They failed me on this lift: Please check pic...

[BigArnie]

Hi guys,

We had our Nationals last weekend. While warming up, I could see that the referees were very strict and were failing the guys in the first flight left, right and centre, mainly on depth. I decided to lower my opener from the planned 710lb down to 682lb just to make absolutely sure to get it, even though I've done a 710lb for a double in the gym the week before.

Anyhow, first lift was kinda difficult as the weight was too light to get down low and I had to work hard to get deep enough. Shot up like nothing, though. On the second lift I took 710lb, and performed what felt like a terrific squat. Weight was nice and light and depth felt excellent. I could not believe my eyes when I got up to see two red lights! The side referee said that he failed me on depth! While walking off-stage, someone showed me a pic taken with a digital cam of this squat and it looked almost TOO deep.

I decided to stay on this weight for my third attempt, even though it was very light and I was originally planning to do 740lb-ish on my third attempt. Lift felt pretty much like the previous one, except I went even deeper! This is where I messed up, because I was so deep that the bar rolled down on my back a little bit and when locking out, I had to stand leaning forward somewhat to prevent it from falling down, and got failed again.

What a disappointment. Here's some pics taken at the meet. Please tell me what you guys think of my squat depth. It's the last picture on the page. Would you have passed this lift? Its a pity that the picture was not taken one second earlier, as I was about two inches deeper than this. I've got a video that shows it clearly.

Please let me know if the geocities webpage works...

http://geocities.com/grootarno/index.htm

 

[Adam MacKinnon]

From what i can see in that pic your just hittin parrellel but you said you go t even lower so i would have definatly passed it.
How did ya do in the rest of the meet?

 

[IrishPower]

you know...

i have refrained from fed bashing a LONG time on this board but....

I have just one word for you my friend:
APF / WPC.

You are clearly below parallel in my eyes. Aren't you sick of training your ass off day in day out just to be fucked by judges? And by the way, the head judge isn't supposed to call depth although I have now heard this is common practice.

Powerlifting is supposed to be fun.

/irish

 

[BigArnie]

Yeah, Irish, you're right. It is supposed to be fun. After the comp, I had dozens of people coming up to me telling me that I was robbed, even some of the other referees that were judging other flights! I suppose one cannot linger on this but, like you said, I worked my butt of for this day only to have somebody spoil it all.

Adam, the rest of the meet did not go much better. I had my bench shirt tailored and only got it back the night before. During warmups it tore right open, so I had to do a 420lb opener with a torn shirt and then narrowly missed a 440lb. I pulled a 690lb deadlift and got stuck twice on the knees on 700lb. I was not surprised about this as I was really concentrating on my squat for this contest and did very little deadlift work.

I was alone in the SHW division so I won the title by default, second year in a row.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Hey BigArnie,

I would definitly have given that to ya. But hey it powerlifting. My last meet besides passing 1st attempt my second was just as low as my first and i got called high. I was stuck with my opener too. And i was just as deep as that. That just shows you that judging is always different, even from the same judge, in the same meet. So my point is not only do you have to put them in the hole, in any org, but yours especially. You know what your capapble of so just lower the box you training on and get ready for the next meet.

What else did you lift there?

 

[Deciever]

1st- what fed do you compete in? USAPL?
2nd- that was a deep enough squat.. hell, the top of your quad is parallel to the floor.
3rd- Holy shit you are friggen huge!

 

[strongestsurvive]

I know in the IPF having having competed at the IPF Junior World's in budapest in 98 that in the USPF/IPF that Parallel means that the top of the leg has to go below the top of the knee, NOT break parallel with the floor. Many people make this mistake because in other federations that is how it is judged. Think of drawing a line back from the top of the knee when you are in the squat position and the highest point of the quad has to break the plane. That is how all the old lifts around the times of kaz, rhienholdt, kuc, and cole where judged and is still held to that degree in some federations. But you can't bash other federations for having different rules find one that you like and only compare your lifts to other lifters in that federation.

Strongestsurvive

 

[b fold the truth]

I would have been way below had I done that...I would have put an entirely new meaning to "butt to the floor" squats...lol

Looked deep enough for me for sure..

B True

 

[benchmonster]

That was plenty deep. I would never bother going to one of their meets again if I was you. I will personally never go to one of their meets.

Nobody should be redlighted for a lift that deep. That is insane. I don't care what federation, below parallel is below parallel.

I am not going to insult any IPF lifter, but that fed seems to enjoy red lighting people. Maybe they are sadists.

B.

 

[IrishPower]

top of quad must be below parallel???? ok, so the bigger you get the harder it becomes.

you are an american? automatic 1 red light before you even start the lift.

aaarrrgggg.....

keep it fun people.

/irish