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We Need more supporters for weightlifting like Ed Coan :rolleyes:
- Thread starter Devastation
- Start date
majutsu
Well-known member
I'm real glad Ed Coan wasn't really behind this. That would have been very disappointing for such a classy guy.
I know I'm a total PL newb, so I am very likely to get flamed making a few comments. But power lifters cannot ignore the gear problem forever. Let me give you my newb perspective on gear, so maybe you advanced people can understand the average joe's viewpoint.
First of all, gear is here to stay. I would say Gene R. is the main reason I am interested in power lifting. Seeing a 1000lb bench is impressive. No one is going to pay to see some guy bench 50-100lbs over their max raw. A 600 lb raw bench is just not that appealing. It's not worth the time or money to check it out for most folks, unless it just happened to be free at the Y and you had nothing better to do. It's like natural bodybuilding; it's a dud. People like a freak show. That is why Ronnie is king of bodybuilding and Gene is king of the bench. Gear-enhanced lifting is the only hope for financially viable power lifting. People want to see a freak show, and the gear makers will sponsor, and the freak-struck audience will buy some shirts at the meet for a bit of stardust themselves, and a profitable little circle will ensue. On the other hand, remember that while freaks always draw a crowd (like the midget or the bearded lady), they are not loved, but laughed at and ridiculed.
Despite these facts, the first time I put on a shirt and had trouble touching over 500 lbs to my chest, feeling that tight spring pushing that weight back up, I thought, "This is absolutely ridiculous and gay." You might as well get a Will E. Coyote trampoline for your chest from ACME. It also leads to people pushing 700-800lbs, like that lightweight Taiwanese lifter, that have no muscle. An MRI will scientifically validate the visual observation that this guy has no significant muscle mass. It is confusing to the average joe to see a guy with no muscle moving hundreds of pounds on the bench because of working the mechanics of a synthetic fiber trampoline (aka shirt). Sure it's a sport, and sure it takes work, but strength and muscle mass are naturally linked in the human mind, and to see apparent strength without mass leads to the natural conclusion of trickery. Stage magicians like David Copperfield are perceived as dorky and gay, not cool. Remember that.
It is the bench shirt that causes the most problems. Wrist wraps, squat suits and belts are not really the issue, and power lifters know that.
Average folks do not even consider steroids really as problematic as the bench shirt. Steroids would still have to be used to create a large amount of muscle mass before that use translated into strength gains. Power lifters like to mix it all up, talk about gear in general, as though the average man minds chalk. They don't. You all need to pull your head out of denial and realize the shirt is the one major issue.
I don't really see a solution, because like I said, no one wants to see a natural meet any more than they want to see a skinny dork parade around to bad dance music in a natural bodybuilding competition. But working on raw benches would probably increase the muscle mass of the competitors to the point where there wouldn't be such a jarring discrepancy to the human psyche. Everyone likes a show, but no one likes to feel like they're being scammed.
This is an uneducated point of view, so take it for what it's worth. But if you care about the future of the sport of power lifting, you might give some thought to the opinions of an average joe, instead of just discounting our shirt reservations until power lifting dissipates to nothing and you all are back to ripping phone books in the circus.
Interestingly, I remember reading that Ed Coan's wide stance was originally labeled as cheating back in the day. People used to say something like that is not a real squat or dead lifting, because he changed the movement to hip flexion, etc. In other words, it was felt that by following the "letter of the law" on squatting, but not the "spirit of the law", that he had "cheated" by not really squatting his weights, but sort of doing a good-morning that barely passed technical squat requirements. So I guess what goes around comes around, and sports will always evolve. But now Ed Coan has been moved to the other side of the fence
Irony is always lurking around somewhere . . .
I know I'm a total PL newb, so I am very likely to get flamed making a few comments. But power lifters cannot ignore the gear problem forever. Let me give you my newb perspective on gear, so maybe you advanced people can understand the average joe's viewpoint.
First of all, gear is here to stay. I would say Gene R. is the main reason I am interested in power lifting. Seeing a 1000lb bench is impressive. No one is going to pay to see some guy bench 50-100lbs over their max raw. A 600 lb raw bench is just not that appealing. It's not worth the time or money to check it out for most folks, unless it just happened to be free at the Y and you had nothing better to do. It's like natural bodybuilding; it's a dud. People like a freak show. That is why Ronnie is king of bodybuilding and Gene is king of the bench. Gear-enhanced lifting is the only hope for financially viable power lifting. People want to see a freak show, and the gear makers will sponsor, and the freak-struck audience will buy some shirts at the meet for a bit of stardust themselves, and a profitable little circle will ensue. On the other hand, remember that while freaks always draw a crowd (like the midget or the bearded lady), they are not loved, but laughed at and ridiculed.
Despite these facts, the first time I put on a shirt and had trouble touching over 500 lbs to my chest, feeling that tight spring pushing that weight back up, I thought, "This is absolutely ridiculous and gay." You might as well get a Will E. Coyote trampoline for your chest from ACME. It also leads to people pushing 700-800lbs, like that lightweight Taiwanese lifter, that have no muscle. An MRI will scientifically validate the visual observation that this guy has no significant muscle mass. It is confusing to the average joe to see a guy with no muscle moving hundreds of pounds on the bench because of working the mechanics of a synthetic fiber trampoline (aka shirt). Sure it's a sport, and sure it takes work, but strength and muscle mass are naturally linked in the human mind, and to see apparent strength without mass leads to the natural conclusion of trickery. Stage magicians like David Copperfield are perceived as dorky and gay, not cool. Remember that.
It is the bench shirt that causes the most problems. Wrist wraps, squat suits and belts are not really the issue, and power lifters know that.
Average folks do not even consider steroids really as problematic as the bench shirt. Steroids would still have to be used to create a large amount of muscle mass before that use translated into strength gains. Power lifters like to mix it all up, talk about gear in general, as though the average man minds chalk. They don't. You all need to pull your head out of denial and realize the shirt is the one major issue.
I don't really see a solution, because like I said, no one wants to see a natural meet any more than they want to see a skinny dork parade around to bad dance music in a natural bodybuilding competition. But working on raw benches would probably increase the muscle mass of the competitors to the point where there wouldn't be such a jarring discrepancy to the human psyche. Everyone likes a show, but no one likes to feel like they're being scammed.
This is an uneducated point of view, so take it for what it's worth. But if you care about the future of the sport of power lifting, you might give some thought to the opinions of an average joe, instead of just discounting our shirt reservations until power lifting dissipates to nothing and you all are back to ripping phone books in the circus.
Interestingly, I remember reading that Ed Coan's wide stance was originally labeled as cheating back in the day. People used to say something like that is not a real squat or dead lifting, because he changed the movement to hip flexion, etc. In other words, it was felt that by following the "letter of the law" on squatting, but not the "spirit of the law", that he had "cheated" by not really squatting his weights, but sort of doing a good-morning that barely passed technical squat requirements. So I guess what goes around comes around, and sports will always evolve. But now Ed Coan has been moved to the other side of the fence
Irony is always lurking around somewhere . . .
this was posted on another board by someone else. they actually called coan, who didn't want to talk, and were told that it (the ad) was not meanspirited, or an attack on Gene or shirted benchers.jcp2 said:
whether or not it's being promoted by some bruce guy, the meet is being hosted by coan and although he may not have submitted the ad, his name is associated with the meet. this crap doesn't bring anything to the table for this sport. it was done in VERY poor taste
jcp2
New member
I heard the guy that is putting on the meet hates equipment and obviuosly he is pretty straight forward about it, but is putting up the money which is nill in this sport, he also put on a Srongman meet i beleive. Supposedly he is just starting in promoting, the way he went about it is not so good, but the money behind is good and a step in the right direction. I honestly don't care who does the meet and who benches what raw. What you can bench raw as a result of your training to bench shirted is no way a representation of what you can bench raw had you been training for it all along. That is why i feel you cannot even compare guys raw benches today and that of yesteryear.
wnt2bBeast
New member
jcp2 said:
it has everything to do with your post HOMO..
you said PL is gonna ditch bench shirts one day..im telling you the technology is getting better and youre only gonna see people using better shirts etc..raw lifting will never come back to the top of the PL game
jcp2
New member
jcp2 said:
Since they are not going to ditch the bench shirt anytime soon, people aren't going to give a shit about their raw bench. Sorry if i said it so you didn't understand. Equipment probably needs to stand still for a little bit, the fact that you can bench 515 with a shirt is scary.
wnt2bBeast
New member
jcp2 said:Since they are not going to ditch the bench shirt anytime soon, people aren't going to give a shit about their raw bench. Sorry if i said it so you didn't understand. Equipment probably needs to stand still for a little bit, the fact that you can bench 515 with a shirt is scary.
dude 515 was cake..if i trusted my spotters i would put some real weight on the bar
now stop bitching and get your damn shirt..
your boy mighty had an interesting post on FI it seems hes the guyt to go to for equipment you should email him see if he can get you a Viking..
i may pick up a Viking squatter from him not sure itll fit my fat ass though
wnt2bBeast
New member
jcp2 said:Maybe when the deadlift suit comes out with a jack att
ached to it, you will be able to dead heavy, gayboy.
low blo homo..im working on it..itll come back i have no doubt..
Parabellum
New member
1000 lbs has fallen. Deal with it. These haters piss me off. Shut the fuck up, I don't care what you do raw or with a single ply. Those days have come and gone step into the new world of powerlifting. Aww don't know how, guess that's why your left behind in the dust with your records being smashed. Step up or shut up.
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