to the meet director - sorry this sounded so strong. First of all, congratulations on a stellar performance that puts you IMO in the class with Inaba of Japan and other lifters who throw the gauntlet in the face of Father Time. fed ex, several people with bars in ATTENDANCE who could have had fed ex deliver them, there's NO EXCUSE in this day and age. [quote=Jack Marcus]I do not understand why the IPF is being bashed over this unfortunate incident. (365.5 kg). 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. Did champion power lifter Mike Bridges ever use anabolic - Quora HOWEVER, if you're the meet director and you're running an IPF qualifier with potential world records, YOU are responsible for making sure the bar is good. Rank. Just a few years before, powerlifters had been using PEDs in low doses to help their muscles recover; maybe they gained a bit of an edge, but it wasnt overtly noticeable. Training DVD's The 20kg TPB used to be approved by the IPF, until they didn't pay the licensing fee, so there are undoubtedly some IPF World record which have been set using a TPB. When we talk about how PEDs improve performance in sports e.g. Thats total that maybe one other lifter has approached. Powerlifting champion and Hall of Famer Mike Bridges has officially endorsed KT Tape as his choice for pain relief and muscle support. Video of Mike Bridges' Raw Challenge Squats. The great Mike Bridges spent years training three times per week, squatting twice, deadlifting once or twice, and benching two and sometimes three times within any week. How are you doing Roger?! USAPL, was it "modified rules" which were in effect this time? By this time I was pouring sweat and time was running out. This is the biggest USAPL meet of the year. Squat: 395kg/870lb Then he came and got me. Just lift it! To many, the author included, a case can be made for Bridges being among the best three lifters in the history of the sport. Squat: 410kg/903lb I came up with a wrestling singlet with legs, but somehow George Langas took the idea and sold them under the name Spanjam, which I distributed.Lou: You had a lot of lifters come stay with you such as Mike Bridges who you said was the strongest man under 200 pounds. So, even if drugs arent in an athletes system, he might be lifting heavier because he used PEDs a few years ago. While they were undoubtedly unbeatable, they were untested for the most part. One should not blame the IPF as they did not have any influence or a stake in this meet. After getting out of the Army I started to compete in and around Ohio. (course they also did drug tests on mike but odds are those won't be a problem). I recall weighing less after a meet back in those days. It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! Without a doubt, he wasthe greatest of the 275 pounders. They took me to Grandview Hospital where a doctor friend of the family met us. Why is it so hard? Then came the tragedy on the bench. It's a shame his feats aren't hailed about today. Dan is a poor bencher when it comes to fellows his weight, but he more than makes up for it in other two lifts. When we competed against each other I won 575 to 505. I doubt it, that's wishful thinking and USAPL is at fault. Steroids have been clearly shown to increase muscle mass, and theres a direct correlation between muscle cross-sectional area and the ability to produce force, said Brad Schoenfeld, an exercise scientist at the City University of New Yorks Lehman College. [/quote] The bar we used was 45lbs plus the collars. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. If you looked at Freds height (58) and consider what Fred has accomplished, its simply outrageous!!!! As a lifter who has done both USAPL and IPF meets, I suspect you will be denied your records as they both are inflexible and it's the rule book. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb, Lee Moran (Birth date: may 17, 1955 Died july 15, 1999). all of the sheiko guys seem to do well in these feds. Tell the lifters the truth and say sorry, we have a problem and cant do world records. the knurling is LOUSY, and some are even slippery for the deadlift. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. You know what I mean. Bridges trained all three of the power lifts in the same workout, three days a week. 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. LARRY PACIFICO "Mr. Powerlifting" set 54 world records in an 18-year career. Mike won the second most prestigious national powerlifting in 1977 when he won the Junior National Powerlifting Championships. Try Squatting with all that weight with a smooth middle! All Rights Reserved. What has Dan done for the game? Go ahead, it's okay. . People need to have a reality check, as if Harold thought ..hey, let me sabotage this meet and give them a non-approved bar. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. That's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard, did they not KNOW you need to use approved equipment? Within the circuits of power lifting, Mike is known as The Legend. The one thing that keeps Lee from the world record total is a poor deadlift. The problem was discovered on Thursday. 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. check out the. The bar used was the correct weight & configuration. Jons training lifts around 2300lb! Good luck to all of them. TPB makers stood to gain by keeping the sponsorship fee up, after all, it's a BUSINESS. Many powerlifters even on high level don't train more than 3-5 times a week. 