Hosted by the Peel Thunder Football Club at the Bendigo Bank Stadium in Mandurah, Alex won the $5000 first prize covering the 120m distance in 12.77sec, adding this title to the 2012 Mullewa 120m Gift title he won at the start of this athletic season.

Running off a mark of 8.25meters Alex got off to a solid start and managed to pull in a couple of the front markers. Hitting his stride in the final 10 meters he crossed the line a head of North Beach speedster Cole Unasa by a full body length.

Alex said after the race he had withdrawn from the 550m race earlier in the day to concentrate on the 120m final.

“I was scheduled for the 550m but I scratched it because I thought I had a good chance for the 120m,” he said.

He said his start was what secured him the win.

“I picked up some of the front markers pretty quickly,” he said.

Big congrats to Alex, who has had his fair share of injuries over the past couple of seasons, and super coach Matt Barber on the victory.

The Curtin Track team has been running their weight training program out of The Pit for a couple of years now under the guidance of Matt Barber who in my opinion is one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in Australia.

Andrey’s total of 1035kg (425KG Squat – 230Kg Bench – 380KG Deadlift) at that point was the largest total ever lifted on Australian soil. (Andrey bumped it up a notch in Tasmania a week later)

Well this year we may not have the world’s strongest Raw Powerlifter attending however the event has been upgraded with an incredible set of trophies and in addition to our normal individual winners and place getters we have introduced a team concept which is the first of its kind in Australia.

The team event trophy has been donated by Greg and Alisha Rawlinson and will be named the “Paul Jordon” Trophy in respect to one of this States and Country’s best lifters.

Team Event

So here is how it works….

Teams will consist of 3 lifters and can be a combination of male or female, teenager or masters.

Each team will nominate prior to competing, which lift (Squat, Bench or Deadlift) each team member will be representing that will contribute to that teams total.

Each member will be assigned their glossbrenner formula on weigh-in plus their age co-efficiency as well.

These figures will be added together and divided by 3. This figure is then multiplied by their teams total to establish the winner.

So if you have a Hercules Perryman (82 years old) or a phenomenal bencher like Alan Short (at 71 years of age) your team is going to have a pretty high co-efficiency to start with.

Also the women’s formulas run higher than the men’s, so team combinations with women lifters will fare well on the handicaps.

Hopefully this will add a bit of a twist and add some fun and extra rivalry to the event.

Details

Because of increasing numbers this year’s WWS has also been limited to 30 participants – which will make for a full days lifting.

The entries close on Sunday the 7^th of October 2012 and can be mailed to P.O. Box 715, Victoria Park WA 6979 or hand delivered to Muscle Pit, 25 Crawford Street, Cannington.

The form can be downloaded from the Muscle Pit web site in the blog section where this article appears (http://www.musclepit.com.au/2012-wild-west…oot-out-coming) or by request at thecrew@musclepit.com.au

All monies need to be paid by or at weigh-in on Saturday the 13^th of October between 8.30am and 10am.

This is a 24hour weigh-in only as their will be no weigh-in on the day.

The event will start on Sunday the 14^th of October at 10am sharp so ensure you are there earlier enough to warm up well.

Next year (2013) we are looking at implementing some radical changes for WA Powerlifting which will include more events and an upgrade in Prize’s for winners…. but that’s for another day, in the meantime I look forward to seeing you at the 2012 WWS.

Cheers…. Henry

Over the past few months I’ve had a few calls (mainly from the Internet forum readers) regarding a new federations activities in the eastern states and asking how it will affect West Australia.

Here are my thoughts, views and summation…

Up until recent times there has been predominately two Powerlifting federations in WA – Powerlifting Australia (IPF affiliate) and CAPO (WPC & GPA affiliate). Believe it or not nationally there are more but these are the “Big” two.

In the last 8 months in the eastern states we have seen a splinter group emerge from a few CAPO members under the GPC Australia banner.

The GPC originally was affiliated with CAPO however the affiliation fees were not renewed by the committee of the day, so the affiliation became available to anyone that wanted it.

Rule wise the GPC runs a very similar rule book to the WPC, the main difference is with squatting you may use knee wraps – Equipped, Bench Shirts must be closed back.

Knee wraps for those lifters with wonky knees is a god send and for a few this option is very much welcomed.

However CAPO through Wayne Howletts diligence had already obtained the GPA affiliation before the GPC split (which is a raw federation that allows knee wraps) to give CAPO members the opportunity to lift in knee wraps.

