The Worst of Powerlifting

[Sean Katterle]

Here's the video of Donnie Thompson's sham powerlifting (the new claimed biggest powerlifting total.)

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/9775#new

A lifter intentionally signs up for Gene Rychlak's federation's meets because they know that their high squats, belly benches and pseudo locked out deadlifts are gonna pass.

So, it is the lifter's fault. Donnie and his sponsors want him to have a claim to the "all time" numbers record and they know that a show like this is the place to be able to get just about anything passed. A 2,200 raw total turns into a 2,900 techo total.

It's a free country but that isn't POWERlifting. It's sports apparel based stunt lifting.

Shame on Donnie Thompson, shame on the IPA judges, shame on Gene Rychlak for continuing to promote powerlifting garbage and shame on Chris Mason and AtLarge Nutrition for sponsoring and endorsing this kind of circus.

[danielson]

Here's the video of Donnie Thompson's sham powerlifting (the new claimed biggest powerlifting total.)

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/9775#new

A lifter intentionally signs up for Gene Rychlak's federation's meets because they know that their high squats, belly benches and pseudo locked out deadlifts are gonna pass.

So, it is the lifter's fault. Donnie and his sponsors want him to have a claim to the "all time" numbers record and they know that a show like this is the place to be able to get just about anything passed. A 2,200 raw total turns into a 2,900 techo total.

It's a free country but that isn't POWERlifting. It's sports apparel based stunt lifting.

Shame on Donnie Thompson, shame on the IPA judges, shame on Gene Rychlak for continuing to promote powerlifting garbage and shame on Chris Mason and AtLarge Nutrition for sponsoring and endorsing this kind of circus.

I agree bro, 100%.

[Sean Katterle]

Your avatar is hillarious!

[danielson]

Your avatar is hillarious!

And 100% true my friend, Chris Mason stole my dignity. 

[chaos]

I watched this video and found it interesting that the one lift a suit doesn't help that much was his weakest lift.....strange a guy could "squat" 1200+lbs but can only deadlift 760.


It must have been the AtLarge Nutrition protein drinks making him crap out all his energy before the deadlift attempt.

[danielson]

I watched this video and found it interesting that the one lift a suit doesn't help that much was his weakest lift.....strange a guy could "squat" 1200+lbs but can only deadlift 760.


It must have been the AtLarge Nutrition protein drinks making him crap out all his energy before the deadlift attempt.

Chris Mason is ruining powerlifting by sponsoring these types of event. What a pos.

[chaos]

Chris Mason is ruining powerlifting by sponsoring these types of event. What a pos.

That guy could have had a 3000+ total if he didn't lose his energy from crapping so much between lifts.

[danielson]

That guy could have had a 3000+ total if he didn't lose his energy from crapping so much between lifts.

SHITTY products, no doubt about it.

[MONSTER_TRICEPS]

I watched this video and found it interesting that the one lift a suit doesn't help that much was his weakest lift.....strange a guy could "squat" 1200+lbs but can only deadlift 760.

That's pretty normal in these types of "feds".

The squat was a total fucking joke, He didn't come anywhere near parallel.

Deadlift wasn't locked out, and I bet he would be struggling with a 500 raw bench.

He's strong for sure, but nowhere near the level of guys like andy bolton.

[BM OUT]

That's pretty normal in these types of "feds".

The squat was a total fucking joke, He didn't come anywhere near parallel.

Deadlift wasn't locked out, and I bet he would be struggling with a 500 raw bench.

He's strong for sure, but nowhere near the level of guys like andy bolton.

Donnie has benched well over 500 in a RAW meet and squatted over 800 and came up with 880[ruled high].He has also pulled over 800 in meets many times.THERE IS NO ONE ON THIS SITE WHO COULD HOLD HIS JOCK STRAP IN ANY LIFT ON ANY DAY.The idea that ANYONE would question this mans stregth is the silliest thing Ive ever seen.If you thought the lifts sucked BLAME THE FREAKING JUDGES NOT DONNIE!!

