He was and is the strongest man under 200 pounds I ever saw. 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. Its a shame his feats arent hailed about today. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. Then he came and got me. A prodigy of the great Larry Pacifico. he was just as good as coan just in a lighter weight class. Since the bar and collars must weight 25kg(55.115lbs) and the TPB and collars would weigh 56.023(25.4kg). When you see him lifting over 500lb in the benchpress in such a smooth Continue Tests are cost prohibitive. I also was a shotput and discus thrower and won Athlete of the Year in New York in 1964. Fred has held the squat record in several classes and he has squatted 1008lb at the Budweiser meet in 1986. also what do you guys think about this every monday he would max out on bench/squat and max out on deads every wednesday. The events just bring in two different powerlifting cultures. IPF did not return requests for comment. Both of us totaled 1,815. However they are coming out with a 29mm bar that should be just as stiff as an Elieko or Leoko. Bridges' squat of 711 pounds, bench of 512 pounds, and total of 1,896 pounds are all new 198 class World Records. 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. I drove it to within an inch from locking it out. How about a man who can squat 892.9lb; bench press around 580lb and deadlift in the 800s. 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. Mike Bridges ( Birth date: february 1, 1957) Who is that? He saved them all. No excuses! I bought it in the park and it was the "official hat of the team" and part of the money I payed was toward the license fee the hat company payed the baseball organization. Did the meet director think for one moment all the WORLD RECORDS unassailable at the MEN'S NATIONALS? There was no 220 class yet. "Bars dont grow on trees, what would you have done in this situation??" Thread Tools. Deadlift: 369.6kg/814lb. I said, "Are you all right Mac?" Mike broke his prior world record by 87 lb. Bridges came back to bench press and hit 440 pounds, good for ninth . I'm fine Jesse! The bar used was the correct weight & configuration. Of course, it would be nave to assume that some lifters at tested events werent using PEDs. I opened with 540 very easy, then the 242 world record of 578. 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. .4kg is way over the allowed variance of weight. 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. Do guys in anything-goes competitions regularly hoist heavier weights than guys in drug-tested meets?3 Why allow PED use at all? anyway, im in agreement with most everyone here, that is, there is no way any record should be taken away because of this. Bodybuilding and physique-training provide exposure to the powerlifting exercises but not the technique. Dr Mike lives in st Louis and I know he has some. Place Fed Date Location Competition Division Age Equip Class Weight Squat Bench Deadlift Total Dots; DQ: USAPL: 2010-03-05: USA-OH: Con-Cret Raw Challenge: MR-M: 53: Raw: 90 When he first saw Vince hecould tell he had dropped down to 198,then he saw me all bulked up and ready for battle. This was thursday--start making calls. Results 1 to 5 of 5 Thread: Mike Bridges Training ? Then, around the mid-70s, people realized that taking huge doses increased their lifts, said Bob Gaynor, a powerlifting historian and competitive lifter from the era. Mike Bridges indeed used anabolic/androgenic steroids (along with everybody else) to amass his several world record squats and totals in the IPF. some even fresh from factory seem unduly "slick"! [quote=An IPF member]I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. Perfect I went around and took off my coat made a pillow out of it then took off my watch, laid it down, and fell sound to sleep. screw it. He was right.After 10 yearsfrom 1970 to 1980I won my first nationals with my first top-ten bench. 1. 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight. Why should IPF bend rules for 1 fed in its group rather than for another.(and since they only do that for rus or ukrwellthere's your answer). Kyrsten Sinema's Odds Of Reelection Don't Look Great. With respect to direct lat work, you will neither find it in the detailed 1982 article by Ron Fernando, disclosing, I was there, front row at the USF SunDome in Tampa covering the contest for The Tampa Tribune when Jeff, Dave was 7 years my elder and my teen years weightlifting idol. A week later Mac and I flew to California. That's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard, did they not KNOW you need to use approved equipment? Some powerlifters compete in divisions in which they can wear squat suits and bench shirts, which can put them in better form and help increase lift numbers. I won on bodyweight after John missed a third deadlift. He was born September 4th, 1948 in Duluth, Minnesota. i just dont like the fact that theres not much assistance. Tell the lifters the truth and say sorry, we have a problem and cant do world records. [quote=Jeff Fiss]Harold put on a great meet. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The power lifts are the bench press, squat and dead lift. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. so yes, some records were set with tpb. Collectively, the disparities in competition averages and world records between tested and non-tested powerlifters are about what most studies say they should be. In the meet Paul tore a quad and broke an ankle. Today special hand surgeons are in every hospital, but in 1980 the best hand surgeon was at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! We are not EliteFitness.com. You can train as hard as ever; but there will be a time that you have to allow more recovery time. Steroids also tend to decrease body fat. To many, the author included, a case can be made for Bridges being among the best three lifters in the history of the sport. Just before it touched, my left pec began to tear. all of the sheiko guys seem to do well in these feds. When people talk about competitive weightlifting, theyre usually talking about Olympic lifts, which are the snatch and the clean and jerk. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. He finally pulled out the pin and said it may never be straight again. He totaled just 1,780 pounds 231 pounds, or 11.5 percent, less than hed lifted four months before. I hope this does not come true. And there were no bench shirts until 1984, so his bench was raw as they say nowadays. ive seen a little on his training also here it goes. Robert Harris [quote=Harold Gaines]I was the Meet Director for this event and I would like to put to rest this issue (if possible). I've never really changed anything. 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. Bob Matz would judge meets and was down right scary to look at. This means they have to use IPF-approved equipment on the platform. Squat: 405kg/892.87lb If they can't get the bars right, I just wonder how the Arnold is going to turn out. John Gamble! Anyway, I digress. 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. Just lift it! Come on, guys.Mike LIFTED the f***ing weight! They had time to get another bar!!! They've been a nuisance for years, the smaller knurling center causes people to line up too close in the DL and it hardly grips your back at all, some of the even brand NEW bars have NO KNURLING. I have seen a lot in 50 years as powerlifting has introduced me to all of my friends as well as most good and bad memories. 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. The one thing that keeps Lee from the world record total is a poor deadlift. Squat: 260kg/573.2lb(WR) they say he found out thursday. It is said the that the road of good intentions a paved with, Mike Bridges (Powerlifter) Inger Blikra (Powerlifter) Subrata Dutta . What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs. My training put me at 835-580-800-2215. Well, Bridges and I were using it as a workout. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. [/quote] [quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. 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. At 198 he went 450-315-440 to win. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. Actually, I've worked at keeping everything the same since it worked before and seems to be working OK now as well. I must have said 5 pounds which was a 2.5kg jump[MCJ2]. I was completely drained. if indeed he's been robbed before, then he's pretty tough for sticking in there and coming back. Once inside and rolling, they put the piece of finger that came off in some of the ice and stuck it in my sweatshirt pocket. How about dougs billing squat 985lb. If dan can get his bench together, lookout! Who cares what brand of bar it was loaded on?! Reply . My team was also lifting, including Eric Stuber, Mac Richards, John Topsoglou, and several others. [quote=TheGymMuse] 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. What is big, strong, and is shaped like a bodybuilder? way to go!!! The bar we used was 45lbs plus the collars. There was a two-hour weigh-in and no round system. I weighed 150 pounds back then.Lou: When you moved to Dayton what was your occupation? He has broken over 100 combined Nationals and World Records in his storied career. You should tell the cycling community about your insoles. In response to a question about how his training has changed as he has gotten older, powerlifting legend Mike Bridges. WAS THE PAPER IT WAS WRITTEN ON WAS THE RIGHT SIZE! The division between the drug-tested and non-drug-tested competitions makes powerlifting a unique window into what effect todays PEDs have on an all-important athletic skill: strength. Steve Powell has uploaded video of the first two squat attempts of powerlifting legend and pre-meet favorite, Mike Bridges (198), at the USAPL CON-CRET