#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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#17 Rack Time
This article profiles Jim Sutherland’s equipment innovations—from his pioneering walk-through spotter platform bench design to the first electrically adjustable squat racks capable of handling a ton of weight. It traces...
Ken Leistner |
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#18 Sutherland and More
This article profiles Jim Sutherland’s equipment innovations—from his pioneering walk-through spotter platform bench design to the first electrically adjustable squat racks capable of handling a ton of weight. It traces...
Ken Leistner |
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#19 More Sutherland and the Introduction of the Passanella Bar
This article traces the progression of powerlifting equipment—from Jim Sutherland’s pioneering electric squat rack and York’s Olympic and stainless-steel bars to the introduction of the York Powerlifting Bar and Sutherland’s...
Ken Leistner |
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#20 A Few More Sutherland Comments and More About Equipment
This article chronicles the history of powerlifting barbells, tracing makeshift home-built bars and early Olympic bars to innovations like the York power bar and Swedish steel models. It features firsthand...
Ken Leistner |
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#21 A Brief Sociological Lesson for Powerlifters
This article provides a sociological look at early powerlifting, revealing how regional “styles” shaped training, athletes built DIY equipment in iron shops, and society viewed weightlifting as a lower-class “cult”...
Ken Leistner |
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#22 Undue Influence
This article argues that the essence of powerlifting was honed through face-to-face learning at legendary gyms—Westside, Peanuts West, Zuver’s—rather than via the internet. It highlights lifters hitchhiking coast to coast...
Ken Leistner |
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#23 Pat Casey and Southern California
This article explores Pat Casey’s impact on 1960s Southern California powerlifting through Ken Leistner’s long-running Powerlifting USA column. It covers the fierce debate over abbreviated training routines, the three dominant...
Ken Leistner |
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#24 More "Training the Same" This Time from Brooklyn and Valley Stream!
This article delves into mid-20th century iron sports where Olympic lifters, powerlifters, and bodybuilders all relied on multi-joint basics, overhead press, bench press, squats, deadlifts. It highlights Dennis Tinerino’s rise...
Ken Leistner |
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#25 Zuver's Hall of Fame Gym, Circa Late 1960's.
This article explores Zuver’s Hall of Fame Gym in late-1960s Southern California, where Bill “Peanuts” West and George Frenn honed a Monday-Wednesday-Friday split of bench presses, dumbbell bench, dips, squats,...
Ken Leistner |
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#26 The Philosophy of Abbreviated Routines.
This article explores the long-standing debate over “abbreviated routines” in powerlifting—limited exercises and volume versus maximal stimulus. It explains how extreme effort demands curtailed workout frequency, highlights Western Pennsylvania lifters...
Ken Leistner |
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#27 More Philosophy of Abbreviated Routines.
This article chronicles John “Jack” Welch’s journey to powerlifting dominance, detailing his minimalist 5×5 program—light/moderate Mondays, partials on Wednesdays, and heavy Fridays—focused on squat, bench press, and deadlift. Through consistent...
Ken Leistner |
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#28 Rotation.
This article delves into mid-20th century strength routines—from barbell-and-dumbbell-only workouts and the acceptance of discomfort as part of progress to Warren Salade’s pioneering A/B rotation program that balanced maximal rest...
Ken Leistner |
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#29 More on Lee Moran and "The Incident"
This article recounts Lee Moran’s dramatic 1,003 lb squat at the 1984 Senior Nationals—from the gear malfunction that sent collars flying to the split-second coaching decisions—highlighting the strategy, teamwork, and...
Ken Leistner |