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. 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. 1980 IPF Men's World Powerlifting Championships. 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. It's a shame his feats aren't hailed about today. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Athlete: Michael Bridges | CrossFit Games Best Lifts: Jons training lifts around 2300lb! If I was one of the competitors who set a world record I would definately be looking into a deferent fed. Raw Unity lifters outdo IPF competitors by about 3 to 4 percent and USAPL competitors by 17 to 18 percent. [/quote]The Ivanko bars were not used because they arrived from the manufacturer without center knurlings. There was no 220 class yet. And they probably DID! How many more times will you shoot yourself in the foot? i still want to be muscular also. They had time to get another bar!!! There was also another little boy who came in from Tennessee. Bridges. 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. Mike's best official lift was 608 made in 1977. well yeah they were legal when they kept the sponsorship fee up. Mike, congrats on your lifting. [/quote] History of Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Strength Training - Number The Best Powerlifting 3-Day Workout Routine - Gym Geek The rescue squad got there in 10 minutes and away I went. 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. Who cares what brand of bar it was loaded on?! So, after the 1983 IPF event, he and others formed the American Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation. It's about $'s! Mike MacDonald | Marty Gallagher - Starting Strength As promised, I left with Mac to coach him at the World Masters in Victorville. After the last time you would think they would be extra careful to see it didnt happen again. Looks somewhat like Sheikos powerlifting program. 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. wouldnt u think for a comp that big, that everything would be above board, regardless of what you think the rules should be? The bigger the glass, the more of everything else you can do. All other things being equal, the stronger you are, then the quicker you run, the harder you hit, the higher you jump, the faster you throw. I checked the rules on the USAPL site and they just referenced the IPF rules. And some new research shows that they help you better activate the muscle, increasing strength.. Mike's lifts are pending on the IPF website. KT Tape is the first-ever kinesiology tape to come in pre-cut strips specifically designed for consumer use. RECENT:Joe "The Lad" Ladnier Mississippi Monster. A man who can get into slick clothes and not sacrifice his size or strength. Muscle & Fitness Salutes the Greatest | Muscle & Fitness Bench: 227.5kg/501.55lb Good luck to all of them. 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. anyway, im in agreement with most everyone here, that is, there is no way any record should be taken away because of this. The point is the TPB is not approved and does not even meet all the requirements to be approved. Mike broke his prior world record by 87 lb. For example, research published in the journal Sports Medicine found that steroids can increase an athletes strength by 5 to 20 percent. Possibly the closest man to Dave Waddington in the squat. the knurling is LOUSY, and some are even slippery for the deadlift. They don't specifically train to get huge muscles, but they still end up being massive. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. No excuses! When we competed against each other I won 575 to 505. Deadlift: 320kg/705.48lb. Bridges came back to bench press and hit 440 pounds, good for ninth . And he held a special "women's gateway open" with lifters all breaking WR's TOO..WHERE WAS THIS MAN's BRAIN??? Jim. Mike Gansey's . The manufacture send Bench bars with the middle knurling missing and no one in the area had the right bars! 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. [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. Doug Hepburn: Might, Muscle & Miracles Anatomy of Strength. Mac Richards drove down and took Carol home. Best Lifts: 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. Come on, guys.Mike LIFTED the f***ing weight! I wonder how it would feel to have a 700+ pound bar slide down your back. 