If you are at a higher level, you instinctively know where you are, what numbers you need to hit and how weight is supposed to feel. They are not the same as most; you dont have a max effort day and dynamic effort day. If you want to get strong, the system is foolproof and works for anyone. I remember you asked what I got out of using bands on the bar. Do more paused work, great for gaining strength at the bottom and fixing form. At SFS we strive to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed for your fitness journey. Plus Waterman showed up as well. he was a one of a kind beast and will be greatly missed, Chuck taught me everything I ever knew about powerlifting. It does no good to be strong in the wrong exercises or put effort into the wrong muscle groups. I could not talk for once. on the bar. As was Anthony Clark, a big star, looking to his 800 lb. Given their experience, both Tate and Coan have had opportunities to cross paths with many legends of the sport over the course of their careers. They see internet videos of him squatting or deadlifting and going nuts. Jim Wendler of 5-3-1 Fame, although it does not add up, trained at Westside. Marie Wegener - DSDS-Gewinnerin 2018 . Joe McCoy was a young, great lifter at the time, winning a WPC world at 19 years old. Most people are very weak at the bottom. Back to Daytona and Waterman again, plus the giant killer, Markus Schick, was in the house. I read hundreds of books and it changed my life. I did not think we would get out of that town alive. We are not EliteFitness.com. Research shows this training method builds muscle and strength much, much faster. These are not easy workouts though. It had a powerlifting room by itself, and I started to train with lots of guys like Kenny Patterson (KP) and Joe McCoy, but would work my way into your group. At the same time, he also built up his lockout. He was a very strong bencher. Louie:I thought you were done, but the WPO was about to come on the scene with money. I know you won some cash, but when everyone showed up at 5 am, no one showed up to pay. And if they really wanted to be like Chuck, theyd have to be able to do all of that and have the lifting strength to back it up. Chuck V: Just watch my fat. But, being very good at math, I found that Kenny had actually won instead. Jimmy told George that he could do more in a shirt, but George said he made only 473 lbs. For me, and many guys here, its my second family and weve been here through bad times and good times. dumbbells, for those who could do them. in just four meets. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Everyone takes shots at Westside. While in high school, Chuck crossed paths with the Louie Simmons of world-famous Westside Barbell based in Colombus, Ohio. Once the body learns how to maintain position through straining it will lead to big PRs. Having lifted with you, I know you are a big believer in mastering technique. After getting a reload, it had taken too much out of him, and Waterman won, again. Nevertheless, from a coaching perspective, one persons opinion is never enough to take a lifters performance to the next level. You must switch up the exercises to avoid the law of accommodation. If any of the multiply lifters were required to squat bellow parallel to get their lifts passed Im sure they would be able to alter their suit or what not . Please be careful! It is in my head. I was relieved for a while. as well as Louie passing, we have lost to of the best that ecer did it. I was 43 in 91 and said I was done powerlifting after this miss hap. And to add to the list, J. L. Holdsworth, one of the strongest full lifters I have ever seen. A lot of people have some preconceived notions about who Chuck is and what kind of person he is. And as a result, your ability to lockout and complete both the squat and the deadlift. Although Vogelpohl isnt breaking world records these days, you can find him showcasing some of his wisdom on his Instagram page, with his latest post showing hamstring glute sit backs using the belt squat and of course a box. Other than that it's all box squats. Chuck fully takes this teaching to heart, and in doing so has one of the best eyes for dissecting and improving another lifters technique. This was the foundation of using a high volume and high-intensity training to reach the top. Some people say, "Louie is only successful because he hand-picks the strongest lifters in the world!". If you cant lift correctly than you are going to get hurt. Then, a few weeks after KP made 728 to make him the greatest bencher of all time. I cannot stop training. chuck vogelpohl powerpohlbest hockey base layer. And of course, Mark Bell and his Super Training gym. What a day. I said, I told you its in your head. At that he came after me, all 370 lbs. I now present to you The Iron Man; Chuck Vogelpohl. I made 13 reps, KP could only do 16 reps, for some reason on a stability ball. I was using a ton of tension. In 1982, when I broke my lower back for the second time, I knew I had to change what I was doing. Simmons, Mr. Simmons, can I talk to you? I said sure. (The classic Westside template has two Dynamic days and two Max Effort days, one of each for both the upper and lower body.) Many consider him to be the most intense powerlifter in the history of the sport and Vogelpohl was without a doubt the strongest equipped lifter of his time. I was an Inmate at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient Ohio, where he was a Recreation correctional officer between the years of 1990, 1998. ), some of the answers were hard to understand upon listening to it. Here's the real story. These numbers seem crazy after Matt Dimels 1,010 lb. It was good for the team to learn to make, not only lifts, but to compete. At this point, Chuck finished with a couple of sets of elevated glute-ham raises and went home. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. There were just three benches and about 15 of us, so you really had to earn your spot. 475, to KPs 480. One of his many remarkable feats is that he squatted over 1,000 lbs while in three different weight classes; 220, 242, and 275 lbs. Next, Dominic Ritolo came into the gym and started to train with you. So a novice should do one extra workout a week for upper body and one extra workout for the lower body, targeting whatever's needed. So, Chuck, when did you meet me and start training at Westside? . Then in his next meet, he broke the world record twice, with 744 and then 766. Tom, Kenny, Rob, and Mickey Tate are long gone, but George is still training a group of benchers at Westside. Chuck, you had a very high tolerance to high volume, and you maintained it for your entire lifting career. Dave also hails from Westside gym, he's a specimen that has been heavily involved in the powerlifting community for decades. None the less, Chuck overcame these potentially debilitating injuries to win the WPO by being incredible at each of the three powerlifts. You pick the muscle that you need and that's what you train. I see that a lot more info could be added to his Wikipedia page,, With respect to direct lat work, you will neither find it in the detailed 1982 article by Ron Fernando, disclosing, I was there, front row at the USF SunDome in Tampa covering the contest for The Tampa Tribune when Jeff, Dave was 7 years my elder and my teen years weightlifting idol. You will se Chuck Vogelpohl, Mike Ruggiera, Louie Simmons and many more in a speed. You ended up getting kicked out and had to have Amy Weisberger go to the scorers table and give all of our attempts. I told George he is Westside, he and the men I have mentioned throughout this writing. But during a gym shootout, Georges peck was separated from the bone completely. But, we finally killed the rabbit. A lot of what I do is based on how I feel; something I cant put down on paper. Youve got to be dead on; especially with heavy weights. Then, I tore my triceps off. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQTk68EgYbK/ He drove me through them and into the wall, and all the bulbs went into my back. This first 4 week block is designed to help lifters get used to dropping reps and really gauge their max effort movements. This is not necessarily surprising to learn, given Chucks reputation for unparalleled ferocity and strength. Note: Rests shouldnt be longer than 30 seconds; this is rapid-fire! Chuck Vogelpohl is an American powerlifter that set numerous world records and was known for his unmatched tenacity. A week later, Dick Hartzell came to town with the bands at a basketball clinic. EFS: How about the rack deadlifts? In 93, I wrote an article in Powerlifting USA, entitled Three of a Kind. Not for the beginner. No gym in the world has two 2,700 pound totals. And since you only have so long to complete a maximum rep 2 seconds, maybe 3 if you're very endurance minded you have to be fast to be strong. And we almost never pull a deadlift off the floor, usually from pins until we go to the meet. This allows you to bring out your strengths. In a career spanning almost two decades, powerlifting legend Chuck Vogelpohl competed in weight classes from 90kg all the way to 125kg. That's why it works for everybody. Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level. It also builds cardiovascular and muscular endurance at the same time. He is the other half of this absolutely mental squat workout/competition with Vogelpohl. For example, on Wednesday's Chuck will bench before J.L and I. But one of the best exercises is the belt squat. Chuck Vogelpohl's 1180lb squat- Video. I have been wearing the same squat suit for years now and Dave has been helping me design a Metal squat suit. Chuck V: Ive always been weak at the top so the bands helped quite a bit; probably more than most people. You lifted in the 220-pound class coming down from the 255-pound class, but still won the division belt. The legendary powerlifter Chuck Vogelpohl used to perform rack pulls with over 1,000 pounds! Copyright 2023 elitefts. Given the amount of respect that people have for him as a lifter, many would be surprised to learn that Chuck has that much more respect for the sport itself. squat at 264 lbs. The WPO was starting, and it had money to win. Chuck Vogelpohl is best known for his record-breaking squats, but he did have a respectful bench and deadlift, especially considering that he suffered from some serious injuries such as a broken neck. Max effort training is the greatest training method because it teaches your body to strain for longer periods of time. I could not believe this garage housed a national team. He always had a lot to say, like if he did not win The Arnold he would retire. After all, you were not built that good to squat, but you were best suited for the deadlift. Box squats become a love hate rerlationship, long story short,I left the prison August 1998 with a 600lb bench press .. with the shirt, a 785lb and a 600lb dead lift. Well post a longer profile on Jujimufu at a later date because theres plenty to cover. At 220 lbs. Chuck V: Sometimes, but its what I know. death notices nampa, idaho; metamask tax forms; alta at k station shooting; Media. I told him if he could do 20 reps with 155s, I would buy 175s. Louie:Well, Chuck, we have been through a lot since you came to Westside in 1987. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases, killer workouts, actionable fitness content and more. Chuck was a National champion by the late 1980s, a World Champion in 1995 but injuries kept him from fully realizing his potential until the early 2000s and once professional meets with prize money and championship belts were created in the mid 2000s, Chuck entered the zenith of his career. At Westside, we use a particular weight and particular bar speed, and we control the volume by how strong you are. We dont accept new members but this is close. I would do 1,000 sit-ups and lat pulldowns. That was Westside in the 90s. If you have seen the amazing documentary Westside vs the World, you know that Chuck returns home to train again with Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell.Powerlifting entrepreneur Mark Bell posted a great tribute video to a 1260 lb reverse band squat that Chuck did in preparation for another world record breaking meet shortly after this overloaded training lift. The bands are what made my squat take off, but I lost a lot in stability. I about passed out. In such a situation, not only would the coach be doing their trainee a disservice, but they might also be denying themselves an opportunity to learn something new as well. Orders shipped out within 1 - 5 business days. Privacy Policy. To be a complete athlete, one must possess a strong lower body and a strong You must achieve optimal positioning before moving the barbell, no matter the lift. Dave and I wanted to do an interview with Chuck Vogelpohl for awhile and for several reasons. We were the only gym with three 600 lb. I dont know if the bands would help this as much as they did with me at the top. bench in his reverse grip style. Chuck, you got bigger and bigger, but kept cutting to 220 pounds. In one month, I would do 1,025 pounds to push my 220-pound world record up. I knew you already knew, but you just wanted to confirm it. Thats the nature of the sport. It doesn't matter what your age is, whether you're natural, even your gender. For example, on Wednesdays Chuck will bench before J.L and I. In this 45 minute workout, both Jujimufu and Joey do 2-5 box squats per set. It's too easy. Speed training is that important first gear. While driving I said, Look you fat Fer, it is in your head. Now I am waiting for him to smack me in the mouth, like he did many times. But, Marcus won best lifter. Tags: Neck training, Grip, Goodmornings Time to read: 3 min The bench press is Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. Chuck V. You would know better than me. dumbbells and does 20 reps dead cold. I can thank Kenny for my success. This video shows how gritty Chuck was on the platform.During one of the wonderful Dave Tate Tableltalk podcasts on YouTube, Renowned strength coach and former Westside Barbell lifter said that he had seen Chuck miss a weight in the gym, go up in weight and he would smash the greater weight for a triple. I need to be challenged. Dave Waterman was one of our top rivals at money meets. Chuck:Todays lifters, for the most part, are not as passionate as 20 years ago. Dave Tate has said during multiple YouTube videos that Chuck was always the first person in the gym setting the lift of the day up and he was the last person to leave the gym, in order to make sure that everything was put away and cleaned up properly. This was 1986. Chuck is known for his incredible squatting prowess, but as Louie says it is improving your weakest lift will make you a champion. Follow these steps to try the Chuck Vogelpohl x Dave Tate squat challenge. Men 275lb.Weight Class IPA World Record. We had three world record holders. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. My legs would never grow until I started using bands over the bar. Vogelpohl also holds the second highest squat of all-time at 275 (1,150 pounds). Tate said this was the hardest squatting training session of his life. This DVD was insane. bench which would be a milestone at the time. But all still holds the world record at 42 of 1,140 lbs. So let's say you squat 400 pounds. As youll see in the video, Dave Tate, another powerlifting great from Westside Barbell, details how this squat workout with Chuck Vogelpohl came into existence. Think of speed strength as a transmission in a car. Be sure to also use a variety of movements. Ed Coan and Dave Tate sit down at Omaha Barbell to share insights from their respective powerlifting journeys with a group of athletes and lifters. Simply put, Dave said that he is the most dependable, hardest working, most competitive lifter hes ever seen. Simply put, he is a force of nature. Only our top benchers were allowed to go to Tims to bench, the rest had to stay at Westside and suffer. And Waterman always did great, but not on a slippery 8 