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. Bridges. My boyfriend was in the area on Thursday afternoon when several referees told the Technical Sec that something was wrong with the bar and they were told it was OK, it was an old Ivenko Bar. well yeah they were legal when they kept the sponsorship fee up. I would think you would have everything ready to go at least a week out. 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. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. 1980 IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships But there is one man that comes to mind that was contested by the fact he could be beaten on a bad day if someone else had a great day. By the time they could react, I had fallen off the bench and went to feel my eye where the bar hit. USAPL, was it "modified rules" which were in effect this time? Mike MacDonald | Marty Gallagher - Starting Strength [/quote] Are world records going to be able to be broken there? [quote=An IPF member]I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. 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. When people talk about competitive weightlifting, theyre usually talking about Olympic lifts, which are the snatch and the clean and jerk. It was a great trip home. Hahahahah!!! Log in or register to post comments Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. Although he seldom works them, he has pressed 300lb from behind the neck and military pressed 325lb. The top of the pin stuck out about a quarter inch with a tiny loop that bent around. Where are my safety guys screaming about that? I hope this does not come true. they can replace usapl, remember? 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. So when we landed I told Mac that I needed to find a place to sleep. Ed was born in 1963 to a large loving family in the Chicago,Illinois suburb of Evergreen Park. Was I right! Mike Bridges - Bridges was one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, competing in the 165 and 181 pound classes. The fact that Teds total may have been low does not depreciate the astronomical effort he has left us with. Blood started flowing and I started to stand up, but I passed out and rolled back on the platform. In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. The point is the TPB is not approved and does not even meet all the requirements to be approved. Now that I know the whole story from Harold I feel bad about the situation and my earlier comments. 1984 Honolulu, Hawaii they're listed as pending cause someone turned in teh record forms and until ipf looks into this, they're pending. Well most know he won nine straight before making. Prior to any National meet, there is a meeting held by the Technical Secretary to ensure compliance to rules. The author and famed Mike Bridges are shown in a light moment at the 1982 World Powerlifting Championships in Munich. What happened? Men (65+) 2022 open 28th Worldwide. 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. Steroids split us into two federations. Over time, more groups broke off from both the USPF and drug-free federation, splintering the sport further. Since the bar and collars must weight 25kg(55.115lbs) and the TPB and collars would weigh 56.023(25.4kg). Mac's first meet was two months before this when he qualified to lift in Victorville. I ran to a restaurant and grabbed some napkins and ran to the gate just in time to board. Third, to the IPF, if you do take the records away, ask yourself why there are all these feds and why lifters are constantly jumping from fed to fed. ivanko bars suck. On October 4, 1980 I lifted at a meet in Dayton, Ohio that I promoted. 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. We did not know this in advance. I could not believe it Paul was calling my room and even trying to send girls to my room. Mike's lifts are pending on the IPF website. You had Mike Bridges who astonished the world with his absolute dominance and ground breaking lifts. It's about $'s! The movement standards of powerlifting competitions are going to be a significant challenge. To this day 37 years later, I don't know why I tried to bail out from that bar. if indeed he's been robbed before, then he's pretty tough for sticking in there and coming back. He has proved that you dont have to be a giant to do record poundages! For example, research published in the journal Sports Medicine found that steroids can increase an athletes strength by 5 to 20 percent. My total at around age 46 was just under 1700. George is to be feared, and why not , it isnt everyone who can squat 985 and total 2369lb. I felt good that morning and was ready to push it. Unless there became a cause to recognize a record. Mike Bridges Training - Starting Strength Now that is damning testimony if I have ever heard it. I checked my watch and had three hours to sleep and make the flight. The rule said small jump of 2.5 kg would nullify a third and that is how I lost the bid for my 10th world championship.Lou: Tell us about your most memorable world championship.Larry: That would be my first in 1971 against John Kanter. When we discovered the mistake we did the best we could and used the bar that was available. In 1983, the IPF began to test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Just what do I mean? [quote=Anonymous]And squating without center knurling??? It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! The 20kg TPB used to be