stilleto said:
I think i might enter a push/pull meet in the beginning of april. its around 3 hours from me, and unsanctioned, but it doesn't start till noon so i'd just leave early and go.
not sure if i'll do both, but i'll definately bench if'n i don't get hurt anytime soon. thats been a habit of mine for the last 2 years.
I'm gonna assume SLP? I don't know where you live, but if you're within driving distace of me (ie. Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Indy, et cetera) I'd love to come and watch. My last comp was in '03 (WI), it was great fun. I didn't compete in '04, but I was there with my boy when he did...
SLP State Bench Press Records
State Bench Press Records
WISCONSIN
2004 Rob Guetchidjian - teenage men 16-17/198 - 330
That's my boy, the kid's a fucking genetic aberration. Benching over 300 raw in HS -- no gear, no arch, no form worth a damn, never any illegal ergogenic use, no diet worth a goddamn. He's a fucking marvel. I talked him into competing after I had such fun in '03, and I kept tellin' him that he was a fuckin' one-in-a-million genetic marvel. He was hesitant at first, but was pretty quick to turn around.
I forget his opener, but his second lift took the state record in the teenage 198's, and his third attempt broke his own record just set by his second attempt. The kid fuckin' owned the stage. Unfortunetly, the SLP federation does not allow a fourth lift for record-breakers at this level... we argued this for almost 15 minutes with the judges and officials, and they had to consult some other refs and guidebooks. Apparently, in the SLP, only
national record-breakers are allowed a fourth attempt.
Rhyno (Rob) ended up joining the Marines right out of HS (father was a career military man), but he was really starting to realize his potential around that time, talking anabolics and cycles with me every time we were in the same vacinity (...public or not, lol). I had to be honest with him, though, that being able to bench 300+ at 16 (or 400+ at 20, or 500+ at 25, ad infinitum) really meant nothing in terms of the "real world"; that is to say,
life. Lots of his similarly-aged friends told him to pursue the lifting, but I adamantly pressed a real career and future over and over with him. I'm glad he make the right choice. He was good --
very good -- but not a T10 in the world... meaning his accomplishments essentially meant nothing. No money, no prizes, no paychecks, no way to feed the family, no way to pay the medical bills.
BTW, Stiletto,
"but i'll definately bench if'n i don't get hurt anytime soon. thats been a habit of mine for the last 2 years."
What's your problem with the bench? I had extreme problems with arching... not just, "owch, that hurts" kinda pain, but more like, "owch, that's not right... something's wrong" kinda pain. Then again, I'm not built to bench. I went through hell and back to get a 305 in comp with a single-poly Inzer, using every damned trick in the book... 1,2,3,4,5,6,and 7 boards, bands, chains, lockouts, floor presses, lights doubled around the wrists when benching, reverse band, JM press, one-arm press, illegal-wides, feet position under by lower back, ad nauseum. Westside is great, but Militia is where it's at for anyone who wants to really bench... drawback, of course, is that Militia bench methods are not compatible with "natural lifters", period. I just suck at bench either way, lol. Squat, on the other hand, I would have went for the state record had I not decided not to prioritize pursuing my studies. I could lock out high 600's with chain-suspended GM's on a dual band plus chain system. Box squats from just below parallel were always natural. Too band I never got the chance to squat in comp... I never got the chance to use my Titan in comp, and that fucker wouldn't let me get in the hole with any less than 400+. I loved my Inzer though... old worn-in Inzer squat suit, straps down with a pair of briefs and my high lockout made me damned invincible in the rack. That, or no one could see me past the cloud of chalk and stench of ammonia, lol. For some reason, the whole chalked-up, suited-up pissed-off snorting-something-that-smelled-really-strong look whilst violently jamming oneself under a bar with no safties present whatsoever caused people to avoid me. That, and my rather rude gym demeanor (it was a "fitness center", hence the rudeness). No one ever asked me to work in or inquired as to when I'd be done with the rack... and I'd be on it for 1.5 hours on average. Yeah, Zercher squats get some looks too, lol. As do blood-stained towels the gym provides.
Ahh, I miss the good 'ole days...
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