in. bodyweight. EFS: You have a reputation for being intense and hardcore. We recorded it on an audio tape and since Chuck speaks softly (surprised? Explosiveness is maximum velocity, but you don't develop that by lifting you develop it by jumping. I started applying everything I could, which means I started applying science to weights. Sign up for Patreon and get the exact programming Matt recommends for each modality. I have Matt carry a barrel wrestlers have to get their hips to the opponent, and the only way to carry a 55 gallon barrel is to jam the hips up into it. Copyright 2023 elitefts. EFS: Im sure all the diet experts will want to know. Count me in! That was a big setback for over a year. New meets were coming up, and new records would fall. EFS: First, thanks for letting us do this interview. Hes always the first one in the gym and is always helping to put weights away and help others around him. I was still in high school, and Kenny Read helped handle me. We have four. Eskil was bigger than me and he could not out-squat, out-bench, or out-total me. George and KP were ruling the bench at Westside. Heres a quick breakdown of the main points that Vogelpohl credits for his success: Note: Youll see the first two points being covered in the Jujimufu squat workout inspired by Chuck Vogelpohl. Louie Simmons Not very fast. If you have no glutes, you'll do reverse hypers or walk in the belt squat. In Daytona, KP called for 722 but was miss-loaded to 821. rack pulls from just above the knee and a good box squat with 885 lbs. world record at 220. People get wrapped up about how we train, as far as numbers and exercises, but they dont know, and will never know HOW we train. Seeing how Chuck lifts and the weights he handles in training is truely impressive, not to mention the fact he is the lightest lifter to squat over a grand (1025 @ 220lbs) [yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, he lifts in the WPO so he is guilty of early weigh-ins, 2-ply canvas suits and briefs, monolifts, I mean SURELY we all could out total Chuck if we had all of . But raw should be just a beltno three-meter knee wraps. The last time I recall you said your legs felt like they weighed 900 pounds. I told John Inzer. This keeps you from getting injured. Matt won the raw shootout at Dave Tates gym that day. Drug free. That's how we don't overtrain everything is governed by your maximum strength. Over the 45 minutes, they completed 43 sets with a starting weight of 330 lbs, then bumped it up to 390 lbs about halfway through. So, what started your run of world records? Much like a rabbit in track. Chuck squatted 1118 and deadlift after his 633 bench to total 2506. In his last fight he broke his opponent's nose, jaw, and cheekbone and we don't do anything for arms other than one-arm dumbbell pressing. This would be Georges last world record. of bar weight plus 640 lbs. Vogelpohl would continue setting new records and turning heads throughout his lifting career. Rob was also very strong in all the powerlifts. I now present to you The Iron Man; Chuck Vogelpohl. I was putting up $3,000 for a meet one month, so you came in at 265 pounds and killed a 1,150-pound squat for a new all-time world record. EFS: At meets, you get a little worked up before you lift. Matt will also carry a 100-pound med ball in a wrestler's clinch for interval training. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. These are the three abilities that make up the Westside Method. Chuck was a National champion by the late 1980s, a World Champion in 1995 but injuries kept him from fully realizing his potential until the early 2000s and once professional meets with prize money and championship belts were created in the mid 2000s, Chuck entered the zenith of his career. Because of this, he had many tares. You started handing me Gatorades. But after six months of no progress, he jumped on board and began to make great progress. I said it showed me how to think while I was pulling. I go deeper now and it is fixed. Chuck Vogelpohl. I I still go hard and workout, I am not as strong as I use to be but Im 55 still squat over 600 bench in the fours and can pull 600. EFS: What kind of percentages do you use? George goes right over to the 155 lb. Max Effort is what everyone seems to focus on, however, to get the most of your potential you need to employ both days. The workout session consisted of dynamic speed work of back squats with a bar loaded to 405lbs. I said you would have to take over and help lead the guys for a while. The flame hat you wore should be in its own Hall of Fame! Here's how. You earned it. George started losing body fat but kept his bench strong. Chuck:Well, I could care less. He has more 2900 totals than anyone on the planet. But, I told him, he must touch his chest, after all that is the hardest part of the lift for most. Eighty percent of the work volume is placed where we need with assistance exercises to support the bench, squat, and deadlift. EFS: What did your max effort work use to be like? He will always stick around to help load, spot, hold boards and help set bench shirts. George was lifting in their first big money meet. The bench came from Kmart, it was about 8 in. https://p. Gerry O was to win a national championship. You wanted me to gain weight into the 308 and break Paul Childress 1168-pound world record, but it was hard on my