Hall of Fame level powerlifter

[Bigpuller804]

I’ll answer what questions I can. I’m very knowledgeable about the history of the sport. As in the REAL history. Did you know

Only one powerlifter has EVER held all 4 records in the IPF. Which to me. Along with being undefeated. His deadlift records still in tact (check bodyweight folks and to be fair he did it in a 3 lift show with a 2 hour weigh in with the same bar for all 3 lifts. Like Coans 2401. Done sans shirt! Walked out squat. They weigh the plates after. He pulled 89&. It weighed out to 901. Nobody has come even close. I won’t even listen to the technology debate. Do the 2 hour weigh in and can the dL bar. He weighed 215. No shirt. Gant no shirt) All things being equal Gant is on par with Coan. Period. Makes him the best lightweight ever and must be spoken with Coan as best ever. Whom knew he set world records in the squat and bench before he ever set a deadlift record? So much for genetic freak eh?
Semper Fidelis

Best bencher ever?
It’s too easy yet without using the web I’m doubtful anyone gets it. Shit I hope there’s old school here. I do!

 

[Beti ona]

Who is Gant?

I would like to add something but I am not so knowledgeable to do it.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Who is Gant?

I would like to add something but I am not so knowledgeable to do it.

Lamar Gant. Had scoliosis and was quite the success story in the 80's. You don't hear his name that much these days.

 

[rhinomight]

Why did Scott "Hoss" Cartwright leave Mark Bell's crew? It seems a lot of people have stopped associating with Mark: Hoss, Jim and Silent Mike.

 

[dantes]

Regarding Mark bell.
When I lived in Sacramento some local powerlifter s who had trained at his gym said he could be a major dickhead. My good friend who trained there a couple times said he was pretty cool though. Maybe he just rubs some people the wrong way.

 

[Nextlevel]

Heard from many he’s a prick but he invited me to dinner and into his own household after knowing me not even an hour. This was 4 years ago, so things may have changed.

 

[Nextlevel]

As far as best bencher ever? You gotta be looking at Julius Maddox closing in on 800 raw...

 

[Bigpuller804]

Best bencher raw. Now? Absolutely. All time. No. It SORT of goes back to MJ vs Lebron. Rules. Competition. Variables. Mike McDonald will ALWAYS be the best bencher ever UNLESS someone duplicates what he did. Nothing is impossible but how about 99.99999%? He held ALL TIME WRS. In FIVE classes. At the SAME TIME. Including 603@230. He had the body of a stamp collector. As in you’d never imagine he was unbeatable. Factor in TRULY RAW. With stricter judging than now. If you can find rare footage from that era they pause it almost a half second longer routinely. Zero head movement. Feet flat and motionless. His elbow angle would result in pec tears for many including me. I tore BOTH and continued my deadlift career. I speak from experience. That’s why the argument on then vs now in powerlifting truly makes my argument unbeatable. Because I’m not dissing technology. But unlike better golf clubs. Racquets. Drugs. Supps. You can’t dismiss something like eliminating the walkout in a squat as tech. It doesn’t hold water. It changes the actual lift itself. Unlike tech. So if someone wants to beat Coan. Gant. At the very least mimic just the basics. 2 hour weigh ins. WORLD judges. Not your gym owner. People from other countries. No bench shirt. Regular bar. Same bar for all 3 lifts. Done at a show again with world card holding judges. You want to truly outlift either? Walkout your squats. Weigh in just before you lift. Take your shirt off. And use a standard bar for all lifts. Gangs records were always done in a foreign country. All his best. After squatting and benching WR level weights. So I’ll toss that out. Just pull but adhere to the rest. Weigh in then pull. With a regular bar. Neither of his records will be touched. It’s a weak ass argument to say a monolift and DL bar should be allowed because of tech. Bullshit. It’s a completely different lift. I pulled the USPF single lift DL American record at Coans last show. I was really there just to help him and witness history. But if you’re there you might as well lift. I lifted well after Eddy. Well my friend Kirk Karwoski was handling me. I did a 6 week peak before the show. Nothing fancy. Regular grip. Conventional. So the Captain tells the MC “Pay attention folks. He’s going to use the hook grip...,”. WTF bro? Really? I love Kirk. If you know him that’s him. He’s always joking. So I hooked it. I believe I went 3/3. It’s the only time I remember having to watch FIVE lifters in a row try to beat my 3rd. They all failed. I don’t remember the weight. 738? I weighed around 230. We partied really hard in Vegas that night. Eddy doesn’t drink. Kirk? Does what he wants. He double 1000 in training. It’s on his video set. He squatted 1003@242. DEEP. Eddy is the only lifter I’ve seen besides him that you knew if he stood up it’s 3 whites. He must have been 2” below parallel. AFTER WALKING IT OUT. Yes it’s more dangerous blah blah blah. I bet 90% of those reading this have never even used a monolift. It’s a different movement. If you get a chance try it. I respect all arguments. But not factoring in the obvious isn’t even worth arguing. Oh and YES I’ve never set a meaningful pull on a standard bar. Just as a teenager. 470@148 at 16. But it doesn’t make me a hippocrit. I’m not in Gants or Coans league. But I am very knowledgeable about my sport and have either trained with or been blessed to have learned from the best ever. That’s a fact. And I’m truly blessed. I’m a Christian man and I give Jesus the glory. I’ll eventually start writing for the mags again. My service connected injuries have caught up to me. More than I ever imagined. Thing is I’m far from alone when I say I’d do it again. Knowing I shaved 25 years off my life. So please if nothing else. Next time you’re in Walmart. You see the bearded man with the Vietnam hat with dozens of pins. People stare. Whisper. Label him an alcoholic. Jobless. In fact none is true. He’s more proud of his service than anything else. And he spends every moment missing his brothers. He honors each battle. Mission or brother by a pin. Vest. Hat. Thank him. He looks angry because he is. They see left wingers grab their kids. Stay away from that man. Well without that man you’re job. You’re wife. You’re 2.5 kids and your freedom to disrespect him DONT even exist. Thank that man. I had the honor of serving with the last active duty Nam vets. I’d often learn life lessons in one walk down a hallway at “The big stop sign”. Those cowards tried to eliminate. Without them there’s no chance I had the blessing of serving. Thank them. Yes I hijacked my own thread. But it’s more important than the rest.

