I Started lifting in high school in my basement with my brother TJ. I Weighed 145 lbs and was not very strong. At the time I attended Dominican High school and played quarterback on the football team. I got my bell rung several times (concussion). Mom and doctors said no more football for me so I started to focus more on basketball and lifting weights.
I went to the University of Wisconsin my freshman year and continued lifting. The second year in college I went to UW Parkside in Kenosha. I continued to lift as I lived at the KYF or YMCA and played on the Parkside Basketball team. We were conference champs. I then transferred back to Madison and graduated in 1970
Back in Milwaukee I worked out at the Central YMCA on 11th and Wisconsin now a Marquette dorm. I worked out with Bill who was going to Marquette law school at the time. Dick Mintken was our mentor and coach at the Y. He was a former college football player and a good lifter in the 220 and 242 class. I became interested in competitive power-lifting because of Bill’s participation in the City of Milwaukee and other meets.
In 1974 I entered the State of Wisconsin Powerlifting Competition in January and placed fourth. At that time my deadlift was not very good – only 450 in the 198lb class. Shortly after that meet, I entered another competition and met a lifter named Randy from Michigan. He was in the 198 lb. class as well and took first place with a 600 lb. deadlift. I could tell he wasn’t on steroids, so I asked him how he was able to get so strong. He replied, “I use negative resistance training”. I didn’t know about this, so I asked him how to do this. He said he would slowly lower the weight and the spotters would lift it back up. I started using this method and significantly increased my dead lift and bench press.
In the 1975 state junior and senior power-lifting meet I did a 580 lb. dead-lift and 340 lb. bench press, which was good enough to take first place. WOW! I have been employing this method ever since and have been injury free and winning tournaments.
In 1975 I began a career in corporate America got married and worked for 35 years retiring at 65. I managed to make it to the gym during work years but was not competing. After my retirement in 2012, I began to compete again as part of my “Bucket List”. I won several Masters II (age 50 and over) Push Pull tournaments with a 325 lb. bench press and 500 lb. dead lift. I am now 73 years old and continue to lift injury free. I plan on competing again soon, maybe in the 75 and over age class. Today, outside of training, I spend time doing some part time work, going to church and trying to help people. I am getting ready for the FINAL EXAM someday and know there is one test I don’t want to fail and that is the LAST ONE. John 3:16