This now gives CAPO lifters 3 record boards to chase; Equipped, Raw (Belt & Wrist wraps only) and Raw Plus (Belt, Wrist Wraps & Knee Wraps only). This also gives members the option of two world championships to compete at each year: WPC & GPA.

For those in pursuit of National Records if you are CAPO member and strong enough to lift as a raw lifter without using knee wraps and it beats the Raw Plus mark you get the National Squat Record for the GPA as well.

This alliance with GPA should now cover 95% of lifting concerns expressed by CAPO members regarding raw lifting – in particular squatting.

So why did the GPC form?

The answer of that question is best answered by Scott Wasson of PTC Brisbane – Vice President of The GPC and Markos Markopolous the PTC franchise owner and President of GPC.

Presently the large majority of GPC members have come from the PTC Franchises and quite a few of these members are still affiliated to both organisations.

Markos himself has done a wonderful job attracting and encouraging participants into Powerlifting over the years and has a very strong internet presence which fits well with today’s “Gen Y” brigade.

It is fair to say he has also been a strong supporter of CAPO in recent times and the decision to move forward with the GPC wasn’t taken lightly.

He is a doer and in my conversation with him he has been very respectful of the history of our sport and those individuals involved with building CAPO over the years.

Getting back to the question thou, based on my own conversations with Scott and Markus it came down to some of the following points: Delays in record acknowledgement, Implementation of qualifying standards for the Nationals that some of their individual gym members eager to compete couldn’t meet, competition timing for those wanting to compete at the worlds was wrong, lack of financial support for those travelling to the worlds, knee wrap eligibility, no help at local comps – mainly in Victoria, and primarily
a breakdown of communications with the new regime now running CAPO.

All the above I have no argument with as each point is true to some degree. Depending on how it affects you and what importance you place on certain points ultimately determines your level of emotion.

I guess the bottom line in life, if it works you up that much and you don’t like something, take the initiative and do something about it. – Which they did and GPC Australia was reignited in its own right.

My Thoughts & Views

I’m pretty big on protecting the legacy the pioneers of our sport shaped and the history that comes with it.

In West Australia the names of Bruce Wardell, Paul Jordan, Sue Jordan, Adam Coe, Shane Blood, Mike Hubon and Tony Garneri are all names that have contributed to this sports profile and it was their efforts that helped shape CAPO in this state.

I for one don’t want to lose CAPO’s heritage nor our “Iron Brothers and Sisters” achievements.

It is one of the reasons I created the WA Powerlifting site to maintain a record of this state’s lifting history and acknowledge the all time best lifts from WA athletes.

Our State Records are truly all time records across CAPO and the IPF and is the reason why sometimes it is easier to get a National Records than it is a state record. – The standard was that bloody hot.

New feds always start with a clean record book and the names and achievements of previous generations are soon forgotten – maybe not the very elite lifter but the next tier down that worked just as hard and took pride in the records they set.

Our sport is a minor one and my feeling is if we keep watering down the sport through multiple federations, especially in this state it will never amount to anything.  – Look at America 52 States and about 26 Feds. Every time there’s a dummy spit a new fed starts.

Personally If I’d felt that strong about the expressed issues I would of put up a few ideas at the next annual meeting and voted for change.

Or gathered the numbers together, called for an extraordinary meeting and voted the personnel in that can make the necessary outcomes happen that you feel so strongly about.

There is a fine line between the love of the sport, paying respect to your feds forefathers or in some cases mentors and undermining years of their hard work.

At times it takes patience to effect change and alter opinions when you are involved in a democracy as our National body is – Yes, it can be frustrating to find common ground.

My approach to the running of Powerlifting has always been:

“Get your own State healthy and thriving before looking at the National Picture”

“Ask what you can do to make your sport and organisation better, rather than what the sport can do for you”

My main concern for this state is the dilution of numbers across three organisations as each group try to attract people into their fold.

If the standard drops or numbers are shallow it doesn’t help the lifters comp day experience, the watching public’s entertainment and the sponsorship appeal.

For the record I’m not anti GPC or IPF, in fact I was originally more than happy to have both feds run together at our CAPO comps to give lifters the choice to wear knee wraps and for the IPF lifters to get some decent competition in a more vibrant atmosphere.

