Larry Wheels with John Gaglione | The Power of Resilience - 50% Facts with Silent Mike & Jim McD

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
All right, looks like we're running here.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
I've got Larry Wheels and John gagleone with me this morning.
We're recording on a Sunday and right after the time change,
so nobody's body knows what time it is right now.
That's that's clear. That's clear. How are you guys doing today?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm doing all right. I'm still in Russia. I fly back.
I start my journey back home tomorrow with a stop
in Istanbul for a day and then finally missed and
bolt lax.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Wow, I had no idea you were in Russia.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
That's great, all the different time zones.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, but what time is it there? It's ten o'clock
on the on the Pacific Pacific daylight time. Now what
time is it there?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
It's nine pm here?

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Nine pm? Oh my goodness. Yeah. And John is in
what you're in the Eastern daylight zone.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, so that's one.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
Even since moving, you know, I still never got out
of that time zone, so stuck in the same time zone.
But yeah, like we had we had a like I said,
late late night as well. But it'll be good energy.
It's good to have, like, you know, it's kind of funny.
I think like part of when we all first got together.
It was kind of I think a big breaking point

(01:29):
for like all of us in our kind of power
Loopton careers, if you will, if that's such a thing.
So it's just cool to like, you know, get everyone
kind of back together and hop on and catch up.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, it was. We're talking about it.
I mean, you guys were on the old podcast like
in twenty sixteen ish, So I think it was like
maybe before Larry's world record maybe.

Speaker 4 (01:55):
I think I think I've kind of for people that
are watching the video after the I'm wearing his shirt.
So I think the first time after the two forty
two record was I think when we kind of all
got together. I think, or it might have been. Well,
so I don't know if we talked about this last
time or not. So Larry had the world record for

(02:16):
like about zero point two seconds, and then Andrew Herbert
like and then they both ended up missing their last deadlift,
so Andrew Herbert had it for right, yeah, eight weeks
or so, and then we kind of went back to
the you know, the record breakers meet at a combat
sports academy and then we you know, Larry retook it
back and kind of upped it by like a big
margin and kind of stood. That record stood for quite

(02:38):
quite a while. And like I said, if not for
some accidents at the at the current US Open, it
would have been you know, set even higher. You know,
you know, I guess we could all like talk a
little smack and whatever, but but Larry was on pace
to kind of up it more, and then we kind
of decided that he kind of out grew the two
forty twos. But yeah, that was kind of the first
the first of many runs at many world It was

(03:00):
a good, like like a good five year like kind
of run at like world records and different weight classes,
and that was kind of like the start of his
kind of powerlifting rain if if you will, you know.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
So, Yeah, yeah, it was a different time in lifting
for sure. I mean we I think that we discussed
the last time that that people lifted more and cruise
like you had people around you, even if you were
at a certain point, even if you were a raw lifter,
and being lifting in gear pretty much required having people

(03:33):
around you because you had to get in and out
of the stuff. I mean, it was it was challenging.
You didn't have the help and didn't have the spotters,
and you were, you know, handling weights that you would
handle raw. It's a it was a whole thing. It was.
It was just this that flavor of the sport demanded

(03:54):
having people around you for the most part, and just
it was a different time. I don't know now it
is it's hard to put together a crew. I see
and like I own a jim and I see people lifting,
but they come in like when they have time and
not not Okay, I'm meeting so and so and so
and so and so and so, and we're we're going
to lift together on the same bar, We're going to

(04:16):
change plates in between, we're gonna do all that stuff.
And now it's like it's a little bit a little
bit of a lone ranger situation for most of them.

Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah, Lar, do you have any like memories of when
we kind of first started training together at in Farming?
Do I know, even our first like workout together there
was like multiple seven hundred pound deadlifters in the room,
which was so what was that kind of like for
you at just being nineteen year Because I'm sure you,
even as strong as you were, you probably never seen
or trained with guys like that in that type of environment.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
So what was that like for you?

Speaker 4 (04:47):
Just kind of starting out kind of a young young
man and just trying to, you know, find his way.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Sure, So it was a mutual friend of ours, Kevin Oak,
that introduced me to John. We went out there there
for a delive party and I was spoiled at that
time because I always had a work up part in it.
Since my first day in the gym. I always had
a strong support from a community. Everyone wherever I was
training was very keen on helping me out and wanted

(05:16):
me to succeed. And oddly enough, now I'm thirty, have
my own gym. I've never went longer and it did
more training sessions alone in my life, and it's definitely
been a compromised to my training and my ambition. And
it's something that I took for granted at that time,
something I thought was just normal and I didn't realize

(05:38):
how I shield the community I had was And now
I'm more fired up than ever to bring that back.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, I can understand that. Like now, I work out
alone because I'm not doing anything that anybody's going to
be interested in. I'm not trying to powerlift, I'm not
doing competition lifts for the most part, you know, so
I can handle it and I got you know, I'm
managing my time or whatever. But I do miss those days,
and especially I miss, uh sort of the challenge you know,

(06:07):
of of not necessarily keeping up with people, but like
like keeping her just the same distance I guess between
between myself and somebody else and maybe just like inching
up on a little I was so I was so
much older and just not like a not at all
a competitive lifter before I before I started. I mean
it was over forty when I when I started lifting,

(06:30):
And I don't necessarily recommend people waiting that long, but
uh yeah, I mean you were you were young when
you got into this this uh this whole sport. Like
what question I have? We were I think we talked
about this last time, John, that like it is difficult
for a young person to sustain a career in powerlifting

(06:53):
or I mean a lot of a lot of sports,
but it's it's difficult for someone who has early success
to keep going because the improvements become like incremental over time,
and the injuries mount, you know for sure, because if
you're pushing it like hard all the way if you

(07:14):
could tell yourself something about those conditions when you first started,
if you could like speak to younger Larry, like, what
would you tell him?

Speaker 2 (07:26):
I would tell younger Larry what I tell everybody that
asked me for advice I expose or at the gym
or in passing to just stick to the program. The
only time I ever got injured or didn't peak properly
was when I went off program for attention because the
crew was hyping me up because I was impulsive. Powerlifting

(07:46):
is a game of restraint. It takes immense amount of
self control. When you walk in the gym, you feel
like Superman. Everything feels extra light, and you have to
tell yourself, no, I can't push my limits today. And
pushing the limits is the fun part. And I believe
that's why many people love bodybuilding, because you can go
into a bodybuilding workout through set to ten, twenty thirty
to failure and really push your limit every workout still

(08:10):
get progress. But you do then powerlifting, you're seeing us
won't recover. Your train will be compromised, right Like, you
have to stick to the program and hold yourself back
when you don't want to. And I've struggled with that
since day one.

Speaker 4 (08:24):
Yeah, I could remember a time curious, Larry, what if
you could pinpoint it? But like there was definitely like
the early days where maybe listening was was not really happening,
and I know you bombed out of a few meets,
but then when you got that invite to boss the bosses,
I feel like a switch kind of flipped. And then

(08:44):
so I don't know if that was the kind of
the defining moment, but can you remember, like when do
you decide okay, like maybe I should you know, start
like kind of you know, being a little bit more compliant,
communicating a little bit better, maybe you know, listening to coach.
You know what was that kind of like? And then
it was there any kind of moment you can kind
of remember where you're like, Okay, let me give this
a shot and.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Then you know kind of see what happens.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Well, bombing out of those meets is what really sparked
that fire for me to take this more seriously and
understand the importance of good communication with you, John, and
how just a strong discuss with that feeling of damn,
I didn't even get to finish the meet, and I
spent so many weeks or whatever. It was months preparing
for this day and I couldn't even finish, you know.