[BM OUT]

I watched this video and found it interesting that the one lift a suit doesn't help that much was his weakest lift.....strange a guy could "squat" 1200+lbs but can only deadlift 760.


It must have been the AtLarge Nutrition protein drinks making him crap out all his energy before the deadlift attempt.

Donnie weighed in at over 380 for the meet.At that size,its difficult to reach the bar when pulling.He has pulled over 800 in meets before.

[Hedgehog]

Donnie has benched well over 500 in a RAW meet and squatted over 800 and came up with 880[ruled high].He has also pulled over 800 in meets many times.THERE IS NO ONE ON THIS SITE WHO COULD HOLD HIS JOCK STRAP IN ANY LIFT ON ANY DAY.The idea that ANYONE would question this mans stregth is the silliest thing Ive ever seen.If you thought the lifts sucked BLAME THE FREAKING JUDGES NOT DONNIE!!

First of all:There are those who are better in some of the lifts than Donnie.

Eg, backday is a better deadlifter - he pulled 748 (340 kg) @242lbs.

But that is not the point.

The point is that he stops well above what is even close to resembling a squat.

I cannot understand how you can defend that?

It's not like the judges are telling him to stop "the squat" a feet high, are they?

I don't see a judge walking up to him in the middle of the lift and saying: "Hey, stop right there buddy, you can't go any deeper, that would be too deep for this federation."

Enough of the bullshit.

This is not about multi-ply or monolift for me. Look at how Gene Rychlak was able to hit a very good depth with his 1000 lbs squat.

Would've passed in any federation.

But Donnie Thompson's lifting is an abomination to powerlifting.

[BM OUT]

First of all:There are those who are better in some of the lifts than Donnie.

Eg, backday is a better deadlifter - he pulled 748 (340 kg) @242lbs.

But that is not the point.

The point is that he stops well above what is even close to resembling a squat.

I cannot understand how you can defend that?

It's not like the judges are telling him to stop "the squat" a feet high, are they?

I don't see a judge walking up to him in the middle of the lift and saying: "Hey, stop right there buddy, you can't go any deeper, that would be too deep for this federation."

Enough of the bullshit.

This is not about multi-ply or monolift for me. Look at how Gene Rychlak was able to hit a very good depth with his 1000 lbs squat.

Would've passed in any federation.

But Donnie Thompson's lifting is an abomination to powerlifting.

Donie has pulled 835 in a meet.Sorry,the biggest weight pulled is the strongest I dont give a crap about formulas.Last time I looked 835 is more then 749.Second of all,lifters lift,JUDGES JUDGE.Donnie squatted to where he wants,ITS UP TO THE JUDGES to turn it down.THATS WHY WE HAVE JUDGES.If they dont do their job,its not the lifters fault.

I find it amusing that powerlifting seems to be the only sport that people expect the lifters to judge themselves.The NFL,MLB,NBA etc has calls every week that are crappy as hell and determine outcomes of games NEVER do I see the team that benifits saying "wait a second,that was a bad call.I dont accept that".Never.

Donnie lifted in a meet.The JUDGES are expected to judge his depth.Its not the lifters job.He lifts,they judge.If they screw it up,its never the lifters fault,its the judges.

Lastly,there is not ONE guy here who benches more then Donnie,deadlifts more then Donnie or squats more then Donnie in an official meet.Donnie also totaled over 2100 raw and I guarantee THERE IS NO ONE HERE who can come close to touching that.

[BigRed]

Donnie has some amazing raw lifts. There is no doubt he is a really strong guy even if that total was a shame.

[Vet]

I'm with Billy on this one. 

First off... How the fuck can someone judge squat depth from the front?   I'm seriosly getting sick and tired of the internet bullshit about judging when the only evidence shown is crappy shakey videos from a completely different angle of what the judges are seeing.    I did a screen capture of the low point of Donnie's 3rd attempt at home last night.  I'll post it this evening (Youtube is blocked by my work server, so I can't repeat the image and I didn't upload it).  From that image, I think its pretty damned close---as close as what a front judge could possibly say with their perspective.  You have to judge depth from the side, not the front to be accurate.  Not only that, at the lowest point of that attempt there is no way in hell you can judge depth if you tried, because his belly/the belt obscures the top point of thigh.    The best you can say is its close. 


