Competitive power lifting is just like other popular sports in
America. There are referees, crowds, lights and the participants
love the competition.
By Greg Chapman
Staff Writer
Gilroy – Competitive power lifting is just like other popular sports in America. There are referees, crowds, lights and the participants love the competition.
At Net Fitness, a local Gilroy gym, you can find a group that can’t get enough of the heavy lifting competitions, and they want their names in the record book.
“You see this shirt, it says it all” said Jack Peters, a 75-year-old with two World Championships, pointing to his black shirt with a Raiders logo. “Just win baby.”
With a chuckle, Peters calls the group of five that formed thanks to Sam Kaanapu, ‘The Fabulous Five’. Kaanapu, a local teacher from Gilroy, worked with the power lifters little by little when he saw their interest, working them progressively until they were contest ready.
But lifting in the gym by yourself is slightly different from a competition with three judges standing around you.
For one, being flat on your back is required. Then you have to be still with both feet flat on the ground, and whatever weight is chosen has to be held on the chest for two to three seconds until the judge says ‘press.’ But, make sure you can bench it because only three attempts are allowed.
“In the gym you have nothing to lose, if you can’t get it up nobody cares” said Danny Russo, former body builder turned power lifter.
However, during competition, Russo cautioned about ‘bombing out’, which is picking up a weight that is too high.
“By being too competitive, you can knock yourself out of the competition,” Russo said. “Once you miss the first (attempt), the chances are you’re going to miss the second and third lift.”
Something the five from Net Fitness had nothing to do with. Each came in first place on July 29 in Sacramento at the Rancho Cordova Nationals.
At the competition, Al Tortorelli came in first place in the dead lift at 617 pounds; Apolonio Jauregui was first place in 220 pounds class 1, benching 380; Jauquin Perez was in first place in the 220 pound weight class benching, 424 pounds; Danny Russo was first place in 150 pound master’s, benching 319; and Jack Peters was first place in the 75-79-year-old, 220 pound weight class, benching 172 pounds.
Now power lifting for 10 years, Peters doesn’t know when he’s going to stop because he continually comes out on top.
Peters repeatedly pointed out that the older you get, the harder it gets to lift heavy weight. But, as long as he keeps coming in first, Peters said, “I’m going to keep on trucking.”
Besides the competitiveness, Peters enjoys the friendly nature of the group that doesn’t compete each other.
“They want to see you do good,” Peters said. “What sport do you get a 20-year-old cheering on a 70-year-old.”
Russo, who has been power lifting for two and a half years, has the record books on his mind.
Now back to 100 percent after getting hurt in a Las Vegas competition where he set a state and world championship record at 181 pounds, lifting 407.7 pounds, Russo is on a comeback trail.
After shedding 30 pounds, Russo is now determined to set records at a lower weight.
“My goal is to try to get the state record. That’s most of the guys goal, state record,” Russo said. “When you get a state record it means you accomplished your goal.”
Russo has that record, benching 319 pounds in Sacramento, but he plans to raise the bar even higher. In November, during a competition in Anaheim, he will attempt 400 pounds because there’s always the unknown in power lifting that somebody is right behind you trying to claim the number one spot.
