Sydney Powerlifting

Training Powerlifting
21

Hi Big Joey,

In regard to good gyms in Sydney for powerlifting I would check out the Powerlifting Australia website and get in contact with the relevant people (http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com).

A lot of the powerlifting events in Sydney are held in North Sydney PCYC - I believe a few very good powerlifters train there. In terms of “hardcore” gyms one that springs to mind is Rileys in the Seven Hills area. Lots of bodybuilders train there. Toward the outer west/south west there are also some other PCYCs with good atmospheres and strong guys.

Getting involved in powerlifting is quite simple. Check out the above website, take a look at an event you are able to compete in and sign up. I competed for the first time last year, didn’t know anyone there but everybody was very helpful and supportive and it was a great experience.

Lastly I should add that while people often hate on commercial gyms sometimes it is the only option available. I train at a Fitness First and there are a couple of guys putting up 160+ on the bench and deadlifting in the 220-260 range. If you are dead serious about being a powerlifter clearly it’s not the best environment to train but at the same time I think equating commercial gym = can’t make progress as a bad mistake.

Hope this was of help.

Caleb

(oh man just realized this was a 2004 thread!)

22

[quote]kmo wrote:
I’d like to tag on to this thread by asking the same question about fremantle in Western Australia. I’m keen to get stuck right into the olympic lifts but I’m holding back because I can’t find proper instruction.[/quote]

The Cell in Cockburn does Olymnic lifts BUT (and its a big but) it is a crossfit facility and as a consequence you have to do fundamentals sessions (four x 45 mins) before you can train there.

They are starting a once a month open saturday in which you can practice Olympic lifts etc. 1st one is 4th July 2009, They are also running another Olympic weighlifting workshop in Sept 2009

Prob not what you may be looking for but you will get instruction on Olympic Lifts, access to the right equipment and some olympic lifts are worked in with the Crossfit routines

Website is www.thecellfitness.com.au

ajtowler

23

[quote]calebcaleb wrote:

(oh man just realized this was a 2004 thread!)

[/quote]

Haha, so it is…

24

Mate, there’s not really any around in Sydney, PL is more of a Central Cost thing unfortunatly.

Most uni’s and sporting clubs have decent facilities, call around and see availability, some have strange operating hours, most have good rates.

There are a couple of CrossFit gyms around too, not bad facilities at all, not PL specific and not cheap, but the trainer’s are very knowledgable that i spoke with.

Maybe, try the olympic gym at Homebush, again not PL specific but well it did cater for the Olympics. There’s a contact number on their website, do a search you can’t miss it, they say to arrange a time to meet the trainers on a Friday if possible and they’ll go through costs & what you can and can’t do. I don’t think it’s a public gym perse, but they say they can work something out.

Othrewise there’s a few big gyms out west, Parra, Penrith & Smithfield ways i believe. I’m not willing to travel that far myself so can’t give any first hand knowledge.

More BB than PL but try:
City: City Gym.
Inner west: Probody Fitness, aka Mitsos Gym, (Marrickville) just remember, don’t get big, get MASSIVE!!
East & Inner South: Titan Fitness (Rockdale & Kensington) best gyms in these areas.

All of the above have pretty good facilities with most equipment that you’ll need.

With regard to PL equipment, you have to go to an Expo, the Sydney show had heaps of contacts for equipment and even direct sales. There were some stong MFs there as well this year demonstrating PL, 220kg raw bench, 300kg raw squat (i think) at 95kgs, very impressive. Spoke with them after they have a home gym in mum’s garage, i think it’s private though, lol.

25

On the subject of powerlifting in Australia, I find its extremely poorly organized. My wife competed in the CAPO National Titles in 2007, it was her first ever comp, and last. Two years on, she has her medals and certificates for her State and National records, but the results still havent been updated on their website.

Her best lifts at 127lbs and 43yo are…

Squat - 275lbs
Bench - 178lbs
Deadlift - 281lbs…100% raw

26

[quote]PTC Frankston wrote:
On the subject of powerlifting in Australia, I find its extremely poorly organized. My wife competed in the CAPO National Titles in 2007, it was her first ever comp, and last. Two years on, she has her medals and certificates for her State and National records, but the results still havent been updated on their website.

Her best lifts at 127lbs and 43yo are…

Squat - 275lbs
Bench - 178lbs
Deadlift - 281lbs…100% raw[/quote]

Powerlifting Australia, the IPF affiliate in Australia, is pretty well organised and maintained. Competition updates normally take 1-2 weeks, and the records are updated 3-4 times a year.
We’ve got a fair few lifters and a good community, which has grown a hell of a lot in the past 3 years.
Not trying to say everythings perfect. Smaller comps could be a bit better organised, and you aren’t going to walk into the warm-up room and see a dozen squat racks, which would be the ideal.

All I’m trying to say is there is decent powerlifting in Australia, with proper competitions, good lifters (a few of which are world class), and proper administration.
A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into making it happen, so I don’t like seeing it arbitrarily written off.

27

Fair call, but I was heavily into the powerlifting scene in the early 90’s when Adam Coe was setting records that are yet to be broken, and todays comps are a joke by that standard.

