When I started powerlifting, I could not get read enough on it. I read articles on the internet (Louis Simmons, Dave Tate), bought books on it (Ed Coan, Ripptoe, 5-3-1 method Jim Wendler etc), bought videos ( have all the old vhs Westside videos on squat dead and bench, Never Enough – Mark Bell, Ed Coan bench deads and squat). I trained trying to implement the techniques I read about and watched cause there was not much powerlifting in NB in the 1990's... still isn't
I read in Powerlifting USA that someone had phoned Louis Simmons and asked if they could come to the club for a weekend and workout, and he said yes. So I called him one afternoon, as his number was in Powlerlifting USA mag., and he answered the phone. I talked to him and said I was a beginner powerlifter, I had read a lot of his articles and watched his video's and I wondered if I could come and train with the group on a weekend. He said sure, and suggested that I come when Dave Tate was putting on a seminar. He said I could also come on Friday and Monday and train with the WestSide group.
I signed up for the seminar and took off for 4 days in my vehicle, a friend was suppose to go with me but he backed out at the last moment, pussy. Once I got to Columbus Ohio, I signed into a hotel, rented a vehicle and took off to find the gym. I had the address and I saw this old strip mall and drove by it. I had to come back... and the place had no sign or number on it and the large window in front was washed out with black paint. I entered and it was small, maybe 24ft by 16 ft , but it had 3 squat racks, a lot of benches, GHR machine, press down machine, bunch of dumbbells laying round, reverse hyper machine and a big guy with a web tattoo on top of his head sitting on a bench. There was a lifting session going on, a number of guys doing speed benchs with chains. I as if Louise was around ( I am not shy ) and he was, we chatted for a short time and he said stick around and watch the work out and come back the next day for the seminar. I watched Amy Weisburger pop up 225lb for reps in the bench and she probably weighed about 135.
Dave Tate put on a good seminar over 2 days, we did all lifts and he watched and corrected any issues. I came back to the club Monday and a bunch of groups were squating. I asked if I could train in and they put me with the women and a few of them were lifting more than me ( I weighed about 260 at the time). They fixed a couple of major technique problems they noticed ... these things improved my squat about 60 lbs in a month of training. The men were squating enormous weights for reps, one guy who weighed about 350 I would say took 750 for a 3 rep squat, he was using a suit I think it was a single ply and he did 3 reps fairly low. It was electric in the gym, everyone was screaming and cheering him on to get the last rep. Very motivational.
I came back and had a new appreciation for training, how hard to work, how to cycle my exercises etc. One of the best experience in my life. Well …. a seminar with Bill Wallace(Superfoot) was way up there as well.
So has anyone else talked to, or trained with an elite BodyBuilder, Powerlifter or Strongman? If so who? What did you take away from the experience?
I read in Powerlifting USA that someone had phoned Louis Simmons and asked if they could come to the club for a weekend and workout, and he said yes. So I called him one afternoon, as his number was in Powlerlifting USA mag., and he answered the phone. I talked to him and said I was a beginner powerlifter, I had read a lot of his articles and watched his video's and I wondered if I could come and train with the group on a weekend. He said sure, and suggested that I come when Dave Tate was putting on a seminar. He said I could also come on Friday and Monday and train with the WestSide group.
I signed up for the seminar and took off for 4 days in my vehicle, a friend was suppose to go with me but he backed out at the last moment, pussy. Once I got to Columbus Ohio, I signed into a hotel, rented a vehicle and took off to find the gym. I had the address and I saw this old strip mall and drove by it. I had to come back... and the place had no sign or number on it and the large window in front was washed out with black paint. I entered and it was small, maybe 24ft by 16 ft , but it had 3 squat racks, a lot of benches, GHR machine, press down machine, bunch of dumbbells laying round, reverse hyper machine and a big guy with a web tattoo on top of his head sitting on a bench. There was a lifting session going on, a number of guys doing speed benchs with chains. I as if Louise was around ( I am not shy ) and he was, we chatted for a short time and he said stick around and watch the work out and come back the next day for the seminar. I watched Amy Weisburger pop up 225lb for reps in the bench and she probably weighed about 135.
Dave Tate put on a good seminar over 2 days, we did all lifts and he watched and corrected any issues. I came back to the club Monday and a bunch of groups were squating. I asked if I could train in and they put me with the women and a few of them were lifting more than me ( I weighed about 260 at the time). They fixed a couple of major technique problems they noticed ... these things improved my squat about 60 lbs in a month of training. The men were squating enormous weights for reps, one guy who weighed about 350 I would say took 750 for a 3 rep squat, he was using a suit I think it was a single ply and he did 3 reps fairly low. It was electric in the gym, everyone was screaming and cheering him on to get the last rep. Very motivational.
I came back and had a new appreciation for training, how hard to work, how to cycle my exercises etc. One of the best experience in my life. Well …. a seminar with Bill Wallace(Superfoot) was way up there as well.
So has anyone else talked to, or trained with an elite BodyBuilder, Powerlifter or Strongman? If so who? What did you take away from the experience?