(09:27):
So there's no worse feeling for a power lepter than that, right,
bombing out, not even making it to the end. And
I never wanted to feel that way again.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
Having bombed in a few meets myself, usually on the
squad always geared just not and depth, always on depth,
you know, just like you just can't get down to
a certain point. And I think that you know, part
of part of that was was you know, the weight
that you needed to gain to be competitive in the
in the equipment, and then the way you had to

(09:58):
cut to make weight for the meat, and then what
you know, when it comes back on, where does it
go right? And and so your stuff fits differently and
you can't can't get down. But I feel like you
were an extension of a time where like uh Stan Efforting,
you know, kind of took the took the stage in

(10:19):
two thousand and nine ish twenty ten and and was
very strong obviously, but was also you know, had aesthetics
to his physique where he was you know, Dan Green
another one who who always you know, looked more like
a bodybuilder than a powerlifter that a traditional powerlifter at

(10:40):
that time, Well, what did you always have like a
dual drive about how you looked at and and how
how strong you were or was it was it one
and then the other or.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah. I always wanted to maintain, maintain some level of
a build their aesthetic because I knew that's what would
make me stand out from all the other powerlifters. And
that's how it can make a steak for myself in
the sport, besides taking with records, and I understood that
to try and make a business out of it, it
would be easier, you know, if I look the part.

(11:17):
You know, if I had APP, if I had APS
and I was able to look I was lifting, it
would be easier to stand out. So when I was
actively competing, although I did frequently have cheat meals and
slip up on my diet, it was pretty clean. I
was having chicken bee fish with lots of rice, and
that was my diet for a long time. Especially when

(11:39):
I turn off that switch and I said, okay, now
it's time to lock in and get ready for competition,
all those bad habits usually went away. It's only when
I was in the off season and I'm not actively
preparing for a goal. Did I just have no motivation
to eat clean, to train hard, to be smart, and
bad habits get the best of me, and it's time

(12:00):
to prepare for competition that switches on and down.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
Then I'm amazed at you know, our our gym has
kind of a majority of younger, sort of twenties thirties
USA pl or Powerlifting America lifters. And because they don't
have the luxury of twenty four our weigh ins and

(12:24):
and and all, their their weight is pretty consistent all
the time, and they all look jacked. They don't necessarily
look like bodybuilders, but they look they all look fit,
they all have abs. It's it's it's disgusting, really, it's
it's like, how are you? You know? And then you
remember that they were young, and that they they never
really they never really put on those extra extra pounds.

(12:48):
And we have one competitor who who dropped a weight
class in the last year or so, and he didn't
look bad before, and now he's just shredded all the time.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
And and.

Speaker 1 (13:01):
You know, some of them start to get the you know, like,
oh maybe I could compete in bodybuilding, and then you know,
that's that's a totally different experience for them. It's not
you know, they're not chasing chasing numbers the same way
that they are chasing what happens in the mirror. So yeah,
it's just it's an interesting contrast to to when I started,

(13:24):
you know, twenty years ago.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
I think you mentioned Stan.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
I think he was definitely instrumental in both of our
kind of learnings of nutrition, especially you know, obviously vertical
diet got really popular used by a lot of strength athletes,
and we definitely took notes learned a lot from him.
And what's really interesting as well, you know, obviously Eric
kllilla Bridge is really famous. You know his that was
a three o eight record that Larry Brooke, but some

(13:48):
people may not know the two forty two record that
was broken was originally obviously Andrew Herbert. Boy he's been
doing to bodybuilding as well, but the original record was
John Rivers. And John Rivers actually just turned pro with
well he's out in Virginia now, so we actually got
to So it's just kind of funny to seeing all
these guys come full circle. So there definitely is like
a little bit more crossover that I think we're seeing

(14:09):
with some of these like high level powerlifters sometimes either
transitioning over full time or kind of dabbling a little
bit in both. And obviously Stan was like the most
you know, famous example, and I think before then, you know,
we got our information, like you know, we had the
Oreo Challenge, the.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Dave Tate Dave Tate's Oreo Challenge, and then you know,
like J. M.

Speaker 4 (14:30):
Blakely, like put alve oyl on pizza and you know,
you know that those have at MSG to your Chinese
food or even more so, so you get hungry again.
I mean that was kind of like the knowledge that
we kind of and like kind of the older generation
of the gearedlifters just got get as bloated as I
had a trading partner my first benchure. It was a
guy Chris Taylor, and he taught me along with Vitie

(14:52):
descendso taught me how to bench and a shirt. And
Chris Taylor always would he would drink like a leader
of like Coca Cola so that he would have the
bench belly, and that was like his I remember, and
he was a big I think he I don't know
if he ever did it. I don't think you ever
did in competition, but I saw him like do like
nine hundred to like a one board, which is you know,
in like one of those Phenom shirts, and like that

(15:13):
was his like you know, he drank the soda and
he got this big belly so he didn't have to
bring it down as far. And that was the nutrition
aspect definitely changed a lot, like over the years.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, there's I mean whether or not everything that everyone
is doing for health and wellness at this point is
actually like legitimate or scientific or whatever. There's a lot
of people who are really trying to concentrate on it
in their own way, and it is still there's still
a lot of you know, like bro science, Like you're
talking about, you know, Oreo challenge. I remember that I

(15:46):
never did that. I mean I like Oreos, but I
couldn't eat that many logos. I mean I could demolish
the sleeve and then I'm done. I'm done with Oreos
at that point.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
But Jim, what was your diet like when you're actively competing.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
When I was actively competing, Like I when I when
I started powerlett thing, I had never weighed more than
one hundred and eighty five pounds and I started going
over to a gym in the Bay Area. I live
in Sacramento, so it's was about an hour or so
away one way, and I was called the Apple Barbelle,

(16:17):
and I was like, suggested I should just eat a
lot more than what I was eating, and so it
was it was just whatever. Really it was like a
lot a lot of meat, a lot of protein, like
you know, a lot of barbecue places where you got
the platter that was, you know, like this big and
just full of five different kinds of meats and you know,

(16:38):
sausages and cheese, and you know, that was in pretty
sharp contrast to what I've been doing before. Like I
gained about fifteen pounds clean in my late thirties, like
I had that was sort of my lowest body fat
and I was I was just not eating any of
that stuff. I just just wasn't at all. And I'm

(16:58):
kind of back there now. I don't eat a lot
of beef and stuff. I still eat a lot of
chicken and all. You know, just I mean, it doesn't
look like a bodybuilder diet, but it doesn't look like
an old powerlifter diet either. Back then, it was just
it was the issue of like you know, trying to
gain weight, and I think my biggest squat was like

(17:19):
six fifty and that was too fourteen. Like I couldn't
fill out the two twenties at that point. It was
just kind of a struggle to get there, honestly. And
then you know, at some point I also then just
didn't fill out to two forty two, so I just
couldn't you know, two twenty was too hard, But but

(17:41):
two forty two was, you know, a light two forty two.
I guess. Excuse me. We were talking about about cruise
and John intimated that you you were to try to

(18:01):
get a crew together at some point here around your
gym in southern California.

