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2005/04/11, 08:58 PM
This article is intended to provide insight for the individual who is just starting out in powerlifting. Most of us begin our powerlifting career/hobby saying "I'll be happy when I can bench 400 lbs.", or "I'd be happy if I had a 600 lb. squat". We sit and admire and marvel at those who have accomplished what we believe to be unattainable lifts. "I'll never be able to do that", "you have to use drugs to get that strong", Bullshit!
10 yrs. ago a 1000 lb. squat was unheard of. A 760 lb. bench at 275 a 725 lb. bench at 267... who could accomplish such a feat?
People who have no mental limitations, people who don't allow themselves the luxury of excuses. I recently watched Sebastian Burns of the Metal Militia bench 725 lbs. at 267 with a broken ankle, he made one lift over 600 lbs., two lifts over 700 lbs. and attempted 765 that day, all with a broken ankle! What does this tell you? It tells me his mind is overwhelmingly stronger than his body.
I'll never forget the first time I saw a 1000 lb. squat. It was Mike Ruggerio of Westside Barbell. I stood in the hallway of York Barbell in total amazement that this man could put 1000 lbs. on his back, let alone squat it. Mike was able to accomplish this because no one told him he couldn't. I could continue to mention lifter after lifter who has accomplished incredible feats of strength or who have overcome physical barriers and still made it to the platform and kicked ass. What do all these guys have in common? They are mentally strong, they have an undying will, and NO limitations.
I'm sure you don't walk into Westside Barbell with a weak mind. I have never trained at Westside, but from what I've heard, don't bother showing up unless you plan on giving it your all.
I have recently started training with Bill Crawford and the members of the Metal Militia. My first training session with Bill was on July 6th of this year. Myself and about 20 other guys in the basement of the Adirondack Nautilus club in upstate NY. I was struggling with my denim bench shirt and was having trouble making the bar touch. I did my warm-up, put my shirt on and started with 500 lbs. I dropped the bar to about 3" from my chest and Bill screamed "do it again fast". Without thinking, I dropped the bar down again this time it touched he screamed again "do it again fast" so I did it again. I got up from the bench thinking to myself "Holy shit, I just pressed 500 lbs. 3 times... I've never done that". I had just found out what true intensity and no limitations really meant.
Bill knew I was strong enough to bench 500 lbs. for a triple, but I didn't. You can be the strongest guy on the planet, but if you don't believe you are you will be out-benched by a guy who weighs 50 lbs. less than you, and has a no limitations attitude.
The day after training with Bill and Sebastian I felt like I had been hit by a truck. The amount of work that gets done and the amount of weight that gets moved in a three hour period is incredible... no one stops lifting! The bar is always loaded, and the bench always has a lifter on it.
I came back to the gym with a new attitude; I was going to train for real. No more bullshit, no more standing around and talking between sets no more discussing the days events, or problems with the wives, I won't even answer the phone at the gym anymore while I'm training. I started training Militia style!
The guys I lift with were a little taken back by all this but they have started to adapt. We now lift harder and stronger than we ever did and we have all reaped the rewards. In 5 weeks my bench went from 585 to 655. We have 2 guys who bench over 600 lbs., 3 guys who bench over 500 lbs., and several at 400 lbs. One of our guys is 140 lbs. and benches 315! The majority of these guys are in there second year as powerlifters. We have all changed our training attitude and we no longer allow ourselves the luxury of "I can't".
Bill has been to our gym 3 times on training weekends. Every time he comes the intensity shoots up 50 points, and 17 out of 20 lifters will hit a PR. My point is, do not allow yourself to quit! Don't convince yourself that a weight is not attainable, you can be as strong as your mind will allow you to be.
When I started 2 years ago I had no idea what I was doing, so I surrounded myself with those who did. I tried everything, I used bands, I used chains, I tried several different methods and styles of training and I got something from all of them. I started calling people like Bill Crawford, Dave Tate, Louie Simmons, J.M. Blakely and John Bott. I asked their advice whenever I had a problem and they all where more then happy to help.
The best thing I ever did for myself and our team was to go to NY and start training with Bill. You can do the same thing if you are in your basement by yourself trying to powerlift. Get out, find a gym where you can train hard, go to training weekends at other gyms, call people and ask for their advice, train with people who are stronger than you and who motivate and encourage. Don't train with people who constantly criticize others, and who put others down. The Powerlifting community is filled with some really great people who love the sport, don't get me wrong it has its share of assholes just like anything else. Fortunately, the majority of the people are great and have a good attitude.
Remember one thing, there is no one way of training. No one has the secret set and rep scheme locked up and hidden in a vault. Powerlifting is hard, hard work! It involves alot of experimentation, and it's 90% mental attitude. Stick with it, and when you stop making progress change your routine and do what works for you, not what works for the guy next to you.
Be Strong...
Mike
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I am that
which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine
now and forever.No one holds command over me. No man. No god. I am ANIMAL! and that is enough.
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