Hell I even tried to become a non lifting member of the IPF with the intention of travelling to the IPF Nationals with a couple of the Muscle Pit’s crew to help out as their coach….

However now with the GPA on board with CAPO and the choice for knee wraps are available for CAPO members and IPF short sightedness keeps there lifters from mixing with any other feds, I will leave the GPC stuff to PTC Perth and hopefully put a strategy together with them so we can co-exist if need be.

Let’s hope the eastern state influences from either side just let us get on with it.

The positive out of this thou, is that it has given the National CAPO body a good incentive to lift their game. – (The new CAPO web site looks excellent and the record co-ordination is on the improve).

CAPO Powerlifting in WA – State of Play

As stated earlier a lot of blood, sweat, time, energy and money from a variety of people have gone into keeping the sport “alive” and lifting the sports profile in this state over the years. All under the banner of CAPO – The federation run by the lifters for the lifters.

Thirteen years ago it was all but finished –West Australia as we stand today is now starting to see the huge amount of work done bear fruit.

We have increased participation, improved lifting standards and we are gaining genuine interest from a few sponsors.

Our membership base expands now into both Bunbury and Geraldton as well.

Also we now have a newly formed committee to take our sport in West Australia to the next level which hopefully will lift the fun factor and the prestige of lifting as a CAPO member.

I maybe be biased but I feel for a group that is not government funded and relies on voluntary help we are moving in the right direction.

If you feel otherwise let me know – better still jump on the committee or volunteer your time to help.

The other option you have is to lift with the IPF or GPC – I’ve always been about choice.

Summary

WA Powerlifting is going strong so don’t get bogged down / caught up in the eastern states (In particular Victoria) politics of this, it’s draining and counterproductive to life in general – Just train, get strong and lift.

This sport has given me some strong friendships both here in Perth and around the world.

True athletes will always want to compete against the very best… it’s a hollow victory when the standard or comp day atmosphere is not there.

At the end of the day CAPO was formed by the lifters for the lifters – So it’s not about my thoughts and views, it’s about yours.

Hope this has helped answer a few of your questions and given you an insight into a bit of our sports background and this latest happening.

If there is any other questions or feedback just drop me a line…. Cheers Henry

The event will be the biggest of its kind to be staged here in WA according to Promoter Murray McKay “There have been a few smaller events held in pubs and shopping centres over the years but with potentially between 75 & 100 competitors lining up, there has never been a show of this size before”

Murray himself is very passionate about the sport and is arguably the best Arm Wrestler Australia has produced having won multiple world championships spanning back to 1988 which has included both The World Police and Fire Fighters games tittles as well.

It’s this passion for the sport that has driven Murray to invest a lot of his own time, money and resources to bring this event to fruition.

“My main aim with this event is to legitimise the sport and with any proceeds made, establish a local club that can support aspiring athletes with training, technique advice and most importantly table time where the real learning takes place. Ultimately we want to be developing future world class Arm Wrestlers here in Perth” said Murray

The competition is open to both amateur male and female athletes over the age of 18 years and are divided into the following age groups: Open 18 – 29, Senior 30 – 39, Master 40 – 49, Grand Master 50+.

There are 6 Men’s weight divisions: 68kg / 79 / 90/ 100 / 112 / 113+.

Women are divided into 4 divisions: 56Kg / 67 / 78 / 78+.

All competitors will receive a medal with category winners receiving some very glamorous trophies to take home.

The entry fee for competitors is $50.00 and all information including entry forms, guide lines and rules can be received from Murray by emailing murraymckay@amnet.net.au

This should be a fantastic day out for the whole family with plenty of light entertainment to keep all the family members including Mum occupied.

So if you’re even half thinking about it get on down and support this event or better still roll up your sleeve and give it a crack…

Named the 2012 Master Blaster, this comps objective was to encourage first time lifters and novices who had to this point not participated in a three lift comp, the opportunity to qualify for this year’s State Championships to be held on Sunday the 27^th of May.

With the weather holding up and a toss of the coin, it was decided to contest the event outdoors, (after all you have to be pretty unlucky to get rain in Perth at this time of the year).

A hurriedly assembled crew to administrate & facilitate the comp was put together, after a couple of notable absentees failed to make the day, and to that regard I want to give a big personal thanks to Cheryl Reutens and Ben Taulanga who kept track of the lifting order and MC duties ensuring  things ran smoothly all day.