Speaker 2 (18:08):
Oh absolutely. And over the years, I've had various people
attempt to train with me, and unfortunately, many of them
get discouraged because they think, well, I can't keep up
with you, you're too strong, and I think a lot of
the time they're missing the point. I need somebody that
wants to push themselves as much as I do, and
we're working towards the same goal. We're trying to get

(18:30):
stronger and better. Because it's inspiring and motivating for me
to watch somebody push themselves. I don't care how much
they're lifting. I just want to see them try and
be a better version of themselves and be willing to
put in the work. And that's what inspires me and
gets me fired up. If they're as strong as me,
or even stronger, that's a bonus, but it's not what

(18:51):
I'm looking forward to make it work. So to surround
myself with the community of powerlifters or just people that
want to be strong and are willing to push themselves
and put in the work alongside me is what I'm
looking for.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, I remember that. Like when I my first exposure
to to powerlifter I was in powerlifting is I was
invited to go watch the the APF State meet in
like two thousand fourish, And what got me was watching
how people approached their lifts like and when they came

(19:28):
on the platform, you know that you could see what,
you know, the wheels turning in their heads about about
you know, getting into the right position and having the
right having the right mindset to get through a lift
and just the struggle and the strain and all that stuff.
And it didn't it didn't matter how much they were lifting,
it was what their were approach was and I think

(19:49):
that I think that what you're talking about people being
nervous about training with you because they're they're not as strong.
It's the same kind of notion that keeps people from
doing their first meat because they feel like, oh, I
need to be strong enough to do whatever whatever, And
it's like, no, you don't, not really. What you need
to do is have honest effort. And and now, if
you have honest effort, that reflects in your face, it

(20:12):
reflects in how you prepare yourself, it reflects in how
you approach the meat itself, like your demeanor, all of that.
That's so much more important than what than than the weights,
like I mean winning a meat, like winning winning your
weight class and a meat usually means you get a

(20:33):
little freaking plastic medallion or you get a little trophy
or whatever, and you get a little bit of bragging
rights for a minute, but none of that really matters.
What matters is that you you prepared yourself for for
a competition and you attempted to perform your best. That's
that's what matters. And I think that's probably gonna be

(20:53):
the same same thing if you're able to put it
together a crew, it's just people showing up, being consistent
and putting in their best effort.

Speaker 4 (21:03):
Yeah, one thing I wanted to highlight for the audience.
And again sometimes when throughout numbers, it's like good or
bad because some people can relate. Some people even think
like because for a lot of people, even like a
three plate or four plate squad is tremendous, and it
absolutely is for the average person. So like when Larry
was kind of getting started, and I would say he
was probably around like a nineteen one hundred total, which

(21:26):
is still like that's a person's dream still, you know,
that's an amazing you know, nine hundred kilos eight fifty,
you know, that's a huge total. But anyways, our kind
of typical squad crew. You know, I was one of
you know, the few people still in paralatin gear. I was,
you know, cheating to keep up with all the young
bucks and everything. And that's still true to this day.

(21:48):
I was kind of in like the eight hundred to
eight to fifty range at the time. I would say
when when Larry came on, because I did my first
eight hundred pounds squad, I did eight fifty and twenty
three teen was the first time a squad eight hundred
plus pounds. We had Dominici, and Dominici is a great
training partner. He ended up squatting nine hundred pounds in
just nee sleeves, which is still like a very still

(22:11):
extremely rare feet. I don't know if you remember or
if we talked about Michael Song's list, but Dominici was
the first guy that actually and I don't even know
if they still have the curated list anymore, but Dominici
was the first guy to make the two thousand pound
Raw Hall of Fame. He did that and squatting was
his best left he was an eight hundred plus squadter.

(22:33):
Then we had Mark Greenstein, who is our best lightweight guy.
He did a nineteen hundred pound two twenty and then
he did an eighteen twenty five and he ended up
being like a seven hundred pound squadter. And then we
had one of my training partners, Eric Prush, and he
was my first coach and he has his own business
now and he was more of like a deadlift guy,
but he was like a five hundred pound squad So
we had people like from the five hundred pound range

(22:54):
to eight hundred pound range, all in the same model
of so like we took plates off, wasn't a.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
Big deal me all, and everyone was great.

Speaker 4 (23:01):
And but by the time when I got to deadlift day,
you know, Eric Prush, he was like the low man
on the totem pole for squats, but then he would
kick my ass because he was like a seven hundred
plus deadlifter.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
So we all kind of took our lick. Sometimes. We
all had strengths and weaknesses.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
And then you have people like Larry was just good,
good at every lift and he figures, you know, so
he's always that's always like annoying, but it's good to
like kind of push and then you kind of have
your day. You know, you'll have a lift that you
kind of excel with and it was kind of fun.
So like I'm squat day, like you know, I would
be the one, you know, the last man standing most
of the time, and I would you know, throw the
knee wraps on the canvas suit and do what I

(23:34):
can to kind of you know, do a little bit
more than the next guy, because you know, eventually, like
I said, Dom ended up, you know, dominded up kind
of tying my best squad and just knee sleeves, which
you know, before he was done, which is incredible. And
then you know he had some people like and I know,
like Larry Larry could speak to this too. I know
that Larry got a lot more confidence in me as
a coach because Dom and Mark were those were all

(23:54):
homegrown guys. We were all we grew up in Plane Edge,
New York. You know, all from the same town and
North Massapequa. We all played football together and wrestled and
like so it kind of like, you know, again I
don't want to compare myself to Louis, but kind of
similar where a lot of Louis's first elite lifters they
were just hometown guys from Columbus, and I was trying
to create something similar on like a like a on

(24:15):
a lower scale in Long Island. But a lot of
our guys were homegrown and even you know, Larry Larry
basically was homegrown too.

Speaker 3 (24:22):
He just came in from the Bronx. But so, I
don't know if you can kind of talk to.

Speaker 4 (24:25):
Like the difference in like the training partners and then
you know, if you guys and also maybe at some
point we could talk about you know, the importance of
the train your long term training partner of Black Time Cruise.

