400+ DL at 135 lbs by Coach's student JJ Gregory

This thread is for those of you who are not impressed by JJ Gregory's deadlift. Keep in mind how young he was too, because this is going to open some eyes. I hope.

This is the page where I found the California Open records for Deadlift as a single lift, meaning that these guys compete ONLY in the deadlift: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/27452654/USA-POWERLIFTING-CALIFORNIA-STATE-RECORDS-MEN-OPEN-DEADLIFT/

The 132lb class record, which is basically what this kid was in, was only 479.5 lbs in California. That was the opens, where all ages competed. This KID lifted close to the state record at 400 lbs without ever touching the deadlift bar before that day. Is it a world record? No, the world record for 132 lbs raw deadlift is 628 lbs according to http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/records/raw/world, which is staggering. Still, to be so strong without having ever touched the deadlift bar is mind boggling.

Hahaha... firefox recognized "boggling" as a word. JJ basically lifted 3x BW. Even at my weight, 3x is impressive and would get me into the state finals almost everywhere. That'd be 675 lbs. I don't think anyone would be saying "oh, that's not so great."

3x BW would be nuts, that would be about 500lbs for me! Maybe when I get to my goal weight I will start trying to stretch out my lifts more

I love the cross over between BW and lifting. I train and train then walk into the weight room and smash my DL 2Rep PR by 30+ pounds. This has happened twice now my latest was in Feb when I pulled 345 twice at 162 pounds. Its no world record but I started training about 2 years ago now and when I started I could do, 5ish dips (crap ROM), 0 pull ups, and could deadlift like 100lbs. . .so I am really happy I now weight 166 and feel way stronger than I did in Feb so ya gymnastics and BW training has been a life changer. . . now go out and GET SOME! 8)

niftyvt said:

GET SOME! 8)

Already planned my night HAHA

On the more serious side it's awesome to do bw workouts and then every now and then when I hit the gym it's just PR's all around.. usually I outlift my friends who lift weights 3-6 times a week, but then again their nutrition and general dedication is crap.

The fact that the kid was like 14 when he did that is the craziest part.

3xBW DL is generally recognized as pretty boss in CF.

Blairbob said:

3xBW DL is generally recognized as pretty boss in THE WORLD.

Fixed.

The cross over to weightlifting is truly cool.

The only time I lift weights is when we have PE at school during winter inside and there is a bunch of these kids that train rowing, athletics, waterpolo and stuff who are all like explaining how they finally managed to bench press 55 kg. While me at age 16 and a bodyweight of 75 kg with no prior knowledge or experience with weights and have only been doing bodyweight exercises at home leisurely started with 50 kg and after 2 months (only benching 2 times per week) got to 1 rep of 100 kg. I'm not really sure how much of an achievement this is but it seems like one to me.

100kg BP@BW of 75 is good.

BP of 55kg if you don't weigh 55kg is ho-hum boring unless you're a girl.

That's pretty good Ivan, especially for your age!

My own experience is similar.. 18 years old 68kg bw and did 90kgx3 BP last time I was in the gym and next time I go I expect somewhere between 100 and 110 for 1 rep..this is 'training' BP once every 2 months or so.

Razz said:

That's pretty good Ivan, especially for your age!

My own experience is similar.. 18 years old 68kg bw and did 90kgx3 BP last time I was in the gym and next time I go I expect somewhere between 100 and 110 for 1 rep..this is 'training' BP once every 2 months or so.

Damn I suck at 1 rep bench press I could probably benched 8x 100kg, but just 1x 111,5 kg :oops:

What the heck you should be doing like 120-130

I don't know...I guess it must be something on:

1. I do it twice a year (for a month)

2. I do it after ring workout

3. Probably didn't have proper program for achieving maximum strength on bench press

4. Not same technique on 1 rep then 8 rep????

Bottom line, bench press is not my goal to be strong,...

Yeah I know as long as you're strong on rings :twisted:

Yep, Gregor. #1&2 heavily figure besides the fact that you rarely, if ever do that movement.

Gymnasts's strength is really quite impressive, especially considering their muscle mass is small when compared to weightlifters of similar strength.

A question that has boggled my mind for some time: Where do gymnasts get their strength from? I know their connective tissue is very strong, and so is there bone density, and they themselves are extremely strong (as demonstrated by JJ Gregory and many others). Yet I don't quite understand what they use to generate so much force..

combination of "knowing" what to activate in which movements(protraction, retraction, knees out, sit back, externally rotate this, etc), connective tissue and muscle tissue density from maximal strength and plyometric work....plus all the other stuff i don't know about

also the work ethic has to be of consideration, being in the gym for hours doing strength work, skill work, etc has to create some pretty nice variables that help create a pretty unbelievable body....only it's actually a reality. 

also, i'm surprised how much work is done on the entire body. just doing F1 and H1, i feel like the wrist PE's cover the Wrists and elbows, most of the fundamental positions are a combination of straight arm, bent arm, lateral, anterior, posterior, etc. so if a chain is as strong as it's weakest link, these guys work literally, everything in their body. 

Being essentially brand-new to GST, I would observe that one of the hardest things for many people starting in weight lifting or power lifting is the ability to link their entire body appropriately.  Bench press, for example, becomes much stronger when people learn to engage their legs and glutes, brace their torso, and maintain full-body tension throughout the lift.  If any one point becomes loose, you start losing the ability to effectively drive the bar back up.

From what I can tell so far, gymnasts have a highly-developed ability to maintain full-body tension throughout all sorts of movements.  Keeping leg and ab muscles flexed while the arms move seems to be a pretty normal, natural thing. 

Most people view the bench as "arms and chest" or the squat as "legs" and fail to realize how much the tension in the rest of the body adds to stability and strength in the lift.