Bars don't grow on trees, what would you have done in this situation? 3 Star CrossFit. Mike Bridges indeed used anabolic/androgenic steroids (along with everybody else) to amass his several world record squats and totals in the IPF. 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. And then one day it was over.Larry: Yes I have had 16 surgeries from powerlifting including one freak accident when I almost cut my fingers off when I dropped a bar on myself.Lou: I know you were one of the first to sell power knee wraps and suits.Larry: Yes. Size didnt mean anything to him. Multiple World Champion Weight Lifter 123-pound squat data was a dwarf and indeed hoisted 639 pounds. 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. I stayed there for three days. 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. Week 7: 4 x 4 (55% of 1-RM) Week 8: Deload (50% of 1-RM) Week 9: 4 x 3 (75% of 1-RM) Week 10: 3 x 2 (90% OF 1-RM) This is a basic program to allow you to progress quickly. And at 51 I expect to take it even higher next week at the APF Georgia. When joining the IPF the USAPL agreed to follow the rules in place, not some of them or just the ones we like etc. It was the first issue where my name wasn't there for the first time in 10 years. A prodigy of the great Larry Pacifico. If you are a world class lifter, you are a world class lifter in any fed. 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. this meet director, the ipf (USAPL) refs who inspected the platform and weights, and the USAPL EC members present, tech sec, all of these should be held directly responsible for what was discovered thursday and they did not work to correct. LOL! Mac's first meet was two months before this when he qualified to lift in Victorville. [quote=Jeff Fiss]Harold put on a great meet. Bridges came back to bench press and hit 440 pounds, good for ninth . .4kg is way over the allowed variance of weight. I was married three times.Lou: How many world records did you break in your illustrious career?Larry: 54Lou: I know you had rivals along the way. What gives? It was a beautiful day to drive, but once we got 50 miles away, Mac said we needed to pull over. Thats total that maybe one other lifter has approached. 3. dont lie to everyone who questioned the bar and keep insisting it was an old Ivenko bar. Squat: 405kg/892.87lb It is said the that the road of good intentions a paved with, Mike was the superlative powerlifter. Come on, guys.Mike LIFTED the f***ing weight! Hes laid down a base of muscle that doesnt just dry up when the drugs do. Giant to appreciate his size. 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. Mike's. Author: Staff. Jim way to go!!! I checked the rules on the USAPL site and they just referenced the IPF rules. Mike Bridges - Bridges was one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, competing in the 165 and 181 pound classes. 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. Oh they won't have to erase the meet results, no. I guess better an old fart than an old tu*d! John has totaled just around 2300! $29.95. How is this the USAPL shooting themselves in the foot? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I re-vamped my training to train every area only once a week. 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. It can be said that in a way he is a carbon copy of Ed coan. Wow. 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. After the last time you would think they would be extra careful to see it didnt happen again. Show me where the IPF as said anything? What did this meet director think? 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. some even fresh from factory seem unduly "slick"! I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. 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. Putt Houston. now with more Bom Chicka Wahwahhhhhh, http://usapowerliftingforum.com/cgi-bin/config.pl?read=12709. so yes, some records were set with tpb. Orders shipped out within 1 - 5 business days. All who made the world team will still make the world team, all the totals are official. Fantastic story. They took me to Grandview Hospital where a doctor friend of the family met us. Mike's best official lift was 608 made in 1977. It is sad and pathetic that people have to jump on board and bash someone who has busted their butt to pull off one of the best meets. That being said, steroids, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), clenbuterol and other banned substances dont make an athlete more skilled at his sport they amplify skills he already has. How are you doing Roger?! 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. In powerlifting, competitors vie to lift the heaviest weight possible for one rep. 1986 1st World Powerlifting Championship Everything at this meet was ran by the guys in the uniforms! No excuses! 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. 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. I heard from a reliable source that a lot of effort was made to remedy the situation but it was what it was. Several people in the area had Ivenko Bars--within 2oo miles I bet there were four available. And in Daytona, Ohio, eight weeks later he made a 590-pound bench press at 228 bodyweight. Also known ad Dr. Squat. I like my ProKinetics and I recommend you try them! 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. 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. Larry: We had a great team back then and I will always look back to the early days without so much politics. So, even if drugs arent in an athletes system, he might be lifting heavier because he used PEDs a few years ago. Ron Collins who would mostly lift at 181 and you were mostly a 198 and there was a lot of talk of a match between you.Larry: Yes, it would be at 198, but never happened.Lou: You won nine worlds starting in 1971, it ended at Wisconsin in 1980. it's not just Mike's!) (BUT he's not alone, there will be some very angry WOMEN TOO on this! How many more times will you shoot yourself in the foot? This accident took maybe a second and a half. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. I have three kids: Jimmy who works with me at Pacifico Power, Pat who lives in Coco Beach, and daughter Theresa Nelson. They were called Spanjam. [quote=Anonymous]And squating without center knurling??? Quite simple and clear. This was the best meet I've been to everything was done possible to make this the best meet for lifters and judges also for whoever came to the Meet! I opened with 540 very easy, then the 242 world record of 578. (365.5 kg). 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. In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. My training put me at 835-580-800-2215. I would hear it from him every meet when he told me if I did not get a better bench I would never win at nationals. To many, the author included, a case can be made for Bridges being among the best three lifters in the history of the sport. 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.. 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. Bridges. But just how much horsepower and torque do athletes gain? It is one thing to beat someone by all those he beat, so we want to remember him too. They had time to get another bar!!! 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. they had TIME TO FIX THIS. Privacy Policy. 600lb bench and a deadlift of 815 for a world record total of 2400 pounds. Bridges' squat of 711 pounds, bench of 512 pounds, and total of 1,896 pounds are all new 198 class World Records. screw it. [quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. How To Get The Most Out of Your Westside Bands, I met him in my first power meet in the summer of 1966. So as we got off the plane Paul was waiting for us to step off the plane. Thu Oct 13, 2016. MIKE BRIDGES As a 50-year-old, set records in the squat and bench press. The best in the sport can, with perfect form, hoist more than a few times their bodyweight in iron. Rank. Actually, I've worked at keeping everything the same since it worked before and seems to be working OK now as well. [quote=Harold Gaines]I was the Meet Director for this event and I would like to put to rest this issue (if possible). Way to go meet directors! How about a man who can squat 892.9lb; bench press around 580lb and deadlift in the 800s. Michael. [/quote] I don't fault the meet director. Everyone there knows you did your best to make the meet as perfect as it could be, in EVERY aspect. I flew back to Louisville every other week for two months. Note: During the BFCM sales period all sales are final.Thus, no returns will accepted. . It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! It is the one meet I would EXPECT to see someone do a good record break! When they had reattached my finger weeks earlier, they put a long pin through the top of the finger. Yeah he was right. I'm doing good, Buddy, how have you been? If this is your first visit, be sure to @Michael_Easter, Steroids (6 posts) Benchpress: 265kg/584lb 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. My first personal observation of Mike was at the Heart Of America Powerlifting Contest, an annual event hosted by St. Louis gym owner and bodybuilder George Turner. Most will remember the latest and greatest like Hoff, Frankel, Conan and Bridges. 1984 Honolulu, Hawaii It was a great trip home. The distinction between the groups histories with strength-enhancing drugs is important because these drugs dont just flush out completely they can leave a lasting impact. I suddenly woke up startled and couldn't remember where I was. C'mon. Dan, like Ed and Fred Hatfield, has proven that the little man is in! Where are my safety guys screaming about that? I invited several well-known lifters of that time: the great Mike Bridges, Terry Dillard, Dave Waddington, Steve Wilson, and Mark Chaillet. Something like this should never have been overlookedEVER ! The bar used was the correct weight & configuration. Nothing worked. Mike Bridges, age 50, captured multiple IPF Master's 2 (50+) World Records last weekend at the USAPL Men's Nationals. Many years ago, Mike Bridges was one of the reasons I started powerlifting. This Make your morning email scroll and coffee stronger. Deadlift: 285kg/628.32lb(WR). In response to a question about how his training has changed as he has gotten older, powerlifting legend Mike Bridges. A 13 year old Ed saw Bill Kazmaier powerlift on television and he was instantly hooked. One time while weighing in Larry was standing on one foot just to bug him. C'mon. I wonder how it would feel to have a 700+ pound bar slide down your back. The rule states only official approved bars can be used for the setting of world records. My hand was slipping off the bar when it hit. We know Larry was one of the greatest lifters of all time, but not much is known about many. in the NFL, Major League Baseball and the Olympics what were really talking about is how the drugs make an athletes muscles more efficient in terms of strength and recovery. While they were undoubtedly unbeatable, they were untested for the most part. I think it'd be more like shooting the jockey because he was wearing the wrong silks lol! Second, the guys that want to do drugs and get around a test can and will. On the other end of the spectrum, USA Powerlifting (USAPL) vehemently tests lifters, and its slogan is Americas choice for drug-free strength sport.. There's a big difference between exposure and mastery! Show Printable Version; 04-21-2012, 04:33 PM #1. If you looked at Freds height (58) and consider what Fred has accomplished, its simply outrageous!!!! Peoria, IL. But it will inevitabably follow the same process. TPB makers stood to gain by keeping the sponsorship fee up, after all, it's a BUSINESS.