Speaker 3 (24:34):
But what was it like having those different.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
Levels of ability levels and some people maybe were good
at knee wrapping, some people were good at other things.
You know, what are some things that you would like
remember from those times, like those early days.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Sure so, Black Time Cruise was my longest standing workout partner,
and many myself included, will agree he's the greatest hype
man of all time. And that's something that I'm not
sure he gets talked about often in the communities about
like having a great hype man and not necessarily just
a great workout partner, but somebody that makes the training
more fun. Like he just brought so much energy and

(25:09):
charisma at every session that it made I took so
much more pleasure just showing up because a lot of
the time I knew Black Time Crew was going to
be there, and his ban tour was just second to none,
and he made lifting like the best social event I
could think of, you know, Like, why bother doing anything
else when I have people like Black Time Cruise around

(25:31):
every workout session, every training session, you know, not just
to lift with, but also to laugh with, you know,
And that's what I found. Black Tom Cruise was the
greatest at you know, he had a great sense of
humor and even when I was getting down on myself
or whatever, you know, So having someone like that just
always keep your spirits high. He was the most positive
person ever met, right. I never, like, even when his

(25:52):
dad passed away, Like this guy never had a negative
thing to say about himself or about you know. It's
just like he was so positive and that was so
valuable to me because he always kept me uplifted. And
that's what you know, ideally in the perfect world I'm
looking for and you know, my community that I'm trying
to build that one gen you know, not just people

(26:13):
that are serious, hardcore powerlifters, but also know how to
have a good time with it too, you know, and
keep spirit time and be positive.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
Yeah, that's that can be hard to maintain. And that's
I mean, it's great that you you had that. It
can be hard to maintain when you have a bunch
of strong personalities. I can just tell you from my
perspective that back in the old lest he days, it
was sometimes touch and go. Honestly, there were you know,
there were there were egos, there were a lot of uh,
there's a little dust ups sometimes in the gym, and

(26:48):
it's like I used to I used to always think
about like and partly because I was recording a lot
of training sessions, but I always used to think of
them like as episodes. It's like this is an episode
of reality show. And that's really sort of I mean,
it's almost became a reality show a couple of times
where where people just rubbed each other the wrong way.

(27:09):
And you know, in competition, in moments of competition, people
always rooted for their teammates, but sometimes in training there
could be friction for sure, and I don't know, some
people can handle that and and just you know, sort
of sort of let the water off a ducts back

(27:30):
and not care about it, and other people like hold
on to it for a long time. So anyway, I'm
just saying it can be hard to develop that when
you have a bunch of strong personalities. And it sounds
like you were you guys were able to avoid that.

Speaker 4 (27:44):
Well, I will say. I'd say like when I was
at the time, I was still a special education teacher,
and a lot of us would train U basically after
seven o'clock. We always joke, you don't know what goes
on after seven so all like the women and the
children and the kids the athletes, doors would close lock
like only if you weren't part of the paler lating team.
So it definitely was a similar kind of vibe. And

(28:06):
over the years the culture at Gagoleon Strength has shifted.
When I spend a little bit more time. In twenty seventeen,
I spent a week a week long I called my
Westside pilgrimage. It's maybe maybe being a little bit over dramatic,
but I spent a week with Louis. I trained with
like Anthony Olavera, Jason Koker. Trying to think who else

(28:26):
was there. I I kind of, you know, kind of
I called like an observational internship, but basically I would
just kind of I observed with Louis.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
I kind of learned under Louis.

Speaker 4 (28:34):
You know, we went to the bob Evans, we went
you know, to you know, to breakfast, all those things.
So at that time we had there was some people,
you know, there was some falling out some of the
people I mentioned, like, there was times where like we
weren't speaking. There was times where like people were kicked
out of the gym. There was time and I'm sure
the same thing with you, Jim, Like there was you know,
there was some tumultuous times. And I think when you
have people that really care, they're really passionate, emotions run high,

(28:58):
and then there's you know, calling a space this performance
enhancing drugs involved in all these things, and that can
just like elevate if someone has a big personality. It's
can even be a bigger personality when when performance enhancing
drugs are involved. So over time after that kind of
twenty seventeen, I kind of like I started to think about,
like what are the like the best elements of west

(29:19):
Side that I could take back to Gaglon Strength and
then try to like kind of kind of cut out
like maybe some of the other stuff. Maybe can we
have a competitive fun environment that's less cutthroat? Can we
still be supportive and competitive? Can we you know, be
hard on each other, but like not you know, but
in like a constructive way, you know. So those are
in I'm still kind of working on this, and this

(29:40):
is something that I kind of make a point and
every now and then that old flip will switch when
I especially if I'm getting ready for me or whatever
I'm trying to I'm like Okay, like you need to
chill out, like this is not that serious.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
This is like a hobby, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (29:52):
So I think over time, and that's where someone like
Black Tom Cruise at least was great because you just
never had a negative like thing to say about anyone.
Is just that was his personality. So he always kind
of brought a lot of warmth and he kind of
would cut through and I don't think anyone ever had
a problem with him.

Speaker 3 (30:08):
He was just one of those guys that was just
always cheerful.

Speaker 4 (30:10):
And so I think having those people that are like
whether the peacekeepers or the people that are always fun,
I think that really helped. And I know for me personally,
that's something I had to kind of take a look
at in the mirrors as I got older, and after
that twenty seventeen, I was like, okay, like, let me
try to take the best elements of West Side and
then try to make it a more family friendly environment

(30:32):
but still have all you know, the programming, the team culture,
because I think that the idea of a crew is
so important. But yeah, I think that it can you
can like anything else. I was a super heavyweight. You
can like take any all this stuff too far, so
trying to kind of find that middle ground where you kind.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
Of get the best of both worlds.

Speaker 4 (30:48):
So that's something where it's easier said than done. But
I think sometimes you have to like let the pendulum
sling all the way to the end to kind of
find that center point. And like, we definitely took things
too far, and especially you know, when you start breaking
records and stuff, you get a little bit of cocky,
and sometimes so many people, you know, I have a
little bit of a god complex, if you will. I
think it's just you start to feel like you're invincible

(31:10):
until you kind of get shot down a little bit,
until you get humbled. So I don't know if that
kind of resonates with you at all, but that's just
kind of how I looked about these things. And that's
why I've kind of definitely kind of calmed down a lot,
if you will. And my wife may disagree, but I've
definitely slowed down a bit. I've definitely gotten less aggressive
in training. That's why I kind of and even like
now like I'm like, you know, semi retired doing more

(31:32):
strict cirl and stuff. But even like me at like
eighty percent it's still a lot for like the average person,
where when we were like running at one hundred percent,
it's like, you know, and maybe we shouldn't be running
at a hundred, you know what I mean, We need
to like kind of chill out. Like Larry said, I
think that the more you can restrain yourself, because most
people can't.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
Tap into their self like that.

Speaker 4 (31:52):
Most people can't like recruit, you know what I mean,
Like when you're like doing like a nine hundred pounds
squad or a big bench, a big deadlift. Most people
just don't have like that, you know, that switch they
can flip, And I think it's good to be able
to learn how to like turn that on in.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
A competitive situation. But it's one of those things.

Speaker 4 (32:09):
Dave Taate used to call it like a zippy cards,
and he would only have like one or two like
every so often. So you kind of use those wisely
because if you use them too much, you break down.
It could be detrimental to your nervous system, your mood
and everything else. You have to kind of, you know,
kind of restrain yourself until it's time. And that's like
one thing I think Larry did a great job with
as his competition career kind of took off. He learned

(32:31):
to trust the process, and then on meat day, like
the leash was off and we were then we were
then we were there to do the job. So that
all the training up into that point and most of
his training, you know, we would touch ninety percent sometimes
ninety five, but like the really heavy stuff was done
with a reverse band, the really heavy stuff was done
with chains. If it was straight weight and all that stuff,
it really was usually not as crazy. But then on

(32:53):
game day, on meat Day, then we hit the numbers
that we needed to. And luckily, like I said, I
was I have a pretty good batting I had of
average with picking attempts, and we were more more fortunate
in making more than we missed. But I think part
of that is just having like I said, like almost
like you know, basically a decade relationship of knowing each
other and then you can really kind of make those

(33:14):
decisions on the fly when the pressure was on.

