#124 Too much?
Dr. Ken Leistner’s essay “Too Much?” dismantles the myth that ever-increasing volume drives powerlifting success, pointing to early champions who thrived on concise, focused routines centered on the squat, bench...
Ken Leistner |
Ken Leistner
#124 Too much?
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#91 Black market business
An inside look at Jan Dellinger’s 1982 mission to smuggle scarce Soviet and Eastern Bloc powerlifting gear via Titan Support Systems, revealing a lucrative black-market trade and the lasting allure...
Ken Leistner |
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#93 'Tis The Season? Part One
Discover why Dr. Ken Leistner says powerlifting once had a true “season”—peak, rest, rebuild—before year-round meets erased this essential cycle.
Ken Leistner |
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#97 Worthy of a fight? The Good Old Days
Discover powerlifting’s early battle for independence—Odd Lift roots, Olympic lifting’s grip, and revisionist myths that still shape the sport.
Ken Leistner |
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#98 Worthy of a Fight? The Good Old Days, Part Three
Before the early-1960s, Olympic weightlifting—bankrolled by Bob Hoffman’s York Barbell—monopolized money and media, forcing “Odd Lift” rebels to invent contests that grew into modern powerlifting . Dr. Ken shows how...
Ken Leistner |
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#96 The Good Old Days, Part One
Dr. Ken Leistner’s “Good Old Days, Part One” revisits powerlifting’s raw birth in 1960s Odd Lift contests, when storefront-gym teams improvised rules, judging and even the event’s very lifts to...
Ken Leistner |
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#95 If you take, give back
Dr. Ken Leistner argues that every competitor should “give back” by loading bars, spotting, or judging, because experienced platform crews are critical to meet safety and efficiency . He praises...
Ken Leistner |
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#94 'Tis The Season? Part two
Dr. Ken Leistner remembers summers when lifters dialed back the barbell, played seasonal sports, and focused on family to survive the heat. Air-conditioned gyms and nonstop meets have since ended...
Ken Leistner |
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#92 Multiple Views of Competitions
Dr. Ken Leistner traces powerlifting’s evolution from gritty 1960s Odd Lift gym showdowns through community-driven contests to today’s mega-meets, showing how each era forged the sport’s identity. He argues that...
Ken Leistner |
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#90 Part 2: Small Changes, big caution
The article shows how powerlifting footwear evolved—from heavy Polish high-top boots to modern Contender squat shoes—and uses the author’s own experiences to stress that even small gear changes require a...
Ken Leistner |
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#89 Small Changes, Big Caution, Part One
Discover mid-20th-century DIY strength training’s evolution—from backyard workouts to gym culture—highlighting why gradual adaptation is essential for safe, lasting gains.
Ken Leistner |
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#88 As Per Shakespeare, "To Compete or Not to Compete, That is the Question"
The article explores why powerlifters step from private training into sanctioned competition—detailing how contests push athletes to organize their training, set goals, and continually measure progress . It emphasizes that...
Ken Leistner |
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#87 New Years Resolutions
The article advises powerlifters to set realistic New Year’s resolutions—tempering enthusiasm with passion—and to focus primary effort on the larger squat and deadlift movements for greater, sustainable total gains
Ken Leistner |
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# 86 Certification, Part 3: Wrapping it up
Ensure your powerlifting gear is federation-approved—learn how certification contracts, fees, and standards guarantee safety, performance, and competitive integrity.
Ken Leistner |