Big thanks also to our refs & especially the loader/spotters; Powerlifting legend Henning Bark (who was the head ref), WA Strongman Dan Macri, Simon Fary, Alvin Mac, Stephen Ramsay, Jim Ambrose, Greg – (a late withdrawal to the main event due to a hip injury), Abaddon Quinn & Corey Millar who all helped out with minimum fuss to ensure the new lifters to this sport had the best experience possible.

From a promoters perspective it was warming to see an assembled field of 25 enthusiastic participants split into two flights; under 82.5kg and 90kg up, all ready to wage war on the iron.

Women’s Section:

It’s always great to see women breaking the stereo type and lifting weights that actually challenge them.

All three girls that hit the platform can take pride in their performance.

For each of them it was their first three lift comp however for Katy Duncan it was her first comp full stop.

With limited preparation Katy produced a solid effort with a squat of 85kg, Bench of 60kg and deadlift of 112.5kg at a body weight of 67.2kg’s for third place.

Muscle Pit team mates Alisha Rawlinson and Bree Sturges contested first and second with virtually nothing separating them once the glossbrenner formula was applied.

With both girls deadlifting 120kg’s Bree Sturges at the heavier  bodyweight, did just enough in the Bench and Squat to edge out Alisha.

With another 8 weeks to go before this year’s State Champs the women section is hotting up with the likes of Zoe Tchernakoff, Monica Cook and Jaye Thomas waiting in the wings.

Men’s Section

The two most pleasing thing with the Men’s division was firstly the amount of P.R’s recorded and secondly the emergence of some really excellent Powerlifting talent.

The tallest competitor of the day was Daevid Anderon who stands at least 2meters tall scorched out an impressive squat of 175kg, 120kg Bench and went close with a 200kg deadlift. For a guy with his leverages it’s an extremely good effort.

Scott Miller in his first comp was probably one of the gutsiest lifters on the day and just pipped for the best performer award on the day. His effort was 100% finishing with lifts of 150kg Squat, 107kg bench and 200kg on the deadlift

The Rucci boys Dan & Paul also performed well. Dan lifting at 82.5kg’s set the record boards alight with lifts of 170kg squat, 125kg bench, 180kg deadlift & total of 470kg all sub master Australian records.

Paul on the comeback trail after injury enforced layoff due to some back problems highlighted his day with a 200kg deadlift.

The “Cove”trio of Richard Collins, Julian Jones and Aaron Doyle made their presence felt with a solid team performance.

It’s great to see how Powerlifting is bonding the members of this gym together while pushing their own lifting boundries.

Richard Collins led the way with 120kg squat, 85 kg Bench and a 145kg deadlift at a body weight of 66.8kg. It was great to see the gains Richard has made on his Squat in a relatively short time and with a bit of technique work on the other lifts Richard’s total is set to soar.

Aaron Doyle went 8 from 9 attempts and finished with 170kg squat, 132.5kg bench & a PB of 210kg for the deadlift.

The third amigo Julian Jones fired out 185kg squat, 135kg Bench & ripped up a nice 225kg to finish the day.

Muscle Pits Crew all went well, Mark Oakland was solid notching a PB Deadlift of 150kg, Greg Rawlinson is a testament to consistency and he has earned every one of his 125kg squat, 85kg bench and 162.5kg deadlift kilo’s. The story is far too long for here, but well done Greg.

Darren Joy smoked his deadlift PB with it now sitting at 160kg. His form looks great and a lot of credit must go to his coach Ross Semplice. With his technique right it’s now just a matter of strengthening the chain.

Gabor Szivek weighing in at 109.1kg lifted within himself and produced a 220kg squat, 185kg Bench and a 180kg deadlift, with his training ethic I think the state champs are shaping up nicely for him.

New comer to Muscle Pit Devin Sanghavi who’s been under the watchful eye of Stephen Ramsay took to the platform and managed a 90kg squat, 85kg bench & 172.5kg deadlift. I’m pretty sure these numbers will be on the up in the coming months.

Making a sort of comeback is Peter Parsons. Peter has been a state representative in 2008 and has been in a bit of an hiatus, so its great to see him back on the platform. Today he managed to knock out a 185kg Squat, 105kg bench and a 235kgdeadlift.

For determination Terrence Reutens is a 5 star general, this guy at times will push himself so hard I find myself looking for the defibrillator (which is right next to the shovel). He never leaves anything to spare. His second effort at 125kg squat was a gutsy effort considering the first attempt buckled him. His bench of 80kg was solid, and only just missed his lift of 155.5kg on the deadlift.