Theres no way to see shit with the bench on this video clip because the damend video is jumping around like its got Mexican beans up its ass.  I got seasick watching the bench attempt


I will say the deadlift is open for interpretation.  Donnie is a big, bowelegged, SHW lifter, just like i am.   Depending on the angle, my legs don't necessarily look "locked" at the top of a deadlift when I know damned good and well they are.  If I weighed 180 lbs, it'd be a completely different issue with the appearance.   The rules say "complete extension" not "hyperextension".   And again, that camera angle isnt' from a 90 degree to the side perspective, so it gives a different appearance.  He did get his shoulders back.

The one issue I've got with all of it is at the completion of the deadlift, that bar descended damned fast.   My undestading is the bar should be lowered "under control".   This means if you are dropping the bar, follow that thing do the ground with your hands around it so it looks like you've got it.  Again the video jumped all over the place, but it looked like he didn't follow the bar fast enough to the ground and it left his grip.   Its really hard to tell from the video posted. 


The other bottom line is Donnie is the first to total this much.  No matter how deep he went  in his squat, no mattter how clean his bench was, and no matter how smooth and locked the deadlift was, I'm willing to bet there will be dozens of online critics bitching about his lifts.   Thats really the bottom line.  His total was approved by qualified judges, its been done.   I'd much rather see someone man the fuck up and lift more than all of this online bitching.   Thats the real way to deal with the controversy.  Mike millers squat was a prime example.  No one really gives a shit anymore about that squat.  Its a has been record now.  The same thing needs to be done with these lifts instead of bitching about them.  Man the fuck up and solve the problem by beating Donnies total. 

[MONSTER_TRICEPS]

Maybe they don't have red lights?

[MisterMagoo]

that is absolute horse shit, Vet.

first off, we can blame donnie because the IPA meets are notorious for lax judging. it happens all the time. no it's not his job to judge his own lift, but it IS his job to go to meets that don't have a reputation for letting any lifts where the bar moves get all white lights.

secondly, shut up about not judging depth from the front. here's an example:

Deep.

thirdly, the fact that this IS a world record total means one of two things is going to happen: someone stronger will beat it, or someone will get even tighter suits and shirts and get even shittier judging and in 2015 the winner of an IPA tournament will just have to prove his knees bent and then straightened in order to get a "world record".

this isn't about bitching over donnie's strength. he hit a legit 875 raw squat at NERB that i felt was parallel or lower from the videos, plus he deadlifted i think 815 raw. he's a hilariously strong man. this is about powerlifting being respectable. here's a hint: when the negative is 15 seconds long and it's obvious he cut his squat high because he physically could not force himself any lower thanks to the suit, SOMETHING IS WRONG.

judging like this makes powerlifting look bad for one simple reason: those are the records. no one cares about henry's raw squat years ago because everyone's squatting 1100+ these days. kennelly first hit 800 in 2002, and six years later the record has gone up nearly THREE HUNDRED POUNDS. is that because of gains in strength?

i read this in a slate article: "Ted Arcidi broke 700 in 1985, and it took another 17 years until Ryan Kennelly benched 800 pounds in 2002." what's wrong with that sentence? if you can't figure it out, that's why you don't see the problem.

