Just before it touched, my left pec began to tear. Well most know he won nine straight before makinga tactical error when he jumped five pounds on his second attempt on the deadlift, which nullified a third attempt, letting Mark Dimiduk win the1980s nationals and worlds.Larry told me if I would open lighter I would do better, and he was right again.I remember Larry making a 530-pound bench press and a 1,900 total in 1972 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a body weight of 198. I was a gymnast in New York where I grew up. mark. Come on, guys.Mike LIFTED the f***ing weight! [quote=An IPF member]I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. USAPL, was it "modified rules" which were in effect this time? There I said it for you. Mike Bridges Multiple World Champion Weight Lifter Peoria, IL 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. 1986 1st World Powerlifting Championship Let's hope they get confirmed soon. After the last time you would think they would be extra careful to see it didnt happen again. I slid under it and the bar hit me just over my left eye, tearing off half my eyebrow. When powerlifting, you train with three exercises in mind: Bench press, squats, and deadlifts. :), MAKE SURE THE PLATFORM WAS THE RIGHT SIZE AND THAT WEIGHTS WERE REAL AND THAT MIKE HAD THE LEGAL SHOES TO SQUAT IN!! I ran to a restaurant and grabbed some napkins and ran to the gate just in time to board. 1. 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. [quote=Anonymous]And squating without center knurling??? You've probably never heard of him, but he's one of the strongest men who's ever lived, and he was a powerlifting god in the early 1980s. In the meet Paul tore a quad and broke an ankle. 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. 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. George has spread his body weight from 242 pounds all the way to the high 300s. My team was also lifting, including Eric Stuber, Mac Richards, John Topsoglou, and several others. One would have to see the 325lb. they're listed as pending cause someone turned in teh record forms and until ipf looks into this, they're pending. The meet always attracted the very best lifters in the country and 1978's version was no exception. So, I think I can back my ideology up pretty well. :)[/quote] And he held a special "women's gateway open" with lifters all breaking WR's TOO..WHERE WAS THIS MAN's BRAIN??? So, after the 1983 IPF event, he and others formed the American Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation. It will be a **** shame if Mike is stripped of these records. Mike Bridges Training ? Video of Mike Bridges' Raw Challenge Squats. The world is blessed with FED ex overnight, next MORNING. why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. First offcongrats M.B on the records. Things like how they trained in the beginning. I envied Larry for having such good training partners and a coach like Bob Matz. he did this for 10 years and kept progressing but he's unreal. All Rights Reserved. The power lifts are the bench press, squat and dead lift. 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. He was right.After 10 yearsfrom 1970 to 1980I won my first nationals with my first top-ten bench. 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?" 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. Holy shit ! Within the circuits of power lifting, Mike is known as The Legend. The problem was discovered on Thursday. 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. I recall weighing less after a meet back in those days. I stayed there for three days. TPB makers stood to gain by keeping the sponsorship fee up, after all, it's a BUSINESS.[/quote]. Bench: 260kg/573.2lb The events draw the best lifters in the sport of raw powerlifting, which means the men dont use assistance gear.4 As previously mentioned, Raw Unity doesnt drug test. Had Wade Hooper eclipsed his squat record, for example, which was also QUITE possible, then what would this meet director say! It wasn't as meteculous years ago when the USAPL was first cutting their teeth after becoming the IPF affiliate. Today special hand surgeons are in every hospital, but in 1980 the best hand surgeon was at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. Jim. oh yeah and IPF who gets the SPONSOR FUNDING EVERY YEAR for keeping them APPROVED. By this time I was pouring sweat and time was running out. All of Mel's lifts are done in extremely strict style. [quote=Harold Gaines]I was the Meet Director for this event and I would like to put to rest this issue (if possible). It's NOT a 45lb bar. I couldn't sleep on the flight. Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs / 82.5 kg) POWERLIFTING TOTAL 954.5 KG . John in a way is like the great Doug Young, but stronger. then on the other days he would go between 50-80% of his max for extra volume. Mike Bridges, age 50, captured multiple IPF Master's 2 (50+) World Records last weekend at the USAPL Men's Nationals. So as we got off the plane Paul was waiting for us to step off the plane. Copyright 2023 elitefts. Well, if you have ever lifted with an Eleiko or Leoko bar, they are similar to a Texas, so I would state this wouldn't be that big of a deal and a DL record set on a TPB vs. an Ivanko is arguably harder to hold on to and more distance traveled. I had plenty of ice packed around my hand. There was a two-hour weigh-in and no round system. He said, "I will be in a minute." We had a rivalry in the early 70s.Lou: Before we get into your powerlifting life, did you ever play other sports? 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. Its also important to note that competitions use different weight-class systems. Haven't watched it yet, but fwiw Bridges benched 529 raw at 181, and Fred Hatfield called him probably the best pound-for-pound powerlifter of all time. ive seen a little on his training also here it goes. Best Lifts: For example, 7 sets x 3 reps at a lower percentage (50-60%) of . it's not just Mike's!) Everything else is the liquid inside the glass. 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. LARRY PACIFICO "Mr. Powerlifting" set 54 world records in an 18-year career. For example, research published in the journal Sports Medicine found that steroids can increase an athletes strength by 5 to 20 percent. The point is the TPB is not approved and does not even meet all the requirements to be approved. Bridges missed three squats of 562 pounds. Second, to the meet directors "if" they(IPF) actually does wipe out the records, it will be your fault, not the IPF's. "Reports have surfaced that the IPF will take those records from Bridges,,,,,," We are not EliteFitness.com. and the Squat at an astonishing amount of 804 lbs. And Don Reinhoudt the SHW world champ. It is the one meet I would EXPECT to see someone do a good record break! At a national level meet you should have equipment more than 2 days prior to a meet. 1985 Mens Senior Nationals There's a big difference between exposure and mastery! Also known ad Dr. Squat. I'm sure if anything does happen like records being reversed, the people who are invloved will only use this as motivation to exceed their previous lifts. 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. By the time they could react, I had fallen off the bench and went to feel my eye where the bar hit. It's unfortunate that an error like this had to happen, but the bar we were using was just fine!! 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. Best Lifts: When they had reattached my finger weeks earlier, they put a long pin through the top of the finger. A man who can get into slick clothes and not sacrifice his size or strength. Kyrsten Sinema's Odds Of Reelection Don't Look Great. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. Tell the lifters the truth and say sorry, we have a problem and cant do world records. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. 3. I met him in my first power meet in the summer of 1966just prior to being drafted into the United States Army 50 years ago. It can be said that in a way he is a carbon copy of Ed coan. Possibly the closest man to Dave Waddington in the squat. Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb I have a Texas Power Bar and it weighs 20kg. I guess he got too much publicity and I wanted to crush him. 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. LOL! It was a bold move, because the USPF was popular its competitions were even nationally televised. Mike was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. The fees are a way to generate revenue to help pay expenses. I wore my ProKinetics Insoles to my first competition at the 2009 Pan American Games and I beat my previous world record in squat by 87 pounds. Something like this should never have been overlookedEVER ! Larry: Yes. It was stuck in about four inches down. [quote=TheGymMuse] The fact that Teds total may have been low does not depreciate the astronomical effort he has left us with. RECENT:Joe "The Lad" Ladnier Mississippi Monster. I seem to remember Mike Bridges getting stiffed on a squat at the USAPL Nationals in 2004. [quote=Jack Marcus]I do not understand why the IPF is being bashed over this unfortunate incident. Powerlifting champion and Hall of Famer Mike Bridges has officially endorsed KT Tape as his choice for pain relief and muscle support. If you looked at Freds height (58) and consider what Fred has accomplished, its simply outrageous!!!! 711 still weighs 711 on a Texas Power Bar or an Ivanko! well yeah they were legal when they kept the sponsorship fee up. Oh yeah, no squat suit until about 1976, and no disrespect, but the squat suits were not much. Then Ronnie Ray from Texas and a guy they called Mel Hennessey of Minnesota. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. Just lift it! wouldnt u think for a comp that big, that everything would be above board, regardless of what you think the rules should be? Dr. Kunitz would go back and forth from one to the other to the other. 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. do you think that maxing every week will hinder progress? WTF!! And some new research shows that they help you better activate the muscle, increasing strength.. 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. Several people in the area had Ivenko Bars--within 2oo miles I bet there were four available. Ed Baueuscroft of California. Good luck to all of them. No excuses! You need to start being aware of your recovery capability. I checked my watch and had three hours to sleep and make the flight. Benchpress: 272.1kg/599.88lb If dan can get his bench together, lookout! They took me to Grandview Hospital where a doctor friend of the family met us. The rescue squad got there in 10 minutes and away I went. And at 51 I expect to take it even higher next week at the APF Georgia. Thread Tools. ive read about mike bridges and his records. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. Best Lifts: Mike's. It went all the way down except for about half an inch. not screwing up in front of the WORLD. check out the. Many powerlifters even on high level don't train more than 3-5 times a week. 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. Mine was over first. Good luck to all of them. Just start learning the gear/rule variations. 1980-11-07, USA-VA, Arlington. The author and famed Mike Bridges are shown in a light moment at the 1982 World Powerlifting Championships in Munich. No one ever say a word to him no matter what.The Conversation. Benchpress: 172.5kg/380lb There was no 220 class yet. Then he came and got me. So the facts are the facts guys stop being a bunch of cry BABIES! Deadlift: 285kg/628.32lb(WR). Because 1983 was the first time the IPF drug-tested, most participants didnt risk using performance-enhancing drugs leading up to the meet, according to powerlifting historian Bob Gaynor. Everything at this meet was ran by the guys in the uniforms! your body doesn't suddenly break down cause you broke the 40 yo barrier. There was a period when the IPF decided to do drug testing. Youve probably never heard of him, but hes one of the strongest men whos ever lived, and he was a powerlifting god in the early 1980s. I used to be able to recover from training each area twice a week. Just what do I mean? Bridges weighed just. Just lift it! But while he was doing amazing feats of strength, Larry also was always making a judge, Jerom Weiss, mad. Benchpress: 705.5 pounds (320kg) $29.95. This page was generated at 11:54 PM. What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs. At 49 it was 2006 lbs. I would ask Larry how to push up my bench and Larry would say to train my triceps because they are 75 percent of your bench. It was a beautiful day to drive, but once we got 50 miles away, Mac said we needed to pull over. Cookie Notice As a lifter who has done both USAPL and IPF meets, I suspect you will be denied your records as they both are inflexible and it's the rule book. 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. Actually the whole meet was against the rules of the USAPL. To: Chip Hultquist..would like to know more about your hip replacement; facing the same thing..30+ yrs of powerlifting. Mike Bridges - 512 lb Raw Bench @ 181 lbs (232.5 @ 82.5 kgs) 2,478 views Aug 19, 2016 35 Dislike Share Save Lexington Plummer 1.52K subscribers From the 1982 USPF Sr Nat'ls, Mike Bridges. There was also another little boy who came in from Tennessee. A week later Mac and I were on a jet headed for Los Angeles. While they were undoubtedly unbeatable, they were untested for the most part. I hope this does not come true. Ivanko bars are awfulthey are outrageously whippy and the non-standard knarling makes setting up for the deadlift quite confusing. I realize that rules are rules but, don't shoot the horse because the jockey was overweight. 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. the knurling is LOUSY, and some are even slippery for the deadlift. 1981Mens Senior Nationals Now all the anonymous guys can come on here and bash the IPF for requiring approved equipment for records. I opened with 540 very easy, then the 242 world record of 578. Tony Carpino agreed to fly in and ref and help out. they had TIME TO FIX THIS. And they probably DID! An athlete lives at the whim of a sports rules, and when those rules change, so can their career. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. Dan has benched 400lb in his class when most men in his class were approaching the 600lb barrier . His form was a model of perfection, but his physical strength was amazing in the squat and bench.He[MCJ1] was doing theBridges Flair before Mike was doing it. True, Jack. I trained Mac for a year. All times are GMT-5. Mike Bridges indeed used anabolic/androgenic steroids (along with everybody else) to amass his several world record squats and totals in the IPF. You had Mike Bridges who astonished the world with his absolute dominance and ground breaking lifts. I checked the rules on the USAPL site and they just referenced the IPF rules. As for everyone saying ivanko bars are shit because they are so whippy you have to remember they were actually designed for weightlifting. [/quote] Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. Can you imagine a man that tiny hoisting a dead lift of nearly 600lb. 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. Within three hours I was on the operating table. How about dougs billing squat 985lb. I never saw such a lifting machine. He was right. Well, finally the final chapter to this event: As I mentioned, Mac Richards came back down to pick me up in Louisville. We looked at the numbers in three of the biggest competitions: Raw Unity, USAPLs Raw National Powerlifting Championship (Raw Nationals) and the IPFs Classic Powerlifting World Championships (Classic Worlds). If he would choose to use the best gear of today, it would be crazy. That has got to be more dangerous that squatting without wraps. Let's hope they get confirmed soon. They keep raising the standard. Sam is a world record holder in the 275lb class with a lift of 639lb in the bench press. 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. $29.95 each. People need to have a reality check, as if Harold thought ..hey, let me sabotage this meet and give them a non-approved bar. Bridges' squat of 711 pounds, bench of 512 pounds, and total of 1,896 pounds are all new 198 class World Records. 1980 IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships. On another note, the IPF will truly commit a crime if they take Mike's records due to this smallest of technicalities. We had a five-hour layover. A 220 pounds, Joe squatted 837lb. Since the bar and collars must weight 25kg(55.115lbs) and the TPB and collars would weigh 56.023(25.4kg). [quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. In fact, the folks in Missouri have always done a great job. Records should not have to be sacrificed because of this. He has proved that you dont have to be a giant to do record poundages! Men (65+) 2022 open 28th Worldwide. Results 1 to 5 of 5 Thread: Mike Bridges Training ? Ed was born in 1963 to a large loving family in the Chicago,Illinois suburb of Evergreen Park. only thing worse than being old is being an old fart. Mike Bridges (Powerlifter) Inger Blikra (Powerlifter) Subrata Dutta . I went 760, 810, 832. thanks Jeff Mumaw. He also would tell others if they wanted to get a bigger bench gain weight. Why is it so hard? [quote=Brian Mc][quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. Show Printable Version; 04-21-2012, 04:33 PM #1. We assumed that the manufacturer sent us the approved/correct bars. The guys in the lighter . I also was a shotput and discus thrower and won Athlete of the Year in New York in 1964. I was never as happy as I was to see Mac walk in my room to take me home to Dayton, Ohio. 1985 Mens Senior Nationals 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. No excuses! they're listed as pending cause someone turned in teh record forms and until ipf looks into this, they're pending. True, Jack. Everyone there knows you did your best to make the meet as perfect as it could be, in EVERY aspect. They don't specifically train to get huge muscles, but they still end up being massive. Where are my safety guys screaming about that? I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. 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. We know Larry was one of the greatest lifters of all time, but not much is known about many. That includes making certain that the equipment is acceptable. I've never really changed anything. 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". So, even if drugs arent in an athletes system, he might be lifting heavier because he used PEDs a few years ago. I hope this does not come true. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! Looking back, I have seen all the best lifters of the past 50 years. I just went to a baseball game and payed $18 for a lousy $10 hat. Really, then what would you have done if the meet director, technical sec were standing together when they opened the box from Ivanko to find the wrong bar had been sent? Louie Simmons You can train as hard as ever; but there will be a time that you have to allow more recovery time. I hope this does not come true. That's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard, did they not KNOW you need to use approved equipment? You should tell the cycling community about your insoles. 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. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. Are world records going to be able to be broken there? The numbers from these competitions arent perfect; for example, the IPF just started hosting a raw championship,6 so there are only three years of comparable data. I don't think I would even care if the IPF recognized it personally. so yes, some records were set with tpb. No excuses! Bob Matz would judge meets and was down right scary to look at. Didn't he check up the rule-book? It's NOT a 45lb bar. Michael Bridges. 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. IF they used the same Texas Power Bars for that WOMEN's MEET, THE WORLD RECORDS THERE TOO ARE NOW NOT VALID. I guess better an old fart than an old tu*d! A winner of five world championships and several world record. Thu Oct 13, 2016. 1983Mens Senior Nationals This time I lowered it a bit faster. It was a national meet. Well most know he won nine straight before making. When we discovered the mistake we did the best we could and used the bar that was available. 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. Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. 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. it matters what the rules actuially are!!! Source: As told by Larry Pacifico from Pacifico Power Systems (July 2017) On October 4, 1980 I lifted at a meet in Dayton, Ohio that I promoted. Dan is a poor bencher when it comes to fellows his weight, but he more than makes up for it in other two lifts. Third, to the IPF, if you do take the records away, ask yourself why there are all these feds and why lifters are constantly jumping from fed to fed. Well, the bar didn't cooperate. Weighing in at only 204 lbs, Mike not only went home with gold medals, but he also broke world records in the Deadlift at 650 lbs.