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strivin for more
12-12-11, 10:40 am
hey guys, just competed in my 3rd powerlifting comp yesterday (got my 600 raw deadlift, woohoo, got the vid if anyone wants to see it) , and it was interesting because we used a monolift instead of a squat rack or anything. i had never used one and found it was harder to set up under the bar because the monolift will shake and move. anyone else have this issue? I'm just thinking in advance because i dont have access to practice on one for future comps. any tips on usin em? i dont think it was the actual monolift either, it was an elitefts one so i think its quality. and one more thing on a side note- anyone else here think its "cheating" when you wouldnt have to walk a squat out? just interested in hearing your opinions.

C.Coronato
12-12-11, 11:17 am
I have never done a PL meet, but i would def be interested in seeing some vids bro!

strivin for more
12-12-11, 7:08 pm
I have never done a PL meet, but i would def be interested in seeing some vids bro!

http://youtu.be/n-RmuUoB1I4

heres the link to the deadlift, the whole meet was well organized and a lot of fun.

Big Wides
12-12-11, 8:41 pm
my suggestion is to find a gym with a monolift since it takes a couple of people to operate it. the more you use the monolift in training the more accustomed you'll be once meet time comes. I do not suggest going out and buying one.

Polk17
12-12-11, 10:00 pm
my suggestion is to find a gym with a monolift since it takes a couple of people to operate it. the more you use the monolift in training the more accustomed you'll be once meet time comes. I do not suggest going out and buying one.

Great advice, and I would add to this a few things I have read and/or seen done... 1.) Walk you Squats out from the Monolift, pretty self-explanatory... & 2.) I believe it is either Wendler or Brian Carroll or both that has written an article that covers how to use a Monolift for the first time, I have seen one that goes through a step-by-step process of how to set-up & stay tight so you can maximize that piece of equipment...

On a different note, a 600 lb Pull & 18 is rediculous... I got a 600 Raw Pull in my first meet but I am 26... The sky is the limit bro...

strivin for more
12-13-11, 2:07 pm
my suggestion is to find a gym with a monolift since it takes a couple of people to operate it. the more you use the monolift in training the more accustomed you'll be once meet time comes. I do not suggest going out and buying one.

yea i would, except theres not a single gym around here with one. haha


Great advice, and I would add to this a few things I have read and/or seen done... 1.) Walk you Squats out from the Monolift, pretty self-explanatory... & 2.) I believe it is either Wendler or Brian Carroll or both that has written an article that covers how to use a Monolift for the first time, I have seen one that goes through a step-by-step process of how to set-up & stay tight so you can maximize that piece of equipment...

On a different note, a 600 lb Pull & 18 is rediculous... I got a 600 Raw Pull in my first meet but I am 26... The sky is the limit bro...

yea ill have to read up on those, wendler is the man. hahah, and i woulda walked it out but there really wasnt much room. oh well, prepare and prevail for next time. and thanks!

naturalguy
12-13-11, 2:10 pm
The mono lift is something that you need to get used to. Like wides said, I would try to find a gym that has one and use it in the last few weeks leading up to a competition. If not, some federations give you the option of walking out the weight even with a mono lifts, you have to ask ahead of time however.

It is not cheating, just a different method.

Aggression
12-13-11, 2:12 pm
hey guys, just competed in my 3rd powerlifting comp yesterday (got my 600 raw deadlift, woohoo, got the vid if anyone wants to see it) , and it was interesting because we used a monolift instead of a squat rack or anything. i had never used one and found it was harder to set up under the bar because the monolift will shake and move. anyone else have this issue? I'm just thinking in advance because i dont have access to practice on one for future comps. any tips on usin em? i dont think it was the actual monolift either, it was an elitefts one so i think its quality. and one more thing on a side note- anyone else here think its "cheating" when you wouldnt have to walk a squat out? just interested in hearing your opinions.

Post up the videos!

As for the monolift, most organizations give you the option of walking it out anyway. So if you don't have the ability to train with one, you can always opt to walk it out as you've been doing throughout your training. Just check with your federation about rules or contact the promoter beforehand.

C.Coronato
12-13-11, 4:45 pm
http://youtu.be/n-RmuUoB1I4

heres the link to the deadlift, the whole meet was well organized and a lot of fun.

Looking fucking great bro!

Tiny1102
12-13-11, 11:28 pm
You can still walk the weight out if you want

BigChrisF
12-14-11, 2:16 am
Walk up to the monolift and pull the bar towards you so that swing-arm is all the way back. While holding on to the bar put your feet under it in your usual stance. You should try to line up so your heels are under the bar. Ideally, you will feel like you will fall backwards if you let go of the bar. With your feet in place, now you can duck under the bar and get it set on your back and pick it up without it moving around on you and the weight centered over your heels.