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. We landed in St. Louis five hours later. Was this in Tampa? As for everyone saying ivanko bars are shit because they are so whippy you have to remember they were actually designed for weightlifting. Best Lifts: Mel has benchpressed 535lb, squatted 535lb and deadlifted 600lb. [/quote] they say he found out thursday. I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. Use was rampant, but that didnt mean every lifter wanted to pump himself full of chemicals. And in Daytona, Ohio, eight weeks later he made a 590-pound bench press at 228 bodyweight. Squat: 395kg/870lb if you're meant to be in this sport, you are already more durable over the years than most gym lifters. The ProKinetics Natural Body Balance Insoles naturally help me align my feet and knees just right without me consciously having to alter my posture. Harold, your meet was excellent!!!! Or will the USAPL overlook something again? Mike won the second most prestigious national powerlifting in 1977 when he won the Junior National Powerlifting Championships. [quote=mark roskell]its not the fault of the ipf, but the stuff up of the meet directors!!! A prodigy of the great Larry Pacifico. The one thing that keeps Lee from the world record total is a poor deadlift. 1984Mens USPF Senior Nationals: In response to a question about how his training has changed as he has gotten older, powerlifting legend Mike Bridges answers that at 50 he still trains the same. The squats went well. [quote=Roger Ryan]I agree Buddy. Several people in the area had Ivenko Bars--within 2oo miles I bet there were four available. I think it'd be more like shooting the jockey because he was wearing the wrong silks lol! Mike Bridges (1982) WORLD RECORD (181 lbs / 82.5 kg) POWERLIFTING TOTAL 954.5 KG . Video of Mike Bridges' Raw Challenge Squats. ive read about mike bridges and his records. 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. I flew back to Louisville every other week for two months. 1983 Mens Senior Nationals 3 Star CrossFit. The guys in the lighter . One of the nicest menin the power lifting game. What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs they can replace usapl, remember? It was a bold move, because the USPF was popular its competitions were even nationally televised. (365.5 kg). [/quote] Why is it so hard? I went 760, 810, 832. 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. Here's my finger today. Mike Bridges On Training As A Master | Powerlifting Watch 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). The bar we used was 45lbs plus the collars. I am aware of the wrong bar that was shipped because I warmed up with it in the warm up room. Deadlift: 285kg/628.32lb(WR). I stayed there for three days. I never saw such a lifting machine. The bar we used was 45lbs plus the collars. that'd just be the cherry on the top of this disaster! Robert Harris He was lifting at National Masters and I was his coach. The TPB was usewd because it DID have center knurlings. I like my ProKinetics and I recommend you try them! What gives? Will Democrats Rally Behind President Biden In 2024? And there were no bench shirts until 1984, so his bench was raw as they say nowadays. 711 still weighs 711 on a Texas Power Bar or an Ivanko! I walked around and found a check-in counter down a hallway. I weighed 150 pounds back then.Lou: When you moved to Dayton what was your occupation? 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. 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. The great Mike Bridges spent years training three times per week, squatting twice, deadlifting once or twice, and benching two and sometimes three times within any week. I lowered it, but too slow. I don't care if this was your first nationals and you came in last, you still shouldn't have to lift with the wrong equipment. he was just as good as coan just in a lighter weight class. 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. Mike Bridges (Powerlifter) Inger Blikra (Powerlifter) Subrata Dutta . if indeed he's been robbed before, then he's pretty tough for sticking in there and coming back. "Reports have surfaced that the IPF will take those records from Bridges,,,,,," You should tell the cycling community about your insoles. My middle finger and both the fingers on each side were caught. HOWEVER for a meet director at an IPF qualifier - and the supposed FLAGSHIP event, the men's nationals, to NOT have proper IPF bars and weights for world record breaks is UNTHINKABLE. Size didnt mean anything to him. Mike Bridges - ProKinetics : ProKinetics I find that while the weight I lift is less, the intensity is still high and with decent results but I stay sore longer. 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? If he would choose to use the best gear of today, it would be crazy. He also would tell others if they wanted to get a bigger bench gain weight. Just the fact that the TPB is 45lbs makes it not meet all requirements for use. Another set of interesting data is world records. I ran to a restaurant and grabbed some napkins and ran to the gate just in time to board. I was never as happy as I was to see Mac walk in my room to take me home to Dayton, Ohio. Within the circuits of power lifting, Mike is known as The Legend. Reply . This year, at 52, Mike just won 4 gold medals in the Pan American Games. Dans statue, not his weight, makes him unusual for the hings that he has done. [quote=Brian Mc][quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. Actually, I've worked at keeping everything the same since it worked before and seems to be working OK now as well. Mike was in powerlifting from the first days of the IPF in the early 1970s. Mike Bridges (Birth date: february 1, 1957). 