have to agree with the Tee man and a few others who have "voiced" how STUPID powerlifting has become!

Yes I am guilty to wanting to gain up to 300 pounds. But in no way the way many lifters are today! Very few big guys can caryy 275, 300 plus pounds and still look good and more importantly healthy! I know hwen we are 20-30 years old we could give a rats ass about the future. But trust when you hit 40 and are days away from 50 years old then things become clearer.

O.D.Wilson was great and looked like a monster, yet we all saw how bad of shape he was in when doing the WSM, I remember the day Anthony Clark and I got a call saying OD died from a heart attack after doing an radio interview going down some stairs.

A.C. was perhaps in worst shape than O.D. but we did go to the 1991 Mr. O and Joe weider paid for our travel and food and hotel at the Dolphin for a week just to bench with Ted Arcidi. I remember how AC was unable to walk more than 10 feet without stopping ofr air. Keep in mind he had never been to a doctor at this time. You have KAZ as perhaps the only GIANT who has succeeded in being big? Don Reihart dropped weight after retireing , It looks like Gus has done so too, Then we all know about Jon Kuc doing so during his best lifting in order to save his life.

Here is my point, TODAYS big guys should be a better representation of powerlifting. I can remember back when we as lifters were embarrassed if we were called football players, well now football players have better lifts than most powerlifters. A guy at 300 pounds will end up cutting his life in 1/2. I will say today we have a very few who caryy 300 pound well and at the say time use it.

I will admit in the last few months I saw Mr. Byrd anda guy at 165(?) who benched like 700 and these two guys did so in very gtood form(from what I saw) so the BS about not being able to get down or the shirt won't let me touch is all crap for the sloppy lifting we have today!

Now we have a new class of benching "Board Bench" ??? We have guys who eat 24/7 and lay on thier back and see how little they have to move the bar! FOR WHAT? People we have lost all accountability for any respect. This sport has now without a doubt become a "Circus" so lets do it, bring in the clowns!

What is so impressive about a 500 pound thing with 6 gym rats loading up a bar just to unrack it? So what? Look at Rob L.(spell) here is a guy who can bench alot more than many 300-400 pound guys, what about Halbert, Patterson, so there are guys who do do the sport right and train and do get respect.

The reason I bring any of this up is I never went to a doctor, since coming back to the states in 1974 from Southeast Asia! The first time I visited a doctor was when I was forced to and had I waited another 12 hours I would have for sure died! Since then I am in contact with both my othro and primary, by email or phone at anytime of the day. I am 260 at 9%, Since then I have had a calcium scan, which should be about 40%(but is O) and MRI from head to toe, bone thickness scan EKG, Heart monitors, just about anything and everything there is! My BP is 127/78. I am lucky, but then again as my doctor said I can thank my parents. (I know, watch me go out and get hit by another truck)

I wonder how many of you did as I did and have not seen an doctor?. I sgree with WOLF, about being built for lifting but just for a short time.

Fact is more people are impressed when you look like you can lift it as well as being healthy!

Next time you guys want to dog some of the old farts betetr think twice, like Dalton, Tussic and look at Art Menton, he is still moving big numbers, then Courtney who pulls over 600, which is more than many of the big benchers today and he is in his 60's!
Many of us can only hope we make it past 50 yet let alone still lift!

The big man better start training smarter than stronger! and Fatte
Tim Bruner