Speaker 1 (33:18):
Well, you were talking about, you know, people being able
to sort of access that extra that extra gear, and
a lot of people seem to rely on you know,
ammonia or or a particular like hype song or whatever,
particularly in meets, but sometimes a lot in training sessions too,

(33:40):
and that I'm always kind of surprised by that as
those are things that never like really you know, SYNCD
up for me, like I either had it or I didn't.
They didn't necessarily help me one way or the other.
What do you guys think about those other of things?
And Larry was talking about how being hyped up by someone,
but uh, hyped up by those external factors like you know,

(34:04):
smelling salts and whatever music you wanted to listen to.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
You know, I'm great you brought that, want to answer, Yeah, absolutely,
I'm glad you brought that up. That gets I get
that question often and basically when I have a hype song,
or at least in the past when I did. You know,
every time you listen to it, it hits less and
less hard, right, so you build a tolerance to it,
and then you become dependent on it, and then if

(34:31):
it doesn't work, it's like, damn, well, now I can't
turn that switch on, right, or I would try and
go to a dark place, or I would have someone
slap me to get me fired up. And that's fun
for a time, right, but doesn't always work.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
Right.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
But what does always work. What you can depend on
is yourself internal motivation. And I learned to when it's time,
when it's game day, when it's time for a big
lift ninety percent or above, just execute right, control my breathing,
you know, have a little bit of caffe you don't
go too crazy, nothing too extreme, and just focus on
executing the lift properly. Like what are my technique cues,

(35:04):
because that's the most important thing. When I start like
blacking out and going to that dark place or the
hype song or the slapping, it could get you a
little bit too aggressive and you get sloppy and your
form breaks down. Then you get injured, you miss a lip,
you know, squat deeping up and so on. So I
tell people just focus on proper execution. And I remember
so many times John sitting in front of me, like listen,

(35:25):
stop thinking, just execute and that's as simple as it is. Right.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
Well, that brings up another question. You know a lot
of a lot of our lifters right now in the
gym are working with a coach. Sometimes it's somebody who
is also a member of the gym. Often they're working
with a remote coach. Very like very small number of
people are probably working more from a template and less
from whatever I mean. But we have like we have

(35:53):
iPhone tripods all over the place because people are filming
lifts for their for their coaches and for Instagram and
stuff too. But but you know, not every not they're
not posting every single lift that they record because those
are all going to their coaches. What are your thoughts
on both sides about like what what effective coaching looks like?

(36:17):
Whoever wants to go.

Speaker 4 (36:18):
First, Laurie, what do you think has been the biggest
factors in your success in terms of like our relationship
and our dynamicsuse. I think I think you maybe kind
of riff off, like you know, you know, trusting in
the process and just maybe some things that maybe I
unload some I kind of take on some bandwidth that
you can kind of just focus on being an athlete.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
Maybe if that is like a starting point.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, So what's so great about having a good coach?
It takes away all of the overthinking. Right when people
try and coach themselves, you tend to second guess yourself
and start to change things around, and you start to
lose faith in the process. You start to doubt yourself.
But when you just put your faith in a coach.
You just show up and execute right. It takes all
the guests work. And then on top of having good
consistent communication, the more you can communicate with your coach,

(37:04):
the better. I work with people briefly in the past
where it communicates you is newly non existent, and as
a result, I feel the train, nutrition, the recovery, everything
gets compromised because they didn't know what's going on. Maybe
they're not reaching out, they're not as attentive. And I
think communication is extremely important and what separates the good

(37:25):
coaches from the ones that they're not so good.

Speaker 4 (37:28):
And on game day specifically, like because I know, like
I'm wearing like the world record shirt, you know, for
a reason. So like every single time that you broke
a world record, there was different federation, different circumstances, maybe
different states even, but the common denominators that we were
linked up, and I was like your game day coach, right,
And I think that's something I think is really overlooked.

(37:49):
And powerlifting is the even in raw lifting, because in
equipped lifting, and we're all with wraps and stuff, like
actually having someone to wrap your knees and put you
in the suit and all these things, But what were
some things like on day specifically in terms of like
the attempt selection, the warm ups, finding like electrolytes.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
For when you're crampy, and we have a funny story
about that.

Speaker 4 (38:09):
But what are some things like on game day that
you found like really helpful to like really allow you
to be successful on the platform.

Speaker 2 (38:15):
I mean, you touched on a couple of really good ones,
such as attempt selection, and that's something that is so stressful.
And I couldn't imagine going to a meet and having
to choose my own attempts because how could I possibly
pick the right number? Whereas I felt whenever John picked
my attempts, it was just it felt just right. Opener, second, third,
everything just as it should right. And then just when

(38:36):
you experienced that meet after meat, it start to eliminate
a lot of the anxiety that's supposed to be there
and game day because you know, like, okay, well, I'm
with a coach that always picks the right attempt right,
So if I don't get it, it's on me, right,
because he knows what he's doing, he knows my body,
and if I've been following the program my nutrition New
Crab's on point right, I should get this left right.

(38:57):
So I usually like to put that on myself, and
if if I don't get an attempt, I always putting
on myself, never on the coach, never on John. That
aside from little things, well significant things like if I
did a weight cut, which I hated to do, I
don't do anymore. And I remember one time, I don't
remember exactly which competition, I was cramping so bad I

(39:17):
couldn't even open my hands, So I was like, how
am I going to finish the meat? Literally I couldn't
open my hands or just glue shut. Never had it
happen in for in my life. But you know, with
John support, I was able to get electrolytes and he
was like, listen, drip like a gown to list. I
remember exactly what we did, but it worked.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
Right.

Speaker 2 (39:32):
That's the most important thing, just having someone there that
really is attentive, right, I have to keep emphasizing attentive
like that, really paying attention and really cares about your
performance is priceless. And I've watched other people try and
coach their clients and it's not many. Unfortunately, many people
don't get the same TLC that I got when John

(39:54):
was coaching me right, like just that you know, attention
to the little details and most important keeping me out
of my head, right, because on game day it's like, Okay,
maybe I skipped this lift on this day or eat
it up on that day, and I start overthinking everything
and anxiety gets a little bit too overbearing on. It
doesn't happen too often, but if it ever did, you know,
that's when John steps in, like, stop thinking, you know,

(40:16):
here's the plan, this is what we're gonna do, right,
And just that kind of keeps me out of my
head because the second you start overthinking things on game day,
I feel like then you start thinking, well, maybe I'm
not ready for this today, right, and then you start
going that rabbit hole like, well, because I don't believe
in myself anymore, how am I gonna get this lift?

Speaker 3 (40:32):
Right?