Semper Fidelis
Undefeated since 1775
The worlds finest.
The USMC
OORAH!

 

[rhinomight]

Wow that was a great write-up. I feel the passion. Solid stuff, man.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Best bencher raw. Now? Absolutely. All time. No. It SORT of goes back to MJ vs Lebron. Rules. Competition. Variables. Mike McDonald will ALWAYS be the best bencher ever UNLESS someone duplicates what he did. Nothing is impossible but how about 99.99999%? He held ALL TIME WRS. In FIVE classes. At the SAME TIME. Including 603@230. He had the body of a stamp collector. As in you’d never imagine he was unbeatable. Factor in TRULY RAW. With stricter judging than now. If you can find rare footage from that era they pause it almost a half second longer routinely. Zero head movement. Feet flat and motionless. His elbow angle would result in pec tears for many including me. I tore BOTH and continued my deadlift career. I speak from experience. That’s why the argument on then vs now in powerlifting truly makes my argument unbeatable. Because I’m not dissing technology. But unlike better golf clubs. Racquets. Drugs. Supps. You can’t dismiss something like eliminating the walkout in a squat as tech. It doesn’t hold water. It changes the actual lift itself. Unlike tech. So if someone wants to beat Coan. Gant. At the very least mimic just the basics. 2 hour weigh ins. WORLD judges. Not your gym owner. People from other countries. No bench shirt. Regular bar. Same bar for all 3 lifts. Done at a show again with world card holding judges. You want to truly outlift either? Walkout your squats. Weigh in just before you lift. Take your shirt off. And use a standard bar for all lifts. Gangs records were always done in a foreign country. All his best. After squatting and benching WR level weights. So I’ll toss that out. Just pull but adhere to the rest. Weigh in then pull. With a regular bar. Neither of his records will be touched. It’s a weak ass argument to say a monolift and DL bar should be allowed because of tech. Bullshit. It’s a completely different lift. I pulled the USPF single lift DL American record at Coans last show. I was really there just to help him and witness history. But if you’re there you might as well lift. I lifted well after Eddy. Well my friend Kirk Karwoski was handling me. I did a 6 week peak before the show. Nothing fancy. Regular grip. Conventional. So the Captain tells the MC “Pay attention folks. He’s going to use the hook grip...,”. WTF bro? Really? I love Kirk. If you know him that’s him. He’s always joking. So I hooked it. I believe I went 3/3. It’s the only time I remember having to watch FIVE lifters in a row try to beat my 3rd. They all failed. I don’t remember the weight. 738? I weighed around 230. We partied really hard in Vegas that night. Eddy doesn’t drink. Kirk? Does what he wants. He double 1000 in training. It’s on his video set. He squatted 1003@242. DEEP. Eddy is the only lifter I’ve seen besides him that you knew if he stood up it’s 3 whites. He must have been 2” below parallel. AFTER WALKING IT OUT. Yes it’s more dangerous blah blah blah. I bet 90% of those reading this have never even used a monolift. It’s a different movement. If you get a chance try it. I respect all arguments. But not factoring in the obvious isn’t even worth arguing. Oh and YES I’ve never set a meaningful pull on a standard bar. Just as a teenager. 470@148 at 16. But it doesn’t make me a hippocrit. I’m not in Gants or Coans league. But I am very knowledgeable about my sport and have either trained with or been blessed to have learned from the best ever. That’s a fact. And I’m truly blessed. I’m a Christian man and I give Jesus the glory. I’ll eventually start writing for the mags again. My service connected injuries have caught up to me. More than I ever imagined. Thing is I’m far from alone when I say I’d do it again. Knowing I shaved 25 years off my life. So please if nothing else. Next time you’re in Walmart. You see the bearded man with the Vietnam hat with dozens of pins. People stare. Whisper. Label him an alcoholic. Jobless. In fact none is true. He’s more proud of his service than anything else. And he spends every moment missing his brothers. He honors each battle. Mission or brother by a pin. Vest. Hat. Thank him. He looks angry because he is. They see left wingers grab their kids. Stay away from that man. Well without that man you’re job. You’re wife. You’re 2.5 kids and your freedom to disrespect him DONT even exist. Thank that man. I had the honor of serving with the last active duty Nam vets. I’d often learn life lessons in one walk down a hallway at “The big stop sign”. Those cowards tried to eliminate. Without them there’s no chance I had the blessing of serving. Thank them. Yes I hijacked my own thread. But it’s more important than the rest.

