Here is what I have on this amazing teen phenom:
Back in December I was hosting the APA bench championships in Hermitage, TN with Scott Taylor. We had several good benchers and looked forward to seeing some big weights pushed. During weigh-ins, this huge guy walked up to be weighed in. We asked who he was and age and what not. Turns out, he said he was 14 years old. We were skeptical, but he showed us a birth certificate and he was 14. This was my introduction to Josh Ward. Josh is from Sevierville, TN. At all of 14 years of age, he stands and weighs . He is a chip of the old block. Josh is built just like his Father. Both of them huge guys.
The meet started with Josh opening with 365. I was one of the side judges and thought to myself, "is this kid crazy". Well, he smoked the weight easily without any equipment. Of course, this caused quite a stir and that was only the beginning. His 2nd attempt was with 400, which he promptly crushed as well. His third attempt of 425 stalled about halfway up. Because it was a record, he was given a 4th attempt. He borrowed a loosed hdhp Inzer and thrusted the weight like it was nothing. All his attempts were WPA world records in his age class. Now, the borrowed shirt was loose and he had never used that cut before. But, this I'll explain why I bring this up in a bit.
I asked Josh about his training these days and this is what he had to say. "My current training schedule isn't very much I'm afraid. The reason that it isn't is because I'm in the middle of basketball. I only lift two days a week. I like to warm up with 135 and 225. Then I will go anywhere from 275 to 315 on first set. On my second I pretty much always do 315, and on my third I will do 315 to 325. Oh yea I do sets of ten. After bench I've been doing triceps. Three weeks before the meet I did 315 a set of ten, 345 a set of five, 365 a set of four, and 385 a set of four with a pause on the first rep. Two weeks before I did 315 a set of ten times, 345 a set of five, 365 a set of four, 385 a set of two with a pause, and 405 a set of two with a pause. The sports I play are basketball and football. They don't give you much of a break in between, but I love playing them! My goals are to get 500 on bench. I don't know what on squats. Maybe a 4'8 forty time, and a 30 inch vertical. But I will only get this if the good lord allows me to. Because without him nothing in this world would be possible".
I've been playing basketball, spring training for football and track & field. Shot put and discuss in track and running and doing sprints and foot work for track and football.
So, as you can see, he is all ready a workhorse. Is Josh the next powerlifting phenom? Well, only time will tell. But at 14 years old, everything is ahead of him.
This brings us to April 29, 2001. The site was Lancaster, PA at the WPA world championships. Josh showed up and his Father was too sore from driving the day before to hand off to him. I was asked to handle him and hand-off. Now, back to the borrowed shirt. Remember, I said it was loose. I asked Josh if he had a shirt this time and he said yes, "just like the one I used in December". Go figure. I helped him through warm-ups. His technique is much of that of a typically teenager that plays football, all shoulders. The bar hits the top of the pecs most of the time. He opened at 405, which was extremely easy. I couldn't talk him into anymore than 430. That would break the world record he set back in December of 2000. That was just as easy. His Father thought 440, I convinced him of 450. Again, another easy lift. He took a 4th attempt at 470. This was on its way up just as easy as well, but he misgrooved it a bit. Because he hits the pec area, the shirt pushed the bar over his face and the bar hit the uprights. I am convinced with a tighter shirt, a little tweak in technique that Josh is close to 500 now. After the lifting, I questioned Josh and his Father about the attempts being so conservative. They told me Josh hasn't been able to train bench but for a couple of weeks due to football, etc. Now how scary is that. Josh said he had no idea what he could really do and just guessed at opening at 405.
So that closes the book for now on what looks like a bright future for an up and coming lifter. Stay tuned, because as gets a bit older, he wants to do full meets.
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