Two locals take first place in deadlift competition
Believe it or not, when one lifts 500, 600 pounds in a deadlift,
it’s more than just pure strength.
Seriously.
Strength is obviously one of the key factors when lifting
roughly three times your body weight, but deadlifting involves a
specific mindset, a particular body alignment, a certain
continuity.
Two locals take first place in deadlift competition
Believe it or not, when one lifts 500, 600 pounds in a deadlift, it’s more than just pure strength.
Seriously.
Strength is obviously one of the key factors when lifting roughly three times your body weight, but deadlifting involves a specific mindset, a particular body alignment, a certain continuity.
For Hollister residents Al Tortorelli and Chuck Ortwein, it’s practically a science.
“Time, being patient. You have to have an attitude, You have to want to pull the weight,” Tortorelli said. “It must be very refined. Most people think it’s an easy movement. But when the weight tends to get up there, the movement has to be refined. Otherwise, you will be injured.”
The two recently returned from the West Coast Open Bench Press and Deadlift Championships in Sacramento on Aug. 30, where they lifted their way to a pair of first-place finishes in their respective age divisions.
Tortorelli, 41, weighing 220 pounds, lifted 628 pounds in the 40-45-year-old age group. Ortwein, 47, also weighing 220 pounds, lifted 523 pounds in the 47-53-year-old age group.
Believe it or not, it is more than just pure strength.
“Initially, you can get away with the pure strength part. But when the bar starts to get a little heavier, you have to make adjustments,” Tortorelli said. “There is a lot of continuity involved. One centimeter off and the weight goes away from the center of gravity and it shifts to your lower back.
“You have to do right, especially when you lift 600 pounds. It has to be spot on.”
Although Tortorelli has been in the powerlifting game for six years now, he still considers himself a beginner. Previously a body builder and now a personal trainer at Net Fitness in Gilroy, Tortorelli has since won two world titles, two national titles, seven state titles and set six state records, among many other accolades. He’s currently the state-record holder in the 33-39-year-old age group, lifting 644 pounds, and holds the Class I state record, deadlifting 622 pounds at a body weight of 198.
“It’s practice,” Tortorelli said. “It takes time to actually master the movements and to build strength and confidence within specific types of movements.”
Tortorelli has been mentoring Ortwein from the start, helping him along the way to master those movements.
Although he could usually be found in the gym prior to his involvement, Ortwein began lifting competitively in March. Since his start, though, he’s recorded six titles in three different competitions.
“He’s been so helpful, it’s unbelievable,” said Ortwein, who spoke a similar sentiment as Tortorelli regarding continuity. “If you get in too big of a hurry, you can put your body out over the bar and be unbalanced.”
A senior planner for the county, Ortwein lifts seven days a week, two hours a day – 30 minutes of cardio and 90 minutes of lifting, each day focusing on a different area. He’ll be making his first trip to the World Bench Press and Deadlift Championships in Las Vegas in November.
“I was coming into the gym constantly for the last three to four years,” said Ortwein, who works out at Gold’s Gym in Hollister. “I wanted a goal. Instead of just working out, I wanted something that I could achieve each time.”
Ortwein met Tortorelli at the gym, and the two sparked up a conversation about deadlifting – which is almost the exact same way Tortorelli got started. During his days as a body builder, Tortorelli had a conversation with a friend from Gilroy, Sam Kanapu, and the rest is history.
“I’ll stop and stare at anybody who’s lifting a monster amount of weight,” Ortwein said. “But for the most part, nobody is in awe of us. We all work through our own routines.”
For the most part, Tortorelli and Ortwein may be in awe of others. When the modest Tortorelli listed his accomplishments in powerlifting, Ortwein jokingly genuflected to the two-time world title holder, as if he’s not worthy, while Tortorelli praised the accomplishments of fellow Hollister lifters Chino Davila (world record holder in the masters division at 507 pounds) and Ray Perez (state record holder in Class I at 501 pounds).
The two also spoke of Gilroy’s Jack Peters, 76, who recently won the state championship for his age group (75-78), lifting 178 pounds on the bench press in Sacramento.
“He’s just gonna keep us going for the next 30 years, if not more,” said Tortorelli, who’s known Peters for 20 years.
Standing in awe of the competition at the Worlds could be detrimental to how well they do, however, but Tortorelli and Ortwein seem poised to rise above their opponents.
Interestingly enough when they first met, Tortorelli made the comment to Ortwein that he’d be a good deadlifter, which is certainly the type of comment you don’t hear everyday.
“When the bar gets heavy,” Ortwein said, “that’s when you have to, mentally, get over that hump.”
