523 Pound World Record !!
November 16th at the WABDL Worlds I put up 2 World Record Benches in the masters 61-67--308lb class...the first was a 514 and then a 3 white light 523 for the most weight benched by any man 63 years old in the history of the sport... I have lifted more than 500 pounds 10 times in 2005 but only 6 have been passed by the judges ...in total I've had 18 500 plus lifts passed in 2 years ...again,the most consistant benching of any 60+ bencher !
The Big Boys !!
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Tiny Meeker from Humble Texas ( that is so poetic... 3 words that all mean 'humble') is pictured just before his successful 870 pound bench --drug free in a single ply shirt ! Tiny tried 900 and his shirt blew (spotters caught the bar--no injury ) he then courageously put on another shirt and it wouldn't let the 900 all the way down--He popped it back up effortlessly like a 1 board press --the next day HE COMPETED AGAIN !!! trying, but barely missing the 900 --he was the sensation of the bench meet ! BUT it was close because the sensational Steve Wong was there too !
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| Steve Wong made an 815 opener here he is charging toward the platform seconds before his success
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Here is the lift taken in 'miracle fuzzovision' from a great distance away--Steve wears Titan F6 shirts ...he tried 870 for a very close no lift and locked a beautiful 881 that the judges turned down due to his butt coming off the bench !
So, two very mighty men lifted back to back to a very excited crowd in the huge Silver room of the Reno Hilton ! also in the days to come...Sensation Ryan Kennelly would try huge numbers and manage to get none on the boards very odd because Ryan is usually the most consistant bencher among the "Big Boys"...Also Muscular Jason Jackson. This years Bench America winner did a perfect 793 at 242 lbs Bodyweight...also a bench sensation was Mike Womack in the Juniors who is the youngest to crack a 700 bench yes and Mike has passed all his WABDL Drug tests for you doubters out there!
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| These are the kind of awards WABDL gives... one of a kind sculptures all over a foot long and 10 pounds or so..besides the phenomenal staging and organization of WABDL meets..Gus Rethwisch's meets have always been the most popular since the Hawaii World record breakers...the program called this meet...
"The Biggest weightlifting tournament in history...over 600 hundred lifters 4 years in a row featuring the strongest men and women in the world attempting over 100 world records" Lifters from every state in the USA and 11 countries travelled to this amazing event !
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| A legend in powerlifting, Tom Overholtzer of the Crazy Fudpuckers Gym logo was here 'live' and in the flesh to lift in WABDL
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| What amazes me is lifters like Olicio Dos Santos Filho,who at 61 deadlifts 683-- other great lifters like Bud Davis do 655 or so all in their 60's when most 'old guys' are permently strapped to their lazy boy recliners...poundages like this are amazing even for juniors and open classes....and think of Jo Walker who in her 60's and only 132 pounds bodyweight is hitting 400 plus dead like they're warm ups !
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| On the other hand,I have been ignoring the deadlift and have issues with my knees and psychiatric nerve (sciatic nerve) my hip wont accept collect calls from my leg anymore...this left me with a baby weight of 523 (yeah Robo deadlift your bench press that's always good-even lifting ) I was in agony in the warm up room..the lift wasn't hard but the back spasm afterwards was...I deemed it time to quit....My good opponent from Utah Manny Herrera lifted the same and won on lighter bodyweight so I ended up 2nd and very very happy for Manny...he's been after a win over me for 2 years !!--I still hold the World record in our class with 551 ...but Manuel may get that soon too if I dont wear a 24 hour ice pack and get back training again !!
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| And yet another Challenge was met...Don James in the Superheavy weight class was after my 518 record and he managed to get it...with 519 --he has wanted to return the 'record' to the USA and was really on at this meet...I did 523 right AFTER he lifted his...and quipped to me "Geez Robert, I was the strongest old man in the world for ONE Minute!" he gave 523 a try after that but 'was outta gas' ... Below is MY 523 lift angled from a russian spy sattelite
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| Nancy and I right after the BIG lift !
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| More team Canada !!
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| Nancy Carpenter nearly made a new Canadian National Record of 181 pounds but was held on the chest for at least 3 seconds and had little fire on her 3rd attempt --she did win one of the enormous and beautiful 1st place trophies tho !! In meets to come see Nancy hit at least 200 in the bench soon (her training days show she already has THAT power)
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| Colin Bonneau did his best ever lift as well at this World's he matched my 523 ..but he is 5 years younger and also lighter...he has amazing calves and professes to have never trained them !!
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| Here is Colin with Mike Johnson and Jim Presely --Jim has a 540 bench and amazing arms even relaxed !
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| Also from Team Canada was Gary Bobrovitz a Calgary TV reporter for Global ! he was just back from a meet in Finland and his numbers were down a tad (but he still won his class) here he is with 264 pounds at 132 bodyweight !
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| This is me and Manuel Herrera with our trophies for the bench....the one where he is in first in the deads went somehow mysteriously missing !!
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| Randy Patterson missed this 633 but MADE 611 --he is 59 and will probably be the first 60 year old to reach 600 in the bench ..unless of course my new shirt with the hydraulic motor in the arm pits works...then maybe I still have a chance !
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| The meet was exceptional as was the Hotel --here is a fabulous sculpture at the Hilton...a landmark in Reno...
next year the WABDL World's will be in Las Vegas !!
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Here's a link to
Robo's New Lifting Blog
I'll put the newest stuff here before it can be updated by my web expert Mr.Ted Wendland
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