Raw Challenge at the Arnold Classic. I slept on the flight down and drifted in and out for the next eight hours, but I was able to watch most of the operation not only mine but both of the other two as well. It went all the way down except for about half an inch. A 220 pounds, Joe squatted 837lb. Bench: 280kg/617.29lb The world is blessed with FED ex overnight, next MORNING, [quote=Anonymous] And Don Reinhoudt the SHW world champ. For example, at a drug-tested meet in 2002, Mike Booker squatted 551 pounds but weighed just 132 pounds. Lou: Was there somebody you loved to beat?Larry: Yes. When we talk about how PEDs improve performance in sports e.g. not screwing up in front of the WORLD. [/quote] And they probably DID! At meets a certain aura surrounded you.Larry: My first rival was Joe Weinstein. Mike was the superlative powerlifter. Oh yeah, no squat suit until about 1976, and no disrespect, but the squat suits were not much. It can be said that in a way he is a carbon copy of Ed coan. [quote=Anonymous]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. All Rights Reserved. So when we landed I told Mac that I needed to find a place to sleep. thanks Jeff Mumaw. [/quote] What can be said about a guy that can do exploits like that? Absolute stupidity. Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb Our flight out of LA was fine. 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. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! DUMB, the man had spanking new Ivanko weights and ER rack on the platform, to think that the bar was his underminding the rules is plain stupid. In a Conjugate Method training program, dynamic effort training is typically focused on increasing the At Westside, we use dynamic effort training to improve our rate of force development. Prior to any National meet, there is a meeting held by the Technical Secretary to ensure compliance to rules. Everyone there knows you did your best to make the meet as perfect as it could be, in EVERY aspect. In that meet there were four men who would become IPF World Champs: Milt McKenzie, George Crawford, Vince Anello and, last but not least, Larry Pacifico, the subject of this article. Reports have surfaced that the IPF will take those records from Bridges due to the fact that Texas Power Bars were used at the event instead of IPF approved equipment. The problem was discovered on Thursday. best of luck to everyone concerned with this! When they had reattached my finger weeks earlier, they put a long pin through the top of the finger. We did not know this in advance. My training poundage started climbing again and I felt more and more like busting it in the gym again. As I'm now fast closing on 49 I find my biggest problem is not overtraining, but under-recovering. All times are GMT-5. 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 was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. To: Chip Hultquist..would like to know more about your hip replacement; facing the same thing..30+ yrs of powerlifting. In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. 1983 Mens Senior Nationals No excuses! In powerlifting we have had lifters such as Pacifico who many times totaled more than the heavyweights in the early years of powerlifting. We landed in St. Louis five hours later. I guess better an old fart than an old tu*d! On another note, the IPF will truly commit a crime if they take Mike's records due to this smallest of technicalities. Bridges. This is powerlifting not Olympic weightlifting no need for some Broz type of nonsense. Interesting!If you actually do train at maximum intensity (many think they do) there are some changes that you will have to make as you get older (no set age). Jim. 1980 IPF Mens World Powerlifting Championships Putt Houston. now with more Bom Chicka Wahwahhhhhh. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. Best Lifts: [quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. When you squat 800 pounds, every joint in your body needs to be optimally aligned. One would have to see the 325lb. And in some years at Raw Unity, a weight class might only have two lifters (an athlete has to be very strong to qualify for the event). The competitor in the 123-pound squat data was a dwarf and indeed hoisted 639 pounds. Author: Staff. I hope this does not come true. This page was generated at 11:54 PM. Another set of interesting data is world records. I hope it wasnt 45lbs cos USAPL/IPF rules stipulate metric measures 4. I invited several well-known lifters of that time: the great Mike Bridges, Terry Dillard, Dave Waddington, Steve Wilson, and Mark Chaillet. 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. This will be different for different people as we are all genetically different as to how we age. Best Lifts: they cut it fine by sending it to you thast close to a meet. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. That might not seem like much, but because these guys lift so much, it translates to between 30 and 344 pounds. 