health. I would see you had a new interest in powerlifting, and you started to gear up again, just like when you first came to Westside. Thread starter Sherro; Start date Mar 7, 2011; Tags chuck insanity . If I recall, we did three meets before you wrote about it in Powerlifting USA. Stretch more and do more mobility work. And you to build the deadlift. The head ref. So there were a lot of factors that went into it. Bullshit. Over the years many names have been synonymous with the world of powerlifting. Vogelpohl was a force to be reckoned with and well respected by the elites of the powerlifting world. All Rights Reserved. Tony Ramos still holds the total and deadlift marks at Westside. At 16 and 170 pounds, he was squatting 800, benching 500, and deadlifting 600. How high are those? KP made a 688 lb. And to answer the question, he retired. Follow This and You Can't Fail, Box squats plus exercises to improve them, How to handle high volume and high intensity of all three big lifts (squats, bench, deadlift), Incorporating the use of chains on the bar for Accommodating Resistance, Introduction of resistance bands into training, Find a partner with similar strength as you in the squat, Load up the bar to around 50% of your 1RM, Perform 2-5 reps, then let your partner match those. You had won the division from great lifters like Jesse Kellum and Travis Mash, but it was time to do something healthier. He wanted to learn what I had been doing since 1982, about the time he was born. Free Shipping with a $69 qualifying order. Percentages work well with beginners and intermediate lifters; they need guidelines and somewhere to start. In the original session, powerlifting legends Dave Tate and Chuck Vogelpohl put themselves and each other through a squat workout that, decades later, is still discussed in strength circles. Tate would challenge these imitators, saying that if they really wanted to be like Chuck, then they should be the first person in the gym and the last one out at the end of the day. Lifting in the 242-pound class, I set the world record at 1,140 pounds. I became only the third to do it with two-hour weigh-ins. All right reserved. He was a great training partner with his Zippy fired personality, along with Chuck V. who could never do enough in the workouts, and the two carried me along with them. For example, Chuck Vogelpohl would do speed squats with 405-455 in a 3-week wave with one set of strong Jump-Stretch bands. I stopped breathing for four minutes and had to be trached as well as given chest tubes. Chuck:Thanks, Louie. champ at the WPO but also the heavyweight champ at 275 lbs. Chuck: [Stares at me. So, an 800-pound squatter would lift a total of 9,600 pounds (480 lb x 2 reps x 10 sets). At that point, KP and I dropped to our knees and said We are not worthy over and over again as we raised our hands over our heads 10 times. This time George beat Dave, 650 to 628. He said, I heard those Westside guys are crazy, but he eventually became a Westsider and still is today. The squat surpasses the old mark of 1,107 pounds which was held by Sam Byrd. The name Jujimufu came from his AOL profile, and its been with him since. Jim says: Chuck was serial killer intense and he had a reverence for that place (Westside Barbell).. Chuck Vogelpohl would eventually not only break world records, but do so in three different weight classes. His 628 lb. In referencing Louie Simmons, Tate says that he engrained in them that its their responsibility to make everyone else better. No 100s on a Kmart bar. We are not EliteFitness.com. RECORDS LAST UPDATED: November 16, 2011 Today, really nothing is different. If you don't feel a movement switch it the next workout. And that he must stay and train others and teach them like he was taught, not only by me but by the other greats before him and his training partners. Over around a 15-year stretch and through some serious injuries, Chuck Vogelpohl set the standard for many powerlifters that came after him. out of the best shirts. These things will kill your bar path when you get to heavier weights; this will screw your lift. I said sure. WATCH: Ed Coan and Dave Tate on Their Powerlifting Inspiration, Free Shipping with a $69 qualifying order. for easy sets of three reps. George was a real student of the game, he was very fast. However, while this kind of intensity can drive a powerlifters competitive performance, at times it can also be, as Tate puts it, a curse. and our In 1956 in Minneapolis my buddies and I, Walter Klock Smoking with Schwarzenegger, Art Labare A Powerlifting Legend You Need to Know, Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. I remember Mickey Tate was at Vanhorns gym one Sunday to bench with the rest of our top benchers. Louie, you were really pissed off. I ruptured my patella tendon during a low box squat. Get the most out of just using bar weight and milk it; you should be able to hit some big numbers with them and chains. So he'll go 100 feet down, 100 feet back, perform a series of jumps, and then repeat. And Chuck V., Dave Tate, and myself in the squat and deadlift. Due day at Vanhorns, George went to out-bench the great Larry Pacifico, who I saw bench 590 at 228 in the early 1970s. Me and Louie, weve been lifting for so long and were still working on mastering technique. The fact we always kick their asses might have something to do with it.