Nose to the Grindstone: An Interview with Larry Hoover

By Glenn Buechlein

For www.EliteFTS.com

“I’d rather have him inside my tent pissing out than outside my tent pissing in.” —LBJ

I know it isn’t necessarily good to categorize people or label them, but I’ve never been accused of being politically correct so why start now? I’ve noticed that two, broad types of individuals exist in my world—those who are givers and those who are takers. By “givers” I’m referring to people who sincerely give their time and resources without worrying about serving their own interests. “Takers” go through life as parasites taking what they can from the friends and acquaintances who serve as their hosts. Naturally, I bet you can tell which type of person I want to be around.

I’ve developed another categorization that includes people who I like and respect to a greater degree as I get to know them better and those who I wish I hadn’t gotten to know better. Some people are simply much better liked and tolerated as only acquaintances. I call the latter BTAYs, which is short for “bout twice a year.” This means that seeing them about twice a year is enough for me. After that they make my asshole pucker.

Mr. Larry Hoover, a nationally ranked 220 lb. lifter, is someone who I greatly admire the more I get to know him. He was once an acquaintance and weekend lifting partner, but now I consider him a friend. He epitomizes what a giver is by consistently helping others both in and out of the realm of lifting. For example, Larry recently took some of my crew under his wing in order to instruct them in the technical aspects of suit squatting for meets. Luckily, he took this upon himself because my wings don’t function properly enough to place my hands on a squat bar. Larry is also a loyal family man who strives to support his wife and kids in their endeavors and pursuits. In return, they fully support and encourage his hobby of choice—powerlifting.  

I met Larry approximately five years ago after my gym was featured in the January 2002 edition of Powerlifting USA. One Friday evening, I heard a knock at the door, and there stood Larry. He was wondering if he could see my basement gym, the one he had recently read about. I showed him around and made casual conversation. He hasn’t left since.

Larry is the antithesis of me in that he is a man of few words. I have yet to see him lose his temper. Before we begin our lifting sessions, I rant and rave about anything that comes to mind while Larry talks quietly to the rest of the crew. Although we are polar opposites in personality, we are birds of a feather when it comes to training. We enjoy competition and putting our noses to the grindstone. I have witnessed Larry’s metamorphosis through the years both from the physical and the mental perspective. His physique and level of strength/endurance have erupted while his calm demeanor and honest assessments have provided everyone with a valuable role model and mentor.

I recently got the itch to compete in a bench meet, and Larry provided the motivation and the much needed but oft ignored honest evaluation of my prospects. Every gym needs straight shooters, not “Yes” men. Larry is a sniper in this regard. I trust him so I decided to throw caution to the wind and lift. Things didn’t go as planned, but I’ve regained my mojo and the competitive juices are once again flowing through my veins. I’m glad that he’s part of my crew and on my team because of his Spartan-like attitude. I’ve never seen him quit while performing any exercise in the gym or in the alley. He truly is “Hardcore Hoover.”

I believe my training partner, Larry, has earned the right to garner some well-deserved attention based on his meet totals and overall contribution to the sport. So, I’m proud to introduce the readers to Larry Hoover.

GB: Could you give us some background information about where you were born, your occupation, your family, etc? When did you start training, and what are your best lifts?

LH: I was born in Princeton, Indiana, on April 30, 1970. I’m currently employed by Toyota at the Gibson County plant. I’m married with three children, and I’m lucky because they’re all supportive of my lifting. I started lifting at age 13 in order to gain strength for football. After high school, I enlisted in the military and trained like a bodybuilder until 1994 when I began to powerlift. My best meet lifts are an 850 lb squat, a 600 lb bench press, and a 690 lb deadlift, all accomplished in the 220 lb class. I’ve competed in several organizations, but currently I lift in the APF where I also serve as the Indiana State Chair. I promote two to three meets per year, primarily in Evansville, Indiana.

GB: You are marooned on an island. What book would you want with you? You can only choose one. Also, what CD would you want to have?

LH: If I were marooned on an island, I would want the Bible to read and a Pantera CD to listen to.

GB: As an avid weightlifter and meet promoter, what are the biggest myths or misconceptions about weightlifting that you hear from the general population? Also, could you list common complaints or excuses for not training or training to potential? What are your views regarding raw training versus suit training? Currently, how do you train?

LH: The biggest myth I consistently here is that suits make you stronger. I train raw in the off-season to build a good base. I believe suit training is something that must be done in order to get accustomed to the different groove. The main complaint thrown around centers is that something is hurting so it’s impossible to train hard.

GB: Please list some favorite quotes, movies, or songs that inspire you during or prior to a workout or simply comment on what does inspire you to keep training.

LH: My favorite saying is that yesterday doesn’t mean shit! I train hard to get strong every day. I focus on the now and not the past. I strive to push my body as far as I can without breaking it. On some occasions, it has broken.

GB: I’ve noticed that I personally enjoy being around individuals who like dogs. I tend to have problems with people who don’t like dogs. So, show me a dog lover, and I’ll predict that I will get along with the person. Do you have any of these life observances that you use?

LH: I really can’t tolerate lazy people. I’m usually a good judge of this, and I can tell that they’re lazy just by talking to them.

GB: When enduring a particularly grueling or intense exercise, what do you envision or think? That is, what runs through your mind and what keeps you going when every muscle and cell in your body is pleading for you to stop? Does everyone naturally have the inner drive to keep going and can it be learned?

LH: I’ve always trained hard. I simply believe that if I keep training harder, I’ll keep getting stronger. I mostly want to beat everyone that I train with. I genuinely hate to lose. Personally, I don’t think everyone has the desire to train hard, although I believe they do have the potential. They may not be a world beater, but they could get stronger.

GB: Describe the perfect workout.

LH: The perfect workout would consist of training pain free accompanied by loud music and good training partners all hitting PRs.

GB: Who would you like to train with if you could? Comment on what makes a good training partner.

LH: If Evil Knievel lifted weights, I’d want to train with him. He would try stuff that others wouldn’t dare. He’s either hardcore or crazy. Either way it doesn’t matter. A good training partner never misses a workout and trains hard. Also, it helps if the training partner has the same goals and desires as I do.

GB: Could you briefly describe your nutrition plan and supplement regime? How much does diet play a role in your overall success and general well-being? 

LH: I do watch my diet. I try to get 400 grams of protein, 250 carbs, and around 100–150 grams of fat per day. I supplement with Animal Paks, fish oil, protein powder, vitamin C, calcium, and glutamine.

GB: Lastly, I believe one’s youth has a major impact on personality and character traits. My background has played a key role in who I am today, and I feel it’s why I choose to lift and compete with such intensity. Is there anything in your early life that could have contributed to your “never say die attitude?”

LH: I hate to get beat. Period. I know that Glenn beats me, but I don’t like it so I try to beat him. I’m just a competitive person.

GB: Thank you, Larry, for your time and insightful answers. I wish you luck and a speedy recovery from your shoulder surgery.

Enjoy every sandwich,

Glenn “Power B” Buechlein

Glenn “Apollo” Buechlein is a teacher in Indiana with a 700 lb plus bench press at 242 lbs. Best known as “Power B,” Glenn’s gym is in Washington, Indiana.  His gym is perfect—steel, chalk, dogs, and pure mayhem.

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