Not walking out your squat is not cheating because walking isn't part of the lift. No one judges you on the walk and the lift doesn't begin until after you get set up. It's the squat, not the walk-squat-walk. You don't have to walk your deadlifts anywhere and you can have 3 people hand you the bench bar.

strivin for more
12-15-11, 9:11 pm
Walk up to the monolift and pull the bar towards you so that swing-arm is all the way back. While holding on to the bar put your feet under it in your usual stance. You should try to line up so your heels are under the bar. Ideally, you will feel like you will fall backwards if you let go of the bar. With your feet in place, now you can duck under the bar and get it set on your back and pick it up without it moving around on you and the weight centered over your heels.

Not walking out your squat is not cheating because walking isn't part of the lift. No one judges you on the walk and the lift doesn't begin until after you get set up. It's the squat, not the walk-squat-walk. You don't have to walk your deadlifts anywhere and you can have 3 people hand you the bench bar.

thanks for the description, thats pretty much what i tried to do, but it was still awkward my first time. and as far as the whole cheating thing goes, i neither agree or disagree. i just am asking opinions. i am really an advocate of raw powerlifting and 1-ply, and it seems to me once you get beyond that, the multiply guys can barely hold the weight on their back, yet alone do anything other than set up and squat right there. but i can see the point of view being its a judge on the lift, not walking it out. not trying to start a shitstorm here on raw vs geared lifting. haha

BigChrisF
12-16-11, 1:03 am
A lot of people have argued that the monolift dilutes the "purity" of the sport because it is not the traditional method to perform the lift. Some even say that the monolift adds pounds to your lift because you don't have to waste energy on walking the weight out and you can get a better set up. For the traditionalist argument, I say those people need to quit screwing around with the stands and do it how they did when powerlifting first started. The barbell was on the floor and the lifter was allowed one helper to tilt the barbell up on its end and then tilt it onto your back.

strivin for more
12-16-11, 9:55 am
A lot of people have argued that the monolift dilutes the "purity" of the sport because it is not the traditional method to perform the lift. Some even say that the monolift adds pounds to your lift because you don't have to waste energy on walking the weight out and you can get a better set up. For the traditionalist argument, I say those people need to quit screwing around with the stands and do it how they did when powerlifting first started. The barbell was on the floor and the lifter was allowed one helper to tilt the barbell up on its end and then tilt it onto your back.

hahah while thats a little extreme, but you make a good point. But you see, then we'd have arguments on whats fair with the size and strength of said helper. 100% of the community will never be happy, and its a shame we cant at least find middle ground. because youre right, you CAN still walk a squat out of a monolift and make it a "traditional" set up, or just use it the way it was intended. a squats a squat. but well never, ever i believe in my lifetime agree enough to a point to have one federation and make it to the olympics or anything like that. which is a shame.

BigChrisF
12-16-11, 6:22 pm
Yes, it is quite extreme and I don't think anyone would argue that the use of the upright stands increased the safety for all those involved. However you will still see people argue that the monolift is unnecessary because the walk out is not unsafe. That is lunacy. There is no logical argument to putting hundreds of pounds on your back and walking backwards with it and not believing it adds danger to the lift.

Unfortunately, with the ever evolving nature of the sport, we will never have everyone agree with how things should be done. However I do not believe it is the fracturing of the sport that has anything to do with keeping us out of the Olympics. Our biggest road block is overcoming the politics of people believing the addition of powerlifting would take away from and tarnish the current strength athletics of Olympic Weightlifting.

strivin for more
12-19-11, 8:01 am
Yes, it is quite extreme and I don't think anyone would argue that the use of the upright stands increased the safety for all those involved. However you will still see people argue that the monolift is unnecessary because the walk out is not unsafe. That is lunacy. There is no logical argument to putting hundreds of pounds on your back and walking backwards with it and not believing it adds danger to the lift.

Unfortunately, with the ever evolving nature of the sport, we will never have everyone agree with how things should be done. However I do not believe it is the fracturing of the sport that has anything to do with keeping us out of the Olympics. Our biggest road block is overcoming the politics of people believing the addition of powerlifting would take away from and tarnish the current strength athletics of Olympic Weightlifting.

i agree with your first statement 100%. with the second, however, i disagree. i think all the indivision in the sport shows its still amateur. the fact that people cant decide on how low a squat should be or if equipment should be allowed or what to squat off of. All the arguments make it seem like a bunch of grown men acting like little kids arguing over whats fair and not. and that is what you are arguing as well. But i believe what you were saying is that by adding another version of a strength sport, it would take away from weightlifting. And there i disagree. there are many sports done in the olympics that are similiar to each other, but different enough to still both be respected AS completely different (contradicting sounding i know). take wrestling for example. you have freestyle, as well as greco roman. both wrestling, but if you have ever wrestled you know that theyre completely different. heck, they even have folkstyle (which in my opinion is much more commonly competed in the wrestling world), but that isnt done in the olympics. I think if there were representatives of the sport, some of the people who really "get" it, they'd be easily able to convince a comitee that powerlifting is too one of those sports. However, where theyd fall short is the rules and such with all the division.