Speaker 2 (40:32):
So it's like having that coach like John there to
tell you, you know, listen, you're ready for this is
what we're gonna do, and just adjust the plan as
the day goes on because things change, like maybe the
open didn't go as passed we thought it whatever, Like
it's so easy to get in your head and overthink
things and That's where John Septing is like, listen, this
is our second attempt. You know, don't even have to

(40:54):
go back and forth on him about I never argue
with John. I just stuck to the plan and more
often more times up the than not and worked out.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
So there's two things I want to highlight with the
especially the I think game day nutrition is often like
really like and game day nutrition starts with like the
night before. So I think a lot of people you know,
stand kind of famous with this. Is like you know,
you eat clean all like prep or whatever, and then
you go to right to I hop was very like
I hop b Ha pizza, pasta, pancakes, and then like

(41:23):
you're not your summa upset, You're not your weight's like
all messed up. You're you're in the bathroom more than
you know. Then then you know you're not able to
keep the weight on. So being like more dialed in
like the day before, and then have like the treats,
the treats and stuff like after after the meat is over.
And I know what Larry specifically, and I kind of
so I always have electrolytes on hand. I always have
different like you know, things for and sometimes like you

(41:46):
might like, you know, you might just say like, hey,
I'm not really sure if this is if you're a
newer coach, like I'm not sure if this is gonna work.
But just being confident and be like, hey, I think
you need electrolytes and just like being confident in your delivery,
you know, to your athlete, I think is important even
if you're like I don't know how this is going
to go, like, you know, just trying to like keep
the athlete, because if you're if you're showing nervousness, if
you're not confident, that's going to kind of go into

(42:08):
like the athletes. So we kind of went talked about
you know, Black Tom Cruise, if you're giving out positive,
confident energy, that's going to kind of rub off like
on the athlete. And I think that's really important that
you're very confident in your attempt selection. You've kind of
had good communication leading up to the meet, so that
way is no I think I'm opening too heavy or
I'm opening too light like that those things should not
like be happening with Those conversations should be had prior

(42:31):
to the meet, not not on game day.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Those that should not be a discussion.

Speaker 4 (42:36):
So one one particular instance, so like, uh, when we
started competing a little bit more with like the USPA
and when the us opened was kind of a thing.
I was just talking actually with with with Greenow and
I think we have mutual friend, you know JP Price.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
That like warm up room was crazy.

Speaker 4 (42:50):
You know, you had like you know, Brandon Allen and
JP Price and all the it was like a crazy
meat And then we had of course, you know Urie
Belkin was whipping. He had he was like the John
Hack of like the time. But you know, the squad
depth was like, the strike zone was tough that day.
The bench pauses was tough that day. So we had

(43:12):
to like lower expectations and that was not I didn't
tell Larry about like, hey, like the judges are really
like that was not like a comrace. That was my
problem to fix. So we like lowered our third attempts
considerably and then uh, this is a really it was
a really cool moment for me as a coach because
we had a very unique opportunity because Larry got to

(43:32):
go head to head against Dennis Cornelius is one of
the greatest heavyweights in IPF history, and so we knew
we needed to pull a big deadlift to win. Larry
was the lighter lifter because of course he had. He
had to make my job a little bit harder because
he was trying to break our world record in knee
leaves and everyone else was in knee raps. But he's like,

(43:53):
I want to break Eric Lowbridge's record in nie leaves,
and also like do the smeat. I'm like, sure, no problem,
it'll be fine, just bringing a knife to a gunfight.
But you know it's Larry Wheels, so it's we'll figure
it out. So anyway, so Larry basically had like one
hundred pounds handicap on his total. So that's like that
was like that was the start of the meet. And
now like everyone's bombing out on squats. The pauses on
benches are crazy. So we get into deadlifts and we're

(44:16):
doing a little bit of jockey and for attempt selection
and I'm like, okay, like you know, Larry, did you
know had had some good polls in training. It's a
tough meat. The judging is tough. We kind of see
Dennis is not a great deadlifter, so I think he
ended up. He ended up, you know, we see what
he does in a third attempt, I don't remember if
he got it not okay, like if Larry pulls four

(44:39):
in Rakuilos, they'll tie. And then Larry went on body weight,
so we put the attempt in and Larry just crushes
it and it's it's like an iconic video like he's
in you know, the the MHP single it and like
he's going crazy and he's like big celebration. So he
beats Dennis Corney early his head to head and it
puts him third place overall. So it was the podium

(45:00):
was uh was Brandon Allen ended up taking second, and
then Eurie belcan you know, we knew it was basically
in his It was his like, you know, meat to lose.
So Brandon Allen had a great day and then you know,
Larry kind of rounded out the podium and it was
a very that was a very tough field, so to
podium and like not even be wearing knee wraps at
a rap meat was pretty crazy. And the fact that

(45:22):
he had like a very unique opportunity to go head
to head with one of the best IPF lifters in history.
I believe he still has the IPF world record in
the one twenty weight class. So anyways, that was a
really cool memory and I was like, and again not
to my own horn, but like stuff like that would
not happen without a good game day coach, Like those things,
you know, like if you just say like, hey, I'm
because Larry was capable of like an eight to fifty squad,

(45:43):
but we ended up with like eight twenty six or
something whatever the kilo number is.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
It's like we had to like really drop it down
quite a bit.

Speaker 4 (45:49):
Same thing. I thought he was capable of like a
six thirty five bench. I think he did like six
oh six or six', eleven you, know so you have
to kind of lower. Expectations you got to adjust to
the strike. Zone AND i think that's something where it
doesn't matter were like what you did in, Training like it's, like,
okay what are the conditions of the, Day and that's
where like the sports side really comes. In so those
are always the most fun for. Me it gets me
fired up just thinking about, It like those, were you,

(46:10):
know some of the good old.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
Days for.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
Sure as a, LIFTER i sometimes enjoyed just having somebody
else put in my numbers and just not even tell
me what they were in a meat LIKE i was in,
there sort of block it out when it's when it
was announced or whatever that. Was that was sometimes helpful
because THEN i you, know you get the numbers in
your head and you get like like you think you

(46:32):
have hard stops and you don't LIKE i would never
have squatted six fifty if somebody had told ME i
was gonna squat six fifty in this, meet because it was,
like you, know sixty pounds more Than i'd ever squatted anywhere,
Ever so you know that that makes the. Difference another
thing THAT i think really helps is if with a
coach on game day is timing warm. Ups there's there's

(46:57):
a lot of attention that needs to go into. That you,
know you know when when the next flight is coming,
up and what equipment is available to, you you, know
to warm up in a warm up, rooms because not
every warm up room is created the same by any
stretch of the. Imagination you, know sometimes you're and sometimes
you're warming up with pound, plates but you're gonna live with.
Kilos that's often the. Case we actually have enough kilo

(47:21):
sets in the gym that we're able to let people
warm up with. Kilos if that's what they. Desire but but,
yeah and just so much of that that can really
get in your head and makes you anxious is taken
away if somebody else is managing it for, you makes
a big. Difference SO i know that We john AND

(47:42):
i talked it last time about strict, curl AND i
know you guys have a meat coming up in Southern
california in In january that you want to continue to
inform people, About so just lay that out for.

