“The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows.” —Robert
Frost, “Mowing”
“If you learn nothing else from training, it is very
important to learn that your limits are seldom where you think they are.” —Mark
Rippetoe, Starting Strength
I recently slayed a dragon. It wasn’t a large dragon, but it was mine.
I joined my first gym soon after I turned 25-years-old in 2004, weighing
around 160 lbs at six feet one inch. I touched a barbell maybe twice in high
school when my dad introduced me to the bench press. I didn’t enjoy it and
associated lifting with idiots. It was an unfortunate perception but not
completely wrong. Commercial gyms today have no shortage of people whose swagger
far exceeds their strength. (These people need to go to a meet and see what real
strength is.) I’m convinced that I saved myself from many stupid workouts and
injuries by coming to the iron on my own.
According to an old workout log, April 25, 2006, was the first time that I
deadlifted. I’m pretty sure I started deadlifting after reading some of Eric
Cressey’s articles, which I think prompted my curiosity about powerlifting.
(Thanks, Eric.) On that day, I pulled 135 lbs for six reps, called it a day, and
like most people, made fast, initial increases. I didn’t realize it, but I had
built a good foundation for deadlifting with lots of weighted chins and rows.
Weighted dips were another favorite back then, and I still think body weight
movements are great.
My interest in powerlifting increased as my passion for deadlifting
increased. I had been benching since I started lifting and did (very) partial
squats months before my first deadlift. However, it was the deadlift that got me
on the platform. I also missed being an athlete. I liked the individual nature
of the sport, and I liked the idea of a formal setting to test strength with
rules of performance.
I went to my first meet in November 2006 and knew I would be on the platform
soon after. I registered for a meet a few weeks later and competed for the first
time in February 2007. I weighed in 172 lbs at my first meet and pulled 380 lbs
on my third attempt. I had around 400 lbs in me that day, but a pulled lower
back after benching combined with lousy sleep kept me conservative, which was
smart. Although the 380 lbs went up in around three seconds, my back position
wasn’t well maintained, and 400 lbs might have done some damage.
I got 400 lbs out of the way at a push-pull in April 2008 and finished with
413 lbs, lifting in the 181-lb class for the last time. At a push-pull in August
2007 hosted by Bob Youngs and Lance Mosley, I moved to the 198-lb class and
pulled 445 lbs.
Then I stalled.
I attempted to break 450 lbs at a full meet in November 2007 and missed it
near lockout. At a push-pull in April 2008, I attempted it two more times and
missed the same way. In an almost perfect storm of errors in April, I went for a
PR after an opener that was way too light. I again pulled my lower back benching
and had a cramped hamstring as well. (Improper use of gear had no role in my
attempts because I compete raw.)
The good thing about failure is it leads to introspection (if a person is
smart). Repeated misses and sciatic pain prompted a lot of introspection. After
healing, I focused on hamstring flexibility to address my recurring back issues
with the bench, based on the advice of top bencher, Frank Caminita. I also
incorporated more upper back work for the deadlift and studied Mark Rippetoe’s
writings on deadlift mechanics and technique. Rippetoe’s Starting Strength
also had a profound effect on my squat a few months ago when I switched to a low
bar position and took his technique recommendations.
On October 26, 2008, I lifted in the 198-lb class at the USAPL Southeastern
US Regionals. This was the same meet where I failed to break 450 lbs the year
before. I lifted with my training partner, Rick Melear, a 1989 IPF Pan American
champion, who returned to the platform after 18 years at 51-years-old as a light
242 lbs. Rick also lifted raw.
After my third squat, I felt my lower back tighten up. It wasn’t a blowout
but enough that I knew something had happened. It held up without incident
during benching, and then the bar went on the floor. Some lumbar shenanigans
couldn’t stand in the way of my PR.
Prior to this meet, I had a bad habit of taking huge jumps between deadlift
attempts. For example, at Bob and Lance’s push-pull, I opened at 310 lbs and
jumped to 425 lbs. I kept doing it until it stopped working, and then I did it
once more. I didn’t make the same mistake again.
I opened at 402 lbs
and went to my nemesis of 451 lbs. It broke from the floor quickly and then
stalled near lockout for what seemed like an hour. I finally finished it,
received the down command, and saw the whites. This was the hardest lift of my
life, and it took almost 10 seconds.
I gave 457 lbs a go on my third attempt with a more aggressive set up (my set
up on the 451-lb attempt was somewhat hesitant), but my back position at the
start was horrible and stalled over the knees. As Louie Simmons once quoted
George Crawford, “However you start a lift—that is how you will finish it.” With
a truly maximal weight entailing the whole of one’s muscular ability, being
amped up won’t overcome grossly inefficient technique and can actually undermine
technique. Despite its non-technical reputation, the deadlift involves several
form considerations including distance of the shins from the bar, grip width,
stance width, toe position, back position, and head position among others.
In contrast, Rick Melear’s technique is the most crisp and assertive that
I’ve seen. On his second deadlift, he pulled an easy 589 lbs for a new state
master’s record. If not for a groin pull after putting down the bar, Rick would
have gone nine for nine. He’ll clear 600 lbs and a 1400-lb raw total in due
time.
Pride should never be far from humility. I’m proud to have reached a
milestone PR, and I also know what elite strength is. On July 7, 1985, in
Chicago, Ed Coan deadlifted 859 lbs in the 198-lb weight class. It remains an
all-time world record, and Coan was benching over 500 lbs raw around the same
time. This is an inspirational example of human potential and also a check
against arrogance. Unless you train at a place like Quads or Westside, being the
strongest guy at your gym doesn’t mean what you think it means. Know where you
stand, and seek to stand higher.
Myles Kantor is a personal trainer and powerlifter from Boynton Beach,
Florida. He has competed in the APF and USAPL.
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