I hadnt been to a comp from the early 90’s till 2007, and legal squat height has risen by a foot lol

I guess I keep looking back to the halcyon days of yesteryear and bemoan the condition of the sport now.

I now hold my own lifting comps at my gym, absolutely no gear, not even a belt. I get competitors from every state in Australia flying in, 3 times a year. I get more lifters doing my 5 lift comps than I see at other comps, and mine are in a garage.

28

[quote]PTC Frankston wrote:
I hadnt been to a comp from the early 90’s till 2007, and legal squat height has risen by a foot lol
[/quote]

They must have been very deep in the 90s then.

The equipment is certainly more of a feature now, depth of competition is strong, organisation is good, and the website (and records) are updated regularly. I can’t speak for CAPO though.

29

90’s hell it was so small time then you needed a magnifying glass to find it.

Now back in the 70’s and 80’s, that is when Oz powerlifting rocked.

One Assn, no ASDA, world level athletes both on and off (then Stan Pianko was the best drug free 275 in the world.

Cannot speak for the rest of OZ and recognise there are many good lifters and officials trying very hard, but the reality is multi feds, many big frogs in small pools, and ASDA have basically killed it.

Back in 1995 did a comp as a master with my son as a jr. (he was 14) End of comp went to toilet and when I walked out I found the ASDA rep waiting for me. Long storey is my other son, father and my wife all waited for over two more hours until I could rehydrate enough to satisfy the testers.

plenty of guys on stuff (busted in later years) but they thought a vet 15 years out of the sport on a two comp come back should be tested. And why ??? - because some piss ant official decided that I must have been using because -

a) I lifted at 41 more than they could ??
b) or I came from the bad old days. and every one used back then

Oh yeah I got a little pink “ok” months later…never lifted again

30

Unfortunately I missed those years, sound like fun. In Victoria, the early 90’s was fun, but I did witness lots of testing lol

Adam Coe is still the best Powerlifter ever in Australia, in my opinion, his 100kg class record has stood for 15 years. When you consider the equipment used now, it makes his total unbelievable.

I should check back and see what the rest of the world was doing in 1994, I suggest he may only be behind a couple…Ed Coan obviously, and maybe a couple of others.

31

My highlight was the 1977 Nats. It was NSW first nationals and we were after as much info as possible. In the days leading up to the meet John Burnett and I asked Paul Jordan (1976 World Chmap) about three times if he could answer a question (very small question sir, will not take long …please -not word for word but kind of ) and he always said “talk after the comp”.

Well comp came and went, John and I sat pretty close to the bottom of our classes, and at the following BBQ we were pretty well ignored. Sitting quietly with John when all of a sudden out of the blue, Paul Jordan and Paul Dann pulled up a chair and said “now what do you want to know” - he talked to us for rest of afternoon and gave us the blueprint for our state to catch up…

Back then “They” trained with two other international level lifters in a tin shed at Goldworthy. No alcohol and very heavy training in 40 deg heat in a bush tin shed…

yep those were the days…

32

[quote]Fair call, but I was heavily into the powerlifting scene in the early 90’s when Adam Coe was setting records that are yet to be broken, and todays comps are a joke by that standard.

I hadnt been to a comp from the early 90’s till 2007, and legal squat height has risen by a foot lol

I guess I keep looking back to the halcyon days of yesteryear and bemoan the condition of the sport now.
[/quote]

Adam Coe is like the Australian version of Derek Pomana. Those numbers will take a hell of a long time to beat!
And you wouldn’t really bemoan squat depth in an IPF fed. It seems to be getting deeper every year! :P.
We’ve got a couple of guys closing in on 900kg totals, good Masters depth and a junior 110 squatting over 300 and benching 265 in single ply. Obviously it’s not the same as having a total freak of a lifter at every comp, or lifting in the US or Russia, but we’re getting there.

The sport is doing OK, at least where I am; because people are getting involved, sharing how they train and bringing more people into the sport. Each year the totals go up, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

33


Thought you might enjoy this pic, 1993.

First guy on the left I dont know, Len Wilson (passed away) is next, then Barry Murray, Adam Coe is the big guy, not sure on the last guy on the right.

34

Met Len first time in 1977. Actually a huge number of the guys from that era are now dead, very sad…

35

Len was a Frankston boy, we trained at the same gyms.Extremely helpful individual. Barry is still involved in CAPO, he judges and coaches some lifters, he is still in Vic, Adam moved to WA, he still lives out there now, involved with CAPO, but doesnt compete

36

[quote]choco wrote:
Wow finally some powerlifters in sydney. Ok in surry hills theres a gym call Hiscoes, ask for Jim he’s the sydney representative for IFP powerlifting Australia. They have a GHR!. CoolColJ keep dreaming mate and gym with good powerack, bumpers/platform/Elieko, GHR and Reverse Hyper not going to happen. Reason people open health clubs these days not gyms. They cater for people who want to do group classes, curl in the squat racks, and do 12 exercises for their chest. Garage gym is the best option or get a group together at your gym. I tried getting a group in my gym but failed. [/quote]

Hiscoes is a really nice gym, very camp though…