with FED ex overnight, next MORNING. But while he was doing amazing feats of strength, Larry also was always making a judge, Jerom Weiss, mad. 1984Mens USPF Senior Nationals: (BUT he's not alone, there will be some very angry WOMEN TOO on this! The squat racks used at that meet were illegal as they could possibly get accoding to mandates of the IPF. Possibly the closest man to Dave Waddington in the squat. The author and famed Mike Bridges are shown in a light moment at the 1982 World Powerlifting Championships in Munich. Or will the USAPL overlook something again? One should not blame the IPF as they did not have any influence or a stake in this meet. [/quote] if you're meant to be in this sport, you are already more durable over the years than most gym lifters. Our flight out of LA was fine. The problem was discovered on Thursday. Mike's lifts are pending on the IPF website. Didn't he check up the rule-book? It's a shame his feats aren't hailed about today. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. There was no 220 class yet. Sign up for our newsletter and get new articles sent straight to your inbox weekly. Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. some even fresh from factory seem unduly "slick"! .4kg is way over the allowed variance of weight. the fault is with USAPL and its referees (IPF ones) and its meet director, who should have KNOWN better than to hold a MEN's NATIONALS and that women's record breaker event WITHOUT THE PROPER BARS. Raw Nationals is drug-tested, and the Classic Worlds tests but perhaps not as strictly as the USAPL event. I invited several well-known lifters of that time: the great Mike Bridges, Terry Dillard, Dave Waddington, Steve Wilson, and Mark Chaillet. In football, the drugs can help a fullback break through what would have been a tackle; in baseball, they can help a pitcher take a 95 mph fastball to 98 mph (and also help him recover between starts). I met him in my first power meet in the summer of 1966just prior to being drafted into the United States Army 50 years ago. I bought it in the park and it was the "official hat of the team" and part of the money I payed was toward the license fee the hat company payed the baseball organization. Everything else is the liquid inside the glass. Bridges trained all three of the power lifts in the same workout, three days a week. Then he came and got me. Guys felt like they had to take them to stay competitive, and that became problematic, Gaynor said. Jim it's not just Mike's!) SPECIAL. Bridges weighed just. Consider this 2008 American Physiological Society study, which found that the benefits of steroids in powerlifters can last several years beyond when the drugs leave their body. All of Mel's lifts are done in extremely strict style. The Hall of Fame began with just male lifters and officials, but started including female lifters since 1987. . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Try Squatting with all that weight with a smooth middle! Tests are cost prohibitive. Who is that? Several people in the area had Ivenko Bars--within 2oo miles I bet there were four available. [/quote] Mike is a World IPF Champion, IPF World Record Holder, 2008 Masters World Champion with 4 Gold Medals, and 2007 World Bench Press Gold Medalist. wouldnt u think for a comp that big, that everything would be above board, regardless of what you think the rules should be? Deadlift: 272.5kg/600lb. Best Lifts: He finally pulled out the pin and said it may never be straight again. Just start learning the gear/rule variations. Mike won the second most prestigious national powerlifting in 1977 when he won the Junior National Powerlifting Championships. Exhibition lifts include an 885-pound squat, 610-pound bench press, and 815-pound deadlift, for a total of 2061 pounds. Larry: We had a great team back then and I will always look back to the early days without so much politics. American Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation, 2008 American Physiological Society study, How The Federal Reserve Is The Shadow Branch Of The Government, Why Original Predictions About The War In Ukraine Were So Off. John Gamble! Why is it so hard? Really, then what would you have done if the meet director, technical sec were standing together when they opened the box from Ivanko to find the wrong bar had been sent? This accident took maybe a second and a half. A prodigy of the great Larry Pacifico. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. 