1300 at the WPO Semi-Finals
I’m glad that I got the total I wanted and hit a bench and deadlift PR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE MY GEAR DADDIES PROUD.
Competition Results: 7 elitefts Athletes, 3 Meets, 1 Weekend
Check out how some of your favorite lifters did this past weekend at Great Lakes Raw, IPA Buckeye Brawl, and APF Raw Power Challenge.
Meet Report: Morganton Misfits at The IPA World Championships
I was very fortunate at this meet to have had excellent help at this meet. Dear friends helped manage the meet, wrapped my knees, called my depth, and gave me coaching advice and lifting cues.
Competition Report: Brute Strength Gym’s Spartacus Strongman
This competition was preceded by my dad’s unexpected death, a delay in his death certificate, and burying him the Monday before my wedding. It’s been a tough year, and my training and diet reflected that. Still, I did pretty well all things considered.
Meet Report: 2019 USPA Nationals with Dan Dalenberg
2018 was not a good year for my powerlifting career. 2019 has been better. My training’s gotten better, I’ve gotten better at caring for myself, and I competed better. I want to do better next time around, though….
Meet Report: Making a Comeback at APF Nationals After a Painful Injury
Two years ago, I injured myself at a meet. The pain was so bad I nearly pulled out of the meet. After talking with some experts, I decided to hop into the APF Nationals without a weight cut and with a quick prep. Let’s just say it’s good to be back.
Meet Report: A Squat Suit Depth Experiment at 365 Strong World Games
My training was more organized than it was for the IPA meet. But I decided to experiment before this meet: I trained using my squat suit without the briefs. It actually improved my speed, depth, and how much weight I could handle.
Meet Report: 5thSet at the Kern US Open
Now that I had the trip paid for thanks to a seminar event, I could focus on helping my lifters at the US Kern Open: the reason I’d flown all the way from the East Coast to begin with.
Meet Report: Pressing the Pieces Together
When a friend invited me to a bench press-only APF meet that also raised money for Autism and Autism Awareness, there was no way I could say no — even though I haven’t competed in quite some time.
Meet Report: Taking Third Place at APF Women’s Pro-Am
I told Dave to listen carefully because this is the only time I’ll ever say it, but this was a pretty good meet. I’ll take a 50 lb meet PR.
Turning Pro at the 2019 APF Women's Pro-Am
My goal for this meet was a 400-pound squat until Dave asked, “What’s the Pro total for your weight class?” In that moment, I knew that was no longer the goal — it became a Pro total.
Meet Results: 2019 APF Cincinnati Women's Pro-Am
Congrats to the winners and to Team elitefts member Lily Starobin and S5 trainee Jessica Maksem. Keep your eyes peeled for a pair of meet reports this week.
Murphy's Law Reigns Supreme at Tennessee State Championships
Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. That’s pretty much a solid description for how the Tennessee State Championships went for me. But hey, good job to the victors. Now it’s time to prepare for my next meet…
The Meet That Was Like a Family Reunion
This was the first meet that I attended neither as participant, lifter, nor spectator; instead, I was a coach, cheerleader, and go-fer. At this meet, Flex Gym proved it is as much a family as any group I have ever seen. Everyone is there for everyone else.
JP Carroll Takes Second Place at the 2019 XPCs
Before I get into my recap of the 2019 XPC World meet, I want to say, I took second place — even with my fifth 2,200-pound total and seventh 900-pound squat — for no other reason than I wasn’t strong enough that day.
Bryan Doberdruk Returns to Full Power Pro at 2019 XPCs
I moved back to northeastern Ohio and started training with a new group to prepare for the 2019 XPCs. For the last couple of years, I’ve only done the 21-Deadlift Salute. This year, though, I decided to come back and do the full meet, and here are the final results.
2019 Arnold Sports Festival Report: Day 2 for Team elitefts
Saturday of the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival means one thing, and one thing only — the XPC Worlds! Fine, that's not entirely true...
2019 Arnold Sports Festival Report: Day 1 for Team elitefts
Today at the 2019 Arnolds Sports Festival: Team elitefts athlete Matt Mills competes in the 2019 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships. He clears the Log Clean and Press and the Farmers Walk and is placed in the middle of the heavyweight class. Keep an eye out for more updates tomorrow, including XPC Worlds results.
Upcoming Meet: 2019 APF Cincinnati Women's Pro-Am
Are you a woman? Check. A pro lifter? Check. An amateur lifter? Check. Are available the weekend of April 13th-14th? Check. If you've checked off at least three of these prerequisites, you should go register for the 2019 APF Cincinnati Women's Pro-Am meet.
Meet Report: 1,200 Total at IPA Buckeye Brawl
It was my first time representing Team elitefts at a meet. The support I got from them was unreal. Oh, and the team shirt was pretty cool, too.
A Conversation with Me About Competing at 77
When I entered these very senior divisions, there was no bar, no standard, no records. Now there is.
Meet Report: Earning My Regrets at the USPA Tribute
Four weeks out is when I suffered a quad tear—I should have dropped out at that point. In fact, I talked to Dave Tate, and that’s exactly what he told me to do.
MEET REPORT: IPA North Carolina State Powerlifting Championships
Two meets in less than a month? I know I’m 76—not 26— but when Joey Smith told me to get in the meet, I got in the meet.
MEET REPORT: 365 Strong Nationals — A Long-Ass Day and Questions Answered
I had help getting into my single-ply suit and didn’t have to wrap my own knees, but there was still the hand to deal with. There’s a long way to go and I’m taking it one post-surgery PR at a time.