[/quote]. Carl said "I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight." It took 29 years for someone to break this raw bench record mark, set by a man that looked like a clerk at Home Depot. 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] Mike Bridges at the Central AAU Sr. Championshipos, April 1978, with a world record 585 squat He broke the world total record 3 times at this meet Lemenager photo The one finally Au- 27, 1978. and our Where are my safety guys screaming about that? The bar used was the correct weight & configuration. I loved Mac Richards, but I never loved him as much as when he handed me that beer. That has got to be more dangerous that squatting without wraps. [/quote] When he first saw Vince hecould tell he had dropped down to 198,then he saw me all bulked up and ready for battle. 1980 IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships. Sams donation to powerlifting is stupendous! 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?" One should not blame the IPF as they did not have any influence or a stake in this meet. Guess we will never know for sure since neither one of us heard it first hand. Wouldn't it still be a Masters National USAPL record? ivanko bars suck. Didn't he check up the rule-book? Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs / 82.5 kg) POWERLIFTING TOTAL 954.5 KG . When planning ahead for the meet today, I had to ask myself if I was capable of creating conditions in which records could be set and make it known to the lifters who entered the meet today whether the conditions in which they would find would or was not condusive to setting any records. When powerlifting, you train with three exercises in mind: Bench press, squats, and deadlifts. [/quote] Copyright 2023 elitefts. 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". Things like how they trained in the beginning. I hope this does not come true. [quote=Jack Marcus]I do not understand why the IPF is being bashed over this unfortunate incident. the lousy knurling on ivanko bars is now a serious problem and despite their paying of the fee, ipf should seriously consider kicking those bars out UNLESS they can be corrected to have more sufficient knurling. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! 3. The movement standards of powerlifting competitions are going to be a significant challenge. Doug Hepburn: Might, Muscle & Miracles Anatomy of Strength. mark. And it's still very hard for me to write after all these years. Robert Harris Rogers post about changing the frequency of training seems to fit. Mike Bridges Being stubborn about that and thinking I'm too tough to change what I do will derail your progress sooner or laterso listen to what the body is telling you and work with it; not against it. I invited several well-known lifters of that time: the great Mike Bridges, Terry Dillard, Dave Waddington, Steve Wilson, and Mark Chaillet. [/quote] Tragedy struck again on our way back to Dayton. I called him and he got me in and said it might never straighten out again. 1984Mens USPF Senior Nationals: Actually the whole meet was against the rules of the USAPL. Ed did one bodybuilding show as a teenager but he did not like the idea of losing weight, he wanted to become as big as possible. Mike was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. At a national level meet you should have equipment more than 2 days prior to a meet. thanks Jeff Mumaw. on USA SOIL! Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. SPECIAL. Lou: There were other super stars from England. 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. Mike won the second most prestigious national powerlifting in 1977 when he won the Junior National Powerlifting Championships. Dr Mike lives in st Louis and I know he has some. George has spread his body weight from 242 pounds all the way to the high 300s. That might not seem like much, but because these guys lift so much, it translates to between 30 and 344 pounds. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. My finger was bleeding and I was sweating and I had to make that flight. Lou: I recall soon after getting home from the army in 1970 you set a national total record on the same dayas Joe Weinstein at 1675 at198. 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. Its 2016 and this year marks the end of my first 50 years in powerlifting. He also would tell others if they wanted to get a bigger bench gain weight. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. [/quote] In the meet Paul tore a quad and broke an ankle. We both didn't try to make weight. Arnold Schwarzenegger (3). Mike Bridges Training ? There was also another little boy who came in from Tennessee. 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. Squat: 410kg/903lb But while he was doing amazing feats of strength, Larry also was always making a judge, Jerom Weiss, mad. All rights reserved. they say he found out thursday. Did the meet director think for one moment all the WORLD RECORDS unassailable at the MEN'S NATIONALS? Best Lifts: Meshuggah. We are not EliteFitness.com. This was thursday--start making calls. See you in Georgia! Mel has benchpressed 535lb, squatted 535lb and deadlifted 600lb. Welcome to the club, Mike. why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. At 198 he went 450-315-440 to win. Best Lifts: Larry would drive from Dayton to Toledo for four years using a simple 5-3-1 system. 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. In 1983, the IPF began to test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). 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. Steroids also tend to decrease body fat. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. When we landed my finger was twice the size. I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight.