I knew that would get your attention! I only write the truth! Now before you all start asking where does that little asshole live I'm gonna tear his head off. Don't fret I am a Powerlifter too and therefore a moron. OK let me explain how I came to this conclusion. It struck me hard while watching the last Olympic games. Watching these so called athletes competing in so called sports and others competing in the 10th variation of the same thing.( I do not mean to insult anyone ) OK Track & Field is a sport as is Swimming I guess, but how many different events can you have? I mean some of these competitors are up for 7-8 medals. I'm saying to myself I'll start a race, I'll race you backwards on one leg blind folded! Don't laugh as I watch WHITE WATER CANOEING and say how on earth are they going to have this event? I mean the rapids would be miles long how would you see it to judge it? Turns out it was a man made course! The next thing I was thinking ; who the hell competes in this? I mean how many people in the world TRAIN to do this! So what does this have to do with us?
EVERYTHING! We can't get together and come up with some basic rules to get one of the finest sports into the Olympics! Take a look at that messed up event they call a sport in the winter games. I think its called HURLING? (because any real athlete who watches it hurls up there lunch). You know the one they push a big old puck down the ice and some idiots sweep in front of it and try to make it go somewhere. But they are in the Olympics, The big stage for amateur sports! They have medals! We can't even get started.Why aren't we in the Olympics? Powerlifting has a huge and growing population. We are in most countries you can name and some you can't The reason is quite clear and has been,is currently, and will continually be argued till someone finally tells it like it is. RULES! We basically can't establish a clear simple set of rules. I know your thinking is this guy a moron(yes already admitted that) he said he was a powerlifter we have rules. Yes I know Squat to parallel, bench to chest with a pause, lift weight to an erect position great. Not what I am talking about. I am talking about the use of lifting GEAR. This federation uses single ply, that federation double, the third federation anything goes short of hydraulics. I'm not here to ague the point of gear or no gear. Quite frankly it is outa control, in my opinion but that does not matter. What does is we really have two sports.
I compare it like this, If I have a fast street legal car and like to drag race the 1/4 mile, I might run 9 seconds lets say. I feel pretty good I have worked hard on my car and I feel I can do well. If I take the car and run against a Top Fuel Dragster I look like an idiot! It is the same with the gear! It is not uncommon to hear of "getting 200-300 out of a shirt.(Which is not a shirt anymore but a smock of some type) Again I am not writing to ague or take away from the gear lifters. I have great respect for lifters Squatting 1000+ at 220(or any body weight for that matter). Benching 8,9,1005 pounds. I understand the tremendous amount of work and dedication it takes. But most people don't, and they don't care! I mean a guy just benched 1005 lbs.Something that would be considered impossible only a short time ago. We should be having a paraded down Broadway, and nobody cares! Yea I know some in the Powerlifting circle might care,but nobody else. A lot of the "old time lifters" don't understand the gear and why it is used?
Others get frustrated with the ever changing "advancement" and records that get broken with it. Same with recreational type lifters. When they ask what is the Bench Press Record and you tell them, They just say Steroids I'll bet or something like that. There is no single solid record to compare there lifts to. They don't want to recognize these accomplishments. This is a problem. We need these people on board to be interested in our sport to help advance it. People have written and agued for and against the gear. Dr.Judd wrote that he has a car jack and can lift several tons. Louie Simmons writes about the progress of equipment in other sports and basically how this is the sport, deal with it. I have the Highest respect for both of these men, and also agree with both! Say what! How can you agree with both you moron?
Easy, because I have the solution! Break the sports into 2 sports. Call gear lifting Unlimited,Ultimate, Pro Powerlifting(or whatever). This would be where they could advance the technologies, try to build the cash prizes and lift unbelievable weight. The second is just plain old Powerlifting(not raw) and hopefully to become Olympic Powerlifting. Take the basic equipment rules used in Olympic Weight lifting, (there may be a need for some minor adjustments) and submitted to the Olympic committee for consideration as a "test" sport (or whatever they call it before it gets in) and lets get this thing rolling. I feel that this would advance both "sports" and bring much needed respect and understanding of the two.
I wrote this not to start more arguments or to disrespect anyone, Just the opposite. I feel that there are to many people out there working there asses off without the credit they should get. Whether it be with records,money or just plain old respect for the hard work they have done to do what know one else has. Some of the greatest athletes(another article?) compete in powerlifting. Not only that but because of the nature of the sport, they are the nicest and most willing to give back to the sport and to others. We need to market are sport in the best way possible to really have it grow to where it should be, ON TOP! I feel that my idea would be away to start to accomplish this.
Others get frustrated with the ever changing "advancement" and records that get broken with it. Same with recreational type lifters. When they ask what is the Bench Press Record and you tell them, They just say Steroids I'll bet or something like that. There is no single solid record to compare there lifts to. They don't want to recognize these accomplishments. This is a problem. We need these people on board to be interested in our sport to help advance it. People have written and agued for and against the gear. Dr.Judd wrote that he has a car jack and can lift several tons. Louie Simmons writes about the progress of equipment in other sports and basically how this is the sport, deal with it. I have the Highest respect for both of these men, and also agree with both! Say what! How can you agree with both you moron?
Easy, because I have the solution! Break the sports into 2 sports. Call gear lifting Unlimited,Ultimate, Pro Powerlifting(or whatever). This would be where they could advance the technologies, try to build the cash prizes and lift unbelievable weight. The second is just plain old Powerlifting(not raw) and hopefully to become Olympic Powerlifting. Take the basic equipment rules used in Olympic Weight lifting, (there may be a need for some minor adjustments) and submitted to the Olympic committee for consideration as a "test" sport (or whatever they call it before it gets in) and lets get this thing rolling. I feel that this would advance both "sports" and bring much needed respect and understanding of the two.
