The Lifters...

...there were only seven lifters, all top bench pressers!

More of the convention....

Charles Glass is...

..the Number One trainer and coach in Body Building. He mentioned he does have powerlifters coming more and more to his gym. I asked Mr. Glass if there is any substitute for hard work, he started to laugh, I take that as a NO!

Each Red Plate...

...is 55 pounds and there is over a 1000 pounds on the bar!

LA FITEXPO

Finally caught up...

For the past two years I have judged at the LA FITEXPO. Great time! This year the invite just came Monday of last week and the event was over the weekend, real short notice. Airfares very expensive and and very limited number of air flights. The weather in Los Angeles stopped air traffic. Friday my day started at 4am in Chicago and ended at 9:30PM in LA. I cleared my scheduled and put everything into this week.
Was it worth it?????....................HELL YES!!!!!!!!!

You need to read this!

2009 was a spectacular year for the WPC. The quality of Championships and number of lifters was record breaking. I am sure competing organizations will copy your great efforts and accomplishments. With WPC 2010 Worlds in Finland and the 2010 Euro's in Hungary we have a excellent start. One of our mission goals has been to be in partnership with a country government, which is the highest form of recognition for any sports organization. WPC Azerbaijan country head Aladdin Aliyev has been developing this projects over several years.

In this past year I have had the opportunity to meet, visit, discuss his progress in Azerbaijan. Aladdin Aliyev has met with all the right people. He has recently had personal meeting with the President of the Azerbaijan. Aladdin and I had a meeting with the Azerbaijan Olympic Committee and explained our passion for the individual sportsman to be recognized. They understand we are not a threat, but rather the core of all sports strength training. Both the President of Azerbaijan and the Olympic Committee and APPROVED the WPC to have a 2010"OPEN CLASS" Powerlifting and Bench Press International Championship during their National Holiday in May. (Lifting is on the 6,7,8,9th)

This will be a extremely high profile International meet. We NEED lifters to compete in the OPEN CLASSES, under the rules of the WPC!

Now let us talk business. We need lifters. All are invited, men, woman, teens, raw, equipped, special needs. Again the rules are WPC-equipped and only OPEN class,BUT the experience for any lifter at this Championship will be tremendous. All lifters will receive certificates, and I guarantee the quality of certificates, awards, and medals. We need your support.

Notes to think about...Baku is extremely RICH with oil and gas exports and the city shows it! The city is beautiful and fun!....I was safe and never felt in any type of danger....great people and night life....

SPECIAL NOTE...VISA...If you need an VISA than you will be able to get this when you arrive at the International airport and no other process will be needed.

SPECIAL...SPECIAL NOTE...If you are NOT WPC and still would like to attend contact Mike Sweeney...

ALL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS CAN BE ADDRESS FROM...Aladdin Aliyev aladdinapf@yahoo.com Mike Sweeney irnmike@aol.com Amy Jackson amyljackson@aol.com

Not a bad day...ESPN...Newspaper article..

On ESPN today, the organization was shown during a football conditioning and training piece . The segment featured one on our lifters doing a 1000 pound plus squat. I was one of the judges.

Later today day, an article was released on my involvement with the WPC and YMCA.....

http://www.midweeknews.com/articles/2010/01/06/71957741/index.xml

It going to be a good year!

Yes, I have jumped out of airplanes...

....but would I do this.....................yes!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1778399&server=vimeo.com&sho

This is smart....and FUN!

At Metal Gym in Finland they hosted a "rowing competition". Here in America we compete in everything! Running, swimming, and biking or all as one event called the triathlon. I would like to see METAL host a indoor "triathlon" with rowing, running, and bikiing...

http://www.gometal.com/pages.php?gb=2&act=shm&mid=34

Injury can happen anywhere!

In Olympic lifting, there are NO spotters, just kilo's and lifters. Have we gone too far in Powerlifting?

Evolution...always and sometimes forward!

New Year and new goals. Yes, I am the elected President of the World Powerlifting Congress, the most dynamic and extreme strength sport ever! We are truly global or International. I am going to expand our sport and philosophies through this BLOG. We going to share all types of information and technology on improving preformance. On this BLOG, the "W" is for Weightlifting, "P" is for Powerlifting, "C" is for Conditioning.