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. [quote=Harold Gaines]I was the Meet Director for this event and I would like to put to rest this issue (if possible). Larry Pacifico is widely regarded as one of the greatest powerlifters of all time. Well, finally the final chapter to this event: As I mentioned, Mac Richards came back down to pick me up in Louisville. WAS THE PAPER IT WAS WRITTEN ON WAS THE RIGHT SIZE! In my opinion, it's a horrible situation all the way around. Just what do I mean? I drove it back over my head, I guess to keep it from tearing my pec worse, and to keep the bar from sinking in my chest. Larry would drive from Dayton to Toledo for four years using a simple 5-3-1 system. Brand spankin new bar, just no center knurling. Steroids also tend to decrease body fat. What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs. screw it. In fact, the folks in Missouri have always done a great job. 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. Mike Bridges indeed used anabolic/androgenic steroids (along with everybody else) to amass his several world record squats and totals in the IPF. No excuses! Anyway, I digress. Squat: 365kg/804.69lb also what do you guys think about this every monday he would max out on bench/squat and max out on deads every wednesday. C'mon. It is sad and pathetic that people have to jump on board and bash someone who has busted their butt to pull off one of the best meets. That includes making certain that the equipment is acceptable. How many more times will you shoot yourself in the foot? I'm fine Jesse! Powerlifting differentiates between world records set at tested and non-tested competitions. Fantastic story. No excuses! That's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard, did they not KNOW you need to use approved equipment? I saw the Gestapo in action first hand at the Master's Nationals and again today at a local meet. It was the first issue where my name wasn't there for the first time in 10 years. This is the biggest USAPL meet of the year. Results 1 to 5 of 5 Thread: Mike Bridges Training ? Be it football, hockey, basketball etc, all the organizations have license fees payed to them for everything from clothes to what glove, stick etc will be used, and in return they are the only vendors allowed to sell or have equipment used. I hope this does not come true. Nothing worked. Things like how they trained in the beginning. [quote=Travis Werner]I really hope the IPF overlooks this and lets the record stand. On another note, the IPF will truly commit a crime if they take Mike's records due to this smallest of technicalities. After getting out of the Army I started to compete in and around Ohio. I felt good that morning and was ready to push it. Sams donation to powerlifting is stupendous! Give me a TEXAS POWER OR OKIE. 1985 Mens Senior Nationals And your team Power Elite with your lifters including Topsogov Studer.Larry: We had a great team back then and I will always look back to the early days without so much politics. why someone running a meet like this waits to the last second anyway is a damned good question. Bodybuilding and physique-training provide exposure to the powerlifting exercises but not the technique. He said, "I will be in a minute." An athlete lives at the whim of a sports rules, and when those rules change, so can their career. Just lift it! Larry: Yes. Why?? to the meet director - sorry this sounded so strong. He did break the record. What was remarkable was the little guys finger was as tiny as you would expect, and with the help of microscopic lenses he worked a miracle. 1983Mens Senior Nationals 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. To: Chip Hultquist..would like to know more about your hip replacement; facing the same thing..30+ yrs of powerlifting. My hand was slipping off the bar when it hit. 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. When we discovered the mistake we did the best we could and used the bar that was available. When we discovered the mistake we did the best we could and used the bar that was available. As I'm now fast closing on 49 I find my biggest problem is not overtraining, but under-recovering. Larry was the one getting all of the attention setting American records before World records were official. If dan can get his bench together, lookout! Bridges missed three squats of 562 pounds. Sam is a world record holder in the 275lb class with a lift of 639lb in the bench press. The place was cheering wildly for me to take again. 