Backing up from Fit X was Joel McCaughan who lifted well with himself taking 3 attempts he went 200kg squat, 140bench and 230kg squat. Look out for Joel at the states as that is where is focus is.

Also new to the Muscle Pit is Les Milhinch.

Les has been around the strength circles for a few years now predominately doing strongman comps.

He is looking to represent Australia at the end of the year at Fireman World Games.

We have slowly been rebuilding Les’s technique on all his lifts so this comp was a good chance to see how it was all going.

Les produced a solid 220kg squat, 177.5kg bench and a 265 squat. Overall below his best but good signs we are on the right track.

It’s not often someone bombs completely and you are still o.k. with their performance. Stephen Ramsay in this instance is the exception. His attempts of 260 squat, 140kg bench and 242.5 deadlift at 71kg body weight allowed him the opportunity to test drive his new lifting equipment. This guy has got “Balls” when it comes to pushing the limits and I’m sure by the time this year’s Nationals come around we‘ll have today’s issues well under control.

The Spoils of War

The crowd favourite award went to Adam Kalavrouziotis; this guy left it all on the platform. His deadlift of 195kg was a ripper and his post lift comments a treat for anyone within ear shot.

Shaun Doody was voted as the “best performed”.

A solid performance saw Shaun lift 7 from 9 with a max pull of 270kg on his last deadlift attempt to seal the award.

Now to the business end two entrants that came straight out of left field where Yianni Magoulias and Aaron DeCinque. Man did these boys do well. On their first visit to the platform they finished up 2^nd & 3^rd respectively.

Aaron weighing in at 86.8kg hit a PB squat of 200kg’s just 5kg off the Australian 90kg divisions, age group record (senior men 24 – 32), then added 5kg to the record books on the bench-press with a clean lift of 175kg, then finished the day with a solid 240kg deadlift. A solid debut effort for 3^rd place.

Second place getter Yianni started the day with a 120kg squat then hammered home a 115kg bench & finished with a solid pull of 192,5kg – an extremely good total of 527.5kg at 64.4kg’s body weight.

The winner of this year’s event is also one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in his state for a long time.

Put simple he has the Powerlifting world at his feet if he can stay injury free, maintain his work ethic in the gym and keep the hunger – he will rewrite the record books.

Shannon has been with me for over a year now, in that time we have had to rehab his right shoulder and knee. As frustrating as this has been he has preserved and kept focused.

His aim today was to lift within himself and not miss a lift and boy did he deliver.

He started the day with an effortless 280kg squat, followed by a rapid fire 200kg Bench and finished with a solid 300kg deadlift for a 780kg total at 123kg body weight.

Those watching are all anticipating some huge numbers from Shannon at next month’s state champs.

Summary

Thanks to all those that participated, supported and helped out and as usual a big shout-out to the team at Muscleworx for their support of our events.

I urge all members of CAPO & Muscle Pit to support these guys when you can as without them our events wouldn’t be half the fun.

Stay Strong and take Care….

The women’s section saw WA Fitness Figure Champ, Zoe Tchernakoff cross over to the Powerlifting side of the fence to take first place in her first competition much to the delight of her Selby Gym fan base.
With years of weight training under her belt Zoe has a huge base to work off and has the potential to re-write the record books.
With the winners accounted for, here is how the day and action unfolded…

Rep out Comp:
With all competitors weighed in and paper work completed the show was ready to start bang on the scheduled time of 11.30am.
After a quick explanation of the rules a field of 10 lifters were set to contest the event - A few taking the unconventional logic of using this as a warm up for the main event.
In hind sight it may not have been the best of moves as rep-ping out can deplete a lot of energy and may have been the reason a couple fell a few kilos short of expectation in the main event.
The men were given the task to rep out 100% of their body weight & the Women 50% of their body weight.
Zoe Tchernakoff started proceedings and quickly turned up the heat with a solid 38reps. This gave Zoe a clear cut win in the women’s section.
The men’s section saw some gallant performances with Steve Ramsay pushing out 24 reps at 70Kg to claim 2^nd place.
However it was David Clark that won the day & the crowd, which at this point had grown close to 200 viewers, with a piston like motion he rapid fired 41reps at a body weight of 65.5kilos
A remarkable effort made even more so when you consider he is in mid prep dieting for his next body building show.