Speaker 4 (47:58):
Everybody, yeah so, zeh but's it's kind of crazy even
just since we last, spoke which hasn't which hasn't been you,
know too long at this, point but this is going
to be one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight. Matchups
we have a couple of really heavy hitters coming And
i'm hoping that one of My New york, guys he's

(48:19):
kind of like not one hundred percent of, confirmed but
if he does. Go so we Have my guy Is John,
Archibald Panamanian. Hulk so he's got THE rps world record right,
now so he's like the reigning king with two hundred
and ten, pounds so about ninety five.

Speaker 3 (48:34):
Kilos and then we have a Big.

Speaker 4 (48:37):
Joe it's a BOWL i want to say that he's
so he's recently lost a lot of. Weight he's still
a super heavyweight or a three oh eight, lifter but
he he was like a four hundred pound dude at one,
point and he was up there around like the two,
yeah really big. Guy now he's in like the low three.
HUNDREDS i think he's still like super, heavyweight but like
maybe like three. Fifteen so he's lost a lot of.
Weight so sometimes in strict, curl that's that's when you

(48:58):
have the smaller belly kind of keep it closer to
your body and that can like. Help so he's he's
kind of in that two fifteen range right, now but
he's done like a two twenty, Plus like he's one
hundred kilo curl, guy which is again very rare. Air that's,
like you, know probably less than ten, people i'd say
In america has ever done. That and then you Have
Antonio collins AND i know he's actually a, big a

(49:18):
big fan Of. Larry we've talked. About you, know he's
really excited to meet. You he's he's also a two
hundred and twenty pound curler as. Well and then we
Have Brendan Todd Brendan todd's ACTUALLY i consider him like
a like a hybrid strength athlete because he does like,
powerlifting he does strong, man he does STREET i don't

(49:41):
know if you're familiar With jim with street, lifting which
is like WEIGHTED calisenicx dips and pull. Ups he's like
a two hundred and seventy five. Pounds he's a nice.
Kid he kind of lives close to, me so he.
Did he did a second strip from me with. Us
he has got the one hundred percent raw world record
with two hundred and twenty six. POUNDS i think it's
one hundred and two and a HALF.

Speaker 3 (49:59):
Q so.

Speaker 4 (50:02):
It's gonna be like the most stacked heavyweight lineup we've
ever seen in a strict girl. Beat so it's gonna
be like fun to watch because all those guys are
gonna be going head to head and like one miss
like someone else can kind of jump the. Other so right,
Now John archibold is like THE rps you, know record,
holder but we have three other heavy. Hitters so we
got four guys that are doing ninety five kilos of,
more WHICH i don't think it has ever been to my,

(50:24):
knowledge and certainly NOT i think on The West, coast
there might have been some meets like in The arnold and,
stuff but and then we have some good lightweight, Battles
like we have two, Guys Gary teeter And Ed joseph
that are in the one thirty two weight, class and
they've both gone over one hundred and thirty, two SO
i think two pounds separate their pr so that's very.
Exciting two pounds is not a, lot so that's gonna be.

(50:45):
Exciting and then we're just trying to get some more ladies,
involved so really exciting. Stuff and then the other thing
that we're gonna, Do i'm not sure what we're gonna call.
It i'm calling it training wheels, camp but we want
to do some open tryouts for you, Know larry's at One.
Gen Like jim, said it's not, anything so after this triccroll,
me we're just gonna have like an open, lift you,

(51:07):
Know And i'm really excited for that as, well because
some of the best training, partners like, again you, Know,
jim you were you, were you, know training with. THOUSAND
i THINK i think Maybe cartwright was like eleven, hundred
like you guys had some like one thousand pounds plus,
lifters you, know six, seven eight hundred pound, benchures just

(51:29):
because the ways can come. Off it's not just about
the amount of weight you can. Lift and also when
it comes to spotting and loading and stuff like, that
as long as you have good communication and you're, coordinated
you can like you guys can like you can spot
a thousand pounds.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
Squad it is, scary but if.

Speaker 4 (51:45):
You guys are, coordinating and that's the whole, thing like,
together we can achieve more if you guys learn to work.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
Together AND i know that you, know AND i don't.

Speaker 4 (51:51):
Know we'll Let larry speak a little bit as well
with whatever he if he wants to tease you guys
a little bit, more or if he wants to unveil some
some big news the fifty Percent facts. Podcast BUT i
know he recently put a post out that.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
He's getting the. Itch he's getting the itch.

Speaker 4 (52:07):
Again SO i don't know if you want to say
anything to, That, larry or just leave The let's just
leave the audience in. Suspense but anything else that you
want to say about the team, tryouts what kind of
people you're looking, For what are you looking for in
a good training?

Speaker 2 (52:18):
Partner, Right so we touched on this a little bit
earlier in the, pod But i'll get a little deeper into.
It so really What i'm looking for is people that
just want to be the best version, themselves don't take
training too, seriously know how to have a good, lab
make it fun, right because for, me training is, pleasure.
RIGHT i don't want this to feel like a, chore
like this is. WORK i genuinely look forward to going to,

(52:40):
train And i'm not just fixated on the result, anymore
on hitting prs or breaking weld the records or game.
Day i'm really looking forward to, just you, know having
people that are, reliable that are going to show up
WHEN i expect them. To Because i'm a very punctual
person and IF i Assu i'm going to be there
AT x O'clock i'm going to be there ex o'clock
at that, time, Right so just respect my, time you,

(53:02):
know respect the, gym and you have fun with. It,
now as we mentioned, earlier it's not important to me
how much you, lived you, know as long as you
are interested in pushing yourself and you want to. Compete
BECAUSE i think it's also important that you enjoy getting
on stage and enjoy the, process because Ideally i'd like
to compete with my training. PARTNERS i competed many times

(53:25):
With Black Tom. Cruise and what made it so, magical
besides everything ELSE i mentioned with all of his good,
qualities was that we were training together for the same.
Goal we were preparing for the same, competition not to
beat each. Other, Right it was never about. That it
was just about, Like, okay our goals, aligned, right let's
work together in this. Goal AND i can't do a

(53:49):
heavy squad or bench anymore like by myself ninety percent,
plus which is not going to. HAPPEN i need at
least three people, right middle and two side spotters.

Speaker 3 (54:00):
Five five as a. Crew five is a.

Speaker 2 (54:01):
Crew, Fine, okay, okay we can get. Five i'll Be
i'll be. Jumping i'd be. Great, sorry go, Ahead.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
JIM i just you, know we were talking about about
spotting training partners and spotting people in, meats but particularly training.
Partners LIKE i was never close to being the, strongest but,
BOY i really took the spotting part of it very
seriously because, like you're not you're not lifting the, weight
but you're protecting the, lifter and that's that's a big.

(54:33):
Responsibility that's something that you that you need to keep
in your head and you need to try to be
as good at a spotter as you are a, lifter
and that is hard for some. Folks BUT i always
felt LIKE i. COULD i could side spot a heavy
bench even IF i, couldn't you, know even IF i
even it was just like two of us on one
side or just one or, WHATEVER i could do it

(54:55):
BECAUSE i didn't want anything to go badly for for
whoever was. Lifting HOWEVER i was feeling about them at the. Moment.
Uh and AND i think that THAT'S i think that
just has to be has to be part of. It
you have to to understand that that when you're when you're,
spotting it's not about. You you're committed to the safety

(55:16):
of of of your teammate who's.

