Congrats to WW... Can you tell us your best lifts, at what bodyweight? Single-ply, double-ply, raw??
Poor Basil, he gets no respect 
I competed as a teen at 165 which I had a difficult time making! When I began training at big powerlifting/bodybuilding gym called Peps in Framingham MA for football some of the older guys began helping me with my lifting techniques and showed me how to squat. I benched raw and the Inzer blast shirts were not even an option. I wore a supersuit for squats and often deadlifted raw because the suit was uncomfortable.
Best teenage contest lifts - 535 squat, 345 bench (USPF had long pauses) and 570 dead. These lifts won teenage nationals at 165.
I decided to do a couple bench contests in college and again struggled with the long pauses (many would sink the bar into their chest but I was not comfortable with that). At 21 at 198 (weighed in at 192) I benched 425 in the US Championships and won my class. I put up 450 but one judge said I did not pause long enough. A month later I got the 450 raw.
Best 198 contest lifts - squat 625, 505 bench raw and 660 dead. Biggest contest miss was a 530 which nearly came down on my face (great spotters). Best gym single was 540 with an Inzer blast single ply (like a tight tee) at a bw of 202. I will say contest lifts, when judged correctly, are a whole different ball game when compared to gym lifts. I was failed one time for racking too soon!
I was fortunate to train with some amazing people to include Ted Arcidi and Bev Francis. When I left powerlifting due to time restraints with my job at 24 I never stopped lifting and many of you have seen my pics on the board.
