Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

It's rediculous. Watching that lift closely, paying attention to his legs, they go through hardly any range of motion at all.

You cannot campare the past present lifters under the same conditions.

i have out-squatted and totaled ed coan and doc at 198 and 220, but i know that i am not of that caliber. the gear is much much better these days. i have totaled 2408 at 217. i have squatted 1063 in gear at 217, but in Docs era of gear i have squatted 840, and just a belt have done 705 in comp. i can do 825 in just a pair of APT knee wraps these days... so there is a big big difference. no way to compare unless we adopt the gear that they used back in the mid 80s and 90s... good luck with that! haha

doc and coan and goggins ruled their day in the squat. u would be hard pressed to find the top lifters in gear from any fed that could hang under their lifting conditions.

That squat is not even close to credible depth.

And, isn't he bracing his feet against the base of the machine on each side?

Is that 'legal' in that Fed? Anywhere?

Phoo - eee,,,,,,,,,,,

Obviously there are, considering some of the responses to this post. Thank God! But, this is, after all, my home site, so I'd expect a bit of consideration for the lifters from my era. So...again...are there any lifters out there (outside of this site) who are disgusted over what is clearly a prostitution of an entire sport?

More to the point, who is to blame, and what to do about it?

There are lifters and other people who care, who have tried to speak out and continue to do so, but they are often labeled bitter and/or obsolete.

Equipment evolves in most sports, but off the top of my head I can think of no other sport where gear plays such an overwhelming role -- even to the point of distorting its original essence.

And the question of equipment pales in comparison with the issues of loose judging and the overall fragmentation of the lifting community.

I wish the IPF and its national affiliates were the only federations. I wish there was credible and equal drug testing in and out of competition. I wish the limits and standards imposed on equipment were such that lifters could continue to reap the benefit of added safety and performance, without it perverting the sport. And I wish that official raw records were also kept to satisfy those that don't want to enter the equipment game.

Tall order, I know, and one that probably irritates a lot of people. I'm not a lifter, coach or official of any significance, and I certainly don't pretend to have any definite answers.

US REAL LIFTERS KNOW WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT IS NOT......SO I SAy nothing...

RDC

OTOH, I really resent having the lifters of a mere two decades ago being compared to the sort of nonsense that's apparently plaguing our sport today. The gear thing and the multitudinous association thing is really a downer! Are there any lifters out there who CARE?

Obviously there are, considering some of the responses to this post. Thank God! But, this is, after all, my home site, so I'd expect a bit of consideration for the lifters from my era. So...again...are there any lifters out there (outside of this site) who are disgusted over what is clearly a prostitution of an entire sport?

More to the point, who is to blame, and what to do about it?

Yes Doc, there are many, many of who care, but we have not been successful in making any impact. There have been some attempts at trying to unify lifters under at least a general fed, but it has not succeeded. There has been a growing movement pushing raw lifting, but it has been consistently undercut by John Inzer with his threats to pull lifters sponsorships if they lift in a raw meet,which he has done to several people. He has also paid untold amounts of money to certain meet promoters to block raw lifting from participating in their venue (like bodybuilding shows and fitness expos).

As for the judging, it has been up and down like this for as far back as i can find PLUSA mags. comoplaining about the gear and judging can be read in articles even from the 80s. u could pull the articles, change the lifters and year, and it print it all over again.

I do not know what we can do as a group of lifters. All i know is i can hold myself to a higher standard, and hold those at the meets i judge at to the same standard. I support a raw, or less geared movement, but unfortunately, i am in the minority. So for now i will try to keep putting up big numbers both with and without gear and hope that i can help.

I am open to any suggestions. I think Eric Talments Raw Unity meet was a positive step. Hopefully it will catch fire.

It'd take TV money or major sponsorship money to unify the sport. By unify, I mean get the best to compete against the best. You'll always have local meets and feds just like you have local basketball, hockey, golf, etc leagues. The key to other sports is the pros compete under one banner so there's greater competition. It'd be foolish to discourage amateur participation in a sport and overly regulate it.

I think Eric's meet has a chance to unify raw lifters. The Powerstation Pro-Am seems to unify multi-ply lifters. USAPL is a mostly unified 1-ply. There's still a ton of other meets out there producing national champs and national record holders though. I don't think it'd bad those other feds exist. I do think it's bad they crown national champions and records though.

This whole thing is ignorant at best.

Nothing to debate. I Dont count that GARBAGE squat (and most of what Im seeing these days in competition).

Doesnt Miller weigh around 500 lbs? or something incredible? YES, his feet were touching, which is ILLEGAL. He doesnt even appear to be parallel.

I still walk my squats and have for 30+ years. I love some of these guys squatting 900-1000 lbs and cant walk 700..lol

I also wear the same bench shirt I got 3 years ago, Polyester, closed back, that I can put on myself (almost) within 20 seconds and just missed a 600 lbs DRUG FREE bench in it.

I have the FIRST canvas suit made CUSTOM by John Inzer for me,(the first Lethian suit) John Ford and Ron palmer, worn at the 2003 Senior Nationals (We all 3 wore that suit in that meet, and the MASTERS nationals 3 weeks prior).

I still have that suit and can put it EASILY on myself (including my breifs, which are so loose, its laughable) All by myself in about 1 minute.

When I see guys putting on suits that are so tight, that when they are done squatting, they are using a razor blade or whatever to CUT IT OFF By lashing the stitches (Ive seen this many times by some big name squatters) i just laugh.

OR, one lifter I know that is "VERY" Famous currently and has an 11 ply canvas suit (custom made)...thats a joke.

ROCKY TILSON

Indy Power Team

I think the injuries are less.

One thing about this new equipment, it does protect you much better.

Even though my shirt isnt super tight, my shoulders are always good and my injuries almost non-existent.

I used to have injuries years ago, without the better shirts. They do provide protection

I think squat injuries are and have always been low. Either you pull a ham or quad..or whatever, but thats not suit related in my opinion.

ROCKY TILSON

Indy Power Team

Arrrrrgggghhhhh!

I'm fine!

I have no lingering injuries save a touch of arthritis that is inescapable to us older folk. Nothing at all to really get exercised about. I can say with assuredness that heavy lifting does NOT cause injury! Stupidity does!

Protective gear is a myth, IMHO! The BEST protection is good, sound, preventative training!

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