MEET REPORT: 2017 IPA Flex Lewis Classic
Team Nebobarbell and I went to Murfeesboro, Tennessee, where I took a crack at one of my competition bucket list lifts.
Meet Report: UPA Summer Showdown 2017 at Old School Iron
At the beginning of this year I lost 60 pounds in less than eight weeks. I couldn’t stand longer than a few minutes because I was so tired. I couldn’t go up or down stairs without losing my breath. It was humbling, to say the least.
30-Pound Total PR at 2017 UPA Iron Battle on the Mississippi
Some days you go yard and sometimes the pitcher gets you reaching. You take what you can get and learn from your time in the batter’s box.
Meet Report: 2017 Iron Battle at Showtime Strength and Performance
This was my first meet in a year and a half, since October 2015, when I was battling through a torn supraspinatus and a half torn right biceps. Training went well, but the meet reminded me of a few crucial powerlifting lessons.
Meet Report: New Challenges and New Lifters — USAPL Spring Meet at CBUS ...
With this meet, I wanted to prove to myself that I could go from competing equipped to qualifying for USAPL Raw Nationals.
Meet Report: CETC US Open 2017 — Second Place with a 2121 Total at 220
I’ve had a taste for where I’m meant to be, and now I will be training with an unmatched ferocity. I may not have been strong enough to beat the colossus on this day, but I faced him prepared to die.
Meet Report: 2017 CETC US Open Powerlifting Championships with Ben Pollack
I’ve already written about my training strategy going into the meet, and what I’ve learned from my meet prep, but I didn’t share a few things for competitive reasons.
Meet Report: RPS King and Queen of Spring
I went into this meet to total 1800 at 180 pounds bodyweight, but learned an important lesson about having backup plans.
XPC Finals — My First 2400-Pound Total
My first meet as part of elitefts was the first Lexen Pro/Am ten years ago. Last weekend, in Columbus again, I finally got to 2400.
2017 XPC Finals — I’m Not Retired Yet, Motherf*ckers
If I had a lot riding on this lift before, everything was riding on it now. Making it would be the highlight of my powerlifting career. Missing it would probably be the beginning of the end.
2016 RPS Memphis Classic Meet Report
This meet was about a few monster numbers that have been weighing down on me. All of the lessons from my elitefts teammates are starting to pay off.
To Redemption: UPA Old School Iron Gym Summer Showdown
I hated that I fell short of my goal at the XPCs…90 pounds short to be exact. Each and every pound I left on the platform back in March is what fueled my training for my off-season and meet preparation.
My Return to Raw: UPA Old School Iron Gym Summer Showdown
Since competing at the XPC Finals in March, I took the last few months to regain control over my physical and mental health. In the process, I transitioned back to raw.
No Longer Chasing the Bench — Leaving the Platform After 30 Years
I am not leaving the sport. I love this sport and even more so, the people in it, but the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
2016 Arnold Sports Festival — Expo, XPC Meet Reports, and S4 Compound Ev...
Team elitefts did more than just compete this year at the Arnold. Everything we did is compiled here in one super-sized article.
RUM9 Meet Report: Finding My Identity on the Platform
RUM9 is the first meet I stepped onto the platform as an individual with a secure sense of identity as both a PT and athlete. Feelsy meet recap incoming.
Coaching CJ Piantieri at the Special Olympics Southeast Meet
For over six years I have watched CJ overcome many obstacles. I am always impressed by his competitive tenacity and love for powerlifting.
Raw Unity Meet 9: Coaching, 5thSet, World Record Controversy
Another year of RUM, another weekend of 5thSet lifters kicking ass on the platform. Thank God no one I work with broke a world record, right?
Training Through Obstacles and OBB Success at APF Gulf Coast Winter Bash
Life. It’s difficult. It always manages to throw you curve balls when you’re expecting a straight shot.
Shane Church Squats 1000 Pounds at the RPS Great White North Invasion
A challenging day ended in triumph.
Sheri Whetham's RPS Great White North Invasion Meet Report (with vi...
I went into this meet with goals and left having completed almost all of them.
2015 RPS Redemption Meet Report (With Video)
I may not have hit my goals, but I qualified for the XPC Finals and claimed two masters records.
Qualifying for XPC Finals: RPS Lexen Spring Fling Meet Report
After a challenging training cycle and career change,
Meet Report: Chase Karnes at USS St. Paddy's Day Smash
For the first time ever, Karnes competed in his hometown in an event to qualify for USS Strongman Nationals.
LIVE UPDATES: Mickey Belaineh at the IPF/USAPL Pro Raw Challenge
Full coverage of Mickey’s performance at the Arnold Sports Festival.
Long-term Goal Achieved at 13th Annual USAPL American Open
A record setting bench launched Yard to the third highest total in the USAPL.
Conquering the Elite Total at WPC Worlds
With several years under his belt, the biggest meet of Schillero’s career earned him a highly-coveted powerlifting honor.
Smitley Totals 10X Bodyweight Raw!
At the RPS Lexen Extreme Fall Classic, Smitley cements his legacy with an impressive day of lifting.
Karnes Faces European Contenders at Strongman Champions League-England
Despite energy-sapping travel and a flurry of first-time events, Chase was able to pull off a podium finish.
Kirschen Triumphant at XPC Finals
In powerlifting, a perfect storm of prep, weigh-in, refeed, and nine-for-nine execution is a rarity. David Kirschen pulled that off at the recent XPC Finals.