[BM OUT]

that is absolute horse shit, Vet.

first off, we can blame donnie because the IPA meets are notorious for lax judging. it happens all the time. no it's not his job to judge his own lift, but it IS his job to go to meets that don't have a reputation for letting any lifts where the bar moves get all white lights.

secondly, shut up about not judging depth from the front. here's an example:

Deep.

thirdly, the fact that this IS a world record total means one of two things is going to happen: someone stronger will beat it, or someone will get even tighter suits and shirts and get even shittier judging and in 2015 the winner of an IPA tournament will just have to prove his knees bent and then straightened in order to get a "world record".

this isn't about bitching over donnie's strength. he hit a legit 875 raw squat at NERB that i felt was parallel or lower from the videos, plus he deadlifted i think 815 raw. he's a hilariously strong man. this is about powerlifting being respectable. here's a hint: when the negative is 15 seconds long and it's obvious he cut his squat high because he physically could not force himself any lower thanks to the suit, SOMETHING IS WRONG.

judging like this makes powerlifting look bad for one simple reason: those are the records. no one cares about henry's raw squat years ago because everyone's squatting 1100+ these days. kennelly first hit 800 in 2002, and six years later the record has gone up nearly THREE HUNDRED POUNDS. is that because of gains in strength?

i read this in a slate article: "Ted Arcidi broke 700 in 1985, and it took another 17 years until Ryan Kennelly benched 800 pounds in 2002." what's wrong with that sentence? if you can't figure it out, that's why you don't see the problem.

Here is the problem with your point.The gear is the same as it was 10 years ago.Double denim shirts with split backs have been around for years.Canvas suits have been around for at least ten years or more,yet the numbers go up.It isnt the gear.

I will agree with your points on judging.However,Donnie did the RAW meet as you pointed out,he did WPO meets,he traveled to England to compete against Bolton.Its not like he hides and then enters an IPA meet,he does lift everywhere where there is no drug testing and multi-ply gear and even RAW.

The problem,as you state,is the judging.Its not the lifters,its not the gear.When Louie Simmons started running his meet in August,the judging was tight and has remained so.John Bott and Bob Youngs judge the sides and they throw reds at the vast majority of superheavy squats.If you tighten it up,the lifters will adjust.

The big problem is certain feds dont want to loose certain lifters so those guys are judged differently then the other lifters.The big name guys get breaks.Tighten it up.

[Sean Katterle]

Maybe they don't have red lights?

The IPA has two colors of lights in their judges' box; White and Off White.

[MisterMagoo]

Here is the problem with your point.The gear is the same as it was 10 years ago.Double denim shirts with split backs have been around for years.Canvas suits have been around for at least ten years or more,yet the numbers go up.It isnt the gear.

yes and no. you can't argue that things aren't ANY different. yeah denim shirts aren't new, but what record holders use those? gene did all of his with a massively customized phenom, kennelly was using a Rage-X until he did his latest with a shirt that was designed specifically for him.

I will agree with your points on judging.However,Donnie did the RAW meet as you pointed out,he did WPO meets,he traveled to England to compete against Bolton.Its not like he hides and then enters an IPA meet,he does lift everywhere where there is no drug testing and multi-ply gear and even RAW.

that's what pisses me off. donnie is, in my eyes, the 2nd strongest man in powerlifting behind siders. he's enormously strong, but he went to a meet with a reputation for lax judging and set the record. not only does that hurt powerlifting, it sullies his own reputation as one of the few guys who can run to a raw meet and clean house. he ends up looking like a gear whore.

The problem,as you state,is the judging.Its not the lifters,its not the gear.When Louie Simmons started running his meet in August,the judging was tight and has remained so.John Bott and Bob Youngs judge the sides and they throw reds at the vast majority of superheavy squats.If you tighten it up,the lifters will adjust.

The big problem is certain feds dont want to loose certain lifters so those guys are judged differently then the other lifters.The big name guys get breaks.Tighten it up.

this is the big point. i'm not really blaming donnie. not REALLY. i mean, it's bullshit that he went for the record at this meet, but the end point is that the judges are making a mockery of the sport by letting shit like that pass. when the negative of the rep takes more effort than the positive, something is wrong. when a lifter physically can't hit parallel with 1235 pounds on his shoulders, something is wrong. ya dig?

ask yourself this: if that squat was 405, would you have defended it? for some reason, when the weights get heavy, a lot of people get the attitude of "yeah but it's 1200 pounds!" or "it still takes a lot of strength to move it!" which, while true, doesn't lend any legitimacy to it. that squat would have looked absurd if it was a light lift, we shouldn't accept loose judging just by virtue of how heavy it is.

if anything, that's backwards. record-breaking should be inarguable. brent mikesell's 1074 still stands as the best squat record because he SUNK it, zero questions. when people are going to break records, the judges should be extra strict to make sure the record is 100% legit. it looks awful when a squat that would get people laughed at normally is called a world record.