Semper Fidelis
Undefeated since 1775
The worlds finest.
The USMC
OORAH!

thank you for your service.

you guys partied the night before the event or did you mean after you competed? How do you feel about Rick Weir? where does he rank up there in terms of the greatest benchers ever? here's an odd question but i'll ask anyway; what was the strongest incline press you ever witnessed? do you think they're useful for raw benchers?

 

[Bigpuller804]

thank you for your service.

you guys partied the night before the event or did you mean after you competed? How do you feel about Rick Weir? where does he rank up there in terms of the greatest benchers ever? here's an odd question but i'll ask anyway; what was the strongest incline press you ever witnessed? do you think they're useful for raw benchers?

Hey bro sorry for the late response. Partying at the AC was always after the Sat night show. Titus threw the party and I believe more often than not WASNT competing. The writer for Ironman really WAS there. For obvious reasons he toned down what he wrote yet nerds online accused him of exaggerating lol. It was a gigantic meat market. It wasn’t a question of getting laid. If you were ANYONE it was just a question of who and or how many.
Rick Weil is a fucking LEGEND. He’d train an entire 16 weeker at at least 180-185! As high as 190. Back then you had to do all 3 for a WR. He squatted in the 600s. With an antiquated super suit and wraps. Comparable to just wraps today. Remember. 2 hour weigh ins and he walked out his squats. He benched FLAT BACK 24” grip! Maybe 25” at most. Well inside the rings. Officially the SECOND 3xbwt bench EVER. 490@165. His diet is something only he could do. I forgot exactly but at least 3-4 weeks out he called it The Kook Aid Diet. He’d drink big ass amounts of red kool aid. And just supper. Like a few ounces of meat. Small potato and veggie. Because he wanted to eat with his FAMILY. Nowadays many forget the concept. I remember his workouts being FIVES. He said he even chewed his food five times lol. As with most of the best PLers. He’d never do over 2 top sets. He benched once a week. Numerous weeks of fives until 4 out. He relied on HEAVY dips. I recall him doing 5. Maybe even 6 wheels. For 5. Again I believe 2 top sets. Maybe 1 more light. I don’t recall him doing military press. His bench was 90% triceps. No leg drive. History never remembers that he was the heaviest man to bench 3xbwt at that time. Bradley was 132. Weils record must have stood over 20 years. A good buddy of mine broke it and FAIRLY. Joe Mazza. Very few have held all time records raw and geared. I’d have to really think of another? Joe did. For years. Both just legends. But Weil is the GOAT 165. Incline to increase bench? 100%. I remember training with a guy who’s first meet benched 700 and change. RAW. Now he preferred DBS. Many of the best do it right after bench. Like Coan. I recommend doing the same. With competition grip. 2x5. Cycle it with the bench. A trick I learned from Eddy. Cycle your main assistance work. And sets of 5 are the pillar of your base. Kaz. Coan. Weil. Kirk. Kuc liked 3s but 3 sets. 9 reps vs 2x5 10 reps. See the consistency? Time under tension. Progressive overload was. Is. And always will be king. Despite these add 100 lbs in 8 weeks bullshit. 5 rep sets. Each lift once a week. Pull only 2-3 times a month. I wrote an article called INCREASE YOUR BENCH WITHOUT BENCHING. As a joke. Because of the article INCREASE YOUR PULL WITHOUT PULLING. Do you think Jordan’s baseball career helped his game? Fuck no. If you want to be good at something do it! That article was for lazy asses looking for a reason not to pull. If you’re injured I get it. I didn’t receive ONE bad comment. Just like STRAPS ARE FOR SISSIES. Unless injured. If you can’t grip it. Fix your grip. Or don’t lift it. It pisses me off that seemingly everyone thinks the top 10 strongmen could just stroll to a pl show and break the WR pull. BULLSHIT! Prove it. “He pulled 1100 with straps he can pull at least 950 without “. BULLSHIT. Now Zvickus could yank 9. NP. But you cannot assume. It begins with ASS. They freaking HITCH. Truth is NONE of the top 5 strongmen have ever pulled 900 in a show. I doubt 850. So if it’s so easy. Just do it!