approved by the IPF, until they didn't pay the licensing fee, so there are undoubtedly some IPF World record which have been set using a TPB. I like my ProKinetics and I recommend you try them! THEN AND NOW | Westside Barbell 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?" [/quote] why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. Love it. He started lifting at 58 and was that one-in-a-thousand who had that Special Super Strength. They were called Spanjam. I'm sure if anything does happen like records being reversed, the people who are invloved will only use this as motivation to exceed their previous lifts. I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. A prodigy of the great Larry Pacifico. I hope this does not come true. One would have to see the 325lb. Also known ad Dr. Squat. Haven't watched it yet, but fwiw Bridges benched 529 raw at 181, and Fred Hatfield called him probably the best pound-for-pound powerlifter of all time. A week later Mac and I flew to California. When you see him lifting over 500lb in the benchpress in such a smooth Continue How about dougs billing squat 985lb. USAPL Powerlifter Champion Mike Bridges Wins 5th Pan-Am - Benzinga At Na- tionals Bridges the bt . I dont drug test at Raw Unity for a couple reasons, said Eric Talmant, who organizes and competes in Raw Unity, an event considered by some to be the Super Bowl of American raw powerlifting. Michael Easter is an associate editor at Mens Health magazine. That number is even more amazing when you consider that at the 1968 German powerlifting championships, 176-pound Arnold Schwarzenegger squatted 460 pounds. The numbers from these competitions arent perfect; for example, the IPF just started hosting a raw championship,6 so there are only three years of comparable data. Lou: There were other super stars from England. And they'd be American records. its not the fault of the ipf, but the stuff up of the meet directors!!! Simply return it within 30 days for an exchange. They keep raising the standard. What did this meet director think? A man who can get into slick clothes and not sacrifice his size or strength. Bars don't grow on trees, what would you have done in this situation? I also know you were never cocky or arrogant, but totally confident and fun when I was around you. 6. Oh they won't have to erase the meet results, no. Mike, congrats on your lifting. Bridges came back to bench press and hit 440 pounds, good for ninth . Well, the bar didn't cooperate. I suddenly woke up startled and couldn't remember where I was. In 1956 in Minneapolis my buddies and I, Reps and sets ranged from 510 to 10-15 sets of lower reps, to the aforementioned 50-rep sets on some exercises,. Former IPF world record holder in the bench press from the USA Mike MacDonald, 69, died Tuesday, January 9th 2018 in Eveleth, Minnesota after a long illness. The next day I called Dr. Kunitz and he said to call my doctor. He trained with Don Cundy the first to make an 800 deadlift, and Jerry Gones who would wear a superhero suit at a meet and a wig. The events just bring in two different powerlifting cultures. IPF did not return requests for comment. he did this for 10 years and kept progressing but he's unreal. I slid under it and the bar hit me just over my left eye, tearing off half my eyebrow. I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. Mike's lifts are pending on the IPF website. Anyway, I digress. My friend Eric Stuber and the two side spotters couldn't even react in time. We assumed that the manufacturer sent us the approved/correct bars. way to go!!! History of Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Strength Training - Number 6 Several people in the area had Ivenko Bars--within 2oo miles I bet there were four available. Steroids also tend to decrease body fat. ive seen a little on his training also here it goes mon-squat, bench max weight squat- 8,5,5,3,2,1,1,1max partial squat- 1x1 bench- 8,5,5,3,2,1,1,1 max wed-squat,bench light, max deadlift squat-8,5,5,3,1,1 about 50-60% of max Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight. Squat: 405kg/892.87lb 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.. We did not know this in advance. barbell | 21K views, 632 likes, 8 loves, 38 comments, 118 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Old School Strength: Powerlifting legend Mike Bridges deadlifts ~617 lb in the 198 lb weight class. not screwing up in front of the WORLD. I didn't know exactly what they were but I knew there would be some kind of difference between the bars. Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. Mike Bridges - 512 lb Raw Bench @ 181 lbs (232.5 - YouTube George has spread his body weight from 242 pounds all the way to the high 300s. Harold, your meet was excellent!!!! Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb Tests are cost prohibitive. Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs / 82.5 kg) POWERLIFTING TOTAL 954.5 KG . He saved them all. Well, if you have ever lifted with an Eleiko or Leoko bar, they are similar to a Texas, so I would state this wouldn't be that big of a deal and a DL record set on a TPB vs. an Ivanko is arguably harder to hold on to and more distance traveled. (course they also did drug tests on mike but odds are those won't be a problem). Bench: 280kg/617.29lb Guys felt like they had to take them to stay competitive, and that became problematic, Gaynor said. I called him and he got me in and said it might never straighten out again. Bob Matz would judge meets and was down right scary to look at. I think it'd be more like shooting the jockey because he was wearing the wrong silks lol! 