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Re: Has the equipment gotten out of hand?

Posted By: Jason Burnell
Date: Tuesday, 29 November 2005, at 8:48 a.m.

In Response To: Has the equipment gotten out of hand? (Garry Holmen)

Here is what I see. In the IPF/USAPL bench records are falling rapidly. In my opinion, much of this is due more to better gear than to people actually getting stronger. People are training to "work the shirt."

I think the IPF has seen what's going on in the sport and doesn't want to become a fed where every month there is a new 1000 lb squatter or 700+ bencher.

I also think there may be a safety factor. In the last few years I've seen a lot more out of control benches leading to injury or near injury. I recall Tom Hines telling me he couldnt feel his hands when he dropped the bar on his chest at Nationals.
That was scary and you hate to see that happen. Recently, I witnessed Mike Womack drop 749 on his head when the bar flipped back on him. Put a nice sized hole in his head.

An equally important problem is that more attempts are being missed. At most of the big bench meets, you are seeing bombouts and people missing openers because they can't touch etc. That in and of itself makes the sport look bad.

Lifters are going to go for whatever advantage they can. That is the way it has been and always will be. The equipment companies are always going to try to improve their products. That is just good business sense. It's impossible to be the World Leader in anything without constant improvement and R&D. In this case, the IPF may simply be trying to protect the integrity of the sport and the lifters from themselves.

If we step back, this isn't the first move of this type. Other feds have seen the need to rein in the gear/records. The APA doesn't allow canvas or briefs with legs, WABDL has limited some of the shirts allowed, the USPF has limits similar to USAPL. NASA has limits as does the AAU. All of these have seen some need to enforce limits. I don't think this is much different.

As far as maintaining relationsships with sponsors , I really don't see this having much of an effect. New gear comes out about every 2-3 years anyway so if anything it might change their release schedules but I don't think it will negatively impact their bottom lines in the long run.

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