Semper Fi. 8th and I
Remember the 22!

 

[lookslikesausage]

Hey bro sorry for the late response. Partying at the AC was always after the Sat night show. Titus threw the party and I believe more often than not WASNT competing. The writer for Ironman really WAS there. For obvious reasons he toned down what he wrote yet nerds online accused him of exaggerating lol. It was a gigantic meat market. It wasn’t a question of getting laid. If you were ANYONE it was just a question of who and or how many.
Rick Weil is a fucking LEGEND. He’d train an entire 16 weeker at at least 180-185! As high as 190. Back then you had to do all 3 for a WR. He squatted in the 600s. With an antiquated super suit and wraps. Comparable to just wraps today. Remember. 2 hour weigh ins and he walked out his squats. He benched FLAT BACK 24” grip! Maybe 25” at most. Well inside the rings. Officially the SECOND 3xbwt bench EVER. 490@165. His diet is something only he could do. I forgot exactly but at least 3-4 weeks out he called it The Kook Aid Diet. He’d drink big ass amounts of red kool aid. And just supper. Like a few ounces of meat. Small potato and veggie. Because he wanted to eat with his FAMILY. Nowadays many forget the concept. I remember his workouts being FIVES. He said he even chewed his food five times lol. As with most of the best PLers. He’d never do over 2 top sets. He benched once a week. Numerous weeks of fives until 4 out. He relied on HEAVY dips. I recall him doing 5. Maybe even 6 wheels. For 5. Again I believe 2 top sets. Maybe 1 more light. I don’t recall him doing military press. His bench was 90% triceps. No leg drive. History never remembers that he was the heaviest man to bench 3xbwt at that time. Bradley was 132. Weils record must have stood over 20 years. A good buddy of mine broke it and FAIRLY. Joe Mazza. Very few have held all time records raw and geared. I’d have to really think of another? Joe did. For years. Both just legends. But Weil is the GOAT 165. Incline to increase bench? 100%. I remember training with a guy who’s first meet benched 700 and change. RAW. Now he preferred DBS. Many of the best do it right after bench. Like Coan. I recommend doing the same. With competition grip. 2x5. Cycle it with the bench. A trick I learned from Eddy. Cycle your main assistance work. And sets of 5 are the pillar of your base. Kaz. Coan. Weil. Kirk. Kuc liked 3s but 3 sets. 9 reps vs 2x5 10 reps. See the consistency? Time under tension. Progressive overload was. Is. And always will be king. Despite these add 100 lbs in 8 weeks bullshit. 5 rep sets. Each lift once a week. Pull only 2-3 times a month. I wrote an article called INCREASE YOUR BENCH WITHOUT BENCHING. As a joke. Because of the article INCREASE YOUR PULL WITHOUT PULLING. Do you think Jordan’s baseball career helped his game? Fuck no. If you want to be good at something do it! That article was for lazy asses looking for a reason not to pull. If you’re injured I get it. I didn’t receive ONE bad comment. Just like STRAPS ARE FOR SISSIES. Unless injured. If you can’t grip it. Fix your grip. Or don’t lift it. It pisses me off that seemingly everyone thinks the top 10 strongmen could just stroll to a pl show and break the WR pull. BULLSHIT! Prove it. “He pulled 1100 with straps he can pull at least 950 without “. BULLSHIT. Now Zvickus could yank 9. NP. But you cannot assume. It begins with ASS. They freaking HITCH. Truth is NONE of the top 5 strongmen have ever pulled 900 in a show. I doubt 850. So if it’s so easy. Just do it!