2. BUT, as a lifter at the meet who is not capable of setting world records, I was very happy when I learned that we would be using a Texas Power Bar. DUMB, the man had spanking new Ivanko weights and ER rack on the platform, to think that the bar was his underminding the rules is plain stupid. Second, to the meet directors "if" they(IPF) actually does wipe out the records, it will be your fault, not the IPF's. Yes, a 198 weighed 198 not 225 at meet time with todays 24-hour weigh-ins.I recall weighing less after a meet back in those days. that'd just be the cherry on the top of this disaster! The rescue squad got there in 10 minutes and away I went. When we discovered the mistake we did the best we could and used the bar that was available. How To Get The Most Out of Your Westside Bands, I met him in my first power meet in the summer of 1966. I called him and he got me in and said it might never straighten out again. From then on and into the 80s, Id estimate that about 85 percent of competitive American powerlifters at the national level were using something in massive doses to gain an edge: anabolic steroids, dianabol, testosterone.. They don't specifically train to get huge muscles, but they still end up being massive. In that meet there were four men who would become IPF World Champs: Milt McKenzie, George Crawford, Vince Anello and, last but not least, Larry Pacifico, the subject of this article. Larry was the one getting all of the attention setting American records before World records were official. I was a gymnast in New York where I grew up. Can you imagine a man that tiny hoisting a dead lift of nearly 600lb. If dan can get his bench together, lookout! C'mon. We are not EliteFitness.com. I recall weighing less after a meet back in those days. 6. why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. Bridges missed three squats of 562 pounds. way to go!!! Reply . Thats huge, because more muscle gives these athletes more power to perform with. I like my ProKinetics and I recommend you try them! He sewed the two pieces together temporarily while they made arrangements for me to meet a helicopter at the University of Dayton arena to fly me and my wife Carol to Louisville, Kentucky. Mike Gansey's . Deadlift: 365kg/804.69lb. Mike Bridges (Birth date: february 1, 1957). I will be over at Jon Groves meet helping him this weekend, hope to see ya there. It was a great trip home. Privacy Policy. And in some years at Raw Unity, a weight class might only have two lifters (an athlete has to be very strong to qualify for the event). That has got to be more dangerous that squatting without wraps. Mike's lifts are pending on the IPF website. Weighing in at only 204 lbs, Mike not only went home with gold medals, but he also broke world records in the Deadlift at 650 lbs. if indeed he's been robbed before, then he's pretty tough for sticking in there and coming back. Both of us totaled 1,815. If you looked at Freds height (58) and consider what Fred has accomplished, its simply outrageous!!!! Worlds Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier has referred to him as a god in powerlifting, and world-champion powerlifter Don Reinhouldt has said, Larry will always be a legend of all time to us.. In powerlifting, competitors vie to lift the heaviest weight possible for one rep. To: Chip Hultquist..would like to know more about your hip replacement; facing the same thing..30+ yrs of powerlifting. I hope it wasnt 45lbs cos USAPL/IPF rules stipulate metric measures I think it'd be more like shooting the jockey because he was wearing the wrong silks lol! In response to a question about how his training has changed as he has gotten older, powerlifting legend Mike Bridges. 5. I used to be able to recover from training each area twice a week. [/quote] I felt good that morning and was ready to push it. Mike, congrats on your lifting. You can train as hard as ever; but there will be a time that you have to allow more recovery time. all of the sheiko guys seem to do well in these feds. USAPL, was it "modified rules" which were in effect this time? $29.95. I went to get up but the pin was hooked into the carpet and I couldn't move. they can replace usapl, remember? I drove it to within an inch from locking it out. You should tell the cycling community about your insoles. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. Although my preparation for the event was right on schedule to maximize my strength, I feel certain that the confidence that comes with improved body mechanics and alignment allowed me to turn on every ounce of strength I needed to set my 23rd world record. [quote=An IPF member]I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. It was a beautiful day to drive, but once we got 50 miles away, Mac said we needed to pull over. I must have said 5 pounds which was a 2.5kg jump[MCJ2]. Mike was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. C'mon. Dan has benched 400lb in his class when most men in his class were approaching the 600lb barrier . Michael Easter is an associate editor at Mens Health magazine. Benchpress: 272.1kg/599.88lb Size didnt mean anything to him. Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb I slid under it and the bar hit me just over my left eye, tearing off half my eyebrow. 1984 Honolulu, Hawaii While I was there, in came a man from Texas who got his hand ground up in a meat grinder. Ed Baueuscroft of California. Benchpress: 265kg/584lb Tony Carpino agreed to fly in and ref and help out. Squat: 227.5kg/501lb Las Vegas, NV. . it matters what the rules actuially are!!! [/quote] I find that while the weight I lift is less, the intensity is still high and with decent results but I stay sore longer. In the meet Paul tore a quad and broke an ankle. Michael. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. Bridges' squat of 711 pounds, bench of 512 pounds, and total of 1,896 pounds are all new 198 class World Records. Of course, it would be nave to assume that some lifters at tested events werent using PEDs. Bridges weighed just 173 pounds, but at the 1983 U.S. Powerlifting Federations (USPF) national championships, he bench pressed, squatted and dead lifted1 a combined 2,011 pounds. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. He did break the record. lol. The meet director did the best he could given the circumstances and the pass given with the equipment presented for inspection. 3. That's total that maybe one other lifter has approached. USAPL, was it "modified rules" which were in effect this time? But when you can squat 1000 anytime you fell like it, who cares about a poor deadlift. For all weight classes, world records in bench press, squat and dead lift are, on average, 7.9, 6.0 and 6.4 percent heavier, respectively, when the competition doesnt test for PEDs. I wonder how it would feel to have a 700+ pound bar slide down your back. Well, finally the final chapter to this event: As I mentioned, Mac Richards came back down to pick me up in Louisville. ive read about mike bridges and his records. Then came the tragedy on the bench. [/quote] No one expects any more of you. Many powerlifters even on high level don't train more than 3-5 times a week. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. On October 4, 1980 I lifted at a meet in Dayton, Ohio that I promoted. Squat: 395kg/870lb That number is even more amazing when you consider that at the 1968 German powerlifting championships, 176-pound Arnold Schwarzenegger squatted 460 pounds. I didn't know exactly what they were but I knew there would be some kind of difference between the bars. Lou: What happened when you lifted against Paul Jordan of Austraila?Larry: Paul was talking about winning the world against my friend and fellow Ohioian Vince Annelo the greatest deadlifter. My training put me at 835-580-800-2215. But those accepting the pay of the sponsorship fees do not have to suffer with the bars, merely to take the money and thus approve themjust like at times platforms/stages at ipf worlds have sagged under the larger squatters, only to be considered "acceptable". Now that I know the whole story from Harold I feel bad about the situation and my earlier comments. I didn't know exactly what they were but I knew there would be some kind of difference between the bars. Its a shame his feats arent hailed about today. Theyre close enough in the lighter classes, but the heavier guys are differentiated in such a way, for example, that an IPF lifter could be up to 23 pounds heavier than a Raw Unity competitor in an equal weight class. As for everyone saying ivanko bars are shit because they are so whippy you have to remember they were actually designed for weightlifting. It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! But it will inevitabably follow the same process. I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. I also know you were never cocky or arrogant, but totally confident and fun when I was around you. He was inducted into the York Barbell Hall of Fame on June 28, 1998. Now that is damning testimony if I have ever heard it. On the morning before the meet we opened 2 brand new shipping tubes from an IPF approved manufacturer and they contained bars that did not have center knurling. I came in at 226 and Mike at 183. $29.95 each. But those accepting the pay of the sponsorship fees do not have to suffer with the bars, merely to take the money and thus approve themjust like at times platforms/stages at ipf worlds have sagged under the larger squatters, only to be considered "acceptable". Hahahahah!!! Powerlifting differentiates between world records set at tested and non-tested competitions. [quote=Roger Ryan]I agree Buddy. IF they used the same Texas Power Bars for that WOMEN's MEET, THE WORLD RECORDS THERE TOO ARE NOW NOT VALID. And they probably DID! And he held a special "women's gateway open" with lifters all breaking WR's TOO..WHERE WAS THIS MAN's BRAIN??? At Na- tionals Bridges the bt . Another set of interesting data is world records. The power lifts are the bench press, squat and dead lift. Looks somewhat like Sheikos powerlifting program. This will be different for different people as we are all genetically different as to how we age. I unhooked it and stood up. [quote=mark roskell]its not the fault of the ipf, but the stuff up of the meet directors!!! This happened to Mike Bridges. See, they cannot make an exception for a USA lifter because USA would beef huge IF a russian had an improper bar and broke records too price of having approved bars, weights, and rules. It's NOT a 45lb bar. It is said the that the road of good intentions a paved with, Doug Hepburn: Might, Muscle & Miracles Anatomy of Strength. The bar we used was 45lbs plus the collars. When people talk about competitive weightlifting, theyre usually talking about Olympic lifts, which are the snatch and the clean and jerk. I ran to a restaurant and grabbed some napkins and ran to the gate just in time to board. Lou: I want to thank you for doing this interview and for the memories you have left imprinted on powerlifting and after knowing you for the last fifty years, on me. No excuses! My total at around age 46 was just under 1700. Give me a TEXAS POWER OR OKIE. The squats went well. Actually, I've worked at keeping everything the same since it worked before and seems to be working OK now as well. You might say not bad well let me tell you this, maybe 12 super-heavies have done 630 plus, but Sam, at 275, has out-benched at least half of the twelve. Some powerlifters compete in divisions in which they can wear squat suits and bench shirts, which can put them in better form and help increase lift numbers. Then a week after that, Frank Zane and I had a seminar in New Jersey. 600lb bench and a deadlift of 815 for a world record total of 2400 pounds. A 220 pounds, Joe squatted 837lb. Dan, like Ed and Fred Hatfield, has proven that the little man is in! Actually the whole meet was against the rules of the USAPL. 7. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! All times are GMT-5. The bar used was the correct weight & configuration. LOL! Where are my safety guys screaming about that? this is a joke,if anybody should be repremanded it should be the meet directors,the issue of bars cant be held against mike bridges and the records that he set,if thats the case then the entire meet results would have to be erased. Just the fact that the TPB is 45lbs makes it not meet all requirements for use. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. Assistance work may have consisted of a few sets of curls and little more yet in the opinion of many, me included, Mike can be crowned as one of the top few lifters of all time. They've been a nuisance for years, the smaller knurling center causes people to line up too close in the DL and it hardly grips your back at all, some of the even brand NEW bars have NO KNURLING. they say he found out thursday. The guys in the lighter . 4. Squat: 260kg/573.2lb(WR) At 198 he went 450-315-440 to win. Now, while I was there Mike Lambert of Powerlifting USA took the first picture of my hand and ran it in the January 1981 Issue the same issue that ran the results of the 80 worlds. Everyone knows that politics are stupid when it comes between a person and a hard earned accomplishment but if they let it stand then everyone will say "hey, what could have so-n-so done on a Texas Power bar instead of those whippy Ivankos?" I wonder how it would feel to have a 700+ pound bar slide down your back. How about a total of 2105 lb at 181lb body weight. Robert Harris That makes Booker about 62 percent stronger than Schwarzenegger was in his prime. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. Holy shit ! This was thursday--start making calls. Just what do I mean? Rogers post about changing the frequency of training seems to fit. He bench pressed well over 400, squatter more than 700 and deadlifted close to that. I hope this does not come true. A week later Mac and I were on a jet headed for Los Angeles. to the meet director - sorry this sounded so strong. I checked my watch and had three hours to sleep and make the flight. I doubt it, that's wishful thinking and USAPL is at fault. If he would choose to use the best gear of today, it would be crazy. If this is how the IPF treats their lifters it's no wonder that the WPC Eurasian Cup has 635 lifters pre- registered to lift! It wasn't as meteculous years ago when the USAPL was first cutting their teeth after becoming the IPF affiliate. Since the bar and collars must weight 25kg(55.115lbs) and the TPB and collars would weigh 56.023(25.4kg). only thing worse than being old is being an old fart. Mac's first meet was two months before this when he qualified to lift in Victorville. He said, "I will be in a minute." It's about $'s! 1981Mens Senior Nationals I drove it back over my head, I guess to keep it from tearing my pec worse, and to keep the bar from sinking in my chest. How are you doing Roger?! At 49 it was 2006 lbs. I can attest to that because I lifted in the Master's Nat's in Charlottesville, VA and along with a IPF Cat I ref, pointed out a number of infrations which where simply explained away. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Gaynor said lifters at the IPF event have been more likely to get around drug tests, take PEDs leading up to the competition or have a history of PED use. Modern powerlifters are some of the strongest people in history. I always had good results with squating and deadlifting once a week about 3 days apart each and benching once heavy and once light a week but am considering combining squat and deadlift day and only benching once a week with possibly a third day of arms and shoulders only. Mike broke his prior world record by 87 lb. Oh they won't have to erase the meet results, no. [quote=TheGymMuse] (365.5 kg). I saw the Gestapo in action first hand at the Master's Nationals and again today at a local meet. 1986 1st World Powerlifting Championship Just lift it! After the last time you would think they would be extra careful to see it didnt happen again. In 1983, the IPF began to test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In response to a question about how his training has changed as he has gotten older, powerlifting legend Mike Bridges answers that at 50 he still trains the same. Within the circuits of power lifting, Mike is known as The Legend. There's a big difference between exposure and mastery! I loved Mac Richards, but I never loved him as much as when he handed me that beer. Deadlift: 367.5kg/810lb, Full Article:George Hechters incredible weight loss, Doug Furnas (Birth date: december 11, 1959 Died march 2, 2012). Fred has held the squat record in several classes and he has squatted 1008lb at the Budweiser meet in 1986. Mike Bridges - Bridges was one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, competing in the 165 and 181 pound classes. Wow! By the time they could react, I had fallen off the bench and went to feel my eye where the bar hit. No excuses! check out the. I don't think I would even care if the IPF recognized it personally. 3 Star CrossFit. This means they have to use IPF-approved equipment on the platform. BUT, as a lifter at the meet who is not capable of setting world records, I was very happy when I learned that we would be using a Texas Power Bar. i'm over 40 and over the past years since i hit 40, i've actually stepped UP my sets and find i'm getting better results, doing my best even as i get older isn't a problem.. the one thing is to keep the challenges coming and step up to them, not think "oh i'm a master, maybe i shouldn't train so hard". Welcome to the club, Mike. Bodybuilding and physique-training provide exposure to the powerlifting exercises but not the technique. This. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. I heard from a reliable source that a lot of effort was made to remedy the situation but it was what it was. [quote=Anonymous] well yeah they were legal when they kept the sponsorship fee up. No excuses! I started training at Bob Matzs gym in Toledo, Ohio, with George Crawford and Milt McKenzie, but. TPB makers stood to gain by keeping the sponsorship fee up, after all, it's a BUSINESS.[/quote]. And Don Reinhoudt the SHW world champ. #1 mike bridges training style 05-07-2008, 02:14 AM ive read about mike bridges and his records. Against my good judgment I took it again. Just as we assume that every athlete in other drug-tested leagues isnt clean, we shouldnt here, either. It seems that Jordans powerlifting was gone, but good fortune would be his as he began to train horses and became Australias top horse trainer.Lou: You know all the greats and beat them all: Marv, Phillips, Roger Estep the list is too long. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. And I won the worlds. That all said, heres how the average lifters totals (squat, bench press, dead lift) at the competitions compare. We assumed that the manufacturer sent us the approved/correct bars. It took him three more hours to fix the other hands. The top of the pin stuck out about a quarter inch with a tiny loop that bent around. Its also important to note that competitions use different weight-class systems. We can still make new gains and new PR's well into our master careers but we have to listen to what our bodies are telling us more. I've never really changed anything. For more information, please see our Larry: Yes. John in a way is like the great Doug Young, but stronger. I lifted my hands up and that's when I saw it. I hope this does not come true. I opened with 540 very easy, then the 242 world record of 578. But just how much horsepower and torque do athletes gain? So as we got off the plane Paul was waiting for us to step off the plane. Bench: 280kg/617.29lb I went 760, 810, 832. I hope this does not come true. Sure, some bars are exactly the same but some payed a license fee to the IPF and some did not--they have a choice. George Hechter (Birth date: august 14, 1961). Harold put on a great meet. When we talk about how PEDs improve performance in sports e.g. Giant to appreciate his size. Rank. This time I lowered it a bit faster. Mike Bridges They keep raising the standard. Place Fed Date Location Competition Division Age Equip Class Weight Squat Bench Deadlift Total Dots; DQ: USAPL: 2010-03-05: USA-OH: Con-Cret Raw Challenge: MR-M: 53: Raw: 90 Dr Mike lives in st Louis and I know he has some. Everyone there knows you did your best to make the meet as perfect as it could be, in EVERY aspect. [quote=Jeff Fiss]Harold put on a great meet. I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. I weighed 150 pounds back then.Lou: When you moved to Dayton what was your occupation?