The Formula
For those that aren’t familiar with how The King of the Beach comp winner is decided, we use the Glossbrenner formula which is basically a body weight coefficient that is applied to each lifters weigh-in weight.
This coefficient is then multiplied by the lifter’s total, this gives a product number which determines who is the “Best Lifter”.

Main Event
These comps often throw up one or two competitors that have volumes of natural potential and I’m glad to say this comp was no different.
The Women’s section saw 4 lifters grace the stage of which three were making their first ever showing at a Powerlifting comp.
As mentioned earlier Zoe Tchernakoff won this division however it was closely contested.
Kahlia Jezek a last minute entry, credited herself well with a lift of 45kgs, just missing out on third place due to her weigh-in weight.
Muscle Pit’s duo of Bree Sturges and Alisha Rawlinson finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.
Bree’s lift of 52.5kg saw her hit a new P.B by 10kg’s and was a great reward for the training she has put in over the last six months.

On the Mens side of the draw after Mat’s easy opener of 220kg it was always going to be a race for 2^nd and 3^rd place for the other 20 competitors.
At first glance of the field there were a number of lifters who potentially could do the damage.
Alan Short at 73 years of age has a huge reputation as a dark horse at these comps.
He’s swept the pool many times when age is factored in to the event.
His lift of 120kg at 75kg body weight didn’t quite do it on this day.
A slimmed down Dan Rucci managed a solid 120kg at his new body weight of 81.5kg and hasn’t lost too much strength, if any from his 90kg days.
James Harris looked good on his opener of 165kg but couldn’t get past this on the day.
James looked pretty comfortable under the bar and I feel this comp will be the catalyst for him to go on to bigger and better numbers.
Solid performances were all so seen from Nathan Searle and Aaron DeCimque who both just finished outside the top three.
Crowd favourite David Clarke was probably the unluckiest lifter on the day running into a couple of technical fouls with the refs. Hopefully this doesn’t dampen his spirits because his strength to body weight ratio is phenomenal.
Young Richard Collins is also another lifter on the rise and at 23 has a huge future in front of him.
However it was Gary Bone that captured third place with a solid 175kg bench at 101.8kg body weight.
Second place went to Rajiv Chuckowree.
Rajiv was a late entrant and thou solidly built, he was a bit of a surprise package lifting a solid 175kg at sub 100 body weight. His lift of 180kg on his final attempt, only just fell short.

Summary:
Perth’s weather gods turned on another fantastic day for this event and I reckon you’d have to travel a long way to find a setting that tops Scarborough’s Am-phi Theatre.
A heap of gratitude goes out to our major sponsors, especially Muscleworx whose generosity with the array of prizes made a great event, just that much more special.
Thanks to M.C’s Ben Taulanga and Adam Coe who kept the crowd informed and attentive all day and also to Ross Semplice for his tireless work over both Saturday and Sunday officiating the weigh in and keeping record of the lifters, lifts on the day.
A huge message of thanks to all of Muscle Pit’s Crew that helped out especially Stephen Ramsay, Lucca Rossi, Corey Millar, Joel McCaughan who attended to the ref duties. Spotter/loader’s Shannon Florissen & Adam Kalavrouziotis who were roped in at the last minute with not a complaint between them.  Also Photographer Gabor Szivek who snapped away during the course of the day and all those that just pitched in where they could or when asked –it’s much appreciated.
Last of all a huge thanks to all the competitors and the 200+ supporters that made their way to Scarborough too check this event out.
Without your patronage these events just wouldn’t happen.
Next Comp is a novice comp on April The 1^st (No it’s not a joke), until then stay strong…. Cheers

Photos:

Mens Winners (L to R) Mat Van Beunigen, Gary Bone, Rajiv Chuckowree

Women Winners (L to R) Alisha Rawlinson, Bree Sturges, Zoe Tchernakoff

When it comes to effective conditioning tools the leg buckling, vomit inducing and oxygen depleting apparatus’s called the Prowler is in league of its own and is rated by our crew as the most respected… (well lets not bull-shit, the word is actually feared)… piece of equipment we have here at Muscle Pit.

People tend to get very busy in other areas of the gym (and deaf!!!) when the call goes out for volunteers to participate on the prowler.