Semper Fi. 8th and I
Remember the 22!

awesome post! thank you. love hearing about the old school PLers. The Jim Cashes, Roger Esteps, Weir, Mike M. (the Stamp Collector LOL), Gant, Capt. Kirk, Ernie F., Doug Young, Pacifico, Dennis The Duck, etc....these guys were something else. It'd be something to be a fly on the wall and see them train. Please continue with more stories about the old school guys. They almost were characters in and outside of the gym from what i've seen and read.

Remember Dave Waterman (RIP)? That was the guy people freaked out over when i was in high school and he was one of the few guys (him and A. Clark) who kicking ass in the bench but weren't Westside guys. So anyway, ...what was biggest incline bench you saw? What was the most impressive incline that you saw for reps?

 

[tornquad201]

A 700 -800-900 LB squat back then was more impressive then the 1000 LB squats today . considering most used old marathon suits and goldline wraps that usually were used every week during training and walked out every squat .

 

[Bigpuller804]

awesome post! thank you. love hearing about the old school PLers. The Jim Cashes, Roger Esteps, Weir, Mike M. (the Stamp Collector LOL), Gant, Capt. Kirk, Ernie F., Doug Young, Pacifico, Dennis The Duck, etc....these guys were something else. It'd be something to be a fly on the wall and see them train. Please continue with more stories about the old school guys. They almost were characters in and outside of the gym from what i've seen and read.

Remember Dave Waterman (RIP)? That was the guy people freaked out over when i was in high school and he was one of the few guys (him and A. Clark) who kicking ass in the bench but weren't Westside guys. So anyway, ...what was biggest incline bench you saw? What was the most impressive incline that you saw for reps?

I won best deadlifter, separate part of the show, at one of the first pro bench meets ever. It may have been the first. It was way up in Maine. Waterman won. I believe he did 584? At 198. I cannot remember if he went on to do 600 and too lazy to research it. He was huge for a 98er. His wife or GF was hot. No disrespect. I didn’t know he passed. He’d be 55 max. He had huge ripped quads too. He looked and trained like a bodybuilder. I thought it was rather ghay to wear spandex leotards at a PL show but he won 5k so you can wear what you want. Biggest incline? I heard Anthony Clark could do reps in the 600’s. I know Kaz pumped out 12 will 505 routinely. He told me “I train like I’m a piston. I get faster. Harder. Every rep”. I’m telling you guys with zero doubt. ALL THINGS EQUAL KAZ IN HIS PRIME IS THE STRONGEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED. He destroyed the competition. He told me to my face. Eye to eye. I’m the strongest man that’s ever lived. I laughed. Nervously. He just said it again. I believed him then now forever.
Incline BB. 2 top sets. 5 reps. Done at THIRTY DEGREES!
Followed by fingers just beyond smooth part. Tucked elbows 2x5. Find your percentage. Usually 10-17% less than your bench. Actually its
Bench 2x5
Close 2x5
Low incline 2x5
Heavy dips 2x5. 1 BWT max
Ez bar SKULLCRUSH behind head
2x5
Heavy push downs 2x5
Do the max dips here
Don’t increase weight unless both sets of 5 are clean. Start 20lbs under CURRENT best 1x5
Wait two days
Strict front press 2x5
Side raise heavy 2x5 1x10 strict
Push downs 2x7
Ohead ropes 2x7
Hammer curls both days 3x7
6 sets biceps each day.
once you get down to 1x5 on bench two weeks in a row
Drop 20%. 3x3 light

then drop the 5 set 10-20
2x3 on all heavy compound lifts
CYCLE ASSISTANCE WITH THE MAIN LIFT! The best advice Eddy ever gave me. 5s are the pillar to build success. Dont forget about Jon Kuc! Top 3-4 puller ever. That man trained HARD. Back then “My CNS is fried” would have gotten you kicked out.

you can train heavy
Or long
Never long and heavy
Semper Fidelis
Real men STAND!

 

[Bigpuller804]

CHECK THAT
Waterman was 181!! He looked 220. He’d cut shitloads of weight.