[QuakerOats]

very good points from Magoo, Donnie is an enormously strong man but that squat was a joke.

[Vet]

very good points from Magoo, Donnie is an enormously strong man but that squat was a joke.

I agree.  Magoo states his points very well.


I do still disagree with judging depth from the front. 

here is a screen capture of Rychlaks bottom position in his squat taken from the video posted in this thread:
I think we can all agree that this was a squat of adequate depth.  I will agree with Magoo that with the extremely wide stance that Rychlak uses and his body shape, you can see the top ofthe hip joint and make the basic assessment that the squat was probably parallel or more so.  I do have a hard time saying it definately because I still contend that you need to judge a squat from the side to judge it accurately.   From the front the body position of the lifter and the body shape can seriously alter your perception. 

Here is the same point in the lift of Donnies squat:



Is he parallel or not?  I dont' think you can tell.  His belly and thighs are significantly larger than Rychlacks were in that video.  You absolutely cannot see teh hip joint or the top of the thigh because of how Donnie is built. Because of that I dont' think you can say anything other than that that squat was close or possibly right at parallel.   


Now maybe I'm missing something, I welcome anyone elses commnets, but thats how I'm seeing Donnies lifts.   


Also I apologize for the quality of the images.  Its the best I can do with my computer software. 

[Stubborn]

Looks just a little high. Not "a joke" though.

[Hedgehog]

I agree.  Magoo states his points very well.


I do still disagree with judging depth from the front. 

here is a screen capture of Rychlaks bottom position in his squat taken from the video posted in this thread:
I think we can all agree that this was a squat of adequate depth.  I will agree with Magoo that with the extremely wide stance that Rychlak uses and his body shape, you can see the top ofthe hip joint and make the basic assessment that the squat was probably parallel or more so.  I do have a hard time saying it definately because I still contend that you need to judge a squat from the side to judge it accurately.   From the front the body position of the lifter and the body shape can seriously alter your perception. 

Here is the same point in the lift of Donnies squat:



Is he parallel or not?  I dont' think you can tell.  His belly and thighs are significantly larger than Rychlacks were in that video.  You absolutely cannot see teh hip joint or the top of the thigh because of how Donnie is built. Because of that I dont' think you can say anything other than that that squat was close or possibly right at parallel.   


Now maybe I'm missing something, I welcome anyone elses commnets, but thats how I'm seeing Donnies lifts.   


Also I apologize for the quality of the images.  Its the best I can do with my computer software. 

The hip joint should dip just below the front of the thigh.

It does on Gene.

But nowhere near on Donnie Thompson.

BTW, I would've probably white lighted his deadlift, from not being sure about him not being locked out.

Not crystal clear, but still 2-1 IMO.

The front judge shouldn't have given him the down commando though.

[Hedgehog]

Donnie has benched well over 500 in a RAW meet and squatted over 800 and came up with 880[ruled high].He has also pulled over 800 in meets many times.THERE IS NO ONE ON THIS SITE WHO COULD HOLD HIS JOCK STRAP IN ANY LIFT ON ANY DAY.The idea that ANYONE would question this mans stregth is the silliest thing Ive ever seen.If you thought the lifts sucked BLAME THE FREAKING JUDGES NOT DONNIE!!

Newsflash - A lifter won't get bonus inches to his squat depth for simply being very strong.

You need to - this may come as a surprise to you - actually hit good depth.

It's funny when you're mentioning Donnie Thompson's achievments, you bring up a lift that was turned down for being - that's right - high.