Speaker 3 (55:18):
Lifting, yeah there's two quick THINGS i wanted to.

Speaker 4 (55:21):
Say SO i, know like WITH uh With larry's uh
when he brooks hands record the twenty two seventy Five
otis and you Know Black Tom. Cruise you know that
they trained, this they did the same meet, together AND
i think that like kind of added to just the
environment that they were. In AND i Think otis was
very close To i'm going off memory here so someone

(55:42):
could fact check. ME i think That otis might have
pulled like seven seventy or something like in the hot
like mid to high. Sevens so and then you know
he was up, there and then, uh he had a
really good. Day and THEN i Remember larry broke the
total record on a second. Attempt and then, uh one
of my, buddies Christ ella. Fave he's a really really
good multiplied. Deadlift he's got some records and equiped. Lifting
AND i Remember larry outlifted him in the deadlift, raw you,

(56:06):
know which was which was. Cool so we kind OF
i kind of gave him the business a little bit
that our raw guy had the biggest pull of the
day Because Chris, Chris chris has done like a nine
hundred pound deadlift in, competition like he's very, accomplished and you,
know we have good, banter but that was it was
a really cool. Day so he had people Like christella,
five really big. GEARLIFTER i want to say he totaled
like twenty six. Hundred larry told a twenty two seventy.

(56:26):
Five it was some really good lifting that. Day it
was actually done At Hastra. University you, know if people
were familiar with with with a long, island and then
you know the other THING i wanted to kind of,
say like to your point about the. Safety so there
was like a video that went, viral WHICH i KNOW
i kind of joked tongue in, cheek but you, Know
larry's cameraman was really happy that they caught this on.

(56:48):
Camera BUT i was benching in a shirt AND i
was doing a new venture at the, time and it
was like five to. Fifty it wasn't, crazy but you,
know it's still five to, fifty and you, KNOW i
kind of get out a lot of you, know it
fell back towards my, face and then we had Like
Jesse james West on like the side who he was not,
competent it's.

Speaker 3 (57:06):
Spotting didn't know what was going. On he's just like
deer in a.

Speaker 4 (57:10):
Headlights larry grabs it with like one hand and, like you,
know saves my. Life but it was like very close
to my face and, throat and it's one of those
things where like if you don't if you're not like
a attentive and kind of go over those.

Speaker 3 (57:21):
Things so it's pretty scary.

Speaker 4 (57:23):
Stuff so, yeah it's really important that you have like
the lifter's best interests in, mind and you, know take
your headphones, out pay attention to the, bar don't fixate
on what the weight. Is just be in position before it.
Happens and LIKE i, said that's really crucial in terms
of like a good training partner is going to offer
support and safety first and, foremost and then everything else is.

(57:45):
GRAVY i think that's kind of you're, consistent you're putting
in good energy to the, session and that's kind of
what we're looking to, foster and ESPECIALLY i, know you,
know As larry builds up the power lifting culture In One,
gen that's something we try to foster At Gaglion. Strengths you,
KNOW i, said it's gonna be your fifth year anniversary
as a, company AND i think one of the reasons
that we're still standing as a brick and mortar business
and you, know these hard times is because we have

(58:07):
a good community and we always kind of foster that team.
Environment that's what we want to have at One gen
on The West coast as.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
Well oh that's. Great, YEAH i think that the one
of the worst spotting Fails i've ever seen was the
one that's actually In Power unlimited, yeah, everybody everybody from
a certain period of time knows that. One, Yeah and
and the issue was that he had a buddy handing
off who was a, bodybuilder not a. Powerlifter H and

(58:36):
so when he handed the weight off and the center
guy steps, away because that you, know the most federations
require the the the center lift off guy to get
out of the out of the, way he also backed,
off and so when the weight started heading, down there
was nobody to catch it but his. Face so it was,
yeah pretty. Mortifying. Uh, ANYWAY i SINCE i know that

(59:02):
it's getting late In, russia AND i appreciate your time for.
Sure where can people find, You, larry and where can
they find information about signing it for this? Meet?

Speaker 2 (59:16):
Sure and thank you for having. Me and you can
find me on all socials on the same Handle Larry
wheels and it's all over my page Over John gaglion's
page if you want information for the strict curl coming
up in a few. WEEKS i hope to see you. There,
ACTUALLY i Know i'm going to get motivated to compete
myself When i'm in that. Environments breaking.

Speaker 3 (59:41):
News you heard it here.

Speaker 2 (59:46):
EXACTLY i, mean how can you not you are your.
Environment you guys are gonna get me fired. Up BUT
i hope to see you. There and, Again, jim thanks
for having.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
Me, yeah thanks for being On.

Speaker 4 (59:55):
John so you can follow me at At Leon's strength
on all the socials and you definitely follow our yes. Powerlifting,
yeah feel free to shoot us a message guys if
you guys want. TO i don't know how many spots will,
have but if you are seriously, interested you, know serious
in crees only, again doesn't matter what your total. Is you,
know you guys could shoot me A dm At Gagleon's
strength and we'll start to kind of put the fielders. Out,

(01:00:16):
also make sure you're following One Gen. Jim and also you,
KNOW i believe head trainer If Larry i'm speaking out of,
Turn Damian bentley is going to be helping with this
process as. Well he's a good, friend competitive body. Builder
i'm not sure if you just get his pro card or,
not but he's very high level as, well great culture
At One. Gen so again we're just trying to kind
of foster that to. Them and AGAIN i really can't

(01:00:37):
Thank jim enough and fifty Percent facts for just having
this platform because again at the end of the. DAY
a lot of the stuff That jim has curated over
the years kind of really helped us kind of get
our message out. There and we, appreciate LIKE i, said you,
know over you, know years and years, later we're still
kind of doing our thing and involved in this crazy

(01:00:57):
strength community we.

Speaker 1 (01:01:00):
COME i appreciate the kind words. There, YEAH i have
to have to say, that like in in the era
of social, handles it took me a while to actually,
that for to dawn on me that you that you
had a real last, Name. Larry part of me was
just like. Wheels AND i will freely admit that that

(01:01:21):
back in the day when we Had juji Mufu, ON
i just thought that was his. NAME i thought it
was just like, share you, know just like one word that's.
It so EVENTUALLY i learned that he had a real.
Name so, anyway, uh people who are interested in in
uh in you, know having the potential chance to train
With larry and and they're serious about, IT i think

(01:01:42):
that you, should uh should jump in there and and
and find out and and my uh my caveat that
that you guys aren't saying is like just like check
your ego at the. Door about it and and be
willing to to to. Give if you, give you'll. Get
that's that's that's really the you, know the bottom line
of it is that it's it's mutually been a mutually beneficial. Situation,

(01:02:06):
Anyway this is this show is fifty percent. Facts for
percent is a word and fifty is just. Numbers fifty percent.
Facts this is A Spreaker prime podcast and association With
Ourheart media on The Obscure Celebrity network AND i will
talk to you next. Time thanks a, Lot, Ice thanks
you

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Larry Wheels with John Gaglione | The Power of Resilience

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Larry Wheels with John Gaglione | The Power of Resilience