Like the devil who goes by many names, here in Australia the prowler goes under various names such as The Hurt Terminal, The Sledger, The Conditioner and The Punisher – to name a few. Make no mistake thou, whatever name it goes by, like the devil, once you have engaged its services you will feel your life force being drained from your soul such is the intensity it can deliver in a few short minutes.

Origins

The Prowler was originally invented around 2004/2005 in the U.S by Joey Batson who I believe was a strength coach with Clemson University in collaboration with William Strength Systems.

However it was Elite Fitness who marketed the product and gave the prowler its initial popularity amongst the coaching fraternity which then saw it sky rocket to fame through countless YouTube videos from the end users who also coined the infamous phrase “Prowler flu” for the debilitating effect it has on the body.

Benefits

Apart from the obvious benefits of helping boost overall fitness, endurance, increasing lower body strength and power and combined with a good diet it melts fat faster than a frying pan the prowler caters for all ages and body shapes, as it is easy to use. Basically anyone with 2 legs and 2 arms can participate – there is no learning curve… just push.

 From an injury perspective the prowler is pretty safe as once fatigue sets in, you stop…. (or collapse) and rest before you re-start. The only injuries we have had in five years apart from broken pride are two pulled calves from prowler sprints.

The device can be dragged, pulled (like a mini sled) or pushed, opening up a range of movements and training sessions for the switched on coach or user.

Weight loads can be quickly varied and adjusted to suit participant’s strength or fitness levels.

Its flexibility also enables users to target specific training needs such as interval training, speed work, cardiovascular workouts and maximal strength development.

There are a countless number of routines that can be performed both individually and as a team. Personally I prefer the team approach as there is nothing like a bit of competition – even if the people training with you don’t realise they are in a competition… in my mind its happening and it keeps me going when the other side of my brain is telling me I’m too old for this shit and I should just stop!!

Routines for the Prowler:

Here is a sample of two of the routines for vertical pushing we’ve used to good effect this summer:

Timed vertical pushes for 35 seconds:

Weight the prowler and sprint over 20 meters as fast as you can, drop off the prowler and run (sprint) back to the start as fast as you can – then recover by walking back to the Prowler and get ready to go again. When you hear the beep you are off again…

If you are doing this as a team movement aim to stay ahead of the guy you are racing either with the prowler or by foot.

10 runs should do the trick.

 Weighted Runs (this is usually done with 4 participants 2 each end):

With this exercise we load double body weight on the prowler up to 200Kg and do one way shuttle runs.

Push for 20 meters as fast as you can – wait for the next three to do their runs (which should take a minute combined…more if you are lucky) – Then go again.

Once you have completed two runs (there and back) de-load a plate a side for another two runs until you are down to 1 plate. This should equate to 10 run throughs.

If you are doing this by yourself set your timer to 30 seconds. Start on the first beep and when you complete the 20 metres as fast as you can, rest for the remainder of the time with a further minutes rest before you commence your next push.

Both the above drills should have you on all fours gasping for air and for most a combination of your calves, quads, hamstrings and gluteus should be fried.

Summary

I have used a variation of the Prowler now since 2006 on both myself and others and it has proven to be one the most effective training aids for developing cardiovascular endurance and strength quickly – not to mention mental determination.

That said I’m not saying this piece of equipment is the be all and end all as there are many ways to get the job done and I’m a firm believer variety keeps you fresh. However it is a favourite inclusion for many of our training programs here at Muscle Pit…… because it works.

I hope you all get an opportunity to get a dose of “Prowler Flu” this summer.

Below: Smashing out a few sprints on the Prowler

State Bench Comp – Winner on Glossbrenner Formula & Rep-out (Men 100% of Body Weight – Women 60% of Body Weight)

Venue: Scarborough Beach Front – Am-phi Theatre

Start Time: 11.00am

Contact: Henry: 0401 579 419 or Ross: 0447 847 900

Squat – Bench – Deadlift (Raw & Equipped)

Venue: Canning Social Club, 39 Morgan Steet, Cannington (2 mins walk from Muscle Pit)

Start Time: 10.00am Sharp

Contact: Henry: 0401 579 419 or Ross: 0447 847 900

**Must be a registered GPC Member to compete at this event

** Notification of intent to compete and Entry Forms must be registered by Friday 12th of April 2013

Squat – Bench – Deadlift (Raw & Equipped)

Venue: 3/5 Millrose Dive, Malaga

Start Time: 10.30am

Contact: Dan Rucci 0403 608 056