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. 3 Star CrossFit. 7. The Best Powerlifting Workouts for Maximum Gains in Minimal Time Its 2016 and this year marks the end of my first 50 years in powerlifting. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. they say he found out thursday. [/quote] Copyright 2023 elitefts. [/quote] Louie Simmons How about a total of 2105 lb at 181lb body weight. The place was cheering wildly for me to take again. why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. They called Mel the king of the bench press. Gerlof Holkema 4.4K subscribers Subscribe 4.1K views 2 years ago Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs /. 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. Ken Lain DVD's. Tape 1 - Add 50 to 75 lbs To Your Bench Press. But when Bridges took the stage later that year at the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) championships in Gotenborg, Sweden, and fired off the three lifts, his typical strength wasnt there. George Hechter (Birth date: august 14, 1961). I had plenty of ice packed around my hand. But, when you're not doing this program, feel free to use varying rep ranges if you feel you can handle it. Size didnt mean anything to him. anyway, im in agreement with most everyone here, that is, there is no way any record should be taken away because of this. Dr. Fred Hatfield (october 21, 1942 Died may 14, 2017). Mike Bridges indeed used anabolic/androgenic steroids (along with everybody else) to amass his several world record squats and totals in the IPF. Modern powerlifters are some of the strongest people in history. In fact, the folks in Missouri have always done a great job. Those of you out there who knew Mac Richards know exactly what I mean when I say he was a great guy, great lifter, and a best friend to us all. $29.95. And your team Power Elite with your lifters including Topsogov Studer.Larry: We had a great team back then and I will always look back to the early days without so much politics. Whats more, nearly every powerlifter who competed at the U.S. competition and went on to the IPF event saw a significant drop.2. What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs Powerlifting had one federation, one national champion, Gaynor said. Cookie Notice All times are GMT-5. Wow! Our flight out of LA was fine. 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. True, Jack. NO ONE HAD THE RIGHT BARS!! The Hall of Fame began with just male lifters and officials, but started including female lifters since 1987. . Fantastic story. also what do you guys think about this every monday he would max out on bench/squat and max out on deads every wednesday. your body doesn't suddenly break down cause you broke the 40 yo barrier. Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. So, as a powerlifter, if you stay in the same weight class but you lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle, you can be tremendously stronger, because fat doesnt help you lift weight. [/quote] The rule states only official approved bars can be used for the setting of world records. I never saw such a lifting machine. That might not seem like much, but because these guys lift so much, it translates to between 30 and 344 pounds. that is bullshit. I'm fine Jesse! Benchpress: 265kg/584lb 1983Mens Senior Nationals He bench pressed well over 400, squatter more than 700 and deadlifted close to that. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. Mike was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. 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. Welcome to the club, Mike. I envied Larry for having such good training partners and a coach like Bob Matz. Everything at this meet was ran by the guys in the uniforms! I wore my ProKinetics Insoles to my first competition at the 2009 Pan American Games and I beat my previous world record in squat by 87 pounds. . Best Lifts: ERNIE FRANTZ A pioneer in the sport, Frantz squatted 821 at age 64. A meet with the quality of lifters, albeit the lack of numbers it has previously enjoyed, SHOULD have been prepared to entertain world record attempts. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. The call to drug-test powerlifters had been gaining momentum in the sport since the mid-1970s. Mike's best official lift was 608 made in 1977. I loved Mac Richards, but I never loved him as much as when he handed me that beer. Who cares what brand of bar it was loaded on?! We looked at the numbers in three of the biggest competitions: Raw Unity, USAPLs Raw National Powerlifting Championship (Raw Nationals) and the IPFs Classic Powerlifting World Championships (Classic Worlds). At 198 he went 450-315-440 to win. 1980 IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships. I can honestly say 848 would have gone up. My training poundage started climbing again and I felt more and more like busting it in the gym again. Absolute stupidity. Fred has held the squat record in several classes and he has squatted 1008lb at the Budweiser meet in 1986. some even fresh from factory seem unduly "slick"! And Don Reinhoudt the SHW world champ. I was a gymnast in New York where I grew up. 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. Here's my finger today. So I wiped the blood off with my coat and pushed the pin back down my finger.