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 just went to a baseball game and payed $18 for a lousy $10 hat. Looks somewhat like Sheikos powerlifting program. This happened to Mike Bridges. The ProKinetics Natural Body Balance Insoles naturally help me align my feet and knees just right without me consciously having to alter my posture. View Profile View Forum Posts . Was I right! I don't think I would even care if the IPF recognized it personally. Doug Hepburn: Might, Muscle & Miracles Anatomy of Strength. Bench: 260kg/573.2lb You won't believe my luck. How To Get The Most Out of Your Westside Bands, I met him in my first power meet in the summer of 1966. He got his little finger caught in a sliding door. I suddenly woke up startled and couldn't remember where I was. (BUT he's not alone, there will be some very angry WOMEN TOO on this! Ed was born in 1963 to a large loving family in the Chicago,Illinois suburb of Evergreen Park. It was a great trip home. And he held a special "women's gateway open" with lifters all breaking WR's TOO..WHERE WAS THIS MAN's BRAIN??? Mike is going to get robbed because it's an IPF rule, tpb isn't approved equipment and so he's getting american records. And your team Power Elite with your lifters including Topsogov Studer. [/quote] Best Lifts: The guys in the lighter . Against my good judgment I took it again. do you think that maxing every week will hinder progress? LARRY PACIFICO "Mr. Powerlifting" set 54 world records in an 18-year career. Best Lifts: XTREME SQUATTING-book, XTREME DEADLIFTING-book, & ADVANCED POWERLIFTING TECHIQUES-DVD. The squats went well. Thanks.Louie Simmons. A 13 year old Ed saw Bill Kazmaier powerlift on television and he was instantly hooked. I recall weighing less after a meet back in those days. Now, while I was there Mike Lambert of Powerlifting USA took the first picture of my hand and ran it in the January 1981 Issue the same issue that ran the results of the 80 worlds. 3. This time I lowered it a bit faster. MIKE BRIDGES As a 50-year-old, set records in the squat and bench press. I'm doing good, Buddy, how have you been? 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. Ed Baueuscroft of California. that is bullshit. This was one of the most amazing feats of strength I had ever seen at that time. ALL THOSE RECORDS ARE NOW DEAD TOO. ivanko bars suck. They had time to get another bar!!! Hewon nine consecutive IPF World Powerlifting Championships from 1971-1979 (198-pound to 242-pound weight classes) and set 54 world records during his powerlifting career. How are you doing Roger?! It seems that Jordans powerlifting was gone, but good fortune would be his as he began to train horses and became Australias top horse trainer.Lou: You know all the greats and beat them all: Marv, Phillips, Roger Estep the list is too long. Exhibition lifts include an 885-pound squat, 610-pound bench press, and 815-pound deadlift, for a total of 2061 pounds. [quote=mark roskell]its not the fault of the ipf, but the stuff up of the meet directors!!! I checked my watch and had three hours to sleep and make the flight. Quite simple and clear. 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. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. [quote=Anonymous]And squating without center knurling??? Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs / 82.5 kg) POWERLIFTING TOTAL 954.5 KG . Rogers post about changing the frequency of training seems to fit. Terry Todd isn't merely the United States' first national powerlifting champion (in 1964 and '65), he was also the first man to total 1,600, 1,700, 1,800, and 1,900 pounds. Then came the tragedy on the bench. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. It was the first issue where my name wasn't there for the first time in 10 years. Just lift it! This accident took maybe a second and a half. I think it'd be more like shooting the jockey because he was wearing the wrong silks lol! 2. If you are a world class lifter, you are a world class lifter in any fed. He has broken over 100 combined Nationals and World Records in his storied career. I've never really changed anything. They don't specifically train to get huge muscles, but they still end up being massive. 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. Ken Lain DVD's. Tape 1 - Add 50 to 75 lbs To Your Bench Press. So as we got off the plane Paul was waiting for us to step off the plane. Guys felt like they had to take them to stay competitive, and that became problematic, Gaynor said. When you talk about bench pressing, I have to enter Teds name for he is the only other person to do what I have done , bench press in excess of 700lb. Welcome to the club, Mike. That all said, heres how the average lifters totals (squat, bench press, dead lift) at the competitions compare. Benchpress: 265kg/584lb In total, the lifters at Raw Unity put up about 17.44 percent more weight than the lifters at the USAPL competition and 3.46 percent more than those at the IPF meet. He has proved that you dont have to be a giant to do record poundages! 1983 Mens Senior Nationals and our 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. In 1983, the IPF began to test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). I checked my watch and I had only 10 minutes to make my flight. Michael Bridges. Gerlof Holkema 4.4K subscribers Subscribe 4.1K views 2 years ago Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs /. Just lift it! It was a national meet. I stayed there for three days. You know what I mean. Unless there became a cause to recognize a record. I hope it wasnt 45lbs cos USAPL/IPF rules stipulate metric measures Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. No one should have to put up with this BS. Modern powerlifters are some of the strongest people in history. It's about $'s! Rank. I was a gymnast in New York where I grew up. It is not the training intensity per workout that changes as a lifter ages; it is our training frequency (recovery period allowed) that must be adapted. 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. Go ahead, it's okay. At 49 it was 2006 lbs. While they were undoubtedly unbeatable, they were untested for the most part. Without a doubt, he wasthe greatest of the 275 pounders. More on that in a bit.5. The call to drug-test powerlifters had been gaining momentum in the sport since the mid-1970s. [/quote] His total outdid his closest competiton by some 150lb. I started training at Bob Matzs gym in Toledo, Ohio, with George Crawford and Milt McKenzie, butwon world titles along with Larry.Larry would drive from Dayton to Toledo for four years using a simple 5-3-1 system. Benchpress: 172.5kg/380lb 1986 1st World Powerlifting Championship squatting 804 lb. A man who can get into slick clothes and not sacrifice his size or strength. 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. C'mon. Bridges' squat of 711 pounds, bench of 512 pounds, and total of 1,896 pounds are all new 198 class World Records. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. that'd just be the cherry on the top of this disaster! They keep raising the standard. My hand was slipping off the bar when it hit. 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. $29.95. Sure, some bars are exactly the same but some payed a license fee to the IPF and some did not--they have a choice. wouldnt u think for a comp that big, that everything would be above board, regardless of what you think the rules should be? Had Wade Hooper eclipsed his squat record, for example, which was also QUITE possible, then what would this meet director say! That makes Booker about 62 percent stronger than Schwarzenegger was in his prime. they're listed as pending cause someone turned in teh record forms and until ipf looks into this, they're pending. Power bodybuilding requires you to re-learn technique and reach new movement standards. northernhiro Additional comment actions. wouldnt u think for a comp that big, that everything would be above board, regardless of what you think the rules should be? Why is it so hard? Everything at this meet was ran by the guys in the uniforms! In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. they can't in other parts of the world hate to say it but mike is probably screwed on this and his own fed did it to him. Thats total that maybe one other lifter has approached. so yes, some records were set with tpb. It is one thing to beat someone by all those he beat, so we want to remember him too. [quote=Roger Ryan]I agree Buddy. Mike gave it hus all and was a supporter of the sumo-style deadlift and is one of the first to use it effectively. Jons training lifts around 2300lb! And in Daytona, Ohio, eight weeks later he made a 590-pound bench press at 228 bodyweight. How is this the USAPL shooting themselves in the foot? Bridges missed three squats of 562 pounds. I flew back to Louisville every other week for two months. it's not just Mike's!) I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. But, when you're not doing this program, feel free to use varying rep ranges if you feel you can handle it. If they were lifetime PR's for you as well, then even greater congratulations are indeed in order! I don't fault the meet director. 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. Just lift it! 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. And I won the worlds. But it will inevitabably follow the same process. When we competed against each other I won 575 to 505. they had TIME TO FIX THIS. The squat racks used at that meet were illegal as they could possibly get accoding to mandates of the IPF. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Multiple World Champion Weight Lifter Show me where the IPF as said anything? SPECIAL. All of Mel's lifts are done in extremely strict style.