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. I re-vamped my training to train every area only once a week. I won on bodyweight after John missed a third deadlift. Deadlift: 367.5kg/810lb, Full Article:George Hechters incredible weight loss, Doug Furnas (Birth date: december 11, 1959 Died march 2, 2012). I seem to remember Mike Bridges getting stiffed on a squat at the USAPL Nationals in 2004. Jesse Rodgers, I agree. People need to have a reality check, as if Harold thought ..hey, let me sabotage this meet and give them a non-approved bar. Joe "The Lad" Ladnier Mississippi Monster, Free Shipping with a $69 qualifying order. WTF!! Let's hope they get confirmed soon. I hope this does not come true. if i were running the damned thing, i'd be double checking EVERYTHING. 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. Everything at this meet was ran by the guys in the uniforms! We did not know this in advance. I checked my watch and had three hours to sleep and make the flight. Harold put on a great meet. 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. Mike Bridges - Bridges was one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, competing in the 165 and 181 pound classes. If this is your first visit, be sure to How about a total of 2105 lb at 181lb body weight. 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?" American Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation, 2008 American Physiological Society study, How The Federal Reserve Is The Shadow Branch Of The Government, Why Original Predictions About The War In Ukraine Were So Off. Love it. [/quote] It took him three more hours to fix the other hands. (BUT he's not alone, there will be some very angry WOMEN TOO on this! 3. It's NOT a 45lb bar. I loved Mac Richards, but I never loved him as much as when he handed me that beer. There was a period when the IPF decided to do drug testing. And tell me something about your personal life.Larry: I was vice president of Holiday and New Life Spas, there were 20 of us all total. One official got yelled at for asking about the bar while my boyfriend was checking his rack height later on thursday. Mike's. Ivanko pays them a lisence fee to approve their stuff and Texas Power Bar doesn't! Why is it so hard? I also was a shotput and discus thrower and won Athlete of the Year in New York in 1964. And your team Power Elite with your lifters including Topsogov Studer. We both didn't try to make weight. Welcome to the club, Mike. A winner of five world championships and several world record. Needless to say, the routine listed below, is designed to work on each of these lifts. Where are my safety guys screaming about that? No one expects any more of you. thanks Jeff Mumaw. 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. George is to be feared, and why not , it isnt everyone who can squat 985 and total 2369lb. The competitor in the 123-pound squat data was a dwarf and indeed hoisted 639 pounds. [quote=Anonymous]And squating without center knurling??? What can be said about a guy that can do exploits like that? 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. 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. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Are world records going to be able to be broken there? You know what I mean. In 1983, the IPF began to test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Just lift it! LOL! Looking back, I have seen all the best lifters of the past 50 years. Best Lifts: Steroids split us into two federations. Over time, more groups broke off from both the USPF and drug-free federation, splintering the sport further. I don't fault the meet director. TPB makers stood to gain by keeping the sponsorship fee up, after all, it's a BUSINESS. #1 mike bridges training style 05-07-2008, 02:14 AM ive read about mike bridges and his records. It is one thing to beat someone by all those he beat, so we want to remember him too. 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. Bob Matz would judge meets and was down right scary to look at. Rank. He sewed the two pieces together temporarily while they made arrangements for me to meet a helicopter at the University of Dayton arena to fly me and my wife Carol to Louisville, Kentucky. It went all the way down except for about half an inch. A 13 year old Ed saw Bill Kazmaier powerlift on television and he was instantly hooked. Holy shit ! 1986 1st World Powerlifting Championship Squat: 227.5kg/501lb he did this for 10 years and kept progressing but he's unreal. I hope it wasnt 45lbs cos USAPL/IPF rules stipulate metric measures Today special hand surgeons are in every hospital, but in 1980 the best hand surgeon was at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. Then Ronnie Ray from Texas and a guy they called Mel Hennessey of Minnesota. 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. Exhibition lifts include an 885-pound squat, 610-pound bench press, and 815-pound deadlift, for a total of 2061 pounds. 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".