I was talking to a few friends who were missing the "Good Old Days" of Powerlifting.  When there were measurable amounts of FREAKS and CHARACTERS.

Granted, the doors are now wide open for a NEW breed to take the platforms, mostly brought on by the popularity of Crossfit and the commercializing and main stream promotions of Strength and Conditioning, it's probably a good thing.  But its still fun to think back to the nuts and personalities that made up what it use to be like  before people got off their collective butts and started to move.

Back when we "LIFTED" as exercise and "went for a run" to condition, we had genuine WACK-O's that we would look forward to seeing daily at the GYM.

I have written about a few of my favorites like "Big Lenny" and how I gave him the patented Rigatoni, Spam, and Sauerkraut Juice Diet for quick weight loss.  There was also notable characters like "Big Moose, Gut, and little brother Crowbar" who couldn't add a single weight to determine how much was on the bar, but BOY o BOY were they strong!  They, in fact, were the original "Get Strong through Ignorance" program design catalyst.

Not a single one of these people would think to take a picture of themselves while LIFTING!  (It wasn't even TRAINING at this period of time)  If you did...you can count on be berated until such bitchy attitudes ceased.

To have multiple apparel for specific workouts?  I can hear Big Joey "Gunz" cacophonous laugh now!

No such thing!  Joey Gunz was a BIG RIG operator and he would walk in from working a crane all day, in his work boots and jeans.  He'd take off his shirt to reveal a less than perfect undershirt with yellow armpit stains and his 22 inch arms.  He would sip from a water fountain (that was always worth the trip to see one of the "Barbell Betties" using a bench in the corner) The begin to hoist a load in his famous elbow flex exercises OR shrug.  Joey had nothing else...nope, he had HUGE arms and Traps...that's IT!   It didn't matter that he was way out of balance aesthetically, or that he had NO legs what so ever.  But to Joey Gunz...it was all about the size of his arms.  (That might be why I find that guy Dom Mezzatti so funny)

Big Willie Williams was a gentle giant and the Worlds Largest Elementary School Principle.  Big Willie had a quart of oil in his hair, slicking back a short cropped Afro.  Willie had a laugh and a voice like James Earl Jones.  As a matter of fact, PICTURE James E. Jones at 6'4" and 255 lbs of rock hard muscle.  Yup...that was Willie.

Diplomat by day, "The Ladies Man" by night, but for TWO HOURS (yup...that was the average length of time WE WANTED to be in the gym) Willie made NFL linebackers and lineman look weak.  He would turn into a legit Tyrannosaurus!

Clouds of chalk, rusting plates, bent bars, and smell of wet steel.  Nothing could keep us out.  The characters still exist, but many have tamed it down so as not to (uh-oh...here it comes boys and girls) offend the mainstreamers.

In my gym, I bring those "Ghosts" back!  In my gym you can still hear a holler or an agonizing moan.  You will also get the most intelligent people in the world bark out well placed (every other word) profanity.

There is NOTHING quite like greeting someone at Zero Dark Thirty with a "Good Morning Fuckface" only to get a response..."Fuck you! You fuck'n fuck".

Love it!

Today:

Dynamic Squat: 12x